Transport regens

[Karst]

Transports, as they are now, are absurdly hard to take down.
See here.

After their thrust speed got buffed, and Charons and Dulzians got buffed, it was all ogre.

People complain about cruiser piracy, but do you know why people pirate in cruisers? Because only cruisers and transports can realistically stop a transport from reaching its destination in most locations.

They are too survivable, no doubt about that. The main issue in balancing them lies with cruisers: Ever since cruiser vs transport was permitted, you have this impossible situation in which you can't buff transports too much or they'll be invulnerable to anything else (which is what we have now), and you can't nerf cruisers too much or they'll be useless against everything other than transports.

Honestly, I don't see how this balance can be resolved unless the rule is changed again to prevent cruiser piracy.
As it stands transports are the only ship class that can reliably kill other transports in any situation.

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[Highland Laddie]

Possible solutions:

1. Remove botts/batts from all ships (why punish only transports? What's good for the gander....etc.)

2. Do #1 and pair it with decreasing SNAC damage by half and nerfing bomber agility, buff bomber guns.

3. Only allow transports to mount HAUs max.

4. #1 + increase hull HP accordingly to compensate.

[Zed26]

While I agree that there's a lack of interaction, any mechanical or rule changes don't get at the real heart of the issue - the players' perspectives and understanding. Any sudden changes to transports without context (as far as they know) are just going to be handled in a similar fashion. If someone's had a bad or tedious interaction, they're probably going to avoid future encounters if they can help it. Suddenly facing mortality or being slower just means more time mashing keys to maneuver rather than typing out an interaction the first time, then metagaming (through means that can't be reasonably stopped by the game mechanics or rules) to avoid that pirate later. If someone is absolutely determined not to interact, they'll find a way not to. Punishing those people by blowing them up might give the pirate some brief satisfaction, but it only furthers the trader's desire to avoid everyone.

The best, most lasting way to get people to stop and interact is to teach them by doing, either as a pirate with an interesting encounter, or by taking newbies along with your trader and demonstrating a proper interaction with a pirate along the route. We're relying too heavily on the devs and admins to bog everyone down with more rules and limiting how we choose to play in order to solve issues with social community interaction and learning how to play the game.

[Govedo13]

The main issue in balancing them lies with cruisers: Ever since cruiser vs transport was permitted, you have this impossible situation in which you can't buff transports too much or they'll be invulnerable to anything else (which is what we have now), and you can't nerf cruisers too much or they'll be useless against everything other than transports.

Not true.  Just add special shield ressistance to transport shields that reflects 50-60% of the cap guns( group them first by type) to transport shields- easy as cake and takes no effort or codding. The only way to balance each ship class vs each ship class without hurting the balance of each other is with the shield specific reflection mechanic.

Every shipclass is pretty easy to balance in the mod via this technic  and instead of enjoying full meaningfull line of ships with specific tasks and usage we get another uberbuff or ubernerf of specific classes each mod version.


This mod balance would continue to suck with the current balance team. Ship balance and economy balance are so terribad that they fail to create any prolonged game goals for players and therefore no new players join the mod.
I am still amused the lack of basic second grade mathematical skills of the current dev team.
Transport issue is killiing the game almost 2 years now but well.. 2+2=5....
I come from time to time from the shadows to watch in disgust the pathetic slow dead of the mod because this huge level of incompetence.

[Thyrzul]

I only regret that people here only vote no just because they like the way it is,

That's a petty way to discredit the opinion of others without actually knowing why they voted how they voted. Why put up a poll in the first place if you are not satisfied with the results?

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[Wildkins]

I disagree with the idea that transports are so hard to kill. In my experience pirating in the Taus and Sigmas (which is a decent amount, mind), I've had no problems dispatching even CAU8 salvagers with a single medium SNAC bomber. In something like a pirate transport, it only gets easier.

I also disagree with the idea that pirates aren't out for money, but rather to kill ships. If I wanted to kill ships, I wouldn't be pirating. I would take my [LN] into Hamburg, or my XA- into New York, et cetera. Trust me, sitting in a system for twenty minutes is not the most efficient way of getting a blue, and if that's all I wanted, I wouldn't ask for four million from an ore carrier who's gonna be making sixty.

[/twocents]

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RP Feedback

[Sciamach]

I'm trying to see the logical connection between transports having regens... and interactions being reduced

90% of the time, traders don't RP anyway...

Anyway, anything else I say is just going to sound an awful lot like John's post so just go read his again

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[ sci·am·ach ]
/sīˈamək/

A simple, angry man casually working his way through life on a personal quest to acquire copious amounts of street cred.

[Binski]

I disagree with the idea that transports are so hard to kill. In my experience pirating in the Taus and Sigmas (which is a decent amount, mind), I've had no problems dispatching even CAU8 salvagers with a single medium SNAC bomber. In something like a pirate transport, it only gets easier.

That's why people put CAU8's on salvagers, or transports in general... bomber piracy, which highlights that very problem. I'm not sure what pirate transports you've flow that it would get easier in a slower, less manoeverable ship with no heavy weapons...

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[nOmnomnOm]

This idea is just fueled by wanting more blue messages.

so no. Bad idea. Thumbs DOWN!

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[Sava]

Lately to pirate a properly equipped transport you need another transport.
Or a horde of snubs. Which happens as often as never. )))

Silly idea. Sorry, can't say anything else.

The real issue is that the thrust speeds of transports were buffed. Therefore transports can almost always make it to base.
Also transport guns are pretty strong.

The fix is to reduce the thrust speeds back to normal (before the buff).
This makes interactions longer, makes it harder for traders to reach port and adds more chance to the pirate.

I agree in one point: transports are too hard to kill at the moment.

What you however suggest is a return to the turkey shooting gallery that we had, and that was the other extreme - and not desireable as well.

Karst and I have submitted a large draft on transport balance.
Steps are being taken to fix large and small pewpew transports.
Removing bats/bots is not on that list, as it makes no sense.

+1 to you and Karst