slowriderxcorps wrote:The comment on player-exclusive variants doesn't really make any sense considering that the base game has the player-exclusive Artemis Missiles that use less power than enemy ones but charges fractionally slower. Not to mention the fact that the changes to the Defense II were to make it actually worth considering as an option instead of an auto-sell due to its conflicted targeting AI, and the fact that the Hermes Missile in the base game is completely worthless, especially when the Breach Bomb Mark II does the same exact job as it, but with a guaranteed breach, complete ignoring or all defense drones, and, most importantly, for less power.
OK, I agree that I had no idea about exclusive player variants being already in game. Still, I don't think it's good idea, and "fix" would be rather deciding on *one* variant, and giving them to both player and AI. I think that "fixing" bad idea of developers by adding even more player-only weapons is heading into wrong way. Of course, it's just my personal opinion, and frankly, this point isn't the most "crucial" IMO.
slowriderxcorps wrote:The augment price changes that are made are there alongside the other changes to them to try and make them more attractive to actually keep hold of instead of just treating it like a free scrap cache, though such changes are far more prominent in Twinge's Balance Mod.
OK, that makes sense. I'm just a little afraid, that it nerfes ship carrying those poor augments even more (changes to augments are not radical, they're still as useless as they were). Also, I'm not sure if such "unique" (even if useless for power-gaming) things should have so low cost - it seems unrealistic, even for the FTL lore.
slowriderxcorps wrote:Stealth Cruiser.. I'm still on the fence as to whether I want to keep hold of that. It makes almost no difference to StealthB because the Glaive Beam takes up half your weapon power anyway, but the StealthA is primarily a ship destroyer, and having only three weapon slots and two of them being taken up with weak weapons does make it particularly less attractive in such a role than every other 4-slot ship. I might undo this if others say it's too much.
Here we must agree to disagree - I see it as OP'ing both stealth cruisers to no end. They got just too powerful initial layout, to make lack of shield enough compensation. Also, having special layout but 3/3 weapons/drones slot, required different tactical approach for playing them. IO thing it's all that different ships are about, having to play them different way
slowriderxcorps wrote:Auto-Scout shields. This is something done as my own way of attempting to balance them out since the shieldless ones are essentially cannon fodder. Twinge's way to balance them out, on the other hand, is to give them Titanium System Casing.. with the rate that that augment blocks system damage on the Stealth Cruisers now, and the fact that most of the time those ships will be trying to run away, I'm of the opinion that giving them that augment is tantamount to BS, so I went for shields. It makes little difference either way, from my experience.
Agreed that it doesn't change much - but, it decreases diversity. So, sounds like net loss
slowriderxcorps wrote:Doors on the Assault ships. It's minor either way you look at it, and when facing them under standard boarding rules you'll be beaming over with higher level Teles to weaken it down to 1 hull regardless. The doors are there because of the 1 in 5 chance of the finishing blow to such a ship failing to land because it lands in the drone room when the ship has no drones. There's no way you can predict that can happen.
Frankly, I have no idea what you're talking about starting from sentence 2. If what you mean is using boarding drone to finish them off, then I think you actually mean system-less room - well, pity, player need to use other tactic to finish them off
Still, it looks rather like argument for more power-gaming, than actual fix. Lack of doors on some ships is their perk, not bug - again, it makes them *different* than other kind of starships, requiring to use different tactics.
BTW, boarding (which I like and use a lot, if not most often) is over-powered already, for most intents and purposes. If boarding fans - like me - encounter ship more resistant to assaults once in a great boom, then even better.
slowriderxcorps wrote:Layer 5 shields are bull no matter what way you look at them. I know that the side-effect of them having those shield levels is that they also have an increased chance of having better shields earlier on as well, but to be perfectly honest, the way such shields are distributed by default is wonky enough. Engis get them, Matntis get them, Slugs not only get them but they also get Cloaking and/or more Engine power, making them a luckshoot, Zoltans don't get them but instead get overshields, Auto-Assaults get them as well as a manned bonus on all systems by default, also making them a luckshoot at times. Rocks? They only get Rock Plating which does literally nothing for them save make their crippled ship last a shot or two longer. Rebels don't get them either. Hell, the Elites don't get them, and of all the enemies you would expect the devs to make too intimidating to engage, you'd think they'd give them to those guys. It might get looked into later on, but Layer 5 shields will not be reimplemented.
It's your mod, I just hope that this change won't be carried over to CE mainstream
Frankly, I don't care if it's unfair to rock AI - 5 shields were encountered in late sectors only, and removing them makes it artificially easier. I agree with some points about too easy types of enemies, but it's argument for buffing them, not nerfing everyone else. If I want easy mode, I have button for that in menu.
slowriderxcorps wrote:The Sector 1 ship changes came about with the sole intent of removing Zoltan Bombers from Sector 1. The Auto-Assault removal was first created in Twinge's Balance Mod as a means of buffing the StealthB. But ultimately, whichevr way you cut it, a ship with a Zoltan Energy Shield and the 50/50 shot at spawning with attack drones (I wish I knew the exact odds of it happening) is broken. As the StealthB, if you are forced into a fight with such a ship, 19 out of 20 times that's an automatic Game Over. I don't particularly agree with that, if you didn't already guess. The removal of the other ships, on the other hand, is to try and reel back in the chances of Zoltan shields in general happening, since Zoltan Bombers were eventually removed from Sector 1 in Twinge's Balance Mod as well, except by doing that, you practically halve the chances of such shields appearing. This does perhaps buff the player ships that have a hard time with such shields (StealthB, Mantis, SlugB, RockA, CrystalB), but I decided upon trying to retain as much of the original odds as possible.
It looks rather like personal rant against zoltan's bomber, than real balancing
Frankly, I see possibility of running into stronger enemy in sector 1 as part of FTL (mantis boarder vs zoltan-shield equipped ship, anyone?), but, even putting that aside - what you described is *enormous* huge price, just to remove one ship. Deleting half of things you can encounter, just because you don't like poor'old'bomber doesn't sounds justified.
Not to mention, that comment about "retaining original odds" sounds funny, when we're talking about removing ~50% of ships from first sector
Of course I got what you mean, but still, it doesn't sound plausible.
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I just hope that you perceive all of it as constructive criticism
I really like other changes you've made, and I'm glad that you noticed CE's potential, ensuring that your work works fluently with it.
/Estel