[Special] - Klingon Gravity Well

posted on January 6th, 2010, 3:22 am

Hello as always! 

I love being creative and am SOOOO happy I can geek out over Star Trek and have a place to expel.


  [Special Ability]

Name:  Gravity Well

Race:  Klingons

Delivery:  Probe or Drone (moving at a slow pace if Probe)

Concept:  The Gravity Well is launched much like the canaveral's Probe, the Edjen's Scrambling Drone, or the Bortas's fighting Drone thing that doesn't work.  They all use different delivery systems and any one of them could be interesting for this.  The Drone or Probe or What-have-you is delivered and slows down movement speed of enemy ships around it.

Reason:  The Klingons have two themes as I have noticed: a use of external Drones to affect the outcome of battles and the need to "catch" their prey with short-ranged vessels.  A Drone that lasts maybe 10 seconds coming from a support vessel like the Qaw'Duj would be a GREAT reason to make several to support the short-ranged destroyers with which they begin the game.

Numbers:  I'm feeling that something like a 20% speed reduction (20 is always a decent go-to number when setting up buffs and nerfs) over maybe 10 seconds with a decent but not crazy AoE so that the vessels inside will be affected for at least a few seconds.

  Ideas?  I figured this kind of ability would be a good, low-tech kind of thing the Klingons might go for.  They seem to like to put special effects into a hunk of metal and toss it out into a battle for a few seconds.

posted on January 6th, 2010, 3:37 am

seams like a modification on a gravity mine. I think it works because it lets the ':guns: big guns :2guns:' catch up to the faster ships and 'pave grethor with their ashes' and such...

maby let it exist as an area that only limits ships speed when they are in it (or enter it) but they are fine when they leave, then extend the time so that it is sort of a 'fly paper' where you can catch ships and blow them up.

Question: would it also reduce speed of ships that are yours/freinds?

posted on January 6th, 2010, 3:41 am

I think it should slow everyone down.

It's a nice ability, I wonder if it will be needed with brels, neghvars, and other klingon vessels getting speed boosts to catch their prey.  I'll have a better opinion once the patch gets here already.

posted on January 6th, 2010, 4:26 am

I'll have a better opinion once the patch gets here already.

what? a patch, get here!, no way


(or at least it just seams that way )

I think it should slow everyone down.

That was what I was thinking as well, after all no one can break the laws of physics.

posted on January 6th, 2010, 5:25 am

Physics, no.  But there are plenty of AoE abilities that we have already that DON'T affect everyone.  You're telling me that Plasma Coil knows not to damage allied ships?

  Gravity well is really just a name .  Maybe it doesn't use actual gravity.  Maybe it just disrupts warp core flibbityflops on enemy vessels or something.

posted on January 6th, 2010, 5:28 am

That just gave me a different idea, based off Taq'roja's little Chargh.

Either a turret or a temporary 'mine' that multi-targets combat tractor beams.  As a turret, it could run until you kill the wretched thing (easy with the short range of that beam) and as a mine, I'd say it runs for about 6 seconds after being triggered, perhaps only hitting one ship.  Would serve the Klingons well for negating kiting, or attempts to bypass their defenses.

Not to mention the hilarity that could ensue from the turret version if you let them build one at your mining expansion and aren't paying attention.  Look over and see that all your miners are locked in place by a stupid turret, and that's why you're low on money.  And probably only a few seconds from a BoP hunting pack coming to kill your miners and then wait cloaked to hunt the ships you send to get rid of the turret.

I actually like the turret version the best out of those two ideas.  It seems to fit more with the Klingon mentality.  The turret doesn't do the kills for them, it just prevents cowards from running away when the warriors come calling.  (Yes, I believe that out of her special ships, the Chargh is the most truely Klingon.  It doesn't sit at extreme range plinking away like a sniper, but instead closes ground, and refuses to allow it's prey to escape.)