Ability idea

posted on November 29th, 2010, 9:57 pm

After watching the voyager episode "counter point" i got an idea for either an ability or a special weapon.

Refractive shielding

In the voyager episode this type of shielding prevented detection of Devore ships until  they were very close.
It was also a technology which was easily adapted for use of two shuttles.

A problem many assault vessels face is that they are fired upon by vessels before they reach their own firing range. If such a vessel were equipped with refractive shielding which decreased the range at which they could be detected to medium or short range they would gain a significant tactical advantage.

As an ability this could mess up a carefully balance which currently exists and if this was to be an ability then it would have to be restricted to small vessels.

The second option is to make it a special weapon. Draining special energy while active.

Ideas/suggestions?

 

posted on November 29th, 2010, 10:01 pm

id have it so that they can only be detected by support ships or scouts.

and that all other ships have to get within short range to detect the ship. and if the ship is outside of short range and it gets attacked (ie it was spotted), the first volley does more damage and the ship reverts to normal shields.

also an energy cost is a good idea.

posted on November 29th, 2010, 10:03 pm

I'd prefer it act similar to ECM, screwing up targeting (with a different animation when hit). Once other races have seen it enough to adapt, it wouldn't have the full effect.

Similar to how Breen ship disablers can now only take out a single system or two instead of the entire ship.

posted on November 29th, 2010, 10:18 pm

To place such an ability on a scout vessel would give the non cloak races a chance to catch up with their scouting.
Right now you want to keep you scout away from bases and large concentration of ships.

The dominion scout has the probe and the federation has good sensor range, but this kind of ability  (or a virtual "gray mode" ) would give them a bit more survivability.

The one ship "ECM" would make it too similar to the level 2 ability of the Canaveral IMO.

[Tyler]

posted on November 29th, 2010, 10:21 pm

Last edited by Tyler on November 29th, 2010, 10:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.

ECM is a passive ability several Federation & Klingon ships have, the Canaveral has EC3M.  A different ability (a counter to the counter of ECM).

posted on November 30th, 2010, 9:48 pm

I'd prefer it act similar to ECM, screwing up targeting (with a different animation when hit). Once other races have seen it enough to adapt, it wouldn't have the full effect.

Similar to how Breen ship disablers can now only take out a single system or two instead of the entire ship.

ECM which also affects phaser accuracy. Could work, but personally i would prefer the decrease in sensor range simply because it opens a new set of tactics.

I don't like the system disabling. The ability should be defensive while system disabling would be an offensive feature. Also this would make the new ability or special too similar to the Griffin Sensor jammer.

posted on December 1st, 2010, 10:15 am

I was referring to the adaption, rather than the ability use. The shield prevents sensors from locking on, modern counters would reduce the efficiency to just making it difficult.

How about the passive works like ECM, while the veteran version also makes in invisible to sensors at a certain range. Which technically reminds me of a poor-mans cloack.

posted on December 1st, 2010, 10:27 pm

I'd find it nice as officer or veteran ability of Fed ships, acting like a bad cloak with active shields.