Mod/feature change idea

General discussion about the game.
SleepyMage
Posts: 20
Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 7:38 am

Mod/feature change idea

Postby SleepyMage » Wed Nov 21, 2012 3:16 am

After putting so many hours in this game I think I finally understand where my frustration comes from most of the time: weapon progression. The weapon system, along with shields and engines, is one of the pivotal systems that you need to actually get anywhere in the game (especially to beat the boss) but is still completely luck based.

After recently doing three runs in a row where weapons were nowhere to be found or were of little useb like all beams and no shield damage/missiles, I think something to make the game more consistent would be to simply add a separate and always present weapons tab to stores. The main feature of the store (crew, drones, augments) will still be randomized but at every store you have access to weapons to create some sort of working load out as you progress through the game.

Hopefully this wouldn't make the game that much easier, but just let all of the core systems have a fair chance at keeping up with the level of the enemy in some fashion.

And yes, no weapons and boarding works damn well, but not for all ships and crews.
Qhesz
Posts: 29
Joined: Sun Apr 22, 2012 11:10 am

Re: Mod/feature change idea

Postby Qhesz » Wed Nov 21, 2012 6:11 am

Personally, if you had stores that always sold weapons, I reckon you could win almost every game.
SleepyMage
Posts: 20
Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 7:38 am

Re: Mod/feature change idea

Postby SleepyMage » Wed Nov 21, 2012 8:13 am

Which is why there might be a balancing factor that is needed, like two weapons per store instead of three or what have you. Trying to maintain the balance but give weapons the consistency of shields and engines.

I suggest this idea out of my personal gripes though. I'm sure everyone has their own. For my friends and I the long drawn out hopeless of not having adequate equipment is much worse than the brutal death at the hands of six boarding mantis men at a sun beacon against an equally powered ship.
VanguardOfValor
Posts: 205
Joined: Sun Nov 04, 2012 6:24 am

Re: Mod/feature change idea

Postby VanguardOfValor » Wed Nov 21, 2012 10:20 am

Just thought it was worth mentioning that shields don't really have any consistancy if you're using the Stealth Cruiser. If you gather 150 scrap and find a store, there's no guarantee it'll be selling a Shield system.
Various Valorous Videos, should you be interested...
SleepyMage
Posts: 20
Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 7:38 am

Re: Mod/feature change idea

Postby SleepyMage » Wed Nov 21, 2012 10:57 pm

Well, ships will vary with what counts as defense of course. I meant more of that defense scales with enemies. On the stealth ships you buy your higher stealth to avoid damage, on other ships you buy shields; both types of ships buy engines and at some point can buy the missing component of shields or stealth (minus federation cruiser).

I suppose my idea here is just that defense has a chance to steadily scale and offense does not.
THEBANDIT240
Posts: 20
Joined: Wed Oct 31, 2012 6:37 am

Re: Mod/feature change idea

Postby THEBANDIT240 » Wed Nov 21, 2012 11:14 pm

I Think it's fine as it is. It is a lot of fun searching for weapons and this what just take that away making the game too easy.
I love FTL
Try out this awesome mod Infinte Space! -
http://www.ftlgame.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&p=23012#p23012
Vexov
Posts: 34
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 1:57 pm

Re: Mod/feature change idea

Postby Vexov » Sun Nov 25, 2012 1:45 am

VanguardOfValor wrote:Just thought it was worth mentioning that shields don't really have any consistancy if you're using the Stealth Cruiser. If you gather 150 scrap and find a store, there's no guarantee it'll be selling a Shield system.


If there is no guarantee.. well it seems high when i play, the system im missing for some sort of balance to the ship always seems to appear in shops.

SleepyMage wrote:Well, ships will vary with what counts as defense of course. I meant more of that defense scales with enemies. On the stealth ships you buy your higher stealth to avoid damage, on other ships you buy shields; both types of ships buy engines and at some point can buy the missing component of shields or stealth (minus federation cruiser).

I suppose my idea here is just that defense has a chance to steadily scale and offense does not.


Ya, i found upgrading my cloak was better to allow my weapons fully charge while target is still charging.. and its over before he can shot(that being either dead or he is a wreck now and cannot).

THEBANDIT240 wrote:I Think it's fine as it is. It is a lot of fun searching for weapons and this what just take that away making the game too easy.


Coming across random rewards is great, but I don't think the game is hit or miss based on a increase to the chance of coming across random weapons. The game is about making the choice which should only come from the bridge, not cause of galaxy has a stale amont of weaponry, it should be about "Do i bring the shields back up or do I bring the weapons up?" "Should I try to win this or run from being hit with solar flares?" "Save up scraps for the shop.. or upgrade a system?" etc etc etc.
The AI could always be tweak so it targets only systems even!(which I would hate, but would really make the game more interesting).
VanguardOfValor
Posts: 205
Joined: Sun Nov 04, 2012 6:24 am

Re: Mod/feature change idea

Postby VanguardOfValor » Sun Nov 25, 2012 3:03 am

Vexov wrote:
VanguardOfValor wrote:Just thought it was worth mentioning that shields don't really have any consistancy if you're using the Stealth Cruiser. If you gather 150 scrap and find a store, there's no guarantee it'll be selling a Shield system.


If there is no guarantee.. well it seems high when i play, the system im missing for some sort of balance to the ship always seems to appear in shops.


It's true that shops generally offer the missing system for your ship (unless you're trying to get stealth in the federation cruiser) but not all shops sell systems, and not all system-selling shops always sell every system you need. It's not common that a shop with systems for sale won't have one of the ones you are missing, but it can happen. That's all I meant.
Various Valorous Videos, should you be interested...
SleepyMage
Posts: 20
Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 7:38 am

Re: Mod/feature change idea

Postby SleepyMage » Sun Nov 25, 2012 9:42 pm

VanguardOfValor wrote:
Vexov wrote:
VanguardOfValor wrote:Just thought it was worth mentioning that shields don't really have any consistancy if you're using the Stealth Cruiser. If you gather 150 scrap and find a store, there's no guarantee it'll be selling a Shield system.


If there is no guarantee.. well it seems high when i play, the system im missing for some sort of balance to the ship always seems to appear in shops.


It's true that shops generally offer the missing system for your ship (unless you're trying to get stealth in the federation cruiser) but not all shops sell systems, and not all system-selling shops always sell every system you need. It's not common that a shop with systems for sale won't have one of the ones you are missing, but it can happen. That's all I meant.


I suppose it is foreseeable to play a game where you did not find a shop selling systems at all, but I think the limited number of systems and distribution of shops selling them make that eventuality improbable. Weapons on the other hand, are more likely to not be found as well as potentially offer a combination, in conjunction with what you are using, that is inadequate to deal at least 1 damage per volley to the rebel flagship or allow you disable their medbay for boarding action.

For me, lacking weapons or adequate weapons to do a single point of damage to the boss has happened more than a few times and especially frustrating. If there was a minute chance of victory then it wouldn't bug me nearly as much.