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Author Topic: [0.8.1a] The Silent Armada (DISCONTINUED) v0.14 - Patching Things Up!  (Read 100674 times)

PyroFuzz

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Re: [0.7.2a] The Silent Armada (Demo) v0.6
« Reply #60 on: April 16, 2017, 07:38:16 AM »

Are you planing to add any large fighter wings (With small fast ships)?
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AxleMC131

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Re: [0.7.2a] The Silent Armada (Demo) v0.6
« Reply #61 on: April 16, 2017, 03:07:55 PM »

Are you planing to add any large fighter wings (With small fast ships)?

It's not likely. TSA ships tend to be heavy, well armed and well armoured. The fighters follow that doctrine, so while I could make some smaller fighters in a larger wing, at present I don't have any plans for more fighters with wing sizes of 4 and up.

Even so, the mod's still experimental, and I'm changing my mind about things on an almost daily basis.  ;)
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AxleMC131

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Re: [0.7.2a] The Silent Armada (Demo) v0.6
« Reply #62 on: April 16, 2017, 08:04:47 PM »

Pre-update Notice: 'Combat Basis Overhaul' incoming!

Just an announcement to hopefully detail what's coming in the next version of The Silent Armada. I've been playing around with different system/hullmod/shield mechanics the last few days, and think I've managed to create a concise, original and balanced "foundation" for combat involving TSA ships. Bear in mind several exiting features have been balanced and altered, with regard to the new system functions, and much more is still to be done.

Spoiler

The basic principle of it is this:
- TSA ships don't have shields, but instead have a toggleable 'auto-repair' system (bound to whatever your "activate shield" button is) that will mitigate most incoming damage and slowly repair hull integrity, while generating hard flux at a fast rate. IT WILL OVERLOAD YOU IF YOU LET IT RUN FOR TOO LONG!
- "Flux Sink" systems disable this system but shunt flux to a specific area of the ship, buffing its performance in some way relative to flux level.
- Armour is average, but hull integrity is fairly high. You shouldn't be afraid to take some damage, and armour isn't there to be relied on.
- You can use the auto-repair for several situations: either to block heavy damage from torpedoes or missiles, regain some health outside of combat, or build up flux in anticipation of using your ship's Flux Sink system.

Flying a TSA ship should involve taking pot shots at range, activating the auto-repair to block damage if your target gets closer, build flux for a little, then activate your Flux Sink system to unload damage/avoid fire/whatever it does and lower your flux level again, before repeating the process. As it happens, the AI isn't rubbish at this due to the AI conditions involved in the relevant systems.

Among these new combat mechanics, TSA ships have been balanced thanks to the inadvertent addition of a few key vulnerabilities, including:
- Ionizing weapons: the auto-repair reduces EMP damage way less than other forms of damage, and there is no physical shield to block shots.
- Being surrounded or under constant pressure: while the ships can still take a beating, the auto-repair can only restore hull so fast, and always generates flux while active, so cannot be kept online infinitely.

[close]

Hopefully this helps to prepare people for the upcoming changes. The objective was to change the way you play TSA ships almost completely, while still being original, versatile and easy to understand, and allowing them to function alongside or against stock ships and armed with stock weapons. I feel like I've achieved that, but that will be up to you lot to decide once I release the next update.
« Last Edit: April 16, 2017, 08:08:29 PM by AxleMC131 »
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Toxcity

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Re: [0.7.2a] The Silent Armada (Demo) v0.6
« Reply #63 on: April 16, 2017, 08:08:47 PM »

Looking forward to it.
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PyroFuzz

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Re: [0.7.2a] The Silent Armada (Demo) v0.6
« Reply #64 on: April 17, 2017, 09:51:08 AM »

How will AI handle the new combat system?
Will they just be really Stupid?
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AxleMC131

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Re: [0.7.2a] The Silent Armada (Demo) v0.6
« Reply #65 on: April 17, 2017, 04:50:20 PM »

How will AI handle the new combat system?
Will they just be really Stupid?


... As it happens, the AI isn't rubbish at this due to the AI conditions involved in the relevant systems.


More specifically; the AI is a little weird with the shield system, but it will use it to tank fire in the same way a Phase ship uses its cloak to dodge bullets and missiles. The AI is identical - only the effect is changed. It's a little iffy with the Flux Sink systems (mainly the Autoloader Flux Sink, since that's the one I'm doing most of my testing with) because it likes to open an engagement with that, and it seems a little odd on paper, but once you sit back and actually watch the AI deal with a threat... Yeah, they're not great, but I've sort of forced them to use the custom abilities when they should.

On another note, I've been considering taking all the Flux Sink systems and giving them a non-zero baseline, so you can use them at 0% flux for a small (but not negligible) buff. That would counter any AI issues there completely.
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AxleMC131

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Re: [0.7.2a] The Silent Armada (Demo) v0.7
« Reply #66 on: April 20, 2017, 01:49:34 AM »

Update: Version D 0.7 (Demo combat overhaul #1)

Yep, you heard right. The combat "foundation" mechanics that make TSA ships unique have been overhauled, the first step of many in bringing this mod out of its 'Demo' phase!

As previously mentioned, "Flux Sink" ship systems have been reconfigured and are now combined with a new custom shield system, called "Phoenix Hull Composition", a device which can be toggled on to reduce incoming damage, repair damaged hull and build up hard flux.

All the important changes are listed, of course, in the latest changelog, and it may be worth having a look in the "Combat Methods" spoiler tab for a detailed guide to using Silent Armada spacecraft in combat.

More fixes will come (the Supercharger Flux Sink has not received any attention just yet and really needs to), but this is probably the last major update I'll get out before the big 0.8 release, after which point I'll be taking some time to settle into the new game mechanics and get to grips with making The Silent Armada 0.8-compatible. So, until then, try out the ships in the new combat system, let me know if anything is broken, overpowered or misspelled, and have a good day!

Check the OP for more details.

Please remember that I want to hear suggestions for balancing TSA ships' and weapons' stats against stock equipment! All recommendations welcome!
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Mr. Nobody

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Re: [0.7.2a] The Silent Armada (Demo) v0.7
« Reply #67 on: April 20, 2017, 12:53:23 PM »

More fixes will come (the Supercharger Flux Sink has not received any attention just yet and really needs to), but this is probably the last major update I'll get out before the big 0.8 release, after which point I'll be taking some time to settle into the new game mechanics and get to grips with making The Silent Armada 0.8-compatible. So, until then, try out the ships in the new combat system, let me know if anything is broken, overpowered or misspelled, and have a good day!


Would you look at the time! 0.8 just came out!
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AxleMC131

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Re: [0.7.2a] The Silent Armada (Demo) v0.7
« Reply #68 on: April 20, 2017, 04:16:40 PM »

Would you look at the time! 0.8 just came out!

Had to come out while I was asleep, the night after I push this update out.  :P Ah well, what will be will be.
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AxleMC131

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Re: [0.8a] The Silent Armada (Demo) v0.8
« Reply #69 on: April 23, 2017, 09:54:45 PM »

Update: Version D 0.8 (Demo 0.8 compatibility update)

Having finally gotten my head around the new fighter mechanics, along with the Autofit tagging system for weapons and several other new-fangled stuff, I can now present The Silent Armada, mostly the same as it was before, but now for Starsector Version 0.8a!

Things are still to be done, but it's a big step forwards. Don't forget to let me know in the comments if things are broken or unbalanced!

Check the OP for more details.

Please remember that I want to hear suggestions for balancing TSA ships' and weapons' stats against stock equipment! All recommendations welcome!
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Calodine

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Re: [0.8a] The Silent Armada (Demo) v0.8
« Reply #70 on: April 24, 2017, 07:10:32 PM »

Mm, been doing basic testing in the sim to try 'em out, and I think the matchmaker might be a BIT strong for it's cost - I've gone with a p. standard loadout - cascades, dual hades in all the mediums, goshawks, and an eris, 2 woodpeckers and a whole bunch of flak in the smalls. Heavy armour, targeting core, aux. thusters, just basic 'armour ship with ballistics' stuff. Actual piloting has been mostly 'run at the other ship, turn to broadside'. Loses horribly to anything bigger than it, but absolutely DESTROYED every other cruiser I've thrown at it - including an odyssey, though that did at least scratch the paint. Obviously, couldn't test against carriers - they kite, you're too slow to get close.

The main problem that stands out is there's no noticeable downtime - you don't really care about the flux cost on the weapon, that just gets your autoloader big quicker. When you'd usually need to back off and be vulnerable to vent, the ship's at it's absolute strongest - sure, the armour's down, but nothing short of an onslaught can actually trade hits with it at that point. Which is by far my favourite part of it so far - how high can I push the flux for the autoloader, how long do I gotta wait before the next cycle with my armour down, etc. Nothing smaller than the odyssey survived TO that second cycle, but the answer was 'about four seconds'.

The weapons generally seem about right, if a touch high on the range, but for one point - they're too cheap on OP. I think a lot of the above would be less of a problem if I couldn't kit it out with all the guns, then spend 55 op on mods, AND still fit a couple capacitors in - that's with 10% extra OP from skills, but that maybe covers the capacitors and advanced turret gyros.

The cascade feels solid - but it's better than the mark IX autocannon in every way (Which is fine, the mark IX isn't exactly chart topping), but only 2 OP more - it has more range, much better turning, better accuracy, and more damage. It comes out to about the same flux efficiency. Comparatively, the dual Hades is basically spot on - it's slightly higher damage than a mauler, with much less range, and the mauler is probably too strong as it is. I'd probably put the cascades at around 24 OP?

Comparing the woodpecker to an LMG, it's got half again as much range, SLIGHTLY lower RoF, and does more damage - It's 1 OP more expensive though, which maybe works out. Would consider chucking it up to 5?

The Eris is a touch weaker than a light needler - slightly lower dps, less flux efficient, fires slower, but more accurate. But the light needler is already really, really good - and costs 9 OP to the Eris' 5.

The regular Hades is probably perfect, too - lower damage than a light assault gun, but more range and costs 1 OP more.

The cascade is similar to the Eris - compares slightly unfavourably to a heavy needler, costs much less. I'd guess it'd be fine around 13-14 OP.

The Goshawk seems pretty underwhelming for the cost. You could probably as much as double the fire rate and it'd still be fine, given the OP cost.

Now I'm gonna go play with the destroyers because that's all I'm ever realistically going to pilot anyways :P
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AxleMC131

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Re: [0.8a] The Silent Armada (Demo) v0.9
« Reply #71 on: April 24, 2017, 10:40:18 PM »

Update: Version D 0.9 (Demo quickfix #3)

Special thanks to Calodine for his in-depth suggestions and advice communicated both above and via the Discord channel! Thanks also to all 62 (!) downloaders of the previous version Can you believe that? 62 downloads in less than a day!  :o It's a new record!

This update seeks to balance a lot of the weaponry implemented by The Silent Armada, as well as some of the ships that use it. Also included are loadout changes for the various fighter types, further specializing their roles.

Check the OP for more details.

Please remember that I want to hear suggestions for balancing TSA ships' and weapons' stats against stock equipment! All recommendations welcome!
« Last Edit: April 24, 2017, 10:59:12 PM by AxleMC131 »
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Calodine

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Re: [0.8a] The Silent Armada (Demo) v0.9
« Reply #72 on: April 25, 2017, 04:55:59 PM »

Only did a little screwing around with it, but it definitely feels a lot better - all told the matchmaker with the standard loadout I was testing lost 24 OP. Had to take off advanced turret gyros and aux thrusters, so it got it's weaknesses back :P

Still destroys anything in it's weight class in a straight fight, but they're easy to maneuver around and it felt a lot easier to get overwhelmed by smaller ships to where you can't keep up.

Also the EMP damage on the elektra is great - Even better at mauling fighters, but you can squeeze shots past some ships with small shield arcs and disable weapons behind them.
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AxleMC131

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Re: [0.8a] The Silent Armada (Demo) v0.9
« Reply #73 on: April 25, 2017, 04:58:05 PM »

Only did a little screwing around with it, but it definitely feels a lot better - all told the matchmaker with the standard loadout I was testing lost 24 OP. Had to take off advanced turret gyros and aux thrusters, so it got it's weaknesses back :P

Still destroys anything in it's weight class in a straight fight, but they're easy to maneuver around and it felt a lot easier to get overwhelmed by smaller ships to where you can't keep up.

Also the EMP damage on the elektra is great - Even better at mauling fighters, but you can squeeze shots past some ships with small shield arcs and disable weapons behind them.

Awesome, that's all getting closer to where I want the ships. :D

By the way, not sure if you've noticed, but EMP damage is probably the biggest weakness of TSA ships - if you want to find their kryptonite, stick them in a fight against ion cannons and salamanders and watch them squirm like fish out of water.  ;D
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Randy

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Re: [0.8a] The Silent Armada (Demo) v0.9
« Reply #74 on: April 25, 2017, 05:31:01 PM »

mod looks great i cant wait to try it
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