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Starsector 0.97a is out! (02/02/24); In-development patch notes for Starsector 0.98a (2/8/25)

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Author Topic: Missile Economy and Game Balance: Are Missiles Becoming Too Ubiquitous?  (Read 3318 times)

PsychoThruster

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Re: Missile Economy and Game Balance: Are Missiles Becoming Too Ubiquitous?
« Reply #15 on: May 14, 2023, 05:37:48 PM »
I think the biggest problem are the new missiles with their stand-off range trivializing half of the available PD weapons, and small mount versions being objectively better than medium by virtue of not having a cool down between launches. A wave of frigates equipped with the new green laser missiles will spam them and cripple the enemy fleet on first contact. While this makes certain frigates more viable into mid and late game, it relegates them to disposable missile platforms who's only purpose is to drop their payload.

The damage segregation of kinetic/HE has played a role in this because it previously relegated missiles to openers or finishers with very specific use cases, and general assault missiles were needed in my opinion, but the DEM approach goes too far. I think the damage types and flux mechanics need to be open to an overhaul but that's a whole other topic.



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Grievous69

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Re: Missile Economy and Game Balance: Are Missiles Becoming Too Ubiquitous?
« Reply #16 on: May 15, 2023, 01:36:02 AM »
I think you may be right, small missiles having no cooldown makes for ez pz spam strats. My Retribution has 6 Small Gorgons and I can unload them all on a single target if I wanted to.

Medium Gorgons almost feel weaker because of this.

And then you have Hydra which is even weaker than previous iterations. So the missile itself is fine, it's just the scaling that is weird.
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Princess of Evil

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Re: Missile Economy and Game Balance: Are Missiles Becoming Too Ubiquitous?
« Reply #17 on: May 15, 2023, 05:08:29 AM »
DEMs are weird to balance. If you have a critical number of them, they steamroll due to not having any weaknesses; but if you don't have enough, they just bounce off shields the same way every other beam weapon does (yes, even tach).
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Grievous69

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Re: Missile Economy and Game Balance: Are Missiles Becoming Too Ubiquitous?
« Reply #18 on: May 15, 2023, 05:28:25 AM »
That's true. I finally got a Pegasus this run and my goal was to make the most annoying build possible. Think this pretty well with the idea of Persean League and showering your enemies with beams.
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KDR_11k

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Re: Missile Economy and Game Balance: Are Missiles Becoming Too Ubiquitous?
« Reply #19 on: May 15, 2023, 07:13:02 AM »
Tac lance is at least a bit less shield-bouncy due to EMP. Wonder if Devastators stop DEMs well?

Quote from: Grievous69 on May 15, 2023, 01:36:02 AM
I think you may be right, small missiles having no cooldown makes for ez pz spam strats. My Retribution has 6 Small Gorgons and I can unload them all on a single target if I wanted to.

Medium Gorgons almost feel weaker because of this.

And then you have Hydra which is even weaker than previous iterations. So the missile itself is fine, it's just the scaling that is weird.

Isn't that a general trait with missiles, that small racks can shoot faster than medium pods?
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