Damage Bleeds Through Shields

posted on March 23rd, 2011, 8:43 pm

Are there any intentions of making it so that by default, some damage bleeds through the shields and damages the ships and/or subsystems and/or causes crew casualties?  It would make ships take damage more like how they do in Star Trek.

Of course, some ships would have passives that cause the shields to fully protect the ship, but for the most part, the ship will almost always take damage even with shields up.

posted on March 23rd, 2011, 8:49 pm

Quik Question

Doesn't this already happpen? (breen crusier)

Or do you want it the other way around?

posted on March 23rd, 2011, 8:59 pm

There are certain weapons that have the effect of firing through the shields already. I think every race has some ship with the ability to do it. I think especially the Borg are capable of doing it, but also Fed veterans, Klingon special weapons and some Dominion ships.

It should be doable, since it constantly happened ever since Armada 1 .

posted on March 23rd, 2011, 9:01 pm

In Stock Armada Damage go throu Shields hit Subsystems and reduce Crew (only for Ships)
In FleetOpp all Damage is taken by the Shields for both (Stations and Ships)

posted on March 23rd, 2011, 9:22 pm

In Stock Armada Damage go throu Shields hit Subsystems and reduce Crew (only for Ships)
In FleetOpp all Damage is taken by the Shields for both (Stations and Ships)

In fact it did so for both ships and stations

posted on March 23rd, 2011, 9:53 pm

I'm either way on this one. Ultimately though, when there is full shield strength nothing should get through in most scenarios. If my Akira is at 100% shield strength, and a Scube takes one shot at it and all of a sudden I risk losing subsystems? I realize there is possibility when ships are severely outmatch, say for instance against a Cube, where there might be risk from just a single shot of doing massive damage. But in general, for most ships that aren't battleships, when first engaging damage should be limited to shields only. When shields start falling, around 60% or so, then start subsystem damage or something. or 75 or whatever. but 90 up, should be completely reduced to 0 chance, unless the matchup is completely unfair, like cube vs destroyer, ok one shot might cripple them and its understandable.

Those are  my are only main thoughts.

posted on March 23rd, 2011, 10:42 pm

Doesn't this have potential to really mess with early game balance? Like my two destroyers happen to get their life support smacked and then they all die with almost 100% hull. 

posted on March 23rd, 2011, 10:47 pm

Probably depends on the damage caused, hull tends to get hit more often and the less damage that gets through, the less chance of system death.

The ones that would be effected the most would be those with weak systems.

posted on March 23rd, 2011, 10:52 pm

Yes, it would basically do a good job at damaging balance

Every faction has different ratios between hull and shield strength, and hull repair rates are adjusted by system value (which is also variable by faction, as well as by specific ships, and tier by tier). Percentages of thru-shield damage would have to be variable unit by unit. Likewise it would seem to affect special weapons, as well as rapidly firing, low damage weapons (as now 2 regenerative effects would have to be accounted for).

posted on March 23rd, 2011, 11:24 pm

I like the idea of damage of getting through low shields, like 40% it starts to get through a little. What I really like the idea of however is damage to subsystems. They should be damaged gradually during every battle. The best idea I can think of, which would make it more realistic IMO, is making all hulls across the board stronger but the subsystems susceptible to damage from all sources. So a ship is quite likely to lose engines before being destroyed, or any other subsystem. The most resilient should be life support I suppose. I'm going to make a feature request on this actually.

posted on March 24th, 2011, 12:04 am

come to think of it, wouldnt this just extremely favour the borg?

borg have huge hull strength.. so what do they care, although subsystem damage might still effect them, but for the other factions, dont they rely on their shields protecting them to even things out? to the borg, its like 2 bars = full health. borg have a doubly strong hull, other factions have the hull bar, and the shield bar. but now its like its not even that, because as soon as the shield bar gets lowered, instantly it starts to increase damage taken so everything just tanks.

doesnt it?

also, reading doms post, if it has to be balanced out ship by ship basis.. seems extravagant.

posted on March 24th, 2011, 1:43 am

Extravagant, but cool (and balancible.)

posted on March 24th, 2011, 3:17 am

I think borg should get shield, but the shields should have some funky resistences, prehaps lower capacity per size, but very high regen rate.

posted on March 24th, 2011, 4:29 pm

In-game shields are the conventional defense type, Borg usually only bother with security, personal and structural shields.

posted on March 24th, 2011, 4:58 pm

The Borg Probe had shields.  Watch as Voyager's phasers hits the probe.