So I know I
have had the most recent post but I'm going to give this a bump because I have a few questions, and I'd like to leave a little review here while we all wait for .7
Firstly, how strong are the Templars supposed to be exactly? I understand "vanilla balanced" sort of takes a turn for the impossible when you have serious mod interaction going: its impossible to foresee what kind of minmaxing players are going to come up with, and the Templars need to handle this. So are they supposed to match a 10/10/10 player, match a whole fleet, match ships one size bigger than them?
I think Martyrs do a great job performing a more typical frigate support roll than Jesuits, which is fine. I'm not sure how well Martyrs are supposed to be able to actually "stand up" to ships bigger than them, but I assume in most cases they are fast enough that they shouldn't have to. Jesuits are odd, I don't really know what to say about them. The front weapon being hidden is a nice touch, which prevents it from being disabled correct? They don't seem to fulfill a typical fleet roll, and are still significantly stronger than most things their size. It sort of goes without saying, but Templar ships are strong enough that they don't really need to fulfill a fleet roll.
Moving on, in my experience the disparity between a Paladin and any other Templar is massive (In most cases, I'd rather deal with an Archbishop.) I personally like to think of Crusaders as a baseline for what I PERSONALLY would consider to be balanced. I think its system is right where it should be right now, as it makes realistically impossible to simply execute the ship with something like a large alpha strike or reaper. They are the least mobile Templar ship behind Archbishops, but they have staying power totally uncharacteristic of a destroyer.
Now onto the Paladin, and my issue with Templar ships over all. The Paladin is iconic. Its fast, heavily armed and armored, and fully capable of removing entire fleets on its own. If I to pick one thing to complain about, It'd be that the Paladin feels so much stronger than any other Templar ship. I'm not really sure if this is actually a problem or not game play wise, as they truly are force to be reckoned with one way or another.
I think the biggest issue lies in the way Templar ships scale exponentially. The lattice shield system belies its own power on smaller vessels, in the same way hard flux venting and the priwen burst is wasted on a ship that doesn't have that awe inspiring staying power that makes Paladins so intimidating. A 10/10/10 Crusader is noticibly better than a 0/0/0 one, but a 10/10/10 Paladin is a whole different ship. Skills not withstanding, Paladins simply make use of Templar systems far and away better than any other Templar ship.
To get to the point, I think if Paladins are supposed to be the basis for balance, smaller Templar ships need a buff, but if something like a Crusader is the basis, then Paladins should be nerfed a little.
On to the weapons. Heavy weapons seem to be a point of contest from what I've read so I'll start with them.
Most don't seem to like the Juger, but I love it. The arcing effect is immensely powerful and intimidating. It doesn't have the same "deadly" feeling as the Fractal Laser or the Arondight Accelerator, but the damage output is staggering none the less, and its particularly effective against the lightly armored high tech ships with powerful shields that tend to usually put a damper on Templar shenanigans, as it can reach around their shields and peel off their meager armor should they maneuver wrongly.
The Fractal Laser is good. Don't know what else to say. Personally I think its the most uniform and easy to use large Templar gun, which leads me to say I think It should perhaps do a pinch less damage and not have ammo restrictions.
The Arondight Accelerator is another odd weapon that seems to accrue mixed feelings. I think its pretty much fine the way it is. Its troublesome to use, but landing a hit is extremely satisfying regardless if it hits shields or armor. This is another one of my favorite weapons.
Smaller stuff Ill do all at once. Pax Cannons are wonderful. Expensive to fit, incredibly effective, zero complaints. Merced Cannons seem to be directly overshadowed by Pax Cannons, but it may be more of a taste thing. The most striking thing to me is the 200 range different between the two. Secace and Galatine Autocannons both seem perfectly acceptable to me. I think the two are one of the things make Templar ships uniquely intimidating, as forcibly raising flux is such a rare effect. Similarly, both flavors of beam are uniquely powerful in the SS universe, but not so much as to be overbearing.
As I already complained about, I think the Sentenia Cannon nerf was unwarranted, or at the very least too much. In its current form, I'd rather simply use a heavy blaster for the DPS or something else for flux ratio. I think its best quality is the range, which is what lends its value to Templar ships, which can only handle the weapon because of the halved weapon flux costs. While something like a Paragon can make use of them well, it takes a massive ship to handle the flux ratio. Anything smaller doesn't need the range and tracking and can get much better use out of something with less OP cost and a better flux ratio. I haven't felt the desire to use one since the nerf, as they are too hard to mount on anything small. All Templar weapons are unique in some way: the most "normal" of the large weapons is fractal laser, which is still hugely powerful and atypical. The beams are the most powerful in the sector, as are all the small mounts. The autocannons all raise flux, an extremely rare quality, and Clarents are exceptionally fast and accurate. The Sentenia Cannon's only two gimmicks are tracking and the ability to fire through allies, both of which are of somewhat dubious use comparatively, especially considering the cost.
Last but not least, Clarents. Ahh yes Clarents. Like most kinds of missiles, the AI does indeed like to dump them upfront for no reason, as so many others have said. But it works better for Clarents than anything else. The amazing tracking and energy damage means in enough volume they could probably take out faster and more lightly defended Frigates, even when used in such an odd manor. It seems like most people are afraid of the regenerating Clarents but personally I think its a good idea. One reason Clarents on both players and Templars tend to falter is the weak use of them on the AI's part, but having a limitless supply of them would sort of mitigate this, making it more of a support than a strike weapon.
In any case, theres my two cents. Also
Spoiler
In regards to the argument about the Templars religion, I love the theme. I think its perfectly in tune with SS and tastefully done.