Balance - since I missed the last topic

[DarkFox]

We should leave them around. As long as blink can't get you out of range in a dogfight, it's ok, that means plenty of range is fine, provided the morph is needed before use.

[Zero Angel]

Requiring morph before blinking is a drastic solution, DF.  The 5 second charge idea is better:

1) User fires blink weapon
2) It auto-charges for 5 seconds (accompanied with effect and sounds)
3) Blink occurs

It would add an interesting predicament to dogfighting. Mostly though, it would prevent a person from blinking out last-second in a close dogfight. And in a base raid, they would have to predict the correct time to blink out.

[APCs r evil]

Yes, but I don't think we can count on that. 

[Spawn]

isnt morph about the same thing? but its three seconds...

[Red Devil]

Okay, I have a Combat Blink and an Assault Blink ready.

Combat Blink only goes a short distances and takes a long time to recharge, depending on...

Assault Blink can go a short-long distance and can take a short-long time to recharge, depending upon, guess what? 

That's right, ranges!  If you guys don't give me some, I'll make up my own.

But not from you though, APC's.  You're sarcastic and a wet blanket.  I want to hear from the ones with the most skill level.

[DarkFox]

Even if you just blink 100meters in combat mode, it's enough to ruin the scion special selection, and overpower them in the late game. That said, 50meter with 1 second recharge for every 5 meters travelled sounds about right, and a basic cost of 400 ammo.

As for assault blink - I'd say about 1 ammo per 2 meters travelled, with an additional 150 ammo for firing the blink no matter the distance, and no recharge time at all.

Oh, and is there any chance static charge can be made to prevent missile locks, similar to VIR? It'd make the late game more interesting for scion v ISDF games if the scion player had to choose between anti-missile and blink, and on the ISDF side it'd be interesting to have to 'cover all bases', rather than just pump rocket tanks.

[Red Devil]

Thank you. 

This Blink doesn't use any weapon ammo, so that might cause you to revise your numbers some for Assault Blink.

For Combat Blink, that's 100 meter max  with 20 seconds to full recharge (with smaller jumps totaling 100 meters possible).

I'll look into the SC thing.

Completely agreed about having to make more choices in choosing weapons/units.

[Zero Angel]

That is a good solution, RD. Start the Retreat, blink away 100m, morph, then assault blink to really get away. To distract shadowers, why not just give solar flare a high image signature?

[APCs r evil]

That is what Seekers are for.

[Red Devil]

Good point, ZA.  Because with SC you might incur upgrade costs too, depending on ship?  Dunno.

Been playing with this Blink.  Interesting watching the recharge work by pointing the recicle at something and holding down the mouse button until the energy level reaches that range and Blink becomes active.

Anyone know of a map without so much fog in it?  Trying to see where the Assault Blink is active. Set at 330 meters now which is long ways anyways.  Guess I could increase the view distance.

[DarkFox]

300m wont get people around the map! I'd ramp that up significantly if I were you, and I mean *way* up. If they're not dogfighting you (assault mode), then let them travel around.


As for stopping missiles with seekers or solar flares - I agee with the principle, but in practice it's hard. The solar flare will only attract missiles that do not have to lock on, and the seeker HAS to have a tiny profile to stop if from hitting the ship that laid it instantaneously. This tiny profile tends to make it so bad at stopping missiles they usually travel right through the thing. If one of those could be fixed, then that's cool, but if not, it might be worth tweaking static charge.

While I'm on the subject I just felt like reminding you, RD, that the scions are too weak in the early game (far too weak), mainly because of FAF missiles, laser and MDM. I know you're probably looking into that, but just in case you aren't, I wanted to remind you. Feel free to not acknowledge this paragraph to keep things hush-hush about development.

[Red Devil]

Thank you.  That 300 meters for Assault is more like 330 after I used dual navs to measure it better.  Recharges to full range in about 35 seconds, in which time you could probably drive that distance, if not farther.  :-}  So, I'll reduce the recharge rate because I can't see very well past 330.  Except if I just use the reticle change to guide me.  I'll go try that now.

[Red Devil]

Now approaching having unlimited Blink in Assault due to the recharge rate being so high, so that's probably not going to be so good.

[APCs r evil]

Red are you still working on the physics or are you just going to do all of this work alone?

EDIT: On Seekers, missiles can't hit Seekers because of an XSI bug. The HP_COM is outside the collision box. (The light is the stuck on the HP_COM.

[APCs r evil]

I found a way to make Splinter do very nearly the same amount of damage to units that are far away from it as it would to those right next to it. The only questions are, how much damage should it do, and should it spin around while it fires like in 1.3 and BZ1, or just fire all the bullets simultaneously and in all directions as it does in 1.2?

Oh, and how many shots should a Tank get with it?