Replace Damage-Pulse with...

[CyberTao]

but I challenge you to consider the possibilities of making it feasible in comparison to the future of the game.

Give it a 'range', make it fire forwards (albeit very slowly) a short distance before going off, or going off on contact with something. The problem with pulse is it's close-range-ness, which doesn't work when titan-fighters scoot along sideways at max bloody speed.

Thruster changes, capital ship system (which also reduce speeds), and the ability to project the pulse forwards a short distance (so you don't have to Ram). 2 of the 3 I just listed I know are planned, I just don't know the planned changes for Pulse.

 

[EtherEel]

[ Let me preface further comments by stating that when I see "Joined: Apr 4, 2014", or thereabouts, on someone's forum tag that I respect your opinion and your experience. Likely you were around before the "newer" version of Starmade and have a sense of just how far the game had come and the vast improvements that have been made. I feel my response to Sven_The_Slayer's post appears harsh and arrogant -- which was not the intention, nor was I attacking him personally. My kinda-sudden about-face on this subject stems from reading other players' opinions of what constitutes effective ship design and combat, noting that using a Damage-Pulse (in it's current form) as a primary weapon is essentially folly (which I believe is pretty evident if you've been around for 5 minutes.) ]

So, I'll go back into argument mode now:

Give it a 'range'

Does this not make the Pulse into a projectile? ("We have Missile/Pulse already" I've already had to endure...) The whole idea of the Pulse is that it is centered somewhere on/in your ship, no? Otherwise it becomes a "timed-detonation" Missile.

((What I can't figure out is why the radius of the Pulse HAS to be so miniscule. Had no one considered making the radius, for example, 200m and just not doing a whole lot of damage -- limitless targets getting small amount of damage (yes, Missiles would have to be adjusted... otherwise it's an insta-missile-killer.) I still don't like even that take on the Pulse, as I'm sure yall don't either.))

And yes, the close ranged-ness of the Pulse IS it's downfall. In (actual) space, nothing really is ever at close range. All weapons NEED to feature range -- and thus, be projectiles of some sort. Also, a forward firing Pulse "should" damage your own ship if insufficiently distant -- inherently undesirable, unlikely thought it be.

~

 

[Megacrafter127]

Does this not make the Pulse into a projectile? ("We have Missile/Pulse already" I've already had to endure...) The whole idea of the Pulse is that it is centered somewhere on/in your ship, no? Otherwise it becomes a "timed-detonation" Missile.

((What I can't figure out is why the radius of the Pulse HAS to be so miniscule. Had no one considered making the radius, for example, 200m and just not doing a whole lot of damage -- limitless targets getting small amount of damage (yes, Missiles would have to be adjusted... otherwise it's an insta-missile-killer.) I still don't like even that take on the Pulse, as I'm sure yall don't either.))

And yes, the close ranged-ness of the Pulse IS it's downfall. In (actual) space, nothing really is ever at close range. All weapons NEED to feature range -- and thus, be projectiles of some sort. Also, a forward firing Pulse "should" damage your own ship if insufficiently distant -- inherently undesirable, unlikely thought it be.

~

Adding such a huge range would not be that devastating, if the pulse would actually have to expand, and would take it's time to reach it's full range. (So, basically the pulse would be to push enemy fleets back from your ship when surrounded, as the pulse wouldn't need to actually hit, it just needs to pose a large enough threat to warrant evacuating from it's range when fired)

 

[CyberTao]

Does this not make the Pulse into a projectile? ("We have Missile/Pulse already" I've already had to endure...) The whole idea of the Pulse is that it is centered somewhere on/in your ship, no? Otherwise it becomes a "timed-detonation" Missile.

Pulse is unique because of it's damage model, full damage to everything within it's radius. As long as it keeps that, it's still pulse. There is also the issue of boarding (which may be a thing someday), in the sense that area-triggers and pulse could basically kill any boarders without worry. Making it fire 100-200m forwards would keep that from happening, still be short ranged enough to not undermine missiles, and make it a bit easier to figure out how to use it.

Also, I wasn't aware Pulse could damage missiles, though I'm not sure how many have tried.

Reducing the damage and increasing the range you can do already with the configs, so give that a go. Remember you only need ~25 damage to gut a ship of all it's power modules, and that it would also hit all allied within range as well. Pulse isn't particularly strong against shields either, so just upping range and reducing damage might just leave you with a really shitty Missile/Missile knockoff that no one wants to use.

 

[DraconisDomini]

A series of rapid point-blank damage pulses, really? What was the intent, to allow ramming ships to bury their prow in opponents?

Much like probably many other people, I tried out damage pulses when I was first experimenting, discovered they did basically nothing and quickly abandoned them, though the engine porn thread is making me reconsider using them for decorating purposes. On the other hand, has anyone tried making a ramming ship with damage pulses in the nose (kind of like a multi-use version of a warhead I suppose)? Because that could be cool.

 

[Lecic]

I feel like I'm the only one who enjoys a good melee weapon in my space ship game.

Anyway, for pulse, I'd rather not see it done away with. It needs some serious reworking, but I'd rather not see it dumped for something, that, while cool, has its role already pretty much covered by missiles.

I like the suggestions for it to fire a cone, for it to fire a slowly expanding pulse sphere, and also for it to fire an expanding circle. Each of those would be cool. Just as long as a method of using pulse as a melee weapon isn't completely removed.

Much like probably many other people, I tried out damage pulses when I was first experimenting, discovered they did basically nothing and quickly abandoned them, though the engine porn thread is making me reconsider using them for decorating purposes. On the other hand, has anyone tried making a ramming ship with damage pulses in the nose (kind of like a multi-use version of a warhead I suppose)? Because that could be cool.

I know for a fact that Crimson-Artist has at least one ship with a "boom lance" that uses a damage pulse that activates on collision.

 

[Crimson-Artist]

I have been summoned!

Much like probably many other people, I tried out damage pulses when I was first experimenting, discovered they did basically nothing and quickly abandoned them, though the engine porn thread is making me reconsider using them for decorating purposes. On the other hand, has anyone tried making a ramming ship with damage pulses in the nose (kind of like a multi-use version of a warhead I suppose)? Because that could be cool.

Damage pulses indeed do kind of suck right now but if used on unshielded ships they can be really devastating. You can completely automate the triggering by connecting the damage pulse computer to a area trigger controller monostable circuit. then hook some area triggers to the front of the pulse array.

That way you dont have to manually fire it off and you can just ram it into targets. I highly recommend using pull effects on cannon+cannon arrays in order to pull a target in to the Damage pulse. Also Adding a Push pulse array can completely disable your target so after you can follow up your damage pulse thrusts with more thrusts and/or just blast away with your weapons.

Ive also been toying with using Plex doors as "Battle Skewers" that will hold targets in place so the damage pulse can get a solid hit since a target receives less damage if it bounces off you ship.

 

[SkaireKrough]

Ive also been toying with using Plex doors as "Battle Skewers" that will hold targets in place so the damage pulse can get a solid hit since a target receives less damage if it bounces off you ship.

So you're working on making a modification to your 'Boom Lance' to turn it into a "Lag Lance"? If successful I can see server admins being overjoyed by this development.

 

[Crimson-Artist]

So you're working on making a modification to your 'Boom Lance' to turn it into a "Lag Lance"? If successful I can see server admins being overjoyed by this development.

You could say that...

But in all honesty i went in knowing that it could potentially be lagtastic weapon. but i made sure to minimize the lag by only having the skewers extend for a brief moment to stop a targets momentum.

fortunately from all the tests that I've done if configured right the blast radius should destroy all the parts of the target to prevent collisions.