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[BigBrainEnergy]

I recall Alex saying something along the lines of SO needing to be nerfed eventually, but he doesn't really want to because they're fun. I have an idea that might work as a nerf without ruining the fun they provide: make SO incompatible with hardened subsystems. It seems like SO builds grab hardened subsystems almost by default to mitigate the downside, so removing that option should force players to actually deal with running out of CR if they take too long. Of course you still have combat endurance, but now you can't stack both with 100% CR and loiter on the battlefield long after peak performance runs out.

It also makes some sense in universe, because I imagine both hullmods involve extensive modifications to the ship's subsystems, with one increasing reliability and the other throwing reliability out the window to maximize performance.

[Grievous69]

It's not that he doesn't want to stop the fun, he doesn't want to tackle that right now before the patch, as it's probably a bigger undertaking than simply buffing/nerfing one weapon/ship.

Your idea makes sense lore wise, and will tone down the hullmod a bit. But it still doesn't affect the early game in any way, nor does it make the ships weaker. You just have to kill the enemy fleet faster. Actually now that we have hullmods increasing DP (Converted Hangar), that's possibly one of the levers for it past early game. I mean it would still increase your supply in early game, but that's only on the campaign layer.

I still prefer Alex's idea of making it an activated ability with a cooldown.

[BigBrainEnergy]

I still prefer Alex's idea of making it an activated ability with a cooldown.

I haven't seen that, but it sounds cool. I wonder how that would work, maybe it would replace the ship's native system.

[BaBosa]

IIRC the idea was to use the vent key for SOs active ability.

[CryIsFree]

I like this idea, then SO will rely a lot more on officers (or maybe Support Doctrine) to function

I'd be sad to see the current SO go, I find it difficult to build High Tech cruisers and destroyers without it (and its fun, as you've mentioned).

[Grievous69]

I'd be sad to see the current SO go, I find it difficult to build High Tech cruisers and destroyers without it (and its fun, as you've mentioned).

Which is a clear indication why it needs a change.

[BCS]

But it still doesn't affect the early game in any way, nor does it make the ships weaker. You just have to kill the enemy fleet faster.

Ah yes, easy. Just shoot more bro.

[intrinsic_parity]

Personally, I find SO to be boring to use. It turns the game into just holding W+M1 and using reckless officers, and if you kill everything before CR runs out, you win, otherwise you lose. Obviously that's an exaggeration, but IMO it makes the loadout design much less interesting (just use highest DPS weapons and ignore other stats because ranges are all reduced anyway and you have functionally limitless dissipation), and it also makes piloting a bit less interesting, since it's mostly running things over with boosted speed and flux stats, or occasionally sitting and waiting for your fleet to make an opening because your reduced range prevents you from engaging. I find less situations where I have to do piloting stuff rather than just auto fire everything and fly forward until things die. To me that's just uninteresting.

This solution doesn't address that at all. Honestly, SO is really not far off from balanced right now (although IMO definitely over-tuned), but I just don't think it's a good mechanic, and I would be happy to see it reworked for that reason.

[WhisperDSP]

It does make sense that SO and HS would be mutually exclusive. A complete overhaul of the system. Are there other mods that would also fall in the same category?

If this makes sense, perhaps also change the reduced combat duration from reducing by (2/3rds?) to 1/2? The idea to be less reliant on Hardened Subsystems.

Throwing the idea out for you more expert players to rip to shreds.

[Rusty Edge]

I'm really of the opinion that the game could just use more overhaul hullmods in the same teir as SO, all of them being mutually exclusive and expensive. A way of keeping the fun parts in while still giving the player more comparable options.

[AcaMetis]

I've often wondered if making environmental effects like fights inside a star's corona more common could help make SO more of a situational choice, and make things more interesting in general. As is things like corona fights are very rare, and even when they happen you don't really notice the effect too much short of SO.

[CryIsFree]

Which is a clear indication why it needs a change.

Not sure what that indicates. Frankly I don't think SO is overpowered by itself, just in specific situations such as SO hyperion, SO monitor and some player piloted designs, along with the fact that using SMOD Hardened Subsystems mitigates one of the biggest downsides (I still think the range penalty is the biggest downside, personally)

High tech cruiser/destroyers relying too much on SO is more indicative of an issue with them then with SO itself, in my humble opinion, though that might just be me using them wrong. The main weaponry on ships like Shrikes, Furys, Auroras and Medusas are medium energy so you kinda have to get flux hungry short range energy weapons, which mostly "need" SO (heavy blasters basically require SO, the other weapons wont do very well vs late game encounters besides Omega weapons). I think the new weapons in the patch notes will make them less reliant on SO.

[SCC]

But if a given category of ships "needs" SO to function, that's also proof of SO distorting the game balance to the detriment of anyone not using SO. If there was no SO, it would have been noticed and dealt with sooner.

For my part, I don't think SO has impacted game balance significantly as far as I am aware, besides Hyperion teleport nerfs.

[itBeABruhMoment]

SO currently turns a typical line ship into a hit and run ship and I would like to see that preserved. I think toning down the vent multiplier until SO stops being an issue is a decent way of fixing it. It might also be worth giving SO some stat that limits it's use on hit and run ships because it just makes them do their already existing role better. Maybe there could be some sort of stat that prevents ships that are already fast from getting SO's base speed buff. Also, I generally don't like low cr as a balancing mechanic. Making certain ships unusable for large, long battles just feels lame.

[TaLaR]

SO currently turns a typical line ship into a hit and run ship...

More like hit and keep hitting until target is dead. Because with SO you can't afford to waste PPT/CR on running around, and would rather trade armor/hull for winning faster, if needed.