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[PixiCode]

Tempests! They used to be exceptionally strong and, nowadays, remain a decent frigate but are held back by a few issues. After forcing myself to use them for a video, one of these issues stuck out to me a lot. While thinking about my brief experience with these tempests, I had an idea.

The biggest issue I noticed is that tempest used by the AI are prone to wasting their drones with overkill. Unavoidable.

This causes tempests to end up at 30% replacement rate rather quickly due to how RR mechanics work, and due to how tempests fight this RR is never going to have much of a chance to actually replenish. Since a large portion of the tempest's power budget is tied up in its terminator drones, this makes the tempests feel 'underwhelming?' They're still strong, inferior to other options but that's fine. However, they feel very clunky/cumbersome, I think is the best way to put it. However, buffing its stats or its drones would just make it busted again. So here's the suggestion;

What if its system also gave some % of RR on use? Random example of numbers below.

The system would have 2 charges, 30 seconds long to replenish. Activating the system would perform the missile conversion on a drone and also immediately give the tempest 10% RR, subject to the maximum of 100%. It would be able to be activated without a drone, but only the RR replenish would trigger.

This would not only make system expertise have more use on the tempest (+1 charge and 50% cd) but it would also be a neat buff. Well, that's my weird idea.

Foof suggestion:

If I could tweak the OPs suggestion, I think the more obvious solution for Termination Sequence charges would be an immediate replacement of the Drone. Let Replacement Rate be solely for drones killed in action. Having it on charges/cooldown would also prevent the AI from wasting them and would also make Systems Expertise matter.

I guess the way I see it is there should be a distinction between voluntarily terminating the drones and the drones just get getting killed by fire.

[Grievous69]

I believe Alex already made Tempest AI not waste drones as much as now. Not sure what the exact change reads or where was it mentioned (long time ago).

[PixiCode]

 Oh really? I tried to do a ctrl+F for tempest on the 0.96a changelog before posting this. If true that would help.

[BCS]

I too remember the Tempest AI change but can't find it in the patchnotes.

Tempest(and venerable Wolf) will also get more interesting in 0.96 with the addition of Kinetic Blaster.

[SCC]

There are a few situations where you want to use the system, but unless you're already winning or use a Tempest swarm, it's worse to use it than not. Drones provide half the firepower and all of the point defence, it's no good wasting them for some damage, when they could do comparable damage by staying alive and shooting their guns.

[FooF]

If I could tweak the OPs suggestion, I think the more obvious solution for Termination Sequence charges would be an immediate replacement of the Drone. Let Replacement Rate be solely for drones killed in action. Having it on charges/cooldown would also prevent the AI from wasting them and would also make Systems Expertise matter.

I guess the way I see it is there should be a distinction between voluntarily terminating the drones and the drones just get getting killed by fire.

[Grievous69]

If I could tweak the OPs suggestion, I think the more obvious solution for Termination Sequence charges would be an immediate replacement of the Drone. Let Replacement Rate be solely for drones killed in action. Having it on charges/cooldown would also prevent the AI from wasting them and would also make Systems Expertise matter.

I guess the way I see it is there should be a distinction between voluntarily terminating the drones and the drones just get getting killed by fire.

Wouldn't that eliminate any sort of decision though? You'd want to fire it immediately when it's off cooldown to maximize damage. I know this is far simpler for AI but the whole system would be a glorified missile launcher.

[Megas]

I wonder if the AI's excessive use of the drones as missiles was intentional as part of the nerf to it.  Drones are much more useful hovering around the ship and act as PD.  When I pilot it, I rarely use the system if I have only one drone left.

[FooF]

If I could tweak the OPs suggestion, I think the more obvious solution for Termination Sequence charges would be an immediate replacement of the Drone. Let Replacement Rate be solely for drones killed in action. Having it on charges/cooldown would also prevent the AI from wasting them and would also make Systems Expertise matter.

I guess the way I see it is there should be a distinction between voluntarily terminating the drones and the drones just get getting killed by fire.

Wouldn't that eliminate any sort of decision though? You'd want to fire it immediately when it's off cooldown to maximize damage. I know this is far simpler for AI but the whole system would be a glorified missile launcher.

If it’s on 30 second cooldown, judicious use of when to use it would probably be the deciding factor. Using it at the start of a battle would deal hard flux but waiting a bit to hit hull would have a more lasting effect. You’re not wrong though and I was aware that it does become more automatic.

Termination Sequence is just a weird system that actually penalizes you for using it. You sacrifice firepower/PD for burst damage. There’s not too many systems that have a straight up downside to them or rely on vulnerable uncontrollable minions to not get killed to use.

[Megas]

Because of how Termination Sequence works, and the AI's liberal use of it, I have resigned to put burst PD or heavy burst laser (depending on range of the other weapon) on every Tempest (that does not use two HSA Gravitons) on the right mount just so the Tempest has some PD after it squanders the drones.  Even if I plan to pilot a Tempest, I will likely give it to the AI at some point, and I do not want the AI die because I gave a player-only loadout to it.

Termination Sequence is just a weird system that actually penalizes you for using it. You sacrifice firepower/PD for burst damage. There’s not too many systems that have a straight up downside to them or rely on vulnerable uncontrollable minions to not get killed to use.

This is how I feel about Reserve Deployment.  I wish I could tear out the system from my AI Drovers.  No System is better than Reserve Deployment when it slashes rate so much.  I do not use the system when I pilot Drover, but I cannot tell my AI Drovers (or any other ship with harmful systems like Tempest in this topic) to never use the system.

[BigBrainEnergy]

Oh really? I tried to do a ctrl+F for tempest on the 0.96a changelog before posting this. If true that would help.

It's in the patch notes if you control+F "termination" instead of tempest.

Oh wait... maybe not. I know Alex said there was a change to the how the AI uses 'termination sequence' now that the Apex cruiser is getting it, but I can't find it in the patch notes.

[PixiCode]

If it’s on 30 second cooldown, judicious use of when to use it would probably be the deciding factor. Using it at the start of a battle would deal hard flux but waiting a bit to hit hull would have a more lasting effect. You’re not wrong though and I was aware that it does become more automatic.

Termination Sequence is just a weird system that actually penalizes you for using it. You sacrifice firepower/PD for burst damage. There’s not too many systems that have a straight up downside to them or rely on vulnerable uncontrollable minions to not get killed to use.

Maybe that’s why it feels kind of clunky. Hmm. That and like what someone mentioned it has 2 medium energy slots but medium energy is really limiting right now, and tempest awkwardly fulfills that niche since part of its power budget is in its drones which may or may not poof for little or high impact in AI hands.

Maybe the kinetic blaster will assist the tempest. Maybe not. Pulse lasers getting a buff so they’ll be more viable too. And uh, mining blasters potentially hehe. And there's also the gravitons being buffed.