StarMade Dev Blog 17 November 2017

[Fellow Starmadian]

schema plz. Do you want the game to have a competitive atmosphere of player vs player, or do you want it to be RP PvE.. :/ Cause if you want RP PvE then why do you even care about balance.

 

[Non]

Lecic probably because they arent building for PvP

Exactly the problem, how do you balance for pvp when you don't build for pvp?

 

[Ithirahad]

Instead of fixing docked hull you have codified it as an official mechanic. Congratulations.

Arguably, the only real issue with docked hulls was that they are a massive entity and a performance concern. Moving from "exploiting docking mechanics" to "strategic use of shield systems" doesn't sound that bad to me. :P

 

[schema]

Lecic how do you mean that exactly? How will local shields intensive docked hulls?

 

[Fellow Starmadian]

schema if you create a shield generator with an AOE shield coverage, and have each generator generate their own field, and deplete ONLY that specific generator's field when it comes under damage, then that is just a more effective docked hull.

 

[schema]

Even though I like RP PvE, I want a strong PvP in the game. As you can see it's difficult, but I'm not giving up just yet.

 

[Non]

Even though I like RP PvE, I want a strong PvP in the game. As you can see it's difficult, but I'm not giving up just yet.

The pvp players have precise balancing advise that they can give to you, trying to do it without them is incredibly naive.

 

[Lecic]

Arguably, the only real issue with docked hulls was that they are a massive entity and a performance concern. Moving from "exploiting docking mechanics" to "strategic use of shield systems" doesn't sound that bad to me. :P

Sure, as long as you think ion and pierce weapons both being rendered mostly useless is a good thing.

Lecic how do you mean that exactly? How will local shields intensive docked hulls?

Docked hull allows you to ablate hull instead of losing shields due to the 75% mothership shields protection, which has the side effect of making both ion and pierce weapons mostly worthless, as ion weapons cannot damage through the hull and pierce weapons will go through the hull only to be immediately blocked by the shields. Bubbles allow you to create effectively the same thing, just without docking, and with no shield sharing instead of sharing 75%.

 

[schema]

you cannot place a shield within another shield's radius. Also if you create multiple shields you will split your power usage for them into two spots. Your shield would be stronger if kept as one. I don't see how that creates something similar to docked hull

 

[Ithirahad]

The pvp players have precise balancing advise that they can give to you, trying to do it without them is incredibly naive.

This. They can be hard to work with, after years of either being ignored or a perception of being ignored, but ultimately, the alternatives are worse. Both for PvPers, and ultimately for the PvE and RP community as well.

 

[schema]

Lecic as said above. you cannot layer shields, and even the attempt would make your shields weaker than they would be in one single module (that is the balance goal). Multiple shields would be something only worthwhile on really big ships where the initial radius is too small to cover it all.

 

[Fellow Starmadian]

different recharge timers. EZ explanation

edit: though it seems like you are mixing plans for the future balance of radius shields with a question about the effectiveness of docked hull? not sure.

 

[Non]

Also if you create multiple shields you will split your power usage for them into two spots. Your shield would be stronger if kept as one.

So? If doing so allows my ship to be 5x more effective why would I care?

 

[Calhoun]

you cannot place a shield within another shield's radius. Also if you create multiple shields you will split your power usage for them into two spots. Your shield would be stronger if kept as one. I don't see how that creates something similar to docked hull

I place some hull blocks outside the shield AoE. I have now made Ion and pierce weapons mostly useless.

 

[schema]

Ithirahad It's not like we don't want to talk to PvPers. The problem is that communicating with them is sometimes very hard because they all have their own vision of what the balance should be that are not only contradicting to other aspects of the game, they are also contradicting with other PvPers

 

[Non]

you cannot layer shields, and even the attempt would make your shields weaker than they would be in one single module

Thats the case currently, though to a lesser degree, but its still one of the most effective strategies at high mass.

 

[schema]

Non but you ship would be less effective because you spent more power on getting a weaker shield

 

[Fellow Starmadian]

and also contradicting with the PvE community, which unanimously cry out for more interesting decorative blocks lol.

 

[thatothermitch]

A lot of people have 'faith' in what the game can be, but not how Schine seems to be managing it now.

I might rephrase that as "a lot of people see great potential in starmade" (and rightfully so). However, I really dont think there's much hope if you try to separate it from its creators. It sure seems to me that many of these conversations have intensified to the point where they are actually counter productive.

The game is unique, and for some of us, there's nothing to move to.

I certainly think that this game is unique, but being so invested in something we have virtually no creative control over may say more about us than it does about starmade. To be perfectly honest, if I were in Schema's shoes, I'd strongly consider announcing a 6 month development hiatus just to let things cool down. That hurts to admit, but it's the truth.

 

[schema]

the balance isn't finished for shields in that bigger single shields will be stronger than multiple smaller ones