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[Alex]

I just wanted to pop-in and deposit my 2 cents, I routinely try out new updates for Starsector and in 0.7x, my latest foray, Phase ships were annoying the crap out of me. I browsed the forums for other's thoughts on them, a thread popped up on the 26th with lots of good input and Alex noticed, and just 3 days later releases a blog post detailing his changes. I just want to point out that I have not seen that level of dev involvement anywhere else. Sure some devs will make changes when the entire fanbase is gathering up pitchforks.

As much as I appreciate that, I'm afraid I can't take that much credit - the phase cloak changes were in the works (and, in fact, mostly done) something like 2-3 weeks ago. I'd only just yesterday gotten around to making a blog post about it.

IIRC, though, making the changes was actually triggered by an earlier discussion on the forum.

Somewhat off-topic but still about Starfarersector, I love how the game is finally starting to come together. That's how I feel with the .7x update. I would say I only spent 50% of my time in combat, the rest I was smuggling/trading/doing missions and I really enjoyed it.

Happy to hear that! Really the goal of the new mechanics in the .7 release, to start bringing campaign gameplay up to par with combat, fun-wise.

(There's actually a ship system that, among other things, will force a phase ship into normal space.)

Quantum Disruptor?

Yes!

[Achataeon]

Oooh. An anti-phase ship phase ship. What happens when you use an anti-phase ship phase ship against an anti-phase ship phase ship? (That got a bit convoluted) What happens when an Afflictor uses its subsystem on another Afflictor using its subsystem on the first Afflictor? Does the game crash?


Haha. I jest. I'm starting to get giddy with excitement. Especially now that those patch notes are now coming soon^TM

[Sy]

the phase cloak changes were in the works (and, in fact, mostly done) something like 2-3 weeks ago.

if they were "mostly done" by the time David made his blog post about the ion weapons, that last screenshot of the Harbinger confuses me: it looks like its firing its two new weapons while phased.

i figured it was a planned activatable system, allowing firing in p-space for a short duration, maybe at the cost of weapons building hard flux. but that wouldn't be something that directly affects an enemy. or maybe it just looks like it's phased because of the smashed up armor and the glowing phase coils..

could you shed some light? ^^

Yes!

\o/

then the "other things" that system does are probably something that can be used pressure shields or ships without phase cloak in general. maybe by generating hard flux on the enemy, or generating a large but temporary amount of soft flux (that dissipates faster than usual) to overload ships who get too close to max. or by just overloading the enemy immediately without raising flux, but with duration affected by current flux level, or affected by distance to the Afflictor after a short charge-up as "you better back off now!" warning. or it cuts shield arc in half, to allow easier flanking and make ships with full coverage vulnerable. or the system fires some kind of projectile that disables cloaks and shields completely for some time, but can be dodged...

if i post too many speculations, i'm just gonna get an answer like "possibly one of those!" even if i do guess right, aren't i? ._.

Oooh. An anti-phase ship phase ship.

if the Afflictor is an anti phase ship phase ship, doesn't that mean it is also -- when used against another Afflictor -- an anti anti phase ship phase ship phase ship? and if so, what does that make the other Afflictor? is it also an anti anti phase ship phase ship phase ship, or does it become an anti anti anti phase ship phase ship.. phase ship... phase ship? o_o

[David]

if they were "mostly done" by the time David made his blog post about the ion weapons, that last screenshot of the Harbinger confuses me: it looks like its firing its two new weapons while phased.

i figured it was a planned activatable system, allowing firing in p-space for a short duration, maybe at the cost of weapons building hard flux. but that wouldn't be something that directly affects an enemy. or maybe it just looks like it's phased because of the smashed up armor and the glowing phase coils..

No, they could never fire while phased. The ship looks especially dark because it's all banged up and I believe the coils are still going because I've just come out of phase so the cooldown period is still in effect. I posted it because I enjoyed how misleading the screenshot looked (plus it captured a cool emp arc effect).

[Dri]

Pssst, hey David, how many new faction specific ship variants have you completed?

[David]

Pssst, hey David, how many new faction specific ship variants have you completed?

 

[Alex]

then the "other things" that system does are probably something that can be used pressure shields or ships without phase cloak in general. maybe by generating hard flux on the enemy, or generating a large but temporary amount of soft flux (that dissipates faster than usual) to overload ships who get too close to max. or by just overloading the enemy immediately without raising flux, but with duration affected by current flux level, or affected by distance to the Afflictor after a short charge-up as "you better back off now!" warning. or it cuts shield arc in half, to allow easier flanking and make ships with full coverage vulnerable. or the system fires some kind of projectile that disables cloaks and shields completely for some time, but can be dodged...

One of those may be sort of close.

if i post too many speculations, i'm just gonna get an answer like "possibly one of those!" even if i do guess right, aren't i? ._.

As it turns out: yes.

Oooh. An anti-phase ship phase ship.

if the Afflictor is an anti phase ship phase ship, doesn't that mean it is also -- when used against another Afflictor -- an anti anti phase ship phase ship phase ship? and if so, what does that make the other Afflictor? is it also an anti anti phase ship phase ship phase ship, or does it become an anti anti anti phase ship phase ship.. phase ship... phase ship? o_o

It's not specifically anti-phase.

I posted it because I enjoyed how misleading the screenshot looked (plus it captured a cool emp arc effect).

Misleading screenshot is best screenshot.

[Sy]

I posted it because I enjoyed how misleading the screenshot looked

As it turns out: yes.

you guys are so cruel... Q_Q

[Gothars]

Ships with bullet time sound very fun to play as, and scary to play against. It's just the continuing power/speed creep that worries me a bit.


Btw, the term "phase cloak" doesn't seem all that fitting anymore, since stealth doesn't play into it at all. I like the post title's "dive" better, as in phase dive.

[Alex]

Ships with bullet time sound very fun to play as, and scary to play against. It's just the continuing power/speed creep that worries me a bit.

Yeah, for sure. Going to take a closer look when revamping combat skills. Re: speed, I think it's not exactly creep. Rather, at least for phase frigates, it's a qualitative change - it guarantees that nothing else (short of another phase frigate, or a Hyperion) can chase them down. Given the nature of phase cloaking, this seems important.

Btw, the term "phase cloak" doesn't seem all that fitting anymore, since stealth doesn't play into it at all. I like the post title's "dive" better, as in phase dive.

It's not any less fitting than it was before these changes, is it? And stealth does factor in on the campaign level, plus "phase cloak" just sounds cool. (The latter is the main reason I want to keep the name, really.)

[Cycerin]

"Cloak" still fits given you're being enveloped by and immersed in an alternate dimension, and I remember Cloak of Shadows from WoW which made you immune to magic for a while.

Pssst, hey David, how many new faction specific ship variants have you completed?

 

Hegemony high tech ships plz

[Taverius]

"phase cloak" just sounds cool. (The latter is the main reason I want to keep the name, really.)

I approve of this message.

Also I'll have a reason to use the Doom again, which is good - its a bit blah in its current state.

Question - what would happen to phase carriers? Specifically I assume any fighters being refitted while cloaked would refit at triple time?

[Alex]

Question - what would happen to phase carriers? Specifically I assume any fighters being refitted while cloaked would refit at triple time?

Yeah. Phase carriers aren't exactly supported, btw. If they were, things probably wouldn't be able to land on them while they're phased, etc.

[Achataeon]

If they were, things probably wouldn't be able to land on them while they're phased, etc.

But there are phase fighters, at least, from mods. Like that Serket Phase Fighter from BRDY. Would a phase fighter be able to land on a phase carrier both in regular and p-space?

Edit: Quick question, does the Afflictor's ship system target a specific ship or does it provide an area of effect?

[Taverius]

There's also a phase bomber from SS+, and probably a couple others.

These will probably need some heavy rebalancing I reckon, since they don't have a peak time.