From post: 153176, Topic: tid=10239, author=Vice wrote:
If I want to launch this fulcrum I'm going to have to spend 30 seconds arming it. In that 30 seconds my opponent has a chance to try and hunt me down and kill me before the launch sequence is complete. I'd have no problem with how powerful the fulcrum is right now as long as I have a chance to counter that pilot's actions by striking first while they're waiting for it to arm.
Interesting. The only technical requirement the game would need to handle that counter-operation for the player is the notification that the weapon has been armed. Any players will then know they have the 30 second window to take action and can try to either escape to destroy the player who armed the weapon. Then if we combine that function with the requirement that no other fulcrum torpedo could be armed by that player until the first one at least fires, it would help hold down the spam-fire issue also.
Great discussion and debate You guys have already got me drafting a few ideas in my head on ways to approach a couple of these options. The arming sequence has a lot of appeal to me since it could potentially help remedy two issues at once in a functionally purposeful and beneficial way.
I could live with this.
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From post: 153165, Topic: tid=10239, author=zex wrote:
From post: 153164, Topic: tid=10239, author=-splosives- wrote:
You most likely just like the FT's because the vonari are the ones that make use of it the most (and generally ruining our fun with it).
Times you've killed me with an FT: 1
Times I've killed you with an FT: 0
I enumerated my reasons for liking torpedoes, ruining your fun is not one of them.
@Zex
Times you've killed ME with an FT - 1
Times I've fired an FT even close to your general direction - 0
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I don't see FTs being used all that often. But, whenever I start a new profile, trading FTs is what builds up the ol' bank account. So deleting them would be my last choice.
I'm late to the party but I think the autosave after firing option was the least impactful while addressing the core complaints.
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The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at or repair.
I voted other with the timed arming thing in mind.
The FT is a massive destruction weapon, not an
anti SD weapon and should not be limited to
any launch/lock on target limitations. They are
easy enough to avoid as they are now.
I also think that they should be very expensive
to use and should not be back when respawning
after you die (auto save after launch).
\"Nothing is impossible, it only takes a bit longer!\"
\"We are not retreating, we are advancing in another direction!\"
The timed arming is a good step. Are we considering that the arming action is triggered by pressing on the fire button. So that a cloaked ship which is arming the launch sequence should be automatically uncloaked ?
However I don't think it will end totally the spam if the FT is still killing or damaging all ships in its blast radius not only a capital ship. How do you deal with a bunch of people using the FT at the same time over and over again ?
Well I'm not sure I'm qualified to contribute effectively since I've only used them a couple of times in SP (and lived to tell about it) ... and never in MP (because I thought their use was discouraged in MP ... so I don't). What I know of the problem is what I've read here, but I can understand the issues.
My suggestion: Make FTs incapable of detonation when the ship that launched them is within the kill radius (blast radious) which essentially is a safety or proximity switch. (similar to the safety measures on submarine torpedoes) That would eliminate kamakazi runs resulting in a respawn with the same FT on board for another launch.
I agree with SeeJay in regards to price. They should be much more expensive than they are now considering what they are capable of doing. My suggestions are to help fix some problems but I could easily accept them being totally eliminated from the game. My enjoyment of EM would not be affected at all.
30 seconds launch time might sound like a reasonable solution, but then think of it this way.
Who is ever going to use such a useless device? How are you supposed to use this thing practically if you have to wait 30 seconds?
With this option, the FT goes from something game breaking to something useless. And as far as I know, useless things in a game are...well...useless.
Remove the FT and replace it by an entirely new weapon. Evochron could use some more interesting weapons. Weapons like swarm missiles or EMP bombs. Why not a flamethrower? would be pretty awesome.
SplosivesCorp: Bringing people closer to destruction.
• Other
1 auto save after launch
2 countering (defensive) weapons
3 post notification with player name
4 security zone in the station(After purchasing a license)
I'm starting to think differently then before because of previous memories of when I first played the game that they should be completely removed. Their mostly used to cause annoyance/griefing and really do put a damper on game play. I can say from playing a lot of multiplayer games over the years I never came across something so overpowered. By removing it we would be one step closer to having players play on a equal playing field, where it would be based on skill rather than having a noob just go do fulcrum suicides.
Thanks for the feedback, both here and in e-mail. I'm still tallying results, but overall so far, it appears attempting some of form of functional modification is the most popular way to go. And of the available options, the arming sequence is the leading direction.
When reviewing the option to remove them entirely, most still want them in the game in some form or another. So if they were to be removed at any point, it would likely be done in a future update or game and will need a much stronger consensus before taking that big of an action. Also, since there could already be an option to control their use, including blocking them entirely (via server setting), it would be possible to achieve that without removing them for players who still enjoy them, especially SP players.
I've heard several of you loud and clear on the existing limitations of them. Yes, they can be pretty easily avoided since their range is limited to only 2500 and even then, they aren't generally 'fatal' until you're within 2000. So a quick evasion away from them will generally result in surviving, even without having to jump away. However, as others have pointed out, this becomes more of a problem when one player launches multiple torpedoes in different directions 'death blossom' style. So I weighed this into the decision for modifying their functionality.
What I plan to set up, for now, is the arming sequence. We'll try it at a fairly short duration at first, say around 15-20 seconds, with a displayed text alert when an arming sequence has started. Once the sequence finishes, the weapon will be automatically fired. Once armed, the process won't be reversible and the player will be forced to fire the weapon. The player will be forced to wait until the arming and firing sequence has finished before being able to arm and fire another one. A similar arming and alert system will likely be applied to proximity mines as well.
So I'll be rolling out a test build for the beta testers to try out in advance before an official update with the change. This will let some players test it out and see how the change works in providing an option to counter attack and escape/avoid. We'll see how that goes for a while and this may be something I revisit again in another update to make further changes.
So Marv, I guess that means I'll have to be more careful about placing my in-sector "jump-away/mad-dash" nav-marker way-points on the nav map, FT post-launch. Gonna have to git me eyes recalibrated!
Commander
[SW] Clan Squadron Lead - Retired
Call Sign: Busch
I only used them once ... back when somebody figured out how to stash station detonators inside a station where they couldn't be destroyed. IIRC, the FTs only made a bigger mess of an already messy situation. Worse, though I'm really cheap when it comes to spending credits, I'm even cheaper when it comes to getting blown up. So, instead, I stockpiled FTs.
I voted for no change as I rarely have seen a FT launch and it's not hard to avoid detonation at all if you know what you're doing.
Instead of prolonging the arming time, you could just make a bit longer the flight time until detonation so that people have a little more time to jump away from the blast radius.
Usually it's a matter of seconds before you can be out of danger unless you're stuck into an asteroid or something.
The problem I see is the unwillingess to adapt to the game and I really don't support changes we're supposed to adapt to.
Just jump in a place and set up a waypoint a little off the location as a safety exit; you'll be fine whatever happens about FTs.
Give the thing a bit better radius and a safeguard (Fulcrum will not detonate until certain flight distance).
What would be more fun are special quests, that require using Fulcrums to destroy some cruisers or carriers, or even heavily fortified planetary bunkers.
From post: 153364, Topic: tid=10239, author=KingArthur wrote:BUSCH. I Believe that Was [RVR]REAVER 1 and it was the SHIELD ARRAY he Managed to DEPLOY INSIDE THE LEGS OF A STATION.
I think this time you really did mean to refer back to one of my posts ... describing what you accurately corrected as the thing placed where it couldn't be reached.
Yeah, IM and associates chased him around the Evoverse, once upon a time. But we could come up with only two defenses: FTs and bumping. But I did get pretty good at using the tilde key to track and intercept him before he could deploy the shield array. Eventually he gave up. Either that or he ran out of station detonators ... because, if nothing else, he was honorable when it came to not using the "self-destruct" ploy to re-arm himself.
You guys have already got me drafting a few ideas in my head on ways to approach a couple of these options. The arming sequence has a lot of appeal to me since it could potentially help remedy two issues at once in a functionally purposeful and beneficial way.
I only used them once ... back when somebody figured out how to stash station detonators inside a station where they couldn't be destroyed. IIRC, the FTs only made a bigger mess of an already messy situation. Worse, though I'm really cheap when it comes to spending credits, I'm even cheaper when it comes to getting blown up. So, instead, I stockpiled FTs.
