Report 906

Report #906
Skillset: Aethercraft Skill: Secondmate
 Org: Symphonium Status: Completed Jul 2012
Furies' Decision:
Solution 2.
Problem: The effect that deadspace (from turret deaden) has on a ship shields
(fully disable) in combination with its power cost (only 8 prompt), duration (1
hour), and activation time (instantaneous) make it too strong.
[A: 0 R: 0] Solution #1: Make deadspace delay-to-enable, as pilot fusion to
 flashpoints is delayed, though a few seconds longer
 than fusion might be required. This would allow a
 window for ships to be repulsed from the dock (and
 make sure any ship movement breaks the action - so if
 you try to do this willy nilly it will be costly)
 Also make it cost 10p.
[A: 0 R: 0] Solution #2: Make deadspace a shorter duration (like 10 minutes).
 In addition to this, make it reduce shield
 effectiveness, rather than destroy shields outright.
[A: 0 R: 0] Solution #3: In addition to a delay-to-enable, create a new 10p,
 delay-to-enable ability that can protect location
 against rupture/shock/deadspace. This would first
 have to be stripped before any of these "room"
 effects could be enabled.
Player Comments:
---[Ushaara on 6/23 @ 17:16 writes]:
I think some combination of #1 and #2 would be good.
---[Shuyin on 6/26 @ 22:10 writes]:
Solution 1 is fine, but I am also fine with lowering the duration of deadspace.
That's all though.
---[Talan on 6/27 @ 00:43 writes]:
Since there is turret strip and clarionblast, that functionality (totally
disabled shield) would still exist, it would just be required to be actively
achieved. Please consider everything from the point of view of deadspace at the
dock during aetherflares. More comments are welcome, I am probably going to end
up revising solutions before submitting. Would like any additional feedback.
---[Hiriako on 7/10 @ 22:57 writes]:
I don't know aethercombat as much as I'd like, but this seems like a good thing.
---[Xenthos on 7/14 @ 18:43 writes]:
Deadspace is 1-room-only. We've used it to our advantage a lot when the other
side has dropped it in a location. If they're perching in it, they're
vulnerable to a quick barrage. If there are a number of bombarding ships with
no pilot sitting in it... well. Isn't it a good thing that pilotless bombarding
ships are vulnerable? If they have a pilot, all they have to do is steer 1 room
and then they've got their shields back (and that 8p was completely wasted). Is
there a specific scenario in which you see that the 'move one room' doesn't
work, during ship combat, that causes a problem? On the whole I'm actually
pretty content with it as it is right now simply as it -does- make aether combat
more tricky / exciting and makes bombard-with-many-ships that each only have one
person on them rather more dangerous.
---[Xenthos on 7/14 @ 18:44 writes]:
As such, I do not agree with solutions 2 or 3 (especially 3). I do not have a
problem with putting a short delay (ie 10 seconds) on deadspace though, which
gives other ships in the room a chance to move-- if they have a pilot.
---[Talan on 7/15 @ 17:33 writes]:
Pilotless bombarding ships are vulnerable regardless. The fact is that this
effect makes even a fully crewed bombarding ship just as vulnerable with no
chance to counteract this. An uncrewed bombarder that gets a clarionblast to the
shield orb is screwed. A fully crewed ship that gets the same can recover -- but
both ships in deadspace are sitting ducks. This instantaneous ability can
basically negate the entire buildup of the bombard if the ship's only choice is
move or die. The situation of disabling all the shields in the one location you
are REQUIRED TO STAY IN to compete in aetherflares for a full hour is too much.
An alternative solution might be to remove the shield stripping effect from
deadspace entirely (since it will still block use of the map and block
communication channels as an effect, as well as take up the area so that a
rupture or shockwave can't be placed there). In the course of normal combat,
that 8p is never "wasted" because the constant effect stays in place for a full
hour. You create a steady obstacle that the other pilot has to avoid (from
memory) or else be vulnerable within for the duration.
---[Xenthos on 7/15 @ 20:33 writes]:
It seems pretty easy to counteract it-- move when a turret locks on to you (it
takes balance and tells you). If both ships are in the same room fighting, and
one drops 8p for deadspace, the other ship has full power to blow up modules or
anything of that sort. Advantage would go to the second ship as both of them
are now shieldless and one has almost no power left. If your issue is that the
other person has to avoid it 'from memory,' then make it so Deadspace shows up
on SHIP LOOK for all ships instead of just the one who drops it. It would make
sense, your ship's sensors can't penetrate it. That alleviates that concern,
and seems a reasonable solution. Second option, a 10-power ability to remove
deadspace (perhaps with a delay). I'd far prefer that to a 'protection against
mines in this room' skill, so you can get rid of it at the dock after a fight is
done.
---[Talan on 7/16 @ 01:33 writes]:
Turret deadspace is a room effect that does not require the turret to lock on to
you, so there is no warning of the type you're imagining. Equally, enacting it
does not prevent the ship who did so from near-instantly gliding out of range,
since the pilot's balance is not effected by turret balance. As I have stated
above, the issue is deadspace at docks. I did not put forward a suggestion to
prevent them being placed there entirely both because the skill has other uses
besides the shield stripping, and because I feel there should remain -some-
vulnerability, however my argument remains that it is too much. Please stay on
topic.
---[Tulemrah on 7/16 @ 03:15 writes]:
Solution 2 supported. I wouldn't mind it getting a small delay, either.
---[Xenthos on 7/16 @ 21:11 writes]:
Turret lock, on the other hand, does give warning-- so if you're moving up on a
ship that is in deadspace, warning is received. Both ships are also able to
'near-instantly' glide out if they want as well, assuming both are piloted.
---[Xenthos on 7/16 @ 21:11 writes]:
PS: Comments discussing the skill, how it's used, and alternative suggestions
that I'd prefer to see are not off-topic.
---[Enyalida on 7/25 @ 19:26 writes]:
Solution 2 Supported. As is, deadspace promotes very silly aetherflare tactics
that get very boring very fast and help reduce the flares to who has the most
ships.
---[Talan on 7/26 @ 16:15 writes]:
Well, not to disagree with support, but, whoever has the most manned ships
probably should win, heh. My concern is that 1 ship can take out many too
quickly and easily in the shooting-fish-in-a-barrel situation that results from
deadspace on the dock.