Warpin Harassment: Reset timer on getting hit with weapon fi

posted on August 28th, 2010, 10:20 pm

Time is the resource of the SFC.

With all other ships, their resources are di/tri/supply. One can harass these, slowing down their production. Strategery, etc. One cannot harass SFC/warpin production.

An idea would be to reset the warpin timer whenever the SFC building is attacked (could require dropping the shields/hull by 10% before resetting the timer).

(variation: stop timer when SFC is under attack, reset timer at 10% shield or hull drop)

posted on August 28th, 2010, 10:28 pm

this makes no sense lol. if anything sfc should get more warpins when attacked as its a distress call. ie

"help us we're under attack"

not

"move along, we're just being blown up, nothing to see here"

supply costs for sacrificed warpins is probably better.

posted on August 28th, 2010, 10:44 pm

A supply cost will be nice, but it will only effect the Fed player if their warpins are destroyed, so you absolutely have to engage the warpin fleet in order to affect the resources consumed by warpin (and I assume that supply is not taxed when warping in, but once a ship is lost, so new warpins will be just as free if they are not destroyed.) The issue here is that currently, if you raid a Fed mining, the Feds will just send warpins that can't be prevented. Supply taxes may stop offensive warpins from being as popular, but using them to make fleets larger will still likely happen.

posted on August 28th, 2010, 10:49 pm

So.. feds just don't harass as much with warpins (with a supply tax on destroyed warpins). Doesn't do anything about them being able to amass a fleet.

Still need a way to harass/slow down warpin production.



(tangent idea: a time tax on SFC on destroyed warpins - "hey, they called for help and our buddies got blowed up - I ain't helping them" sorta thing).

posted on August 28th, 2010, 10:57 pm

i never said that feds arent op.
supply costs for destroyed warpins alone may not fix it.

but we cant try fix a problem with a silly solution. what next, repairing ships with gaffer tape?

posted on August 28th, 2010, 10:58 pm

I love your out of the box ideas, Yandon!

You've got me wanting to think up some new ideas, too.

posted on August 28th, 2010, 11:24 pm

but we cant try fix a problem with a silly solution. what next, repairing ships with gaffer tape?

I'm with ya on the lore part being funky... lore-wise, why have a cooldown at all? Equipment need recharge?  Administrative paperwork? (either of those, attacking could set back). Other?

Lore wise, why do you even need a SFC? (to have enough rank to override a ship's existing orders and call it in?)

(I'm not being facetious - just trying to find a workable lore angle)

posted on August 28th, 2010, 11:30 pm

Having just the SFC being attacked to reset the timer would be really easily exploitable - but having it set back when a Warp In is destroyed wouldn't . Both ideas as I recall have been suggested in the past several times, and I still like the second one 

supply costs for destroyed warpins alone may not fix it.

I think that a supply cost for birthing the ship should be required in any case. If you never lose a ship, then you won't ever have to pay the price - which doesn't bode well for a shipyard like the SFC 

posted on August 28th, 2010, 11:33 pm

well i think sfc isnt really a station with the sole purpose of sending a distress call. i think the idea is that sfc is like an admin building for important bases where admirals hang out and stuff. and only when your base is important enough and u have this admin station can u get warpin help.

i mean starfleet is probably getting distress calls from several bases, but can only send so many ships. so they only send ships to bases which have a lot of important stuff (Antares yard, SE, SS, SFC) and not go defend a smaller base which might only have just a yard or something.

and the cooldown makes sense as u cant send a distress call every few seconds and starfleet sends ships over and over again. starfleet wants to make sure that u definitely cant survive with the warpins they just sent. and its partly for balancing.

i mean attacking sfc would make a threat to the base, and such a threat would make starfleet more likely to send in help. to protect the admirals who are doing their thing.

posted on August 28th, 2010, 11:34 pm

I concur with Mal, Yandon. I love the things you choose to bring up and the creativity it entails .

  I think that you've summed up the issues with it quite well, but I think that a straight COST to get them on par with other ships is the right way to go.

posted on August 28th, 2010, 11:41 pm

i disagre with a cost for usage, as its a distress call. maybe the ferengi would charge you for help, but starfleet wont.

but i do think there should be punishments for having starfleet's rarer ships destroyed.

posted on August 28th, 2010, 11:59 pm

well how about a simple idea, cos all feds go fast warp in, we can put it until the warp ins get balanced. Just when the warp in facility is finished put 300 sec cooldown at start. If you go warp in 1vs1 you are dead, you cant w8 5 minutes for those ships to come. That cooldown is when you use it.
Btw i agree with the supply cost, my idea is a temporary solution. Supply cost idea may do it, if they are expensive enough. But than we should have diferent types of warp ins so we know what we will get, but dont want double steamie if im defending 

posted on August 29th, 2010, 12:10 am

i disagre with a cost for usage, as its a distress call. maybe the ferengi would charge you for help, but starfleet wont.

but i do think there should be punishments for having starfleet's rarer ships destroyed.

Look upon it as charging for birthing - those crews need a place to stay, sleep, eat - they use supplies! 

posted on August 29th, 2010, 12:25 am

Look upon it as charging for birthing - those crews need a place to stay, sleep, eat - they use supplies! 

  Indeed .  Not only would the sector calling in distress need to prepare for their arrival, but their communication arrays, support teams, and "ground crew" would have to be directed specifically to their use.  All modern aircraft carriers and other warships have MANY resources on land dedicated to their operation.

  If that "Trek lore" reason isn't enough, then the Fed warpins need to have a cost for balance reasons.  Lest we forget this is actually an RTS game we're playing .

posted on August 29th, 2010, 2:05 am

I was going to make my own post, but why not hijack one instead?   Besides, this is more or less a "warp in ideas" thread, anyway.

So warp ins are free, can arrive anywhere on the map, and all the ships are good.

I wanted to throw some more ideas out there, some of these are a collection of ideas from the past that might be fun.

Since there is going to be some more diversity in warp ins (such as a separate artillery call), why not have different kinds of warp ins?

The first can be “distress call”, which could only warp in near any friendly station.  It would have a timer similar to what we have now.

The second type could be a “request reinforcements” (or sector reinforcements), which would be the style of warp in we have now.  The timer is twice as long as the “distress call”, because these ships need to be briefed on the situation while en route, which takes up more of StarFleet Command’s time.  So it would end up costing more time for the next warp in to get the “anywhere on the map” style of warp in.  It would also take more time for them to get to their destination because they’re briefing/prepping for the attack as soon as they drop out of warp. 

This would also make ships like the Descent more valuable compared to normal warp in, as it could have a shorter time as well.

Also, “logistics officers”, or “commodores” could be added as a way to upgrade the warp in system.  Instead of starting off with a cap of 10, start with a cap of four and have 2 researches that increase the cap by 3.  This could even be done as another timer for the SFC.  So you have to “transfer in a commodore” to increase influence and clout, which would increase the limit by 3, but would trigger a timer, forcing you to wait before you can actually use the SFC to send ships.

Another idea is to have a buildable extension like the old A2 research pods that is required before ships can be sent all over the map, otherwise they have to warp in near friendly starbases.  It could be the “long ranged transceiver”.  It would be weaker than the station, so that it can be harassed.

I’m still a strong proponent of adding an upfront cost, as that’s one of the best ways to balance the ability.