Priority of the Fixing of Underpowered Capital Abilities
Sins Forums
These are just opinions, and you can probably argue a few of them, but ehh... Here you go... Also, if you have a suggestion, I would be glad to add it to the list.
Also, I will use the star system to notate what I believe the power of the ability is as well as the suggested fix(es).
1. Animosity**': This gets number one for 1 purpose. It has none. Honestly, this ability has no true value unless facing the AI.
Pros: Stops damage from hitting friendly units
Cons: Can be overwritten by a human player
Proposed Fix A***': There is no real way that is good... Some say to have it re-issue the order, some want it to buff the Radiance temporarily so it makes sense to target it, and then some ideas are off in left field. In other words, I don't know what to do with this, but I'll say that it continually rebuffs the targets so that they have no option.
Proposed Fix B****: This was by another person, but anyways, the idea is that the ability would force enemy SC to run into the Radiance itself, destroying them and dealing minor damage to the Radiance. I'll throw out some statistics for what I believe would be fair. 25 damage per SC with a range of 5000/7500/10000 and a duration of 10/20/30. The end result is that SC get slaughtered on a grand scale allowing the Advent to quickly gain air superiority
Proposed Fix C***: This one is the idea of Agent. It basically says that the Radiance gets a souped up version of the Guardian's shield bubble for the duration so it automatically gets it.
Proposed Fix D***': This one is by Darvin. The idea here is that you cause all ships around the Radiance to be invincible, forcing you to target it.
Proposed Fix E***: This may not be the most powerful one, but it solves the problem. All you have to do is change a couple lines of code and you can make this so that it makes it impossible for ships to target anything else... In other words, you can make the ability work.
2. Gauss Rail Gun*': This ability gets number 2 because it is more or less worthless. It deals low damage which is then mitigated. Also, because you don't want a first strike monster, you can't directly buff the damage.
Pros: Good damage against structures and as a first strike ability
Cons: Worthless once mitigation comes into play.
Proposed Fix A****: I suggest a debuff be instilled on the target that replaces the current speed break debuff. This would be a shield break similar to what Subs do. Along with damage, there is also a stackable damage redux of 1.5%/3.0%/4.5% for 10/12/14 seconds. This means that the Kol also gains a value as a fleet ship and not just a standalone.
Proposed Fix B****: Agent suggested having it be a true railgun that goes through whatever the target is. Then it could actually act as a railgun. I would think though that at that point you would have to make it damage hull, which I am against.
Proposed Fix C****: Going off the tradition of TEC gauss turrets and the suggestions of others, here is another. It is a debuff that reduces armor by 5/7.5/10. If that seems like a lot, you must remember that it would only apply if you are hitting hull.
Proposed Fix D*****: This is a myriad fix. Basically, making GRG do everything, if only in small amounts. What this does is it basically does everything imaginable that could arise from being hit from an RBG. This would be: mitigation reduction of 2%/3%/4%, reduction in armor by 2/3/4, passive regeneration disabled, engines handicapped, and abilities disabled.
Faulty Fix A*****': It has been suggested many many many times that GRG simply ignore shields and go straight for hull. No! That would take the second least valuable ability in the game and make it unstoppable. Not even the Vasari have a straight damage weapon like that. If you want to know why, you could spam GRG and take down an enemy capital early game with no trouble at all. That is WAAAAAAY too powerful.
Faulty Fix B*****: It has also been suggested that the damage be vastly increased to say 1500/2000/2500. There are a few problems with that. For one, that makes this more powerful than Cleansing Brilliance which is a L6. Next, you forget that this ability can target structures so this is a turret instagib. Not only that, but the first shot you fire in a battle deals almost full damage against shields, making this knock down enemy shields almost instantly on most capitals. No.
3. Subversion**: This ability has its uses, but they are so few and far between that it is worthless in most situations. This increases the time it takes to build ships in the gravity well.
Pros: Definitely allows a level VI Antorak to go on a rear world killing spree without having much of a fight on its hands.
Cons: You have to wait till you have a level VI Antorak before this ability has much use.
Proposed Fix****: I believe that this ability needs a second use. Power can be exchanged for being multi-purpose. I suggested in another thread that this deal 1/3/5 unmitigated DPS to frigates, 5/7/9 to capitals and structures, and 9/11/13 to starbases for 10/20/30 seconds. While it is light damage, it is some nonetheless and would make this far more useful. Now, you may want to know how this works... Well, let's say you use it on a planet. The target filter gives it a debuff that slows construction times. Say you want it to deal damage to all nearby enemies? Target yourself.
4. Phase Missile Swarm*': These things are crap
Pros: these things are crap
Cons: these things are crap
Proposed Fix****: Spawns two types of missiles. First type ignores shields and hits the hull. The other hits shields. Also, change the target cap to 10/20/30
5. Guidance***: It takes AM to reduce cooldowns, but then again, you don't need that, so you just end up burning AM...
Pros: Reduces cooldowns on capital abilities
Cons: Sucks up too much AM for something that accelerates AM loss...
Proposed Fix: I don't have one.
6. Shield Restore: This is great for keeping a single capital alive, while being FF'd, but still, its not that much later in the game...
Pros: Good amount of shield healed
Cons: Can't aim at self and not enough late game.
Proposed Fix****: Courtesy of Darvin, I believe that there should be a buff that increases mitigation to 90% for 10/12/14 seconds in addition to the current heal and being able to target itself.
7. Phase Out Hull**: This was improved, but I don't think the devs did quite enough...
Pros: Versatile interrupt
Cons: Neither option does that much
Proposed Fix***': Change the amount of damage/healed to 200/300/400.
8. Magnetize**': This is kinda meh...
Pros: Good at stopping early game SC
Cons: You don't get a Dunov early game
Proposed Fix A***': Causes SC to crash into the target and create a "toxic" debris field damaging all units within 5000/6000/7000 for 5/10/15 DPS for 60 seconds.
Proposed Fix B*****: Causes variable effects based on level. Level 1 is same as normal; SC crash into the target. 2 causes frigates to crash into the target as well. 3 causes capital ships to crash into the target (though neither these nor the frigates are totally destroyed.
Proposed Fix C****: Causes SC to crash into the target, but it also allows you to target your own ships so you aren't destroyed by kiting
9. Colonize [Jarrasul]*': This does very very little in comparison to the others
Pros: Increases build speed
Cons: Increases build speed by a measly 20%
Proposed Fix A***: Increase build speed buff to 20%/40%/60%
Proposed Fix B****: Cause it to start the planet off with say 100/200/300 population.
10. Targeting Uplink**': This gives a range boost and accuracy, but that's about it.
Pros: Increases range slightly and increases anti-SC accuracy
Cons: Neither do that much to gameplay
Proposed Fix****: A stacking DPS increase buff. Cause all ships in range to be instilled with a buff that causes them to pass on a debuff to whatever they shoot at. This debuff stacks, but only lasts for 3 seconds. Each one increases damage dealt to the target by .25%/.50%/.75%. This means that if you have 100 ships affect by TU, you get a 75% increase in damage against a target. This would make FFing targets more effective and would give the Akkan an ability that actually helps its allies more or less directly as opposed to its others which are incredibly indirect.
11. Adaptive Forcefield***': An ability that vastly increases the Kol's life, but also drain AM.
Pros: Nullifies PM's and reduces damage
Cons: Drains AM quickly
Proposed Fix***': Make passive and reduce damage redux to 7.5%/15%/22.5%
12. Incendiary Shells**': These things only increase DPS to a target by 6.
Pros: Increases DPS to the target by 6
Cons: Increase DPS to the target by 6
Proposed Fix***': Cause it to also reduce armor by 1/2/3 points
Faulty Fix*****: Current system, but causes damage directly to hull and stacks. This is bad. Stacking by itself is WAY too powerful. The Marza is a capital with almost all its weapons facing forward which means that four banks will fire on one target. This means that you will have about 8 buffs stacked on top of one another. That means that it would deal 40 DPS directly to hull. This is a passive! You don't need that kind of power on a passive!
13. Malice***: This is a modest ability on a great ship that always ends up with points elsewhere.
Pros: Spreads Damage
Cons: On a great ship and is not used because it does not compete with the other abilities
Proposed Fix****': Increase target cap to 30/40/50 and propagate 20%/40%/60% of damage
14. Jam Weapons***: This ability nullifies SC, but does not do anything to harm them.
Pros: Stops SC damage
Cons: Drains a ton of AM and deals no damage.
Proposed Fix A****: Cause SC weapons to "malfunction" and rather than damaging the target, they damage the SC itself for 50% of the DPS.
Proposed Fix B***': Increase range from 4500/5500/6500 to 5000/6000/7000
Well, there you go.. Those are the abilities I think need buffs and the order in which I think they deserve to be fixed.
