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[Megas]

In my last 0.95 game, I found the torpedo weapon, but not the large dedicated EMP weapon.  I remember finding one Rift Cascade Emitter, one red torpedo, and one large particle cannon.  I did not find enough Omega weapons to recreate Ziggurat's original Alpha Site weapon loadout.

[Locklave]

I tested PA Doom and ...

Using known overpowered ships, Doom in this case, are terrible tests. Doom was already OP.

What needs to happen is the Large phase ships need to stop breaking the game with how strong they are.

[Ibudoto]

I tested PA Doom and ...

Using known overpowered ships, Doom in this case, are terrible tests. Doom was already OP.

What needs to happen is the Large phase ships need to stop breaking the game with how strong they are.

Well, Afflicter and Harbinger is OP too. I mean, in any game, movie or anime, time manipulation is overpowered.

[Locklave]

But that's a ship problem and not specifically the PA hull mod.

[Megas]

Harbinger has been over-nerfed.  AI cannot use it properly (because it keeps trying to go behind the enemy when Harbinger cannot do that anymore), and player can only punch down with it, except maybe with butt reaper and Missile Specialization shenanigans.

[Ibudoto]

But that's a ship problem and not specifically the PA hull mod.

Using known overpowered ships, ...  are terrible tests. Doom was already OP.

Then we shouldn't discuss any phase ships since they are all overpowered anyway. Only thing balance phase ship is that AI cannot utilize phase field.

[Locklave]

But that's a ship problem and not specifically the PA hull mod.

Using known overpowered ships, ...  are terrible tests. Doom was already OP.

Then we shouldn't discuss any phase ships since they are all overpowered anyway. Only thing balance phase ship is that AI cannot utilize phase field.

The phase frigates aren't OP, they are all the glass cannons they are meant to be. I think they fill their unique role in perfectly balanced way.

Doom has had countless threads about it being brokenly strong. I haven't seen one about the frigates or the Harbinger for that matter.

[Megas]

Afflictor is overpowered when piloted by a player who knows what to do.

Shade is okay but not overwhelming.  AI can use it.

Harbinger is broken/unusable by AI.  Player might do weird things with it, but it cannot last in a slugfest.  A waste in this release.

Unskilled Doom is nothing spectacular, but it is not weak.  Mines and everything else are short ranged out of the box.  Maybe overpowered with skills.

[TaLaR]

Shade can do most things Afflictor can, just not as efficiently due it's system being useless for assassin role and lower overall flux/OP stats.

[Locklave]

I actively have 1-3 Shades/Afflictors max in my fleet, I've never felt I needed more or that they underperformed in AI control. I have little experience with the Harbinger, it seemed okay in AI hands but it's rarely on the market so I generally don't have one. So I'll take Megas word on the Harbingers performance.

Doom is in a really good place I'd say with a AI captain and even overperforms.

I like the Shades secondary ability, it's more general function and has performed well for me in the past.

As I've said I don't feel phase ships in general are a balance problem. Just the Zigg and the Doom when AI captained or player controlled.

[Megas]

The problem with AI Harbinger is it always tries to be an assassin by moving to the enemy's rear, which it can no longer do because of phase cloak changes, even if you give all the armor and other things it needs to brawl.  Harbinger can only brawl (which AI cannot do) - and only against other light cruisers and smaller (that cost less DP than Harbinger) - in this release, and it needs all the armor boosters to brawl long enough without dying.  In other words, AI Harbinger is literally broken.

If I want AI to play phase assassin, I will give it a Shade.

Shade can do most things Afflictor can, just not as efficiently due it's system being useless for assassin role and lower overall flux/OP stats.

AI Shade can play assassin, just not with AMB cheese like the player can.  It zips behind the enemy, zap it with its system, and shoot IR pulse lasers and torpedoes.  It acts like a phase Omen.  Shade should get at least Unstable Injector to be fast enough.  Torpedoes are fine given short PPT and AI limitations.

[Megas]

I finally tried out Ziggurat and Phase Anchor.  Very powerful combination.  For the other weaknesses the ship has (75 DP, hangar queen+, auto-ID), it had better be overpowered.  Even then, not every enemy is easy to take down.  (SIM Paragon is annoying with lances and extra shot range.)  Since it lost Phase Mastery from last release, it needs something to keep it overpowered or at least worth 75 DP and other weaknesses, and Phase Anchor helps.

The auto-ID with Ziggurat means I often cannot use it in core worlds (to raid or kill quest fleets or patrols that get in the way) unless I plan to go to war with everyone and wipe them off the map.  That leaves Ziggurat for bounty hunting and Ordos farming.  Also, its huge CR cost means I probably want another capital as backup, and that adds to the skill DP pools.  I do not want to wait more than ten days before my fleet can fight again.  Especially Ordos farming.  Okay, it can smash one Ordos (or two at the same time), how about the other five or so closing in immediately after that first combat?

[TaLaR]

Shade can do most things Afflictor can, just not as efficiently due it's system being useless for assassin role and lower overall flux/OP stats.

AI Shade can play assassin, just not with AMB cheese like the player can.  It zips behind the enemy, zap it with its system, and shoot IR pulse lasers and torpedoes.  It acts like a phase Omen.  Shade should get at least Unstable Injector to be fast enough.  Torpedoes are fine given short PPT and AI limitations.

I meant that I can pilot a Shade to kill a sim Paragon with AMBs. But this will take a lot more time/PPT/CR and/or require more character skills than same goal with Afflictor.

[Megas]

With Phase Anchor, Harbinger (with skills) can punch up slightly.  Still a better idea is to throw Harbinger in the trash and get TaLaR's AMB Afflictor instead.

[SCC]

Phase Anchor seems to have an issue, where there's only a single ship that can use long cooldown weapons that doesn't also require as much mobility as possible to use those long cooldown weapons, precluding it from using Phase Anchor: Ziggurat.