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Author Topic: Convert the superfluous damage from an overload to kinetic impulse  (Read 5176 times)

Gothars

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Just a little idea that I had after seeing an AM blast hit an almost overloaded Xyphos. Would be a nice visual touch if such a hit didn't just overload, but also pushed the target backwards.

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rex

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Re: Convert the superfluous damage from an overload to kinetic impulse
« Reply #1 on: July 24, 2016, 02:37:14 PM »

Agree.

It would also add a couple interesting interactions, either pushing smaller ships and frigates  a bit out of harm's way(increasing survivability, marginally) or pushing escort/tightly grouped ships into capitals/fire lanes.

seems fun.
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Ranakastrasz

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Re: Convert the superfluous damage from an overload to kinetic impulse
« Reply #2 on: July 24, 2016, 03:17:42 PM »

Its already not superfluous. The overkill amount is converted to extra stun time. The more it goes over, the longer the stun, albiet with a clamp between, I think, 4 seconds and something like 15 seconds. Or maybe some arcane equation with powers or roots.

In any case, I don't like this idea. If an overload knocked them away from you, it would make it harder to kill an overloaded ship.
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Sy

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Re: Convert the superfluous damage from an overload to kinetic impulse
« Reply #3 on: July 24, 2016, 08:27:35 PM »

In any case, I don't like this idea. If an overload knocked them away from you, it would make it harder to kill an overloaded ship.
that was my first thought as well.

however, that could actually turn out to be something positive. yes, it will make it harder (at least in some cases) for you to punish an overloaded enemy. but even if you aren't able to follow up with full damage immediately, causing stun and involuntary movement is already rather useful by itself. at the moment, exploiting overloads to great effect actually feels a little too easy and too powerful, especially with the AI not being very good at handling high flux levels.

in battles that aren't just the player soloing an entire enemy fleet, it could potentially also reduce the chance of your allied ships dying. especially for small ships, most losses are due to a sudden burst of damage + overload, rather than to being slowly whittled down.
causing strong overloads would still be useful, but more for crowd control and disrupting formations than for quick executions.
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Megas

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Re: Convert the superfluous damage from an overload to kinetic impulse
« Reply #4 on: July 25, 2016, 10:19:38 AM »

I generally kite close to or at maximum weapon range.  Knockback would be annoying for me.  I generally want enemies to stay put or come closer, not run away like a bunch of cowards.

Also, excess damage from overload affects overload duration, up to a limit, right?
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Ranakastrasz

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Re: Convert the superfluous damage from an overload to kinetic impulse
« Reply #5 on: July 25, 2016, 11:49:05 AM »

hmm. Could be interesting at least.

I wonder if you could write a mod to do this. Can you detect damage and it's source (direction)? With that and as long as you can detect overload magnitude, it should be possible to apply an impulse when that happens.

Might be interesting if all attacks applied some knockback anyway, actually.
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Sy

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Re: Convert the superfluous damage from an overload to kinetic impulse
« Reply #6 on: July 25, 2016, 12:16:21 PM »

a mod seems a good idea to test it.

i think all/most attacks applying some knockback by default would get annyoing though, since both ships in a duel would constantly have to accelerate towards their enemy just to hold position. assuming equal mobility, it would likely also mean that either ship could disengange way too easily at any point, as the added knockback (even if it's just on one of the ships involved) would make accelerating away from your enemy always more effective than accelerating towards them.

Also, excess damage from overload affects overload duration, up to a limit, right?
i also think there's both a minimum and a maximum, like Ranakastrasz said, but not 100% sure.
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Gothars

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Re: Convert the superfluous damage from an overload to kinetic impulse
« Reply #7 on: July 28, 2016, 01:59:05 AM »

Might be interesting if all attacks applied some knockback anyway, actually.

This was actually in the game, in some pre-release version. According to Alex it was pretty messy though, probably to the reason Sy mentioned. But at least we got the Graviton-beam's knock-back effect from that.

Gameplay wise I think it would be nice to have. It wouldn't affect destroyers and above much, their mass is to high. But it might increase the survivability of frigates in late-game somewhat.
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King Alfonzo

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Re: Convert the superfluous damage from an overload to kinetic impulse
« Reply #8 on: July 28, 2016, 05:19:27 PM »

Also, excess damage from overload affects overload duration, up to a limit, right?
i also think there's both a minimum and a maximum, like Ranakastrasz said, but not 100% sure.

I think it does - the Blackrock mod mentions how some buckshot weapons (Volley gun I think) will blitz a shield due to heaps of kinetic pellets, but because the damage is so low for individual pellets, the overload is relatively short.