SMR2 -> Cloak

Prince Valiant
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SMR2 -> Cloak

Post by Prince Valiant »

Anarchos



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Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2004 12:05 am Post subject: Cloaks

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Ever run into that invincible cloak?

Sure, anybody who earns the xp deserves the right to be unnoticed in a cloak if they have more xp than you. But should they be safe from being fired upon by everybody except for the scant few that have more xp than them?

If they participate in group battles or opens fire then they decloak. So running into mines make them fire etc. Someone suggested laying forces should also have them decloak which takes away their advantage.

What I'm suggesting is: Cloaks are based on levels not xp. If more than one member of an alliance is in sector there should be a synergy bonus to detect the cloaker... such as every extra alliance member in sector gives a +1 level bonus to see through the cloak.

Example: TraderX is 5 levels above the OTHERGUY in sector, but otherguy brings in 3 alliance members, now OTHERGUY can't see TraderX but an alliance member who was 2 levels beneath TraderX can see him.

Why do I suggest this?

1). Per the help files of all the equipment, the only one that increases in power with levels is the cloak and can therefore be unbalanced when compared to the other equipment.

The drone scrambler's effectiveness does not increase with level.
The jump drive does not increase it's accuracy with level.
The Illusion Generator does not increase it's effectiveness with levels.
The scanner does not increase its' effectiveness with levels.

2). Level increases already have their own advantages, such as improved accuracy, and penalties to someone else firing on you.
a). Anyone can get a non racial ship that supports cloak.

3). Increases the risks for players.
a). The trader with the cloak runs slightly more of a risk while sitting at a warp or an UNO waiting for a wounded enemy to come by.
b). This opens up more opportunities to lay a "Honey Trap" for the alliance with the high xp cloaker.

4). This still does not negate the cloak advantage versus single ships which the cloak user is hunting
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Travdan
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Post by Travdan »

Ok PV, don't post his stuff here. I have enough trouble holding my tongue in the open forums.

Anarchos' arguments are flimsy, persistent, and intolerable. However, his ideas are often good stepping stones to something better.

We should think about an idea like this, but not for Anarchos' purposes and reasons.
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Post by RandyOrsolo »

What should be done with cloaks then - this is a thread to give ideas, not shoot down anything that's suggested. At the very least, it should be made so dropping forces causes a ship to decloak. Beyond that, any change is gravy for me now.
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Post by Travdan »

Don't get me wrong, I'm not shooting down ideas. As I said, the cloak thread has a lot of good suggestions that can be worked with in the context of SMR2. What I am doing is prefacing all of Anarchos' arguments.
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Post by OmegaRenegade »

I personally think the existing cloak is good the way it is and shouldnt be changed, its simple the way it is, anything more complicates things
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Post by Vtreka »

The drone scrambler's effectiveness does not increase with level.
The jump drive does not increase it's accuracy with level.
The Illusion Generator does not increase it's effectiveness with levels.
The scanner does not increase its' effectiveness with levels.
Ok first off, the JD DOES increase its accuracy with level.

But perhaps the IG and drone srambler could work on a level basis too. Why should you be able to see through a cloak at higher xp but not through an IG? Drone scrambler would have to be more carefully worked so its not too overpowered or underpowered at different levels. But definately teh IG should work same as cloak.
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Post by Vtreka »

Yeah, that is true. I've said that same thing against an xp based IG before but I thought I would mention it for suggestion sake. Meh, I guess just leave the whole thing alone all together.
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RandyOrsolo
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Post by RandyOrsolo »

Are we going to make it so dropping forces causes a ship to decloak or is that not going to be considered? It makes sense, even if dropping singles won't be a sound tactic with the changes that will be happening with mines.
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Post by RedDragon »

I agree about the difference between IG and cloak - IG is a trick to fool newbies, cloak is a universal tool. IG is not mean't to be as good as cloak - consider the strengths of EoS vs DM.
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Post by RedDragon »

oops forgot why I was posting.

I don't support the dropping of cloak when you drop forces. One of the best use of a high XP cloaker is to drop singles over an attacking force. You drop that need and there is very little need for high xp people to show to ops.
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