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Author Topic: Make Phase Lances outright ignore shields  (Read 1591 times)

SonnaBanana

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Make Phase Lances outright ignore shields
« on: May 14, 2020, 10:07:42 AM »

Otherwise, they're just bad Mining Blasters.
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Grievous69

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Re: Make Phase Lances outright ignore shields
« Reply #1 on: May 14, 2020, 10:17:06 AM »

If this is a meme, I don't get it. If it's serious, then I also don't get it. Why would you make a balanced weapon broken as hell? Also how is it a ''bad Mining blaster'', it's better in almost every way, and honestly comparing those two is a bit silly.

EDIT: Are you sure you're talking about Phase lances, as in purple burst beams?
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Mondaymonkey

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Re: Make Phase Lances outright ignore shields
« Reply #2 on: May 14, 2020, 10:18:57 AM »

Hold on. You want to make them MORE LETHAL?

EDIT: Do you really mean that thing?


« Last Edit: May 14, 2020, 10:20:50 AM by Mondaymonkey »
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Harmful Mechanic

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Re: Make Phase Lances outright ignore shields
« Reply #3 on: May 14, 2020, 10:39:00 AM »

This is a silly suggestion for a modular weapon... but it could be really fun for a built-in on a unique phase ship (perhaps with a % shield-pierce chance that varies by time recently spent phased). Mechanics like this are usually best tested out in a limited context before they have to be balanced for general use on anything with a given slot type.
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bobucles

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Re: Make Phase Lances outright ignore shields
« Reply #4 on: May 14, 2020, 03:09:38 PM »

Phase lances are great. Maybe the mining laser should ignore shields, because it's too weak to be recognized as a threat.  ;D

Megas

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Re: Make Phase Lances outright ignore shields
« Reply #5 on: May 14, 2020, 03:34:52 PM »

I am not fond of Phase Lance as it is now.  Range is too short.  Stinks as an assault weapon.  (Pulse laser or blasters do the same job, but with hard flux.)  What it really is, is a PD weapon against non-missiles (i.e., fighters or frigates).
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dead_hand

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Re: Make Phase Lances outright ignore shields
« Reply #6 on: May 14, 2020, 03:42:42 PM »

I think this weapon is good as it is, but just doesn't work well for most ships, it has a slow rate of fire, and you need many of these weapons for it to have a decent effect. There are some mods that make (a version of) this weapon available on fighters. It becomes a lot better then. Would probably prefer seeing the weapon move into that direction.
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FooF

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Re: Make Phase Lances outright ignore shields
« Reply #7 on: May 14, 2020, 04:46:53 PM »

I take the Phase Lance over Pulse Laser every time. No, it doesn't do hard flux but it does drive up shields pretty quickly. Secondly, it is absurdly better at penetrating armor than the Pulse Laser. It also has an overall flux profile that is more manageable than the Pulse Laser.

To buff the weapon...? Range is a bit short, no doubt, but I think its a great assault weapon as-is. Also, I believe Beams will have a skill next patch that allows them to do hard flux at reduced range. I don't know if the Phase Lance is in the mix for that but if it is, it will be more general-purpose than it is.
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Goumindong

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Re: Make Phase Lances outright ignore shields
« Reply #8 on: May 14, 2020, 04:52:32 PM »

Phase lances are great. They slaughter fighters and frigates. They are hilariously good on all types of ships. I think theyre generally better than tachyon lances
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Midnight Kitsune

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Re: Make Phase Lances outright ignore shields
« Reply #9 on: May 14, 2020, 04:59:15 PM »

To buff the weapon...? Range is a bit short, no doubt, but I think its a great assault weapon as-is. Also, I believe Beams will have a skill next patch that allows them to do hard flux at reduced range. I don't know if the Phase Lance is in the mix for that but if it is, it will be more general-purpose than it is.
It will be a hull mod that halves the range to allow the beams to do hard flux damage. Note that the phase lance would then have a whopping 300 range... IE that of the light machine gun family
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intrinsic_parity

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Re: Make Phase Lances outright ignore shields
« Reply #10 on: May 14, 2020, 05:59:06 PM »

The range and soft flux hurt it a lot as a general purpose weapon, it's pretty clearly a strike weapon IMO. Firing it into shields is actively bad unless you are close enough that you could overload the enemy since you will build more flux in your own ship than the enemy and the enemy will dissipate most of the flux before you can fire again. They're very good as energy HE weapons though, like a heavy blaster that costs less flux and does less DPS and has soft flux. I think a slight efficiency increase or range increase would be good to make the weapon better on ships that can't comfortable use a heavy blaster (which I think is its main niche), but I think the phase lance is in a decent spot generally. Good on phase ships, medusa (with access to small kinetics) and some eagle/falcon load outs although the flux cost is pretty high compared to HE alternatives there IMO.

Penetrating shields would be absurd.
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ubuntufreakdragon

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Re: Make Phase Lances outright ignore shields
« Reply #11 on: May 14, 2020, 06:30:49 PM »

irony on
Just add the death star's coaxial main beam with 1 OP cost 1 flux to fire and 10000range and 10000dmg/sec ;)
irony off
How about having beams dealing 25%hard and 75%soft flux.
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Goumindong

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Re: Make Phase Lances outright ignore shields
« Reply #12 on: May 14, 2020, 07:12:38 PM »

Extra range could actually hurt them (with the exception of use on the paragon) because range gating is important to manage many ships loadouts. At higher ranges they would engage with the primary weapons and so discharge into shields, rather than kill fighters and frigates and fire when shields are down or close to it.
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TaLaR

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Re: Make Phase Lances outright ignore shields
« Reply #13 on: May 14, 2020, 09:36:32 PM »

PL is all about synergy with Advanced Optics. It also has decent synergy with HEF (big burst, long reload).

2xPL is excellent on a player piloted Tempest. Which is admittedly rare occasion outside of sim. By the time I get one in campaign, I have better ships to pilot.

2xPL + 2xHNeedlers is also good on a Falcon.

AI isn't too impressive with these loadouts, since they are very timing-sensitive.
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intrinsic_parity

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Re: Make Phase Lances outright ignore shields
« Reply #14 on: May 14, 2020, 10:35:23 PM »

I fly my SO tempest in pursuits all the time thank you very much :P. Actually 1 pulse laser and 1 phase lance on a SO tempest is kinda nuts and I solo a lot of domain probes with it as well, 2x PL would work better against probes, but pulse + phase lance lets you kill destroyers much more easily in real combat which is a big plus for pursuits. I agree that phase lance is pretty bad for the AI. I generally don't use it on any AI load outs because the AI will fire it at all the wrong moments and get itself into flux trouble. I wish the AI would just treat it like a strike weapon (and learn how to use strike weapons better in general). It just auto fires it every time. 
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