Loki
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Posted - 2005.12.16 09:45:00 -
[1]
Sensor damp / tracking disruptor problems
1. The new stacking penalty prevents more than 4 modules having any real affect. I havent seen the exact percentage reduction per extra module as yet but for the sake of this explanation i will asign some values.
Slot 1: 100% effect (as listed values)
Slot 2: 50% effect (a half of listed values)
Slot 3: 30% effect (a third of listed values)
Slot 4: 20% effect (a fifth of listed values)
Beyond this the effect gets negligable, and pointless to use.
2. The fact that sensor boosters and dampers affect the same stats (targeting range and signature resolution)
3. The fact that the new stacking penalties are graded and sorted by the effect they have, from higest modifier to lowest.
Sensor boosters are a higher multiplier (1.6x) than damps (0.52x) and consequently get priority on slot 1 then 2 and so on.
4. The fact that a sensor booster has further positive effects on a ship than just neutralizing a specific type of EW.
unlike ECM / ECCM sensor boosters are usefull when there is no ew in use, meaning that they will be (and are) much more widespread than eccm.
What is the result of this?
if the target ship has no sensor boosters, 4 dampers will work as usuall (the first receiving the full modifier (slot 1), the second a reduced modifier (slot 2), and so on.
if the target ship has one booster, then only 3 dampers will have any effect (due to them both effecting the same stat and only 4 effective slots being available per stat). Also, the first damper will be in slot 2 and only providing half the listed bonus due to the grading system of highest to lowest, the booster would occupy slot1 with no reduced effects). Damper 2 and 3 will be the equivilent of 3 and 4 in a no booster setup.
2 booster setups will only allow a maximum of 2 dampers to effect the target, and due to grading the boosters will be in slot 1 and 2 (as listed bonus and half bonus), while the damps will be in slots 3 and 4 basically giving the 2 boosters 150% of listed bonus vs the 2 damps providing only 50% of listed bonus for using the same number of modules.
and so it continues upto 4 boosters, when damps will have no real effect at all because all 4 slots have been used.
Solution?
Positive and negative effects need to stack seperately, probably with the positive values applied to base ship stat, and then the stacked modifier for negative effects applied after. Some tweaking of the damp / boost amount might be needed to account for the change.
This will mean that boosters are an effective counter to damps and at the same time, ensure that damps are actually useable.
Loki
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"The Saracen"
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