3. Preliminary Notes Welcome to the How to Balance STO slide presentation. This presentation as a whole is a collection of many different ideas from myself, Ayupan, and others. The majority of the ideas have also been modified from intellectual insight and constructive feedback from the community both in-game and on the forums.As the game, Star Trek Online, currently stands there are many imbalances both intended and unintended that need to be fixed. This presentation and all parts are in no way a fix-all conglomerate. However the idea behind these changes and additions is an expectation to be implemented as a whole. This expectation is measured by the calculations, testing and analysis that are taken from all sides of the spectrum; unified to balance each other out. Before getting started, please be for-warned that the changes and additions presented in these slides can be lengthy, and a thorough read would be encouraged. I would also encourage you, as the reader, to take a step back after each section as well as at the very end, and imagine what it would be like in game with the contents of this presentation implemented. At the same time make sure to think deep and hard about all variables you can come up with, and their effects. Thank you…..
4. Section 1: Captain Types (A) Tactical Captain Captain Abilities General (B) Engineering Captain Captain Abilities General (C) Science Captain Captain Abilities General
5. 1(A) Tactical Captain ABILITIES Fire on my mark (FoMM) Reduce the resist debuff @max rank by 30% Add a new effect to debuff all healing on the target by 30% @max rank. This will include heals casted on the target by themself and others. Excluded only by Miracle Worker. Attack Pattern Alpha (APA) Reduce the Crit severity buff @max rank by 40%. Add a defense buff, increasing defense by 10% @max rank, independent from training and fixed. Ignores Soft-cap.
6. 1(A) Tactical Captain Add a positive innate bonus to Tactical Captains, gained while piloting a Star Ship; +5 to all energy weapon damage types (Ph/Dis/Tet/Pla/AP/Pol), and +4% to Critical Chance for piloting any star ship. As well +5% to defense when piloting any escort (Raptor/BoP)Can equip Dual Heavy Cannons when piloting an escort (or Raptor), BoP excluded. Add a negative innate bonus when piloting any star ship; -10% to shield capacity, -0.5 to EPS flow, and -10% to Accuracy GENERAL
7. 1(B) Engineering Captain Miracle Worker; Reduce cool down by 2 minutes. Add 5% for 5 seconds resist buff per rank of Starship Hull Repair. So at 9/9 Starship Hull Repair, the buff would be +45% Resist for 45 seconds. This is not an outrageous amount due to diminishing returns. Nadeon Inversion; Add to the current buff, a fixed 5% shield penetration for all weapons, and 75% resist to all subsystem damage. Orbital Strike;Add to the ability a lasting effect in the area stuck by this ability similar to a plasma grenade with a fixed 300 damage over 10 seconds, ticking every 2 seconds. At each tick add a 10% chance to cause Weapons Malfunction for 5 seconds. ABILITIES
8. 1(B) Engineering Captain GENERAL Add a positive innate bonus to engineering captains, when piloting a type of ship; +5 to all Starship Maintenance values when piloting any ship type/class. In addition, add +5 to all Starship Efficiency values and reduce shield bleed through by 5% when piloting Cruiser class vessels (and Klingon Battlecruiser). As a negative innate bonus to engineering captains when piloting any star ship; Cool downs take an additional 15% longer, -15% Accuracy, and -20% Critical Severity.
9. 1(C) Science Captain ABILITIES Dampening Field (space); Reduce the resist buff by ½ current. Increase duration by 15 seconds, and have it increase the aux of the caster and all friendly targets effected by 10. Add in a debuff to all enemy targets in the field, reducing their maximum impulse (not full impulse) speed by 30% and Accuracy by 10% @max rankSubnucleonic Beam; Have the ability on hit remove a single buff that has the least remaining duration, and have it block any new buffs from being applied on the target for the duration. This would include buffs from the SNB affected ship and any other ship that tried to buff that ship. Any buff used while under the affect will be blocked, and go on normal cool down increased by SNB. Both the cooldowndebuff and the Buff block will be considered 1 debuff, have 1 icon, and be removed completely with any rank of Science Team. Remove this ability from Shared cool down, and reduce cool down of SNB by 30 seconds.
10. 1(C) Science Captain Add a positive innate bonus to science captains when piloting a star ship; +5 to Aux power level, and +10 to Star Ship Deflectors, Emitters, and Sensors, as well as +10% to shield capacity when piloting any type/class star ship; Additionally add +10 to Astrometrics, Photonic Theory, and Spatial Anomaly values in addition to a 10% buff to all ability cool down speeds when piloting a Science class star ship (and Klingon Carrier). Add a negative innate bonus to science captains when piloting any star ship; -5 to weapon power levels, -4% to critical chance, and -5% to shield resists. GENERAL
11. Section 1: Final Notes So we have just completed section 1, on Captain types. In this section we have covered captain ability changes, and the addition of innate bonuses (positive and negative). All of these changes are represented values at the max rank of the ability, and it is expected that each lower rank would be adjusted as well accordingly. I believe these changes and additions will balance out the game on the captain side of the spectrum, and differentiate the captain types more fluidly which will bring about more diversity and very interesting builds based on bonuses both positive a negative. Just think, only Tactical Captains in Federation Escorts or Klingon Raptors will be able to equip Dual Heavy Cannons. At the same time any captain type in any Escort, Raptor, or BoP will be able to equip Dual Cannons.Keep these changes in your head and lets move onto Section 2…..
12. Section 2: Ship Types (A) Escorts Innate changes General (B) Cruisers Innate changes General (C) Science Innate changes General
13. 2(A) Escort Star Ships In addition to current innate bonuses for Escorts as a positive; +10% to defense soft-cap (increasing it from 65% to 75%). As well as an additional +3 impulse to it’s speed modifier, and +20% to hull resists ignoring diminishing return calculation. As a negative innate bonus I would like to see the following added; -5% to Accuracy. I would also like to see maximum hull health reduced by 25%. As well as a -30% to Critical Severity. INNATE CHANGES
14. 2(A) Escort Star Ships GENERAL In relation to the previous changes, I would also like to see all escorts reduced in overall size by 20%. I believe this will bring greater feel to the immersive ability other space games bring to the field that STO is lacking. It will also bring further validation to the reasoning of Escorts being hard to hit.Note: All the changes/additions in 2(A) are for Federation Escorts, as well as Klingon Raptors and Bird of Prey.
15. 2(B) Cruiser Star Ships In addition to current positive innate bonuses on Cruiser star ships; +5% to shield resists, +10 to all Projectile weapon damage type (Pho/Quan/Trans/Plas/Chron/Tri). As well as +25% crew resistance, and +10 to Hull Repair value. As a negative innate bonus for Cruiser star ships; -5% to Accuracy, -2% to critical chance, -15% Defense INNATE CHANGES
16. 2(B) Cruiser Star Ships Increase the size of all cruisers by 10%. This will make the game feel and look more immersive, and make cruisers as well as other ships have a more distinct look. This will also bring it more in line that cruisers are slow and easy to hit when compared to other 2 ship types.Note: All changes/Additions in 2(B) are for Federation Cruisers and Klingon Battlecruisers. GENERAL
17. 2(C) Science Star Ships In addition to the current positive innate bonuses on Science star ships; +10 to Deflector Dish, Sensor Array, and Tractor Beam. As well as +5% Accuracyand +20% critical severity. As a negative innate bonus on Science star ships; -10% to Defense, -0.5 to EPS flow, -10 to all Energy Weapon damage type values (Phas /Dis /Tet /Plas /AP/ Pol) INNATE CHANGES
18. 2(C) Science Star Ships I think the size relation for current science vessels in game is just where it should be. I believe with the changes to the other ships it will make science ships right in the middle size wise, with more distinct differences on both ends of the spectrum.Note: All changes/additions in 2(C) are for Federation Science vessels and the Klingon Carrier. GENERAL
19. Section 2: Ship Types FINAL NOTES So we have just completed Section 2, on Ship Types. In this section we covered additional innate bonuses to each ship class, both positive and negative.With this section and the section before it, an interesting development will occur. As each combination of captain type and ship type are valid in their own distinct way, this adds variety and far more possibilities which increase gaming pleasure. This also adds more individuality to each player and how they can balance their build around such bonuses. Please keep all of the changes in the previous sections in mind, as I now show you some examples of these captain and ship type combinations…..
20. Section 1+2: Captain and Ship Combinations RA and TIER 5 EXAMPLES Tac/Escort (or Raptor/BoP) additional innate total; +5 to all energy weapon damage types +4% to Critical Chance +5% to defense Can Equip Dual Heavy Cannons (BoP excluded) +10% defense soft-cap Increase +3 to Impulse speed +20% to hull resists -10% to shield capacity -0.5 to EPS flow -15% to Accuracy -30% to Critical Severity -25% maximum Hull health
21. Section 1+2: Captain and Ship Combinations RA and TIER 5 EXAMPLES Eng/Cruiser (or Battlecruiser) additional innate total; +5 to all Starship Maintenance values +5 to all Starship Efficiency values 5% reduction in Shield Bleed-Through +5% to shield resists +10 to all Projectile weapon damage type +25% crew resistance +10 to Hull Repair -20% to Accuracy -15% Defense 15% Increase to ability cool down length -20% Critical Severity
22. Section 1+2: Captain and Ship Combinations RA and TIER 5 EXAMPLES Sci/Sci (or Carrier) additional innate total; +5 to Aux power level +10 to Star Ship Deflectors, Emitters, and Sensors +10 to Astrometrics, Photonic Theory, and Spatial Anomaly 10% buff to all ability cool down speeds +10 to Deflector Dish, Sensor Array, and Tractor Beam +5% Accuracy +20% critical severity +10% to shield capacity -5 to weapon power levels -4% to critical chance -5% to shield resists -10% to Defense -0.5 to EPS flow -10 to all Energy Weapon damage type values
24. Section 3(A): Tactical Bridge Officers ABILITY CHANGES Tactical Team; Remove Tac Team from the shared global cooldown. Have Tac Team also buff specific energy weapon damage values. @Rank 1; +5 to Anti-Proton and Polaron@Rank 2; +5 to Tetryon and Plasma@Rank 3; +5 to Disruptor and Phasers Cannon Scatter Volley; Add an accuracy debuff to CSV;@Rank 1; -10% Accuracy for 5 seconds on target(s) @Rank 2; -10% Accuracy for 10 seconds on target(s) @Rank 3; -10% Accuracy for 15 seconds on target(s) Cost; -10 additional weapon power level on casting ship
25. Section 3(A): Tactical Bridge Officers ABILITY CHANGES Beam: Fire at Will; Fix Weapon shut-off bug Increase duration by 5 seconds Beam Target Subsystem; Add an immunity buff to the target, duration 10 seconds, to prevent stacking; Remove Sensor Array stat and skill from effecting Drain amount Add Beam Weapons stat and skill to affect drain.
26. Section 3(B): Engineering Bridge Officers ABILITY CHANGES Aceton Field; Reduce damage debuff by ½ @maximum value Increase the damage from the D.o.T, by 50% Make Aceton field an AoE effect like Scramble Sensors with a more related color scheme. Have Tactical Team remove Aceton Field completely. Eject Warp Plasma; Increase the damage of EWP by 50%, and increase the duration by 5 seconds.
27. Section 3(B): Engineering Bridge Officers ABILITY CHANGES Emergency Power to Shields; Add shield subsystem damage immunity for the duration of EPTS. Directed Energy Modulation; Remove all buffing effects from DEM Add a shield penetration buff as if it just increases targets bleed-through. At Ranks 1-3 the pen would be 5%/8%/10% fixed. Relevant skill allocation would increase duration, with a max duration of 15 seconds. Increase cool down by 10 seconds.
28. Section 3(C): Science Bridge Officers ABILITY CHANGES Gravity Well; Increase the Diameter of GW by 3 km Increase the pulling effect by 10% Tyken’s Rift; Add a 10% fixed chance per tick of TR to disable all team abilities for 5 seconds fixed. Tractor Beam; Have the pull effect increase greater as the rank of TB increases. Have the damage increase depending on the targets impulse setting Viral Matrix; Fix the Bug, make sure the ability works and counter works Have VM disable engines for the longest period of duration, and the other two subsystem for the rest of the duration.
29. Section 3: Bridge Officers So we have just completed Section 3, on Bridge officers and their abilities. In this section I tried to cover all the underpowered abilities that needed the most attention. I believe with those abilities changed in those ways, they will not only increase their effectiveness but also increase the amount of scenarios where they could be viable. Only a few slides left to go, I would like to thank your for hanging in there, and taking the time…. FINAL NOTES
30. Concluding Notes As you are sitting there, trying to digest everything you read, remember to use your imagination, when considering how many variables come into play in PVP, the sky is the limit. As a smart community, and a paying community, we expect to see our investment grow. The majority of players do not even read the forums so they will probably not see this. However many of these ideas and changes to my own ideas were from a large in-game discussion, so I’m sure if you pass this along there will be a lot of players pleased to see familiar ideas. I would also like to take this time to thank the Developers for creating such a game with so much potential. At the same time remember, we are paying customers, and you do expect us to dish out more cash than most games, so please try harder to be effective in making changes and additions inspired by the community.Thank you for Reading. The following is Credits and feel free to PM me on the forums or in game @Ayupan.
