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Author Topic: [0.95a] Shadowyards Reconstruction Authority 0.9.5-rc4(4/12/21)  (Read 1115375 times)

King Alfonzo

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Re: (0.7.2a) Shadowyards Reconstruction Authority 0.6.0.5
« Reply #960 on: May 30, 2016, 02:03:06 AM »

Was the CAS Siege Beam supposed to stop ships? As in, halt their movement? Because it makes it almost broken in how useful it is; against frigates and destroyers it monsters them, and against cruisers and even capitals you can pin them so you can flank them easier - and don't bring up how ridiculously useful they are vs. Templar Paladins. The only drawback is turn rate, but if you stick it on a Sunder that can turn quite quickly the weapon becomes crazy in the hands of the player.

MShadowy

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Re: (0.7.2a) Shadowyards Reconstruction Authority 0.6.0.5
« Reply #961 on: May 30, 2016, 10:56:18 AM »

It actually is intended, the CAS beams have extremely high impact; since this isn't normally a significant number the game doesn't display it.  The Highest vanilla impact is 500, on the Plasma Cannon; by contrast, the Murti has an impact of 1450, and the Deva 2700.  While I kinda like how this tends to stop ships in their tracks, if it is potentially broken I'll have to fiddle with the numbers.
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HELMUT

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Re: (0.7.2a) Shadowyards Reconstruction Authority 0.6.0.5
« Reply #962 on: May 30, 2016, 12:00:59 PM »

The CAS weapons are strong, but situational, an efficient omni-shield can easily stop a bunch of those. Of course, the spinning effect makes a direct confrontation ill-advised if your ship only have a front shield emitter. I tried for fun to use a trio of chain-firing CAS as some kind of tractor-beam, and it kinda worked! The idea to uses those to stop a charging Paladin is pretty smart as well.

Still, i think the CAS family is in a fairly good spot. It wrecks armor like no other weapons, making it a perfect low-tech hunter, not so much against High-tech ships with strong shields though.

Boating them is enough to brute-force frigates and even some destroyers, but anything bigger will be trickier to deal with. In some way, more conventional weapons like blasters and plasma cannons are safer bets.

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Gorgonson

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Re: (0.7.2a) Shadowyards Reconstruction Authority 0.6.0.5
« Reply #963 on: May 31, 2016, 08:51:18 PM »

Hi MShadowy,

I'm just about through conquering the sector in the name of the Shadowyards Reconstruction Authority.
Now's the time for me to drop a bunch of feedback on you.

First off, I'm a huge fan of the Shadowyards aesthetic.  I imagine the top engineers of the various factions subscribing to brutalist design principles, or following a high-tech, minimalist approach.  Then there are the Shadowyards designers, who seem to have fallen in love with an ancient Tripad containing the works of surrealist artists.

I'll go through the ships in the order I purchased them.

Enlil: The versatility of this little ship is amazing.  I outfitted it to close-out small combat encounters very quickly - A Shrike ASM Pod, and two Tusk Racks.  With Extended Missile Racks, the little Enlil could clear an encounter of 1-4 small ships on a good day, though there were days when I was outlasted, and had to resort to crude ramming tactics to finish a combat.  I liken the Enlil to BRDY's Silverfish, in both role and flexibility.  I have no qualms with the Enlil at all - they served me well.

Morningstar: I love the Sensor Drones, but it feel like the ship itself inhabits a place between Enlil and Clade, and I might have been better served by purchasing one of either.  This is especially true given the monthly supply tax of the Morningstar, which is very close to that of the Clade (10 vs 11, as I remember).  I couldn't find the perfect niche for the Morningstar, but that may be my issue.

Sargasso:  I appreciated the idea behind the ship system, but I feel it needs a polish pass - I never received any strong feedback that my fighter wings were improved, apart from the occasional torque sound effect that accompanies the activation.  I would like to say that a range indicator, or an 'aura' effect would be useful.  As for the sound, you've mentioned that's a weak-point of Shadowyards, so I know you're aware.  Despite the complaints, the ship served well as a light carrier, allowing the Rakshasa wings (Which look amazing, by the way - like little Bats) to fulfill their destinies.

Clade: The retro-thrusters are fun!  I felt inclined to engage in hit-and-run tactics with the Clade, ruining foes with a burst of firepower, before boosting backwards and away.  I did ashamedly total several allied ships by mishandling the retro-thrusters, but I figured that was just practice for the Mimir.  I do say that a phase ship with retro-thrusters would be the ultimate nuisance.

Tartarus:  I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but Siege Mode turned the Tartarus into one of my favourite ships, I did notice that the AI didn't often utilise Siege Mode, though.  I've always had trouble establishing a strong defense, perhaps due to unwillingness to invest in command points early on.  Regardless, a Tartarus that is supported by a dedicated escort serves as an absolutely amazing bulwark against an attacking fleet.  Lategame they acted as anvils, against which my Scylla hammer would pulverise the poor, hopeless foes.  I almost hoped that the names of the Tartarus and Charybdis would be swapped, so my enemies would truly be torn between Scylla and Charybdis.

Lambent: It's a cute tanker.  I would pay good money for a hot water bottle that looks like a plush Lambent.

Charybdis: It allowed me to field unholy amounts of Rakshasa bombers, and for that I am grateful.  It served as a nice mobile base, behind the aforementioned wall of Tartaruses, but I didn't feel it stood out in any exceptional manner.

Potnia: I kept attempting to field ships that were probably meant to be kept out of combat.  I enjoyed the marine-boosting effects, but lategame I had several hundred marines, and I assumed the Potnia only buffed a number equal to it's crew holding, so I shelved it.  How did you envision the Potnia being utilised?

Mimir: Piloting a capital ship can often feel like you're a boss in Shadow of the Colossus.  A small pest evades you, stinging constantly, and you aren't agile enough to reach out and swat it - And then I engaged the Lock Drive.  I can imagine the '420 MLG NOSCOPE' dubstep playing in the background as I barrel forwards, smashing the hapless weaklings into piles of metal and heavy machinery before my trio of Wavepulse cannons overwhelms their feeble companions.  It's such a satisfying ship to pilot, though I was underwhelmed by the missile slots, given that I couldn't find the perfect missile to compliment the Mimir's role.

Scylla:  It's absolutely disgusting.  All that forward-facing firepower is an absolute force to be reckoned with.  The Hydra Drones served as an ample distraction - I've been saved more than once by them.

Elysium:  The "Let's jam a bunch of cool systems and built-in weapons onto this ship!"  It became my dedicated sensor vessel, which was a boon in larger engagements.  I pulled off several critical hits with the REIS, though it felt redundant when the CAS beams were available - I felt they were a much more versatile immobilisation tool.

And there were several ships I never got to pilot.  The Belet-Seri, which looks like a mini-Morningstar, the Inanna, the Shamash, and the Seski (Which I always read as Seksi).
The former three never turned up in markets for me, and the Seski wasn't picked up, due to already fielding a number of fighters and Enlil.

Given the somewhat limited variety of weapon types, as well as the small selection of weapons native to Shadowyards, I felt like there wasn't extensive choices to be made when it came to installing weapons - I tend to play through each faction using as much of that faction's tech as I am able.  I don't mix weapons and ships very often, so this issue is definitely on my end.  On your end I can compliment you on a very refined vision for Shadowyards.
I'm beginning to see that most ships are designed within an acceptable margin, and deviation results in them being broken, for better or worse.  Knowing that, the charm of Shadowyards definitely has the remarkable ship systems to thank.  A select few - Clade, Tartarus, Mimir - really changed how I played the game, or approached tactical deployment.

Now I'll talk briefly about weapons:

CEPC Family:  They look good, feel good, and work very well.  It's always nice for your barrage of laser death to adhere to a uniform style.  I especially like how the projectiles pop at the end of their lifespan.  Progression is generally linear, with the outlier being the Scatter CEPC.  Absolutely devastating in close-quarters, becoming even moreso with the expanded magazines hullmod, it works surprisingly well on a Scylla, working to punch through shields so the CAS beams can do their work, or to finish off weakened foes while the beams are on cooldown.

Tusk Torpedo:  These have ruined my day more than once, it felt nice to not be on the receiving end for once.  I'd say they are my favourite torpedo overall.

Shrike:  So they're almost useless if the missile isn't facing the target as it is launched, but I suppose that's a fair trade for how damn effective they are under the right conditions.  The Shrike ensured I succeeded in every single pursuit I engaged in, and they break shields on-par with the Sabot.  Definitely my preferred kinetic missile.

Blackcap:  These fell somewhat short for me.  The large ammunition count was a bonus, but they felt somewhat underwhelming against fighters, as they would regularly miss their target, not to mention they used up a slot which could field a different missile.  They might do the trick in large numbers, but I used other missiles over the Blackcap.  Although, as I write this I wonder if a Blackcap Pod would be at home on a Mimir.

Splinter:  They remind me of Diable Avionic's Plover missiles.  Splinter missiles would probably be a nightmare if used cross-faction on a dedicated missile ship.  On a Shadowyards ship, however, where missile launchers are usually at a premium, I still prefer to use a Tusk or a Shrike.

Barrago:  I like the idea, I really do, but the Barrago seems to have more issues than any other Shadowyards weapon.  Firstly, the coloured trail doesn't seem to be centered on the thruster, and floats several units behind the missile.  This is most noticeable when the Barrago turns, and while it's not a gameplay issue, it's an outlier in a mod that prides itself on amazing visuals.  Secondly, when the Barrago enters phase two and chases a target, very rarely does the secondary detonation actually hit the target.  As I understand, the Barrago bursts into a plume of flame, which is meant to strike the target - but if the target is moving, this is almost never the case.  I feel the tracking needs to be improved on this explosion.

CAS Family:  Gosh.  The immobilising effect of the beams really is strong.  It's quite handy when it comes to catching a foe behind their shield, as they are usually unable to rotate to deflect your attack.  It's a really satisfying weapon to use, though I'm leaning towards 'too-strong' in classifying it.

Polarizers:  I could see these adopting the Impact from the CAS beams - they're built for debilitating foes, after all.  They're a great supporting weapon for ships that don't necessarily want to be in the thick of things, like the Charybdis.  Unfortunately, the polarizer weapons are causing crashes when interacting with Knights Templar Lattice Shields.

Niddhoggr Lance:  I want to love it, but I don't know which role it suits.  It's useful to add flux to an approaching ship, especially since you have time to vent afterwards.  Apart from that niche use, though, I didn't get much out of it.  The flux it generates is so high that it's not really viable to use it when engaged in combat, especially if the Mimir's shields are active.  It's a cool idea, but I don't quite see where it fits, other than as an alpha-strike in an engagement, to cripple the opponent's flux before you Lock Drive in and blast their face.  Also the additional projectiles launched by the Nidhoggr regularly disconnect, sending different green particles across the screen and away from the actual projectile.

Gosh, I've been writing this for way too long.  I would like to ask you, MShadowy, if Shadowyards introduced a large missile weapon, what do you imagine it would be?

To summarise, I love the mod.  The aesthetics are great and the design space is well-defined.  The ship-systems are a treat.  I'd mark the Barrago and the Nidhoggr Lance for a once-over, and maybe the CAS beams for a slight tweaking.  I'm really looking forward to what else you have in store for us, MShadowy.

PS: I apologise for any mistakes or idiocy, my brain seems to be increasing in flux as I write this, and I'm in danger of an overload
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Wyvern

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Re: (0.7.2a) Shadowyards Reconstruction Authority 0.6.0.5
« Reply #964 on: June 01, 2016, 09:52:58 AM »

Hm.  Maybe I should take another look at the Tartarus Siege Mode AI.  Trouble is that it's tricky to tell when it's actually worth turning on; I eventually settled on just making the Tartarus able to use it for the shield extension effect and called that good enough.  It definitely misses some times where the range or flux bonuses would be good to have... but at least it won't flip it on while it's trying to go places.
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Wyvern is 100% correct about the math.

Kitfox88

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Re: (0.7.2a) Shadowyards Reconstruction Authority 0.6.0.5
« Reply #965 on: June 02, 2016, 07:28:45 AM »

Cycerin's little ditties for the mod own, it's some of my favorite Starsector music. I could listen to the fleet encounter themes for hours.
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borgrel

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Re: (0.7.2a) Shadowyards Reconstruction Authority 0.6.0.5
« Reply #966 on: November 09, 2016, 01:04:03 PM »



The description says unguided while the tracking says good instead of none.
Unfortunately its very confusing.
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MShadowy

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Re: (0.7.2a) Shadowyards Reconstruction Authority 0.6.0.5
« Reply #967 on: November 10, 2016, 06:45:32 AM »

It's sort of a typo, I guess; Splinters have a script which adjusts their launch angle when fired in order to make them track their target more successfully.  In order for this to work, the missiles need a turn rate, which is why their tracking is "Good;"  I guess it might be more accurate to call them semi-guided or something?
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Phearlock

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Re: (0.7.2a) Shadowyards Reconstruction Authority 0.6.0.5
« Reply #968 on: November 12, 2016, 04:48:45 PM »

I think the Charybdis is probably one of the strongest ships the shadowyards has, in comparison to other ships of similar roles. While the entry price is quite high, maintenance is about on-par with a Heron. Continuing to use the Heron as a baseline. The Charybdis still gives you a 2-bay carrier that has excellent speed, but with much better ability for close-support firepower. The weapon arcs are, despite what the description says, quite good, and the ship system helps cover the rest. The very far forward-mounted large energy slot makes the AI very good at keeping enemies at a safe distance as well. When an enemy does manage to close on it, the warship grade flux systems let it take much more punishment than most carriers, despite its fairly large target profile.

In most of my shadowyars playthroughs they are the multi-purpose fire support backbone of my mid-lategame fleets, and usually fare better at surviving large scale engagements than the heavier Tartarus (though I'd say this is more due to the AI flying them better than an issue with the ships themselves).

I'm a bit torn as on one hand I feel the ship is a fair bit superior to similar craft and could probably do with an increase in maintenance or deployment CR cost to balance out being flat out better than any other ship of its class. But I absolutely love the ship, and don't mind keeping it as it is, besides, it's better to wait until the fighter overhaul is live to do any sort of carrier rebalancing.
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Takion Kasukedo

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Re: (0.7.2a) Shadowyards Reconstruction Authority 0.6.0.5
« Reply #969 on: November 29, 2016, 03:38:26 AM »

Well, the answer to that is pretty simple; I decided that I wanted the lock drive AI to be imperfect and occasionally make boneheaded moves.

Much more specifically I thought the Mimir ramming into things was cool and fun so I coded the AI so it wouldn't calculate all the way to the anticipated end point of a given lock drive usage, and didn't bother getting an accurate collision damage calculation from Alex because the ship accurately assessing that would result in less hilarious and/or awesome ramming action.



Like so.

That being said, there've been a few complaints (mostly over on 4-chan) about it so I guess other people don't consider it quite so fun.  Another thing to fiddle with I guess.

It would probably break the build a bit on how Shadowyards roll with their Mimir's but...

Shouldn't the Lock Drive amplify armor (or hull) if the AI will ram into their targets with it? To minimize the damage done to the ship itself?

Or are you fine with it as is?
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Is now able to cook a decent Creamy Salmon Pasta, amok other things.

Still loves purple. Still not skilled enough to make a mod that doesn't get that one damn error.

MShadowy

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Re: (0.7.2a) Shadowyards Reconstruction Authority 0.6.0.5
« Reply #970 on: November 29, 2016, 09:09:14 AM »

It does amplify armor while it's online; more specifically it reduces all damage taken by 50%.  But the ramming behavior is a result of a bug in the code that calculates possible collision damage. This will be fixed in the next release of the mod.

I'd been hoping to include personality specific subroutines but I can't figure out how to get them to work.
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Bastion.Systems

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Re: (0.7.2a) Shadowyards Reconstruction Authority 0.6.0.5
« Reply #971 on: November 29, 2016, 10:24:32 AM »

Are you going to wait for the next game update to drop before releasing a new version?
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MShadowy

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Re: (0.7.2a) Shadowyards Reconstruction Authority 0.6.0.5
« Reply #972 on: December 06, 2016, 01:44:08 PM »

It wasn't the intent initially, but with my time being eaten up with commissions it probably will be dropping after 0.8 drops.
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Seth

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Re: (0.7.2a) Shadowyards Reconstruction Authority 0.6.0.5
« Reply #973 on: December 15, 2016, 10:17:45 AM »

Ship design is outstanding, combat both with and against these vessels feels unique and pretty exciting but please, fix or remove these blasted cloned organs FFS, cluttering mission logs real bad, seriously... Otherwise, great job.
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MShadowy

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Re: (0.7.2a) Shadowyards Reconstruction Authority 0.6.0.5
« Reply #974 on: January 09, 2017, 07:47:03 PM »

It's pretty late, but work has finally gotten to the point where and alpha release of Shadowyards 0.6.0.6 is now possible.


While I initially planned to release a major content update, the situation has mostly led to this being a bugfixing build hoping to clean up most of the major issues which had been effecting various parts of the mod.

Sorry bout the delay, folks.

In particular a bug which made Scatter CEPCs way, way too good (they were using far too little flux) has been fixed, as well as a significant effort to resolve the issues plaguing the Barrago LRM's, and fixing AI Issues with the Mimir's Lock Drive system which made them a little too collision prone. Other items include resolving an AI bug with the Splinter rockets sometimes failing to accelerate, improvements to the Belet-Seri's TAG AI and some general purpose buffs to that system, a significant graphical overhaul and a greatly fleshed set of out sound effects.

Check the mods changelog for more details.
« Last Edit: January 09, 2017, 07:58:15 PM by MShadowy »
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