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General FreeSpace => FreeSpace Discussion => Topic started by: Anduril on December 11, 2001, 10:30:00 pm

Title: Trebuchets, Stilettos and game balance...
Post by: Anduril on December 11, 2001, 10:30:00 pm
I personally think that FS2 is better balanced and more fun to play when the Trebuchet has the tag to make it shootable.  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/smile.gif) The reason is simple- by arming trebs, you can easily take down any turret on a capship, or with patience, the whole capship. And despite it's 4 million ton advantage, it's pretty much powerless to stop you. Put the shootable tag on the Trebs, however, and if you launch them from the edge of range, they'll just get shot down. And that pretty much eliminates the easy ways to take down capships- there's still the Maxim, I suppose.

The only problem with this is that they are the single most effective weapon for subsystem destruction. The Stiletto is simply weaker, and often a pair won't finish off a turret, while dual trebs almost always will.

My solution? Just add the shootable tag to the Trebs, and jack up the power of the Stiletto a bit. Then, we might actually use the Stiletto, and we would be forced to actually ATTACK capships, whichever weapon we chose.  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/smile.gif)

Any thoughts?
Title: Trebuchets, Stilettos and game balance...
Post by: Blue Lion on December 11, 2001, 10:35:00 pm
Trebs are fairly fast, I don't know if that would make much of a diffence

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Title: Trebuchets, Stilettos and game balance...
Post by: Setekh on December 12, 2001, 02:37:00 am
Clever idea. There are plenty of things in the game that could be balanced... this is a more subtle form of the Better Turrets mod by Sandwich and the Velocity Mod by Sushi, which greatly improve the game, IMHO.  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/smile.gif)
Title: Trebuchets, Stilettos and game balance...
Post by: karajorma on December 12, 2001, 03:42:00 am
The thing is that while it would make the game more fun the danger of having a fighter sit there and shoot trebs at your capship is exactly why you have to have fighter support.
 If the enemy are stupid enough to leave their ships defenceless then that's their fault.
 I do agree with upping the damage on the stiletto though.
Title: Trebuchets, Stilettos and game balance...
Post by: Thorn on December 12, 2001, 08:44:00 am
 
Quote
Originally posted by Blue Lion:
Trebs are fairly fast, I don't know if that would make much of a diffence


Stilettos are fairly fast too, but they still get shot down....
Title: Trebuchets, Stilettos and game balance...
Post by: CP5670 on December 12, 2001, 11:37:00 am
I need to try changing that thing in ships.tbl; sounds like a good idea. (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/smile.gif)

One more thing I found effective was to change the Maxim's range from 3600 down to about 2400. I'm thinking about cutting the rate of fire in half as well; this thing is just too powerful against hull plating and subsystems IMHO.
Title: Trebuchets, Stilettos and game balance...
Post by: Vertigo1 on December 13, 2001, 12:26:00 am
Some of the weapons improvements shown in Derelict would've helped greatly as well.  Those cargo ships could actually DEFEND themselves for once!

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Title: Trebuchets, Stilettos and game balance...
Post by: Tar-Palantir on December 14, 2001, 04:19:00 am
The Treb could have a shorter range instead. I think the Stiletto is fine as it is, 'though these are jsut mine opinions.

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Title: Trebuchets, Stilettos and game balance...
Post by: Setekh on December 14, 2001, 11:58:00 pm
You know, this just reminded me of something...

Are enemy fighters/bombers ever armed with Trebs? In the main campaign, I mean. I can't remember them at all.
Title: Trebuchets, Stilettos and game balance...
Post by: Alikchi on December 15, 2001, 12:04:00 am
I think maybe some Shivan bombers were, once.
Maybe not though..
Title: Trebuchets, Stilettos and game balance...
Post by: diamondgeezer on December 15, 2001, 12:51:00 am
Ermmm... I'm pretty sure the Basilisk has 'em as default bank 1... and I think the Taurvi had 'em too... could be wrong.

Not as deadly as a swarm of Maras launching gazillions of hornets at your Argos, though  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/smile.gif)
Title: Trebuchets, Stilettos and game balance...
Post by: Nico on December 15, 2001, 08:44:00 am
 
Quote
Originally posted by diamondgeezer:
Ermmm... I'm pretty sure the Basilisk has 'em as default bank 1... and I think the Taurvi had 'em too... could be wrong.

Not as deadly as a swarm of Maras launching gazillions of hornets at your Argos, though   (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/smile.gif)
you're an argos pilot? I don't envy you  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/biggrin.gif)
Title: Trebuchets, Stilettos and game balance...
Post by: Setekh on December 16, 2001, 12:25:00 am
At least he's not a tub- errr, Zephyrus pilot.  (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~freespace/ubb/noncgi/biggrin.gif)
Title: Trebuchets, Stilettos and game balance...
Post by: vadar_1 on December 16, 2001, 01:19:00 am
I remember somewhere in the end missions you were default armed with Trebs, because your wingmen said things like

"Trebuchetes have a range of 4k, take them down at maximum range" or something
Title: Trebuchets, Stilettos and game balance...
Post by: Kitsune on December 16, 2001, 03:32:00 am
I played Derelict all the way through, I don't recall anything different about cargo ships in there.
However you should try fighting a shielded posiedon armed with a flak on the forward turret, shivan swarmer on rear, and aaf's on the left and right turrets.