Rebalance in Necessary!

posted on September 9th, 2009, 2:14 pm

Okay, I am sick of the old "Federation is the strongest faction" fact! I want this to be changed, because for one thing I don't like the struggle when playing as Romies against the Feds. Does anyone else ever think of this?

To me I think it should be somewhere around this in Ranking (1 is strongest)...

Early Game:
1] Dominion (they are natural spammers)
2] Klingon
3] Federation
4] Romulan
5] Borg (slow builders)

Mid Game:
1] Klingon (many different cruisers and mid-ships)
2] Federation (Warp-in)
3] Dominion
4] Romulan
5] Borg (Slow builders)

Late-Game:
1] Romulan
2] Federation
3] Borg (getting their heavy ships by now)
4] Dominion
5] Klingon

Very-Late-Game:
1] Borg
2] Federation
3] Romulan
4] Dominion
5] Klingon

After 6 hours of playing (really, really late game):
- All relatively equalized

What do you think?

posted on September 9th, 2009, 2:22 pm

designing races to be strong in different game stages is somethign we did in beta2, and that didn't get us a good balance, thats not the way to go (yea, a borg player has to make it in the last game phase to do something, if we would do something like you suggested)

I'm quite pleased with the gameplay as it at the moment, and I dont think the "fact" that the Federation is "the stronges race" is a very objective "fact".

We will have larger rebalances in the next patch. In addition, all races are on todo for a more or less large redo, but not to adjust their relative strength, but to underline their certain character from the show.

Fleet Operations features quite different playstyes for the races. If you are best with the Federation, then the Federation is probably what is best suited for you. Other players might have other opinions. That said, i will take a look at the overall race balancing again

posted on September 9th, 2009, 5:51 pm

Fleet Operations features quite different playstyes for the races.

Then there is a problem.

My basic style of play is turtling. Making my base as impervious to attacks as I can while I prepare an overwhelming fleet to crush anyone on sight.

From my point of view, turtling philosophy should be natural to the Borg. And yet, their bases are the least defensible of them. The stations are tough, but they totally rely on fleet for counterattack.

The option of having holding beams on some buildings shows that actually, at some point, someone thought that (some) borg buildings should be dangerous to approaching enemy ships. The TV series (TNG and VOY) show that usually a borg base is not a bad place to stay unless you start shooting or do something that may considered aggressive. Then you better leave ASAP.

In this aspect, I'd say that buildings could have an automatic fire-back option, out of the player control AND a way to designate some ships as "base defenders" and make them transwarp automatically to defend the base in case of someone starts shooting inside the base perimeter.

It's just an opinion. But it's MINE, ALL MINE!

posted on September 9th, 2009, 6:51 pm

But does turtling really work competitively in any RTS? I'm not saying it's bad, but the best tactic in almost any RTs seems to be putting presuure on the enemy, securing resources etc.

posted on September 9th, 2009, 7:17 pm

Well, FO is very map dependent. On certain maps, turtling is a very valid tactic, while on others, it's basically impossible or outrageously expensive.

Also, don't forget that if you want to expand, the "shell" of the "turtle" has to expand.

Anyways, if you want to represent all of the most usual gaming styles, turtling is one of the most common. Even if more active players find it annoying.

posted on September 9th, 2009, 7:34 pm

Ok that is fair enough.

posted on September 9th, 2009, 8:56 pm

Well, if each faction had the same style of play, then all the factions would be the same. You can turtle, but only with one or two factions and avatars. Indeed, the easiest faction to turtle with happens to be Mayson Feds in fact 

posted on September 9th, 2009, 9:15 pm

Also the easiest to be aggressive with...sorta says something there.

posted on September 9th, 2009, 9:24 pm

Yea... they'll be rebalanced soon enough  

posted on September 9th, 2009, 9:50 pm

Indeed, the easiest faction to turtle with happens to be Mayson Feds in fact 

I am aware of that. Painfully aware, I might add.

Oh, the irony.

posted on September 13th, 2009, 11:16 am

Mayson is the total turtle king, specially because u can just build up plattforms and make then when needed in a few seconds to those awesome torpedo launcher and rip a complete fleet with a few of em ...
dont worry ... i nevah did it  ... uhm ... 

posted on September 13th, 2009, 12:39 pm

i think you can turtle pretty well with borg, just think about your ships as big moving turrets^^
you can advance further and further while adding more ships to yuour fleet, until you see the enemy already crying out for help, bwahahaha!!!!

in other words: i think org can turtek pretty well and are even more flexible than others while doing it.

posted on September 13th, 2009, 3:51 pm

The problem with turtling as Borg, is that you will most likely lose quicker, asmore enemy vessels means that you will lose your own large vessels much quicker. I have never seen a scenario where in a 1v1 turtling helped a Borg player--the opposing player would either be able to expand all over the map and outproduce the Borgie, or the opposing player would simply make quick hit and run attacks while the Borg player simply tried to get to the location fast enough.

[Anonymous]

posted on September 13th, 2009, 4:26 pm

Last edited by Anonymous on September 15th, 2009, 2:48 am, edited 1 time in total.

Less QQ More Pew Pew.

posted on September 13th, 2009, 6:22 pm

I have never seen a scenario where in a 1v1 turtling helped a Borg player--the opposing player would either be able to expand all over the map and outproduce the Borgie, or the opposing player would simply make quick hit and run attacks while the Borg player simply tried to get to the location fast enough.

I agree, and I'm both a fan of turtling, and of Borg.  In 1v1, in fact, is the only time I build Adapters.  They move quick enough, and are just barely tough enough, to be used for harrassment or distraction.

And you can spit them out fairly quickly.  A trio of Adapters dropping in to visit the main base will frequently pull the ships off the mining outposts, allowing your raiders to either destroy or assimilate their mining.  It's not surefire, but it's much more effective than turtling.