Reverse Shield Polarity?

[nhamlett]

The STO team has been playing around with a new power set that we have coined The Reverse Shield Polarity. This power would be used as a “buff” that would allow a player to replenish their shields when hit with a certain type of weapon, rather than take damage. That’s the basics of the power. What we’re wondering is, Does calling it the Reverse Shield Polarity make sense? Is there a better term for this type of power?

[0wl]

The shield polarity is an attribute of a deflector shield (http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Deflector_shield) and to me it sounds great, exactly like it is called
in the Star Trek shows! :)

It has been done by Capt. Janeway in several episodes... (http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Shield_polarity)

[ComradeWolfie]

Its got canon grounding in several series, and most buffs/moves in fantasy MMO's have fairly random/unrelated names, so I approve.

[marscentral]

It doesn't sound brilliant to me. Reversing polarity has sort of become general technobabble for trying to achieve an opposite effect. I think something like setting the shield frequency to an Energy Absorption Modulation would be more accurate and less generic.

[A_Martin]

The STO team has been playing around with a new power set that we have coined The Reverse Shield Polarity. This power would be used as a “buff” that would allow a player to replenish their shields when hit with a certain type of weapon, rather than take damage. That’s the basics of the power. What we’re wondering is, Does calling it the Reverse Shield Polarity make sense? Is there a better term for this type of power?

Maybe 'Invert Shield Polarity'?

[marscentral]

To sort of clarify my point a bit, I think it's better if your technobabble has an element of what is happening in it where possible. If it was intended to absorb disruptor fire, it could be more specific like a Disruptor Conversion Grid or some thing similar.

[A_Martin]

It doesn't sound brilliant to me. Reversing polarity has sort of become general technobabble for trying to achieve an opposite effect. I think something like setting the shield frequency to an Energy Absorption Modulation would be more accurate and less generic.

I like that you are thinking outside the box... but energy absorption feels like it is absorbing any kind of energy, not a specific frequency... maybe remodulate shield harmonics/frequency? makes me think of the borg adapting to absorb phaser fire in first contact. :-)

[A_Martin]

To sort of clarify my point a bit, I think it's better if your technobabble has an element of what is happening in it where possible. If it was intended to absorb disruptor fire, it could be more specific like a Disruptor Conversion Grid or some thing similar.

ooo... good one! maybe if we were to go that specific, you would have to take a certain amount of fire from that particular weapon to be able to use that ability... ?

example: you have to take 75% shield damage before you are able to absorb disruptor fire in that particular battle

[Jerosh_Skitari]

It doesn't sound brilliant to me. Reversing polarity has sort of become general technobabble for trying to achieve an opposite effect. I think something like setting the shield frequency to an Energy Absorption Modulation would be more accurate and less generic.

I agree with you marscentral, Energy Absorption Modulation is a better name. That being said, thanks Awen for even asking us. It feels nice to have some more direct input than normal on the development process. Even if it is just about the naming of a specific ability :p

[Tral]

If the idea is that the shields simply absorb the weapons fire then a whole new tech-word will need to be used, at least on the Starfleet ships, "Reversing Shield Polarity" just does not fit.

If we are talking about a sudden injection of power to reinforce the shields then I would say "Emergency Power Transfer" works best.

If we are talking about maybe making the shields impervious to a very specific weapons frequency then I would say "Shield Re-modulation" would suffice, although not technically "correct".

[PattonJ007]

So whats the down side? Clearly being able to recharge your shields during a battle will give you a huge tactical advantage. So while you are recharging your shields, do you lose partial engine power or do your weapons go offline temporarily? There should be some kind of down side for using this...

As for the name what about just "Emergency Shield Recharge"

[metl]

What about "rotate shield frequency?" A counter to that would be able to rotate phaser frequency? isn't that more in line with borg?

[TheFeelOfCotton]

I personally think it fits as far as the name goes. But like someone already said most MMOs give random names to thier powers/abilities so it's no biggie if they call it "the Tribble Technique" or whatever lol

[Loekii]

It doesn't sound brilliant to me. Reversing polarity has sort of become general technobabble for trying to achieve an opposite effect. I think something like setting the shield frequency to an Energy Absorption Modulation would be more accurate and less generic.

I agree.

"Reverse Shield Polarity" doesn't really convey the idea that your shields will 'absorb energy and redirect it to reinforce the shield'. I think it should be used for something that can be quickly inferred by the name.

For example, 'Reversing Polarity' of the Deflector shield, would seem to imply turning the Deflector shield into a 'magnet/attraction shield'.

Seeing how the Power Set you are talking about seems to basically 'absorption', I like Mar's term 'Energy Absorption Modulation' or something with 'Absorption' in the term.

[PattonJ007]

I just remembered in "Equinox part 1" Captain Ransom orders an officer to take the shield grid offline to recharge the emitters, which takes about 40 seconds ... anyway what about "Recharge Shield Emitters" or "The Ransom Maneuver", though technically Ransom didn't recharge the shields in the manner that Awen described but ... its a suggestion.

[LordDave]

I like Remodulate Shields personally. It's what the borg do when they want to absorb your phaser shots. Adding in the weapon type (unless it's general) would be good too.

Ex: Remodulate shields for Klingon Disruptors.

The downside I see is that while this is in effect, the shields become weaker to other things. Like they absorb Disruptor energy, but take 200% damage on photons.

[Ensign.Ricky]

Arg, I wish it were stolen tech: Borg Adaptive shields...

But Reverse Shield Polarity makes sense.

[0wl]

The name is actually very "canon" as was mentioned before, which is a good thing if you ask me...

[metl]

It is canon, but wasn't it more something they did to try to not take AS MUCH damage, not really absorbing and recharging the shields? it was used more for when a weapon (or something) kept passing through the shields, they would reverse polarity to try to stop that.

[Angelphoenix12]

i like the name Reverse Shield Polarity. it adds a bit more flair :)

[RogueEnterprise]

I like the term, but I've always associated reversing the shield polarity not with recharging your shields by absorbing their weapons, but instead blowing out their weapons by creating some kind of feedback through the weapons fire or disrupting effects like a tractor beam. Maybe a better in game mechanic would be to rid the ship of any movement-impairing effects?

Check out the memory alpha article on the subject, should give a loose deifnition of the term. =)

Just my two cents.

[Lepton]

The STO team has been playing around with a new power set that we have coined The Reverse Shield Polarity. This power would be used as a “buff” that would allow a player to replenish their shields when hit with a certain type of weapon, rather than take damage. That’s the basics of the power. What we’re wondering is, Does calling it the Reverse Shield Polarity make sense? Is there a better term for this type of power?

Memory Alpha is your friend:

http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Shield_polarity

Although I do not remember these specific episodes, the characterizations made on Memory Alpha would suggest that reversal of shield polarity has the effect of repelling energy not absorbing it.

I'll have to agree that something more like Energy Absorption Mode might be a more appropriate name. Yet I would wonder if it were a mode, why would one not be in it at all times, absorbing energy rather than being harmed by it? The only reason would be because the game mechanic does not allow it, which seems contrived from the start. I loathe the idea of a "buff" in Star Trek Online. It doesn't seem very Trek to me.

If you are looking for a mechanism for shield repair, I'd consider something more like remote repping by other ships, shield extension by other ships, or perhaps some shield projector from other ships. If you are looking for specifically a self-buffing mechanism (ugh, I can't believe I just said that), I'd go for something more like a kind of skill that an engineering officer might use to increase shield repairs, like some technobabble of drawing power directly from the warp engines to repair shields, rerouting energy conduits, emergency auxiliary power, etc. You know, some kind of Scotty wizardy.

Yes, Reverse Shield Polarity has a nice ring to it and it is canon, but it doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

[wingnutf22]

It doesn't sound brilliant to me. Reversing polarity has sort of become general technobabble for trying to achieve an opposite effect. I think something like setting the shield frequency to an Energy Absorption Modulation would be more accurate and less generic.

I'm with him, saying reverse shield polarity makes it sound less like a deflector and more like an attractor.

[Griffin]

Not sure about this suggestion, but a nice fancy word for absorbing energy is ENDOERGIC.

Perhaps Cryptic could dispense with the cannon this time round, and go with say.. Endoergic shield generator/modulations.


Just a thought.

[DracoPalin]

Truely a good idea and in this light a good name...but...
as shields are ment to deflect and not absorb incoming fire,
should it not be mor like a function of a ships ablative armor?
ie.

Shields fail* "engage Ablative syphon,"

* aquick sparkle of energy and 50% of incoming phaser/disruptor fire crackles accross the hull and into a glowing collector port* shields recharge at 200% speed

Just a sugjestion.:)
oh and if you like it feel free to use it I dont need it lol

[Paratus6]

Oh, are we getting the opportunity to coin some ST techno-babble here?
I'm so IN!!
I like "Endoergic", as in "Endoergic Shield Modulation". That sounds pretty cool.
I also like Marscentral's "Energy Absorbtion Modulation."
Both are good.

[dru_mcd]

There was an analogous special weapon in Armada called the Romulan Shield Inversion Beam.

If this thingie recharges the sheilds (stores/redistributes energy) when hit, how about Forced Nadion Decay Absorption Grid, Kinetic Energy Sink, or Quantum Decoupling Capacitor?

Just go simple and call it a Leyden Jar or give a nod to the Traveller RPG and call it a Black Globe Generator.

[Haniel]

I like the concept and the name.

or maybe call it : Consumption modulation
Consumption modification
Consumption modulation shielding
Retention shielding

or something along those lines :cool:

[Silverspar]

Works for me, half the technobabble in Star Trek didn't make sense for what it was describing anyways, so go for it :)

[Falconius]

Memory Alpha is your friend:

http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Shield_polarity

Although I do not remember these specific episodes, the characterizations made on Memory Alpha would suggest that reversal of shield polarity has the effect of repelling energy not absorbing it.

If you are looking for a mechanism for shield repair, I'd consider something more like remote repping by other ships, shield extension by other ships, or perhaps some shield projector from other ships. If you are looking for specifically a self-buffing mechanism (ugh, I can't believe I just said that), I'd go for something more like a kind of skill that an engineering officer might use to increase shield repairs, like some technobabble of drawing power directly from the warp engines to repair shields, rerouting energy conduits, emergency auxiliary power, etc. You know, some kind of Scotty wizardy.

Yes, Reverse Shield Polarity has a nice ring to it and it is canon, but it doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

I agree with this.

if you think of it like magnets... flipping one of two magnets that are stuck together over, it will repel the other magnet...

Magnets


| N S | >> ---- << | N S |


Reversed Poles (on one magnet)

| S N | << ---- >> | N S |


so it would reflect back out incoming like charged particles....

thats my two cents anyways.

[naynayz]

I LOVE THIS OPPORTUNITY AWEN AND CREW!!!

OK... Shake it off :) I was a good boy and read through the thread before I posted figuring I would see it. However this, as far as I consider cannon, is speaking to 2 things: shield nutation and shield frequency harmonics. (reference: http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/library/technology/article/70249.html) & (http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Shield_frequency)

In this particular scenario Awen describes I see the captain ordering the tactical officer to attune the shield nutation and harmonics to that particular weapon. I also respectfully disagree that shields are designed to deflect energy from weapon fire (yet not so good against pieces of hull flying at them). The shields are designed to dissipate energy and deflect smaller particles of matter from damaging the ship in which it would be possible to say that the federation has found a way to tap that energy separate from the navigational shields I.E.: SIF, IDF etc... which are designed to protect the ship while in warp flight. It could be debated in this scenario if there would be a penalty to the shields from other types of enemy fire since the other ships would not be able to determine the precise shield nutation or harmonic frequency distribution and that seems pretty cannon to me. *curtsies and hops off soapbox*

[Falconius]

I LOVE THIS OPPORTUNITY AWEN AND CREW!!!

OK... Shake it off :) I was a good boy and read through the thread before I posted figuring I would see it. However this, as far as I consider cannon, is speaking to 2 things: shield nutation and shield frequency harmonics. (reference: http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/library/technology/article/70249.html) & (http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Shield_frequency)

In this particular scenario Awen describes I see the captain ordering the tactical officer to attune the shield nutation and harmonics to that particular weapon. I also respectfully disagree that shields are designed to deflect energy from weapon fire (yet not so good against pieces of hull flying at them). The shields are designed to dissipate energy and deflect smaller particles of matter from damaging the ship in which it would be possible to say that the federation has found a way to tap that energy separate from the navigational shields I.E.: SIF, IDF etc... which are designed to protect the ship while in warp flight. It could be debated in this scenario if there would be a penalty to the shields from other types of enemy fire since the other ships would not be able to determine the precise shield nutation or harmonic frequency distribution and that seems pretty cannon to me. *curtsies and hops off soapbox*

wow, very nice research

[Flatfingers]

The STO team has been playing around with a new power set that we have coined The Reverse Shield Polarity. This power would be used as a “buff” that would allow a player to replenish their shields when hit with a certain type of weapon, rather than take damage. That’s the basics of the power. What we’re wondering is, Does calling it the Reverse Shield Polarity make sense? Is there a better term for this type of power?

Ack.

1. "Powers"?

Something about using a term from a superhero game design to talk about abilities in a Star Trek MMORPG bothers me.

2. A "buff"?

Sigh. I hope most character abilities in STO will be more creative than that.

3. Considering how this ability is described, I'd like to suggest the name "Align Shield Harmonics."

4. Despite items 1 and 2 above, I sincerely appreciate Cryptic's willingness to give us out here a chance to contribute, even in a limited way. Thanks!

--Flatfingers

[The_Padre]

The STO team has been playing around with a new power set that we have coined The Reverse Shield Polarity. This power would be used as a “buff” that would allow a player to replenish their shields when hit with a certain type of weapon, rather than take damage. That’s the basics of the power. What we’re wondering is, Does calling it the Reverse Shield Polarity make sense? Is there a better term for this type of power?

Not sure, however Captain Janeway in the episode "Equinox Pt II" used a deflector pulse to reinforce Voyager's shields.

[naynayz]

wow, very nice research

Thanks Falconius I hope that helping with the dilemma helps them in their consideration process for a beta spot **COUGHhintCOUGH** Tee hee:o

[Silverspar]

Flatfingers, your number 1 and 2 confuse me. Call it a skill, trait, or firing a phaser at something, if it requires and activation then the system at its core interprets that as a power. That's just how it is.

And furthermore what would you call something that enhances traits and quaities of something? It's a buff no matter how you slice it, if you make something more resistant, make it convert something to do something else or generally just boost stats, that is called buffing.

[Nasedo]

The STO team has been playing around with a new power set that we have coined The Reverse Shield Polarity. This power would be used as a “buff” that would allow a player to replenish their shields when hit with a certain type of weapon, rather than take damage. That’s the basics of the power. What we’re wondering is, Does calling it the Reverse Shield Polarity make sense? Is there a better term for this type of power?

power awen? ya thinking of CO

Ability is more like it :) (Hug's awen)

[Arcturus]

Since I like to be original, I've thought this up.

Awen describes this ability as a response to certain weapon fire, so I think "Modify Shield Phase Variance" sounds awfully cool and pertains to energy waves.

And it could possibly come in certain packages like "Modify Shield Phase Variance-Radiation, Disruptor, Photon, ect.

[CinC-UFPForces-Cardassia]

In the first, my great thanks to Cryptic for extending the opportunity to the community to be of help on this kind of thing. I hope it's the first of several opportunities.

My suggestion? "Energy Frequency Modulation" or "Power Frequency Modulation".

I'd point Cryptic in the direction of the Next Generation episode "Galaxy's Child" (http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Galaxy%27s_Child#Memorable_Quotes), in which Lt. Commander LaForge devised a plan to change the "power frequency" of the Enterprise-D in order to force a spaceborne lifeform to separate itself from the ship, which it had been using for sustenance. Ultimately, what we're dealing with here isn't so much the shields as the energy being exchanged between starships in the form of directed energy weapons fire. The shields are merely a means to an end, which is to utilize energy from one military's power systems as viable energy for another military's systems - specifically, to reinforce shields. Just as the Enterprise changed its "power frequency" to "sour the milk", another vessel can "modulate the power frequency" to draw in power from directed energy weapons fire.

I would argue against utilizing the terms "Reverse Shield Polarity" or "Modulate Shield Frequency". Like many, my first instinct was to refer to the latter term, but upon reconsidering, modulating shield frequency has a very specific meaning in canon with dramatic demonstrated consequences (specifically, the destruction of the Enterprise-D). Under normal circumstances, I'd say go for it, who will notice? But unlike your average technobabble plot point, modulating a starship's shield frequency has been given top billing in some of Trek's most notable outings. Conversely, as another poster wrote, the phrase "reverse shield polarity" has a hollow, fairly vaguely meaningless ring that afflicts much of Trek technobabble. It's entirely fine as an internal descriptive phrase, but I'd suggest it's not the one you'd want to roll out when the game releases.

So, I'd suggest the descriptive process focus more on starship energy rather than the shields themselves. There's a reasonable canon basis, and I don't think we've ever seen shields used in this way - not that they cannot be, but it's not a function that's been touched on or demonstrated. At best, we've seen a shield bubble used as something of a lightning rod, and to detrimental effect.

[knightofhyrule730]

The name honestly doesn't matter to me. I will probably call it shield regen or something even shorter most likely. What concerns me is how fast people can use it to bounce between types of damage to become invincible.

[Flatfingers]

Flatfingers, your number 1 and 2 confuse me. Call it a skill, trait, or firing a phaser at something, if it requires and activation then the system at its core interprets that as a power. That's just how it is.

I believe it's fair to say that the term "power" has a specific technical meaning -- even more so when it's used by a developer of superhero MMORPGs.

A "power" -- an innate ability exercised as an act of will -- is a functionally different kind of character ability than a knowledge-based skill which any character can learn -- say, at Starfleet Academy.

Specifically, I'm hoping Awen's use of this word "power" in talking about Star Trek Online doesn't mean that that's the primary (or only!) way in which the developers of STO are thinking about character abilities. That would imply a way of imagining character abilities that, IMO, is fine for a magical fantasy game, but in most cases is much less appropriate for a science fiction-based game in which character power is reasonably expected to come primarily from acquiring knowledge through education.

Spock performing a mind meld is using a power. Spock tweaking a sensor program to get better resolution in the temporal energy band is using a skill... and I'm hoping this game will be a lot more about using skills than magical "powers," even if it does happen to be based on an engine adapted from the one used by the Champions Online superhero game.

And furthermore what would you call something that enhances traits and quaities of something? It's a buff no matter how you slice it, if you make something more resistant, make it convert something to do something else or generally just boost stats, that is called buffing.

I wasn't objecting to Awen's use of the term "buff."

What I actually said was that I hope that more creativity is going into character abilities than this example suggests. This reminds me too much of a "protection against X spell," which we've already seen plenty of in fantasy MMORPGs. I'm hoping that for this particular game, its designers are creating character abilities that are more uniquely Star Trek.

Now, having said that, I'm willing to see the positive side as well. For one thing, this is a bit different from your typical magical fantasy game ability in that it's not applying an effect to another character, but rather to a vehicle in which characters live. That could create some interesting opportunities for stacking/interfering effects. Even better, ships -- unlike some gamers -- won't mistakenly come to believe they need to run around for hours on end spamming "sumbudy buff me plz!" instead of actually playing the game.

For another thing, while I generally consider buffs to be shameful laziness on the part of game designers, this particular suggested ability has the possibility of being a lot more interesting than the usual "do X% more damage for two minutes" kind of nonsense. In the case of this ability, it sounds like characters will be able to make an interesting choice: they can choose to apply an effect to their ship that operates only under certain conditions. I sort of like that.

In fact, if Cryptic were to consider applying certain other rules to this ability, I could actually become a strong supporter of it.

Namely, here are the rules I'd like to see this effect (I refuse to call it a "power" :D) operate under when activated:

If struck by a certain weapon effect, shield strength will be replenished instead of being depleted.
Once activated, this effect remains operational for X amount of time (say, three to five minutes).
The player can select the specific target weapon effect for which the replenishment effect will occur.
Each weapon effect is defined by the developer to have an "opposite" kind of weapon effect.
If struck by the "opposite" weapon effect, shield damage is doubled from the normal amount.Define this capability as described above, and I'm on board without reservation.

Thanks for encouraging me to think a little more about this.

--Flatfingers

[Commodore_Rook]

Ok I shall try to chime in with a name.

Since the shields are being modified by the engineer I presume to absorb an energy to recharge them.

Something like: Absorption Shield Matrix or ASM

[metl]

I think it needs to be more of an emergency type use. Basically, you're shields are almost gone, and in a last ditch effort, you attempt to harness the energy from the firing ship. If successful, you're back in the fight, if not, that's it. if it has a short recharge, or is just a toggle, I see it being severly abused.

[CaptXpendable]

How about

Yet Another Uber Last-ditch Polarity-buff

[Nasedo]

The name honestly doesn't matter to me. I will probably call it shield regen or something even shorter most likely. What concerns me is how fast people can use it to bounce between types of damage to become invincible.

when you come to think of it, thats true, invincible is a big no no

[Azurian]

The STO team has been playing around with a new power set that we have coined The Reverse Shield Polarity. This power would be used as a “buff” that would allow a player to replenish their shields when hit with a certain type of weapon, rather than take damage. That’s the basics of the power. What we’re wondering is, Does calling it the Reverse Shield Polarity make sense? Is there a better term for this type of power?

To be honest, Awen. This "buff" concerns me. I don't want players being immune to traditional weapons like Phasers, Disruptors, or Plasma weapons. But I wouldn't mind them being able to combat alien superweapons, like how Starfleet learned to negate the Breen Energy Dissipator / Energy Dampening Weapon (http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Energy_dampening_weapon) and the Krenim Chroniton Torpedo (http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Chroniton_torpedo)

Besides, I don't recall there ever being a moment where they could simply absorb weapons? And of course, modern shields like regenerative shields can recharge quickly if given a chance.


Anyhow, back to giving this system a name. ;)

Since your "buff" seems to be the inverse of the Breen weapon. (Instead of a weapon disabiling energy on a starship, it's a system that absorbs a weapon fire). Therefore this "buff" could be refered to as the Adaptive Energy Matrix or the Graviton Integration Energy System. (Remember Shields involve Gravitons).

That's my 2 cents! :D

[AaronH]

The STO team has been playing around with a new power set that we have coined The Reverse Shield Polarity. This power would be used as a “buff” that would allow a player to replenish their shields when hit with a certain type of weapon, rather than take damage. That’s the basics of the power. What we’re wondering is, Does calling it the Reverse Shield Polarity make sense? Is there a better term for this type of power?

You know, it doesn't kill the lore for me, but for what the power does the name doesn't really work.

How about:

Absorptive Shield Modulation

Shield Energy Intake

Reroute Shield Buffer

Or something, I don't know.

[Captain_Intrepid]

It doesn't sound brilliant to me. Reversing polarity has sort of become general technobabble for trying to achieve an opposite effect. I think something like setting the shield frequency to an Energy Absorption Modulation would be more accurate and less generic.

Reversing polarity has been a staple of science fiction for ages, so it is not 'sort of become' but instead is. Such as someone switching the polarity of shrink ray so a shrunken person could be returned to normal size.

[USS_Parallax]

I guess technically it kind of makes sense.

Reverse Shield Polarity.

Polarity can mean opposition or being in conflict. If you reverse the conflict you could get... benefit. I guess.



But it just doesn't sound right.




Converse Shield Opposition
Imbibe Shields (lol..)
Inverse Shield Polarity
Inverse Shield Contention
Converse Shield Contention
Incorporate Enemy Weapon Polarity



Uh... lol... I'm not sure I'm very good at Technobabble.

I think the idea is fine but it sounds like "Reverse Shield Polarity" would sound better for helping get a tractor beam off you or something rather then absorb anything.

[Bladedge]

Reversing shield (not the deflector) polarity is use mainly to escape, or avoid a tractor beam or if unlucky make it easier to tractor a ship.

There are two types are shields that mach the description

The first one which best matches the description:

Multi-Spectral Shields
Develop in the late 2360 into 2370. Multi-Spectral Shields which uses multiple spectrum of energy enabling the shields to recharge more quickly. A knowledge engineer can modify an existing high-end shield recharging system to accomplish this.

The second one:

Regenerative Force Field aka Regenerative Shielding
It has the ability to repair itself when damage. A Regenerative force field siphons off some incoming energy of an attack into a field storage chamber, then uses that energy to recharge and strengthen itself making it difficult to ever completely collapse. Regenerative shielding is found on the U.S.S Prometheus but it is standard issue system and not a buff.

[CaptXpendable]

Reversing polarity has been a staple of science fiction for ages, so it is not 'sort of become' but instead is. Such as someone switching the polarity of shrink ray so a shrunken person could be returned to normal size.

Or reversing the polarity of the neutron flow.
;)

[marscentral]

Some interesting ideas. It is cool that we're getting to see a sneak peak and a chance to give our opinions on game abilities.

I wouldn't get to hung up on the terms "powers" and "buffs" guys, I think they're just terms we're familiar with in MMO parlance. It's still your Tactical Officer engaging a ship's system to achieve a particular effect, we just call it his buff power.

[Mjoellnir]

Hm, it reminds me of the ability of regenerative shields in the RPG. If you were hit you rolled 2d6 and if you got two of a kind your shield strength went 10% up (so if the hit would've taken your shield strength 30% down it was effectively only 20%). However, this was a trait of the shield no special ability and it only worked 16,67% of the time.
So I'm unsure about how that would work. If your enemy has mainly disruptors as armament and you can load your shields up from his fire that seems hardly fair. Still I have no idea what other special abilities we'll have, so I could be wrong.

[Caltern]

The second one:

Regenerative Force Field aka Regenerative Shielding
It has the ability to repair itself when damage. A Regenerative force field siphons off some incoming energy of an attack into a field storage chamber, then uses that energy to recharge and strengthen itself making it difficult to ever completely collapse. Regenerative shielding is found on the U.S.S Prometheus but it is standard issue system and not a buff.

This is what I think of as well, and you make a good point. It's a standard issue system for Prometheus, not a situational use technology. So we need to develop a situational use technology name.

Emergency Regenerative Field Buffer - to denote that this is a last ditch special ability. "We've engaged the emergency regenerative field buffer, Captain! It'll buy us a few more seconds, but I seriously recommend we get out of here!"

<weapon type> Energy Integration System - System to denote that there's a series of technologies working in concert to do this. Weapon Energy Integration because that's exactly what it is. With this terminology, you're not limiting yourself to shields either. I can see the technology represented by this name being used to route disruptor or phaser power to boost failing SIF or life support, or to squeeze off one last shot from a phaser array cut off from its primary power source.

[SIMONLEV]

Reverse polarity resonance frequency.

[doam]

Taking from what I've seen posted here, I think maybe:

Modulate Shields: Absorption


Then, you could also do Modulate Shields: Reflection or whatever.


Or maybe Shield Modulation: Absorption.

[qoona]

You scare me. This is so.. untreaky. Souds somewhat cityofheroeslike. Not that COH is bad... but...
And about name... for medules names like Enhanced Modulation Overlay, Phased Weapon Neutralisation (or neutraliser) Absorption Generator Enhancer (or Enhancing), Absorption Matrix Overlay Core (or Calculation), and... Absorptive Weapon Energy Neutraliser ( or Neutralising )

[Nestro]

Opening hailing frequencies

Hallo everyone o/

I still don't understand what this "skill" realy does.

With depleting shields, you take less/no damage. And with replenishing shields to take less/no damage too? Where's the balance (in a more physical matter)?

I dont agree, that you should take more damage, when hit by a different weapon than the one you siphon energy off right now. (since this ability will be uber, if the enemy has only one type of weapon/dmg)

I would like to suggest:

While the shield is modulated in the way it converts a specific incoming weaponenergy into shieldenergy, the ship will take more damage (for this specific weapon) because in this "energy-convertion-mode" (ECM) the shields absorb the weapons energy with a lesser quotient/factor than when the shield is set to the "energy-deflection-mode" (EDM), where the incoming weaponenergy is more deflected than absorbed. (I imagined a mirror here, where you can adjust the transparency and reflecion, taking losses into account)

More detailed explanation, how i think it should work:

Let EcEF be the "energconversion efficiency factor" and EdEF be the "energydeflection efficiency factor".

For an example, let's consider a spaceship which is fit for an escort mission (barrely any science assets installed). Lets say the EdEF = 0.9 (because its a battleship) and the EcEF = 0.5. Now the ship is under attack and hit by plasma based weapons. EdEF=0.9 means, that each hit only does 10% of the original damage in EDM, since 90% of the weapons engery is deflected. But unfortunately the installed shields are weak against plasmaweapons (for any gamemechanical reason :p), so for plasmaweapons the EdEF is only 0.6. Now each hit does 40% of its original damage. Now lets swap to ECM, the coefficient is now 0.5, which means, that 50% of the damage is absorbed and converted into shieldenergy, and 50% of the damage passes our defence installations (or what ever :D). Now, in ECM we take 50% instead of 40% in EDM, but also at the same time, we gain 50% of the damage as shieldenergy, so in the end, we get +/- 0 damage.
This makes clear, that for overall gamebalance reasons, this ability should only be allowed to be used for a short amount of time.

I don't want to make this an even bigger wall of text, as it already is now :D
So just imagin how this situation would have been for a science vessel with different coefficients.
I know, that the numbers given in my example are not perfectly balanced.
And also bear in mind, that i am not a native english speaker, so if you find any oddities in the text, please accept my apologies.

~Nestro

P.S.: I noticed right now, that the way i described it, it doesnt make sense. The damage you take while in ECM should be done to the hull plating (armor of sort). This way the shields realy replenish. Since this gives the ability some sort of downside, any cooldowntimer should be reconsidered and propably make this ability usable at any time. This way the ability works as a tactic you can chose at any time, where its usefulness depends on the situation (enemies weapons, ship configurations). Feels pretty trekky to me :p
I mean, if you just want to boost your shields, why not directly redirect the energy from the engine to the shields or whatever? Do we realy want too many abilities which replenish the shields?

Transmission terminated

[Duckdee]

We've gotta be able to reverse the polarity of something in this game.

[qoona]

well if we dont reverse polarity of somethingthan the influx caused by obverloading of something else can emmit evil technobabble!

[rayljr]

The STO team has been playing around with a new power set that we have coined The Reverse Shield Polarity. This power would be used as a “buff” that would allow a player to replenish their shields when hit with a certain type of weapon, rather than take damage. That’s the basics of the power. What we’re wondering is, Does calling it the Reverse Shield Polarity make sense? Is there a better term for this type of power?

i love trek technobable, and i see that i am not alone in that.

from your description i can think of these possible names, other that reverse polarity mode;

narrow absorption mode
specific absorption mode
narrow frequency recharge mode
endo-shield mode [since endo thermic chemical reactions absorb heat rather than give it off [exo-thermic]]
endo-energenic shield mode
or the real tongue twister,
endo energetic specific narrow frequency shield absorption reverse polarity recharge mode - [use only with adult supervision]

[StarfleetOfficer]

The STO team has been playing around with a new power set that we have coined The Reverse Shield Polarity. This power would be used as a “buff” that would allow a player to replenish their shields when hit with a certain type of weapon, rather than take damage. That’s the basics of the power. What we’re wondering is, Does calling it the Reverse Shield Polarity make sense? Is there a better term for this type of power?

Sounds very Doctor Who'ish lol reminds me of, "reverse the polarity of the neutron flow" ;)

I think maybe it could be a:

'Multi Adaptive Shield Harmonics System'

'Metaphasic Shield Inversion'

'Reverse Frequency Initializer'

'Shield Harmonics Resequencer'

EDIT: Or maybe 'Awesome Cool Shield Thingy!' lol

[Revod]

In addition to that skill, perhaps a Metaphasic Shielding skill could be added to buff a ship against radiation and heat :)

As for replenishing the shields, I'll add my two cents. What popped into my head when I read your post Awen was Dynamic Shield Inversion. Shields reflect...thus inverting the shield itself to absorb would indeed produce the desired effect. And as was stated earlier, when in that mode, and damage taken by the ship would be to the hull since the shields would be in the process of absorbing, rather than reflecting or dispersing.

[ShiXin]

I like the term "Reverse Shield Polarity". It says what it does; reverses the shield from 'deflect' to 'absorb', and provides the technological means by which to achieve said reversal; changing the 'polarity' of the shields.

Kudos to the team for this one!

[Loekii]

It is canon, but wasn't it more something they did to try to not take AS MUCH damage, not really absorbing and recharging the shields? it was used more for when a weapon (or something) kept passing through the shields, they would reverse polarity to try to stop that.

I agree.

I would rather that Canon term be used for something like that, rather than 'shields recharged when hit by disruptors'.

[qoona]

actualy imp the reverse shield would not absorb but become a shot magnet, not only getting all shots hit, but not resisting them ...

[Loekii]

I agree with what others have said about 'ABSORPTION' - as that is basically what the 'buff' is doing -- Absorption energy and then converting it to its own use.

How about:

[weapon type] Absorption Shield Modulation
Disruptor Absorption Shield Modulation
Phaser Absorption Shield Modulation
Photonic Absorption Shield Modulation

[Kinneas]

Thanks to the folks who brought up the Tesla tech: coil harmonics.
---------

Sorry about these questions.

I don't understand how it would collect/harvest/ a specific incoming EM/particle stream.

What acts as the antenna and how does it get stored or recycled back into the coils or shield emitters?

Does the Bussard ramscoop or (new tech) polywell come into play?

Alternative option to quickly replenish shields ??? : Scooping Deuterium for fast shield replenishment: Shunt all converted deuterium immediately from the ramscoop or polywell into the coils.)

What if your coils get damaged or go out of alignment

How do you change/play/set coil alignment/harmonics.

How does changing the Shield harmonics affect the MHD field and does it affect propulsion?
-----
In a nutshell: will it be very simplified or will you get to have a bit of hands-on fun with the nacelles?
-

Pre-requisites: Advanced science and engineering?
---

Oi! Mr. Tesla, Mr. Alfven & Mr. Birkeland. Where are ya when we need ya?

[ajaco3025]

How about Shield Polarity Stabilizer. In essence you are trying to stabilize the shields. ???

[Captain-Picard]

Does calling it the Reverse Shield Polarity make sense?

Absolutely.

[Rgoodfel]

Not sure about this suggestion, but a nice fancy word for absorbing energy is ENDOERGIC.

Perhaps Cryptic could dispense with the cannon this time round, and go with say.. Endoergic shield generator/modulations.

Just a thought.

I would go with this because it describes what it is doing.

[UA_Fleet_Admiral]

The STO team has been playing around with a new power set that we have coined The Reverse Shield Polarity. This power would be used as a “buff” that would allow a player to replenish their shields when hit with a certain type of weapon, rather than take damage. That’s the basics of the power. What we’re wondering is, Does calling it the Reverse Shield Polarity make sense? Is there a better term for this type of power?

The United Alliances Fleet gives its approval. :cool:

[cocoa-jin]

The STO team has been playing around with a new power set that we have coined The Reverse Shield Polarity. This power would be used as a “buff” that would allow a player to replenish their shields when hit with a certain type of weapon, rather than take damage. That’s the basics of the power. What we’re wondering is, Does calling it the Reverse Shield Polarity make sense? Is there a better term for this type of power?

Can we get a bit more on the system...basic design concepts. Is it really reversing the polarity? Technically doesnt shields already absorb and dissipate energy about its matrix(at the expense of matrix coherency)? Why would reversing polarity all of a sudden allow it to be added to the matrix? Perhaps, would reversing the polarity deflect the energy discharge?

It would seem that to pull off such a thing you'd need a system that could handle that much concentrated energy in a short period of time. So it would assume there are limits to how this could be applied...so its likly an escort would have problems handling the discharge form a much larger/stronger ship's weapons.

So what could be utilized to capture this energy and then how do we added to the shields. Perhaps you can discharge plasma into the shield matrix. This can be done by using the Bussard collectors in reverse or even transporting(at the expense of basic materials not of use on the ship) the material into the matrix.

This plasma could have the ability to absorb certain amounts of energy at the appropriate spectrum of wavelengths/frequencies. This now highly charged/energized plasma can be transported back into the buffer and then re-directed to the shield emmitors and systems responsible for shield coherency.

Visual effects would be a swirling flouresing corona in the shield matrix. Draw backs would be the need for transporters and their operational status affecting efficiency of the system/tactic. The plasma can only handle so much energy at any given point of impact and only so much accumalated energy across the whole shield over a period of time(it takes time to gather and recycle the plasma back in forth through the buffer and back into the matrix). Any excess energy is applied as damage to the shield and/or hull as normal.

The whole system could be automated when activated. Ideally there would be some lose/consumption of the material...so it wouldnt be indefinite in its use.

So what would you call that? I dont know, "shield nebulizing"..."plasma buffering"..."plasma cycling". Essentially its a play on the natural phenomenon happening in the atmosphere protecting us from harmful rays...EM rays...hint, hint. Maybe you can find some fancy name for that phenomenon and apply it in the name.

Its not exactly canon, but it applies canon and its science/natural law in a plausible manner...its the kind of innovation one would expect in a Starfleet crew.

[Manx]

Not sure about this suggestion, but a nice fancy word for absorbing energy is ENDOERGIC.

Perhaps Cryptic could dispense with the cannon this time round, and go with say.. Endoergic shield generator/modulations.


Just a thought.

I like this one too; so long as there is some kind of description that explains what the word means :p

[Trekkie]

I definitely think the name fits within the universe, and to be honest it is nice to see that the developers are at least asking the community about it -- because let's be honest, with a game based on a universe like Star Trek, Cryptic Studios could really put a lot of technobabble in their naming scheme but it seems like they are trying to be accurate, which is great. That being said, there are also some great suggestions in this thread, so either way I think it will be fine.

[docunissis]

There's a very VERY VERY important thing to remember when naming ablilties and items:

better items/abilities must have cooler names than weaker items/abilities.

It's sweet to have "Endoergic shield modulations", but if the upgrade to that is "really good shields 'n' stuff", it'll be a bit of a letdown when you upgrade.



EDIT: typo

[Loekii]

There's a very VERY VERY important thing to remember when naming ablilties and items:

better items/abilities must have cooler names than weaker items/abilities.

It's sweet to have "Endoergic shield modulations", but if the upgrade to that is "really good shields 'n' stuff", it'll be a bit of a letdown when you upgrade.



EDIT: typo

As this is a science fiction based game, I would like to see some basic technological referencing, instead of something fantastic.

For example, the Progressions in ship Phasers should simply be numerical (Type I, Type II, Type III, Type IV, etc), instead of descriptive (Basic, good, better, the bestest, oh nasty).

I think some racial adjectives might be useful for a complete step for items -- for example, it Orion Power Matrix might be a class above a Standard Starfleet Power Matrix.

[docunissis]

This might come in useful in naming thigs:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_particles

[Commodore_Rook]

Originally Posted by Griffin
Not sure about this suggestion, but a nice fancy word for absorbing energy is ENDOERGIC.

Perhaps Cryptic could dispense with the cannon this time round, and go with say.. Endoergic shield generator/modulations.

Just a thought.


Ooooh I like that one!

Endoergic Shield Modulation (ESM)

We have a winna!!!!

[Sjet]

As this is a science fiction based game, I would like to see some basic technological referencing, instead of something fantastic.

For example, the Progressions in ship Phasers should simply be numerical (Type I, Type II, Type III, Type IV, etc), instead of descriptive (Basic, good, better, the bestest, oh nasty).

I think some racial adjectives might be useful for a complete step for items -- for example, it Orion Power Matrix might be a class above a Standard Starfleet Power Matrix.

Nope! Now you've sold me on having "Oh Nasty" Phaser Arrays :P

[USS_Parallax]

I've said it before and I'll say it again.


Reverse Shield Polarity would:

Help get a tractor beam off you.

Maybe a few more things but that just seems like something main it would do. I mean Tractor Beams in order to work on shields have to match specific frequencies. If you change 'em up it makes their pull weaker and could break it mattering on the quality of the tractor beam.


And absorbing shield... I still don't know lol.

[MajorD]

Let's look at this logically. You want to name the power Reverse Shield Polarity, and this power absorbs the energy of a specific weapon in order to reinforce shields. First, what does RSP mean? If we don't know, then we can't know what it is describing.

http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Shield_polarity

In 2371, when the USS Voyager came under bombardment by organic elements inside a nucleogenic cloud being, Captain Kathryn Janeway proposed reversing the shield polarity, to no effect. (VOY: "The Cloud")

RSP expected to but failed to repell the cloud being.

During its passage through the space of the Swarm species in 2373, Voyager encountered a single Swarm vessel that fired a polaron burst into its shields. The burst changed the shield polarity to a rotation of 92 gigahertz, alerting the much larger Swarm fleet to Voyager's presence. (VOY: "The Swarm")

RSP relates in some way to shield rotation and frequency.

In 2375, the USS Voyager vented plasma from its nacelles and reversed shield polarity to escape the gravity well of a subspace sinkhole. (VOY: "Gravity")

RSP used to escape a gravity well.

In 2376, Seven of Nine informed the Voyager crew that they must cut power and reverse shield polarity to avoid attracting a graviton ellipse. (VOY: "One Small Step")

RSP used to repel a graviton ellipse.

While in command of the Kraylor medical transport "Nightingale" in 2377, Harry Kim reversed the shield polarity at a crucial moment above the Kraylor homeworld, when they were caught in the tractor beam of an Annari warship. This broke the tractor beam lock and gave them enough momentum to reach the safety of the Kraylor defense perimeter. (VOY: "Nightingale")

RSP used to momentarily break tractor lock and generated momentum.

Later in 2377, the USS Voyager unsuccessfully tried to escape being pulled into the Void by reversing shield polarity. (VOY: "The Void")

RSP to counter the pull of a phenomina.

The majority of events related to Reversing Shield Polarity relate directly to gravity. It is known, from ST:Generation, that Federation shields are graviton based (http://www.st-v-sw.net/startrek/startrek/startrek/startrek/startrek/startrek/startrek/images/Trek/Movies/generazioni0369.jpg) thanks to the shield frequency readout the Klingon sisters saw in Generations through Geordi's VISOR. We also know tractor beams emit gravitons and can be set to pull and repulse both in a beam and as a barrier, as shown when Wesley used a miniature model to create a barrier, then a full size model to push a neutron star fragment away from the Enterprise-D.

Given all of the above, Reversing Shield Polarity means creating an anti-gravity force, used to push against conventional gravitational phenomena. In the case of Harry Kim and the tractor beam, reversing the shield polarity caused the attractive, or stationary, force of the enemy tractor beam to push the ship. It was only a brief phenomena, because all the tractor beam operator needed to do to counter was to change his tractor beam to the opposite graviton he was currently using.

Federation shields also use frequency, and gravity normally propagates, rather than creating some sort of standing wave. So, in VOY: "The Swarm", the aliens must have done something to make the shields emit over distance in, a possibly directional manner.

In conclusion, Reversing Shield Polarity is definitely the incorrect term for the proposed power. Furthermore, I think the propose power has no standing in canon, as shields have never been shown to absorb energy in order to reinforce themselves.

Based on various examples, notably ENT: "Vox Sola" Trek shields work by suspending particles in a barrier. The position of these particles can be disrupted (scrambled) without actual power drain TNG: "Survivors" but it results in making the shield porous. Shields also lose a percent of something with each hit, maintaining both the existence of the particles and their stable positioning. Shield strength seems mostly to do with barrier coherence, emitter stability and functionality, and finally available power. More power seems to related to the strength of the stability, throwing in more power seems to overcome instability, and if stable enough can repulse attacks without becoming unstable at all, as noted with the often repeated line "shields holding, no damage". I believe this also fits better where Voyager used a deflector pulse to reinforce shields.

Alternatively, I suggest the invention of a new shield variation, rather than a straight modification applied to current shields, along the lines of regenerative shields and metaphasic shields. They're completely new styles of shielding, that use old systems. In this way, you configure the shields to be your new shielding which has the property of using incoming energy to recharge systems (not the shields). The debuff counter side should be that shield coherence drops faster while this style of shield is on. As proposed, I think something along the lines of Endothemetric Shielding would be fitting.

I also respectfully disagree that shields are designed to deflect energy from weapon fire (yet not so good against pieces of hull flying at them).
On the contrary, they do extremely well against physical impact. Watch Nemesis very closely, you will note that the piece of ship debris that hits the Enterprise-E, hits the port side of the saucer and nose of the port nacelle. Yet, a second later when the ship's systems momentarily fizzle, it's the bow shields that have dropped to 30%, not the port shields. This means the physical impact did no damage at all, while it was some other phenomena that caused the massive shield drain and system disruption.

I bet they could ram asteroids bigger than themselves and barely notice. Shields in Trek don't seem to transmit momentum unless they want them to.

[piponolo]

I put my vote in for "Endogeric Modulation" as a shield ability.

Reverse Shield Polarity should shake tractor beams and confuse sensors (maybe)

[Azurian]

Let's look at this logically. You want to name the power Reverse Shield Polarity, and this power absorbs the energy of a specific weapon in order to reinforce shields. First, what does RSP mean? If we don't know, then we can't know what it is describing.

http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Shield_polarity

In 2371, when the USS Voyager came under bombardment by organic elements inside a nucleogenic cloud being, Captain Kathryn Janeway proposed reversing the shield polarity, to no effect. (VOY: "The Cloud")

RSP expected to but failed to repell the cloud being.

During its passage through the space of the Swarm species in 2373, Voyager encountered a single Swarm vessel that fired a polaron burst into its shields. The burst changed the shield polarity to a rotation of 92 gigahertz, alerting the much larger Swarm fleet to Voyager's presence. (VOY: "The Swarm")

RSP relates in some way to shield rotation and frequency.

In 2375, the USS Voyager vented plasma from its nacelles and reversed shield polarity to escape the gravity well of a subspace sinkhole. (VOY: "Gravity")

RSP used to escape a gravity well.

In 2376, Seven of Nine informed the Voyager crew that they must cut power and reverse shield polarity to avoid attracting a graviton ellipse. (VOY: "One Small Step")

RSP used to repel a graviton ellipse.

While in command of the Kraylor medical transport "Nightingale" in 2377, Harry Kim reversed the shield polarity at a crucial moment above the Kraylor homeworld, when they were caught in the tractor beam of an Annari warship. This broke the tractor beam lock and gave them enough momentum to reach the safety of the Kraylor defense perimeter. (VOY: "Nightingale")

RSP used to momentarily break tractor lock and generated momentum.

Later in 2377, the USS Voyager unsuccessfully tried to escape being pulled into the Void by reversing shield polarity. (VOY: "The Void")

RSP to counter the pull of a phenomina.

The majority of events related to Reversing Shield Polarity relate directly to gravity. It is known, from ST:Generation, that Federation shields are graviton based (http://www.st-v-sw.net/startrek/startrek/startrek/startrek/startrek/startrek/startrek/startrek/images/Trek/Movies/generazioni0369.jpg) thanks to the shield frequency readout the Klingon sisters saw in Generations through Geordi's VISOR. We also know tractor beams emit gravitons and can be set to pull and repulse both in a beam and as a barrier, as shown when Wesley used a miniature model to create a barrier, then a full size model to push a neutron star fragment away from the Enterprise-D.

Given all of the above, Reversing Shield Polarity means creating an anti-gravity force, used to push against conventional gravitational phenomena. In the case of Harry Kim and the tractor beam, reversing the shield polarity caused the attractive, or stationary, force of the enemy tractor beam to push the ship. It was only a brief phenomena, because all the tractor beam operator needed to do to counter was to change his tractor beam to the opposite graviton he was currently using.

Federation shields also use frequency, and gravity normally propagates, rather than creating some sort of standing wave. So, in VOY: "The Swarm", the aliens must have done something to make the shields emit over distance in, a possibly directional manner.

In conclusion, Reversing Shield Polarity is definitely the incorrect term for the proposed power. Furthermore, I think the propose power has no standing in canon, as shields have never been shown to absorb energy in order to reinforce themselves.

Based on various examples, notably ENT: "Vox Sola" Trek shields work by suspending particles in a barrier. The position of these particles can be disrupted (scrambled) without actual power drain TNG: "Survivors" but it results in making the shield porous. Shields also lose a percent of something with each hit, maintaining both the existence of the particles and their stable positioning. Shield strength seems mostly to do with barrier coherence, emitter stability and functionality, and finally available power. More power seems to related to the strength of the stability, throwing in more power seems to overcome instability, and if stable enough can repulse attacks without becoming unstable at all, as noted with the often repeated line "shields holding, no damage". I believe this also fits better where Voyager used a deflector pulse to reinforce shields.

Alternatively, I suggest the invention of a new shield variation, rather than a straight modification applied to current shields, along the lines of regenerative shields and metaphasic shields. They're completely new styles of shielding, that use old systems. In this way, you configure the shields to be your new shielding which has the property of using incoming energy to recharge systems (not the shields). The debuff counter side should be that shield coherence drops faster while this style of shield is on. As proposed, I think something along the lines of Endothemetric Shielding would be fitting.


On the contrary, they do extremely well against physical impact. Watch Nemesis very closely, you will note that the piece of ship debris that hits the Enterprise-E, hits the port side of the saucer and nose of the port nacelle. Yet, a second later when the ship's systems momentarily fizzle, it's the bow shields that have dropped to 30%, not the port shields. This means the physical impact did no damage at all, while it was some other phenomena that caused the massive shield drain and system disruption.

I bet they could ram asteroids bigger than themselves and barely notice. Shields in Trek don't seem to transmit momentum unless they want them to.

Yep, because Deflector Shields consist of Gravitons. And I don't think Gravitons absorb energy. ;)

[Elta_and_Zletha]

One word: BORG.

Uhm... I think what Zletha means is Regenerative Shields. We looked it up on memory alpha and it pretty much describes it the exact same way that Cryptic made it out to be-

"The basic principle of regenerative shielding was to quickly analyze an attacking weapon's frequency and then modulate shield frequency to increase damage mitigation without depleting shield energy."

http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Regenerative_shield

[CinC-UFPForces-Cardassia]

One word: BORG.

Uhm... I think what Zletha means is Regenerative Shields. We looked it up on memory alpha and it pretty much describes it the exact same way that Cryptic made it out to be-

"The basic principle of regenerative shielding was to quickly analyze an attacking weapon's frequency and then modulate shield frequency to increase damage mitigation without depleting shield energy."

http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Regenerative_shield

It's a somewhat different concept. No energy is being drawn from incoming enemy weapons' fire.

[Elta_and_Zletha]

It's a somewhat different concept. No energy is being drawn from incoming enemy weapons' fire.

That's true, but it's really the closest definition we could find. =/

[naynayz]

Let's look at this logically.
On the contrary, they do extremely well against physical impact. Watch Nemesis very closely, you will note that the piece of ship debris that hits the Enterprise-E, hits the port side of the saucer and nose of the port nacelle. Yet, a second later when the ship's systems momentarily fizzle, it's the bow shields that have dropped to 30%, not the port shields. This means the physical impact did no damage at all, while it was some other phenomena that caused the massive shield drain and system disruption.

I bet they could ram asteroids bigger than themselves and barely notice. Shields in Trek don't seem to transmit momentum unless they want them to.

Again, that is conjecture, not fact. You yourself admit that you think it was some "other phenomena" that caused the massive shield drain and system disruption however, nothing other than the Enterprise being impacted by the hull fragment was taking place in that portion of the battle. Until you are able to provide an explanation to that phenomena you speak of I will fail to find logic in your hypothesis.;)

[cocoa-jin]

Let's look at this logically. You want to name the power Reverse Shield Polarity, and this power absorbs the energy of a specific weapon in order to reinforce shields. First, what does RSP mean? If we don't know, then we can't know what it is describing.

http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Shield_polarity

In 2371, when the USS Voyager came under bombardment by organic elements inside a nucleogenic cloud being, Captain Kathryn Janeway proposed reversing the shield polarity, to no effect. (VOY: "The Cloud")

RSP expected to but failed to repell the cloud being.

During its passage through the space of the Swarm species in 2373, Voyager encountered a single Swarm vessel that fired a polaron burst into its shields. The burst changed the shield polarity to a rotation of 92 gigahertz, alerting the much larger Swarm fleet to Voyager's presence. (VOY: "The Swarm")

RSP relates in some way to shield rotation and frequency.

In 2375, the USS Voyager vented plasma from its nacelles and reversed shield polarity to escape the gravity well of a subspace sinkhole. (VOY: "Gravity")

RSP used to escape a gravity well.

In 2376, Seven of Nine informed the Voyager crew that they must cut power and reverse shield polarity to avoid attracting a graviton ellipse. (VOY: "One Small Step")

RSP used to repel a graviton ellipse.

While in command of the Kraylor medical transport "Nightingale" in 2377, Harry Kim reversed the shield polarity at a crucial moment above the Kraylor homeworld, when they were caught in the tractor beam of an Annari warship. This broke the tractor beam lock and gave them enough momentum to reach the safety of the Kraylor defense perimeter. (VOY: "Nightingale")

RSP used to momentarily break tractor lock and generated momentum.

Later in 2377, the USS Voyager unsuccessfully tried to escape being pulled into the Void by reversing shield polarity. (VOY: "The Void")

RSP to counter the pull of a phenomina.

The majority of events related to Reversing Shield Polarity relate directly to gravity. It is known, from ST:Generation, that Federation shields are graviton based (http://www.st-v-sw.net/startrek/startrek/startrek/startrek/startrek/startrek/startrek/startrek/startrek/images/Trek/Movies/generazioni0369.jpg) thanks to the shield frequency readout the Klingon sisters saw in Generations through Geordi's VISOR. We also know tractor beams emit gravitons and can be set to pull and repulse both in a beam and as a barrier, as shown when Wesley used a miniature model to create a barrier, then a full size model to push a neutron star fragment away from the Enterprise-D.

Given all of the above, Reversing Shield Polarity means creating an anti-gravity force, used to push against conventional gravitational phenomena. In the case of Harry Kim and the tractor beam, reversing the shield polarity caused the attractive, or stationary, force of the enemy tractor beam to push the ship. It was only a brief phenomena, because all the tractor beam operator needed to do to counter was to change his tractor beam to the opposite graviton he was currently using.

Federation shields also use frequency, and gravity normally propagates, rather than creating some sort of standing wave. So, in VOY: "The Swarm", the aliens must have done something to make the shields emit over distance in, a possibly directional manner.

In conclusion, Reversing Shield Polarity is definitely the incorrect term for the proposed power. Furthermore, I think the propose power has no standing in canon, as shields have never been shown to absorb energy in order to reinforce themselves.

Based on various examples, notably ENT: "Vox Sola" Trek shields work by suspending particles in a barrier. The position of these particles can be disrupted (scrambled) without actual power drain TNG: "Survivors" but it results in making the shield porous. Shields also lose a percent of something with each hit, maintaining both the existence of the particles and their stable positioning. Shield strength seems mostly to do with barrier coherence, emitter stability and functionality, and finally available power. More power seems to related to the strength of the stability, throwing in more power seems to overcome instability, and if stable enough can repulse attacks without becoming unstable at all, as noted with the often repeated line "shields holding, no damage". I believe this also fits better where Voyager used a deflector pulse to reinforce shields.

Alternatively, I suggest the invention of a new shield variation, rather than a straight modification applied to current shields, along the lines of regenerative shields and metaphasic shields. They're completely new styles of shielding, that use old systems. In this way, you configure the shields to be your new shielding which has the property of using incoming energy to recharge systems (not the shields). The debuff counter side should be that shield coherence drops faster while this style of shield is on. As proposed, I think something along the lines of Endothemetric Shielding would be fitting.


On the contrary, they do extremely well against physical impact. Watch Nemesis very closely, you will note that the piece of ship debris that hits the Enterprise-E, hits the port side of the saucer and nose of the port nacelle. Yet, a second later when the ship's systems momentarily fizzle, it's the bow shields that have dropped to 30%, not the port shields. This means the physical impact did no damage at all, while it was some other phenomena that caused the massive shield drain and system disruption.

I bet they could ram asteroids bigger than themselves and barely notice. Shields in Trek don't seem to transmit momentum unless they want them to.


Impressive...great use of references, relationship and model/mechamics analysis. Dadgumit...that is what Trek is about!

Such an analytical, mechanics oriented mind is invaluable on a Borg vessel...my gawd, the things we could adapt to together ;)

[Sjet]

On the contrary, they do extremely well against physical impact. Watch Nemesis very closely, you will note that the piece of ship debris that hits the Enterprise-E, hits the port side of the saucer and nose of the port nacelle. Yet, a second later when the ship's systems momentarily fizzle, it's the bow shields that have dropped to 30%, not the port shields. This means the physical impact did no damage at all, while it was some other phenomena that caused the massive shield drain and system disruption.

I bet they could ram asteroids bigger than themselves and barely notice. Shields in Trek don't seem to transmit momentum unless they want them to.

I liked everything you said till right at this point. From what we've seen, shields are used to try and stop outside forces from acting on the ship, namely in the form of energy. Gravity, radiation, phasers, etc... But mechanical energy that impacts the shield would still have a noticeable effect because you're stopping that energy from affecting the hull as well.

But to take that part from Nemesis (which I have yet to find since all my movies are in storage so I have to tackle this by reading), as anything more than another mistake on the part of the director is a little crazy. The bow of the ship is the front, and if the debris hit the saucer first, the bow shields could have taken the brunt of the force.

Edit: Cocoa stop flirting Borg style w/ MajorD lol.

[Drunk1n]

Not sure about this suggestion, but a nice fancy word for absorbing energy is ENDOERGIC.

Perhaps Cryptic could dispense with the cannon this time round, and go with say.. Endoergic shield generator/modulations.


Just a thought.

I agree with Griffin.

Endoergic shield generator makes sense if it is a specific type of shield for a specific type of weapon. If it is modifying your current shields then it should be Endoergic shield modulation.

Thanks for the opportunity.

[cocoa-jin]

I liked everything you said till right at this point. From what we've seen, shields are used to try and stop outside forces from acting on the ship, namely in the form of energy. Gravity, radiation, phasers, etc... But mechanical energy that impacts the shield would still have a noticeable effect because you're stopping that energy from affecting the hull as well.

But to take that part from Nemesis (which I have yet to find since all my movies are in storage so I have to tackle this by reading), as anything more than another mistake on the part of the director is a little crazy. The bow of the ship is the front, and if the debris hit the saucer first, the bow shields could have taken the brunt of the force.

Edit: Cocoa stop flirting Borg style w/ MajorD lol.

Very true, I wasnt going to comment but you are correct, the shields dont make the ship immunne to large collisons...I dont believe the shields are elastic, so either it holds and the force is applied rigidly into the ship, or the ship moves forward within the bubble and collides with the object...or the shields give, the object pass through and collides with the ship...either way, its bad for the vessel if the object is big enough.

If they were smart, I guess they could use the shield like crumple zones if it was rigid and non-premeable by stepping the range of the shield down as the ship and object close. Im doubtful the intertial dampners could help much.


Borg envy, desire, lust is the greatest love in the universe...when they say they want to be one with you...they arent kidding! :p

But I wouldnt exactly call what I said flirting...its more like window shopping Borg style :D

[Sjet]

Oh I get it. Your assimilation list is more like a shopping list, and we're the equivalent of goods at the store. At least now I can direct you towards the bargain bin goods.

There is a buy one get one free sale on trolls on aisle 4!

[Malldar]

The real question is what are shields? If we are to believe the theories we see on TV they are a plasma that surrounds a ship protecting it from both physical and energy based harm. This is why in Star Trek shields must be turned of so shuttles may dock with the ship. The question then is what sounds like we are taking the energy directed toward the ship and converting it to a plasma to reinforce the shields. I like the sound of an ENERGY FLUX MECHINISM or aleast something along those lines. :)

[cocoa-jin]

Oh I get it. Your assimilation list is more like a shopping list, and we're the equivalent of goods at the store. At least now I can direct you towards the bargain bin goods.

There is a buy one get one free sale on trolls on aisle 4!

Shhhh, my antics arent supposed to make sense!

Plus we dont like bargain goods...no dented cans here. Just innovative, stand out items. We're trying to build a super society here!

[naynayz]

I liked everything you said till right at this point. From what we've seen, shields are used to try and stop outside forces from acting on the ship, namely in the form of energy. Gravity, radiation, phasers, etc... But mechanical energy that impacts the shield would still have a noticeable effect because you're stopping that energy from affecting the hull as well.

But to take that part from Nemesis (which I have yet to find since all my movies are in storage so I have to tackle this by reading), as anything more than another mistake on the part of the director is a little crazy. The bow of the ship is the front, and if the debris hit the saucer first, the bow shields could have taken the brunt of the force.

Edit: Cocoa stop flirting Borg style w/ MajorD lol.

Thank you for pointing this out. I agree that I enjoyed the post for the research aspect. I also found that the dominion war shows MANY examples of hull impacts with shields up and their shields never saved them. For example when a dominion bug ship and klingon or federation ship decided to get close and kiss. I didn't really have to do "research" per say on this to provide an answer based in cannon or scientific fact because I rarely watch anything other shows other than star trek on a TV and have the mind of a vulcan human hybrid it seems (science lover).

However, I still think this speaks to shield nutation and shield frequency distribution and have provided my suggestion from my original post but if I were to choose another one other than my own I would like Endoergic (if I can nail down saying it without tripping over my tounge LOL). I say this because it was a spur of the moment thing that a member of the community made up for this game and that has a nice ring to it as well. I am trying to provide the cannon and scientific side of it to help them in making the decision. It is still awesome that we are getting this opportunity! *hugs to the cryptic crew!*

[Arkantos117]

IF you do decide to implement it i think it should only be avaiable for higher tier ships, and that you will have to unlock it, by getting an advanced engineer or something or by fighting an enemy that does so you learn it off them.

[Voorhees]

Its a good name but another good one would be rotating shield harmotics if i spelled that correctly which rotates the shield frequency.

[cocoa-jin]

Its a good name but another good one would be rotating shield harmotics if i spelled that correctly which rotates the shield frequency.

But that doesnt absorb energy from a blast and intergrate it into the shield's matrix to strengthen it. Rotating harmonics only hardens the shields or more accuratly custom blocks against certain/specific weapons.

Rotating harmonics is like someone tryting to attack your eyes with light. If you know what type light(color perhaps) the enemy will use, you can wear sunglasses to block that wavelength.

But if the enemy knows you are going to use colored sunglasses, he'll switch to a light that your colored sunglasses wont block...if you know he is going to do that, you need to constantly swithc colored sunglasses to keep him from figuring out which light to use.(ok this isnt exactly the case, but i hope you get the point)

What cryptic is talking about is sunglasses that take the light the enemy is firing and using it to darken and strengthen the sunglasses's ability to block light...like those sunglass that automatically darken in the sunlight.

Two different concepts...granted my examples arent perfect parallels...but hey, I just did this off the top of my head.

[Kinneas]

How to implement:

- Plasma exhaust must be 'closed'. No or little plasma should be venting out the back of nacelle to augment impulse engine propulsion. (??)

A handle on the coils let you slide up and down the coils as well as pull outward which adjusts Frequency and magnitude?

-Bussard can be on or off, collecting or exhausting into coils.

-ability to link coil control or manipulate one nacelle coil at a time.

- ability to move pylons and affect shape of plasma/mhd field. 14 degrees out is forward propulsion. 14 degrees in, reverse propulsion? (warning: changing pylon directions manually can also adversely affect propulsion)???
---
Mike Okuda's GUI showed an interesting way to deal with the coils. Also: ATwell's LCARS (based on th tech manuals) were awesome.

[cocoa-jin]

So just poo-poo on my plasma and transporter recycling method?...it was brilliant wasnt it?

[Roy_Vash]

In the interest of game play, the skill should be a command.

I like: Reroute Shield Harmonics

In response to the general issue of using well established mmorpg concepts in their unadulterated hack and slash terminology.... von Wittgenstein said "The limits of my language are the limits of my reality." The hack and slash terminology is a box that I, too, would like to see the Sci Fi game escape from. Else, this will devolve to a vampire skill.

[rayljr]

In the interest of game play, the skill should be a command.

I like: Reroute Shield Harmonics

In response to the general issue of using well established mmorpg concepts in their unadulterated hack and slash terminology.... von Wittgenstein said "The limits of my language are the limits of my reality." The hack and slash terminology is a box that I, too, would like to see the Sci Fi game escape from. Else, this will devolve to a vampire skill.

vampire skill is one way to think of it.
i also thought of the thing in the movie "5th element" where they would shoot at the "big evil blob" and it got bigger and stronger.

[cocoa-jin]

vampire skill is one way to think of it.
i also thought of the thing in the movie "5th element" where they would shoot at the "big evil blob" and it got bigger and stronger.

But that was like the Sci-Fi version of Satan. I can appreciate the feature...but it should have a viable or believable cause and effect.

[SirReginaldo]

Here is a question, wouldnt shields need to give of some sort of sound wave/electrical sense to have harmonics? From what I perceive, shields become a solid of a sort, that basically is charged energy particles that are powered by the energy source(s) applying energy to attact particles to eachother for density thus creating different levels of protection. I dont know if by changing/introducing new data anything would change, but it makes sense that this would absorb energy in the form of weaponry/stop it. Maybe if these particles/energy stuff, are in constant motion, moving around the ship, energy changes could affect particles relation with other particles/radiation. I dont know... :(

Shields really are hard to understand, and maybe they shouldnt be understood, they are not real as far as we know:eek: Maybe if it is similar to Magnetic fields, but repulsing all matter/particles, that would make sense. Then again, what would be able to repulse/make a solid defense against any object, even particles. Mentioning that, wouldnt particles in space be able to strain shields by bombarding them constantly?

[jhem99]

here's a name for consideration: Inverted quark quanta

[MajorD]

Again, that is conjecture, not fact. You yourself admit that you think it was some "other phenomena" that caused the massive shield drain and system disruption however, nothing other than the Enterprise being impacted by the hull fragment was taking place in that portion of the battle. Until you are able to provide an explanation to that phenomena you speak of I will fail to find logic in your hypothesis.;)
The bow is outside the end of the impact scene and outside the internal scene. The two impact locations are both outside the arc shown on the shield display (middle of port side of saucer, and tip of port warp nacelle). Finally, if it was the hull piece impact that did the bow damage, despite not hitting the bow, then the port shields would have to have been damaged just as severely, even if you consider the port side of the saucer the bow, for the simple reason that the nacelle is no where near the bow and it was hit just as hard, if not harder since it had a more direct impact. The port nacelle has to be part of the port shields since it halfway down the length of the ship, it could also be under the dorsal shields but it's only slightly more likely than bow shields.

If you think it was the entire shielding system that was damaged, as based on the system fizzle, where in the past enemies have taken out single central shield generators which some how shutdown all the shield emitters, then logically, all the shield sections should have dropped by the same degree the bow dropped.

The most likely phenomena to hit the bow was weapons fire, as it was the most prominent phenomena throughout the battle and the bow was out of sight when it took its damage.
Impressive...great use of references, relationship and model/mechamics analysis. Dadgumit...that is what Trek is about!

Such an analytical, mechanics oriented mind is invaluable on a Borg vessel...my gawd, the things we could adapt to together ;)
LOL, I wish they would start more threads like this.
But mechanical energy that impacts the shield would still have a noticeable effect because you're stopping that energy from affecting the hull as well.
Energy is energy, so they could turn kinetic energy into thermal, or other sorts, such as electricity. Of course, to some extent goes against the idea of shields not transmitting energy into the ship that shields can use. Then again, gravitons are for transmitting, what, mass/movement information? Still, if kinetic energy transmits through shields, and it definitely is a possibility because it's realistic and tractor beams can do it, then I don't see why they can't do the above, and turn the energy into something else. Such energy loads should be unnoticeable, considering they throw around anti-matter, the energy of an impact at a mere few hundred kilometers per hour aught to be nothing.

But to take that part from Nemesis (which I have yet to find since all my movies are in storage so I have to tackle this by reading), as anything more than another mistake on the part of the director is a little crazy. The bow of the ship is the front, and if the debris hit the saucer first, the bow shields could have taken the brunt of the force. Oh, it was definitely a mistake.:D I have no doubt the intent of the writer was to have the pieces impact the bow and mess them up horribly, but the art guys made a mistake, or someone else did. Or, someone realized what it all meant and purposefully changed it up so it can't mean what was intended. Either way, if you look at it as if it were real, it doesn't say the ship is vulnerable to impact, it says it's vulnerable to something else.

Thank you for pointing this out. I agree that I enjoyed the post for the research aspect. I also found that the dominion war shows MANY examples of hull impacts with shields up and their shields never saved them. For example when a dominion bug ship and klingon or federation ship decided to get close and kiss. I didn't really have to do "research" per say on this to provide an answer based in cannon or scientific fact because I rarely watch anything other shows other than star trek on a TV and have the mind of a vulcan human hybrid it seems (science lover).

Then you'll love this Mr. Vulcanoid! I'm pretty sure that the impacts the Jem'Hadar ships performed, weren't straight up rams, but ram self destruct. In other words, they were blowing themselves up on impact in order to maximize damage to enemy ships. It pretty much takes out the whole shields up/shields down argument of DS9, with their invisible shields.

Ooops, never mind, I don't have the pictures. I think the episode is DS9: "The Jem'Hadar". If you watch the ramming scene very carefully, you actually see the Jem'Hadar bug vaporize completely before it even causes any damage to the Odyssey, a Galaxy-class ship.

Here is a question, wouldnt shields need to give of some sort of sound wave/electrical sense to have harmonics? From what I perceive, shields become a solid of a sort, that basically is charged energy particles that are powered by the energy source(s) applying energy to attact particles to eachother for density thus creating different levels of protection.
Shields do have frequencies in Star Trek, sort of like a cathode ray TV. I think their particles must have a refresh fate like the phosphorous glow. When you don't see a flicker, it acts solid.

[ransomwk]

Adaptive Energy Absorbtion System? AEAS (pronounced like ace?) for short?

[Nestro]

This idea is pretty good, since it implies, that you need to install a new device on your ship rather than toying around with your deflecting shields.

[Kinneas]

Shields really are hard to understand, and maybe they shouldnt be understood, they are not real as far as we know:eek:

Couldn't help but comment. You can see examples at work on YouTube: See: Plasma UFO, MHD propulsion...look for video of ufo's captured with Infrared or EM scanners. The Aurora TR-3B, and recently the concept of E.P.P. (External Plasma propulsion).

Those 'bright glowing balls of light' associated w/ ufo are plasma fields.

Welcome to Star Trek...for real. :salute:
------------------------

These kinds of questions are why folks in this community asked the Studios (Viacom/Paramount) to take a more hands-on approach to STO and to allow the developers to work with NASA & D.A.R.P.A. on Star Trek:Online. Help had been offered since BEFORE Cryptic took over. (in a nutshell)They were willing to fund and support the back end infrastructure in return they would get to make sure all the technical details were up to todays standards as well as introducing folks to some of the newer concepts from NASA/JPL, CERN, Fermi, etc.
((this now goes out to CBS, Bad Robot & Infogrames/Atari))

:) Before TOS & TNG began, they consulted with great American think tanks, the DoD, & science/aerospace experts. Why stop the tradition now just because it is an MMO.

Anyway: They should be telling you/us & teaching you/us through a very 'enjoyable' game just how it works. Not asking us how it works. That is just wrong. lol :)

Oi. We don't want to play NASA's MMO. Star Trek has more power and influence. We want our tech AND phasers, photons, plasma, green chicks, yadda yadda. :)

[Sherp]

A few people have posted that the keyword you're looking for is "absorb", and I agree with them. "[Weapon] Absorption Mode" doesn't sound sexy, but it's accurate. The part that installs into your shield system and is activated to engage the effect might be called (drum roll please)...

The [Weapon] Siphon Coil.

"Siphon" suggests something being sucked in against its will. And "Coil" conveys that this is a time-limited effect--coils in Trek burn out (or "fuse") almost every time they're mentioned. :p

So when you're surrounded by Romulan warbirds and your shields are almost gone, just yell "Activate Disruptor Siphon Coil!" and watch your shields fill back up. :)

[pboduch321]

The STO team has been playing around with a new power set that we have coined The Reverse Shield Polarity. This power would be used as a “buff” that would allow a player to replenish their shields when hit with a certain type of weapon, rather than take damage. That’s the basics of the power. What we’re wondering is, Does calling it the Reverse Shield Polarity make sense? Is there a better term for this type of power?


Sounds great, Awen. Exactly as in the series.

[cocoa-jin]

This idea is pretty good, since it implies, that you need to install a new device on your ship rather than toying around with your deflecting shields.

But thats a problem for me...because appranetly it shouldnt and doesnt necessarily require yet another module or loot item.

It can be done through creative use of existing systems...and thats more Trek than looting modules/buying your advantage.

[cocoa-jin]

Couldn't help but comment. You can see examples at work on YouTube: See: Plasma UFO, MHD propulsion...look for video of ufo's captured with Infrared or EM scanners. The Aurora TR-3B, and recently the concept of E.P.P. (External Plasma propulsion).

Those 'bright glowing balls of light' associated w/ ufo are plasma fields.

Welcome to Star Trek...for real. :salute:
------------------------

These kinds of questions are why folks in this community asked the Studios (Viacom/Paramount) to take a more hands-on approach to STO and to allow the developers to work with NASA & D.A.R.P.A. on Star Trek:Online. Help had been offered since BEFORE Cryptic took over. (in a nutshell)They were willing to fund and support the back end infrastructure in return they would get to make sure all the technical details were up to todays standards as well as introducing folks to some of the newer concepts from NASA/JPL, CERN, Fermi, etc.
((this now goes out to CBS, Bad Robot & Infogrames/Atari))

:) Before TOS & TNG began, they consulted with great American think tanks, the DoD, & science/aerospace experts. Why stop the tradition now just because it is an MMO.

Anyway: They should be telling you/us & teaching you/us through a very 'enjoyable' game just how it works. Not asking us how it works. That is just wrong. lol :)

Oi. We don't want to play NASA's MMO. Star Trek has more power and influence. We want our tech AND phasers, photons, plasma, green chicks, yadda yadda. :)

The Soviets supposedly experimented and may have even had a live test bed for use of plasma as a stealth device. It was great at eliminating radar returns...but it made the aircraft flouresce at night....go figure.

[Nestro]

But thats a problem for me...because appranetly it shouldnt and doesnt necessarily require yet another module or loot item.

It can be done through creative use of existing systems...and thats more Trek than looting modules/buying your advantage.

Thanks for your reply. I understand your point and i'd like to agree because i want it to be the same way like you, but a replicator is not a phasor. What i want to say is, i dont see, how a shield emitter can possibly siphon energy of incoming weaponfire.
At least not by just reversing the shield polarity as already explained in some posts befor this one.
(And as far as i understand, Awen wants to know, whether the expression given in the topics title is appropriate or not)

If there is a good explanation on how the emitters can convert weaponenergy into its systems i'd be fine with that. It's not just using some fancy technobubble... we are trekkies, we need a littlebit more details :p

I'd hereby strongly advise cryptic to not only ask us trekkies how to handle the techno-cow but also take advantage of the guys who sold them the licence. They invented it all, and even they went after the science-guys to make the technical background solid.

Still i am glad to be asked how i see this. Thanks for the chance cryptic!

[cocoa-jin]

Thanks for your reply. I understand your point and i'd like to agree because i want it to be the same way like you, but a replicator is not a phasor. What i want to say is, i dont see, how a shield emitter can possibly siphon energy of incoming weaponfire.
At least not by just reversing the shield polarity as already explained in some posts befor this one.
(And as far as i understand, Awen wants to know, whether the expression given in the topics title is appropriate or not)

If there is a good explanation on how the emitters can convert weaponenergy into its systems i'd be fine with that. It's not just using some fancy technobubble... we are trekkies, we need a littlebit more details :p

I'd hereby strongly advise cryptic to not only ask us trekkies how to handle the techno-cow but also take advantage of the guys who sold them the licence. They invented it all, and even they went after the science-guys to make the technical background solid.

Still i am glad to be asked how i see this. Thanks for the chance cryptic!


I posted a method a couple of pages back on pages 8, that made use of transports and plasma/gases either beamed out with the tranporters or streamed into the shield matrix through the Bussard collectors.

The basic idea is to make use of a dense veil of plasma to absorb the energy discharge from say a blaster, continuly use the transport to cycle the energized plasma into the transporter buffer, then re-direct that excess energy into the shield emmitors, then transport or stream the material back into the shield matrix...its a rinse and repeat process thats only limited by the avilability of the transporters, the amount of material to be converted into the plasma, the speed I which the transports can move the plasma back & forth, and the effciency and ability of the ship's power grid systems to relay the excess power through its grid to the shield emmitors without overheating.

Its using all standard equipment for what they are designed to do, but in non-standard ways.

Disadvantages, lose your transporters and you lose the option to use this. Run out of material to convert into the plasma using the transporter and/or replicator and you lose the option(I also assume their is a rate of material lose in the process), try and move too much power through the grid or into the transporter buffer and you overheat the system requiring slower transfer rates(this reduces the efficency of absorbtion and hastens reduction in shields due to weapons strikes)...fry the systems and you lose the option to use this.

[Nestro]

I see two problems here:

1) Is it possible to implement this? (freely combine whatever device you have on board)

2) Who will be able to make use of such a system? The average player, trekkie?

Even i would need to take a course in advanced physics and engineering at starfleet academy to come up with an idea that would not even be close to yours :p

With "i dont see, how a shield emitter can possibly siphon energy of incoming weaponfire" i meant "i dont see, how a shield emitter alone can possibly siphon energy of incoming weaponfire". For my tast you are combining a way to much things in order to get what you want, and i see no way how to possibly implement this in a game that shall be fun.

Edit: Of course i see your point... you are a perfect borg drone and such, but you know... the rest of us are just stupid humanoids :D

Just another opinion of mine.

[Spade0]

The best I Could come up with would be "Synchronized Regenerative Shielding". SrS for short. OR
"Selective Regenerative Shielding". Still SrS for short. Any ways, what your working on sounds fantastic and is getting me pumped up for the game!! Great Job guys.

[cocoa-jin]

I see two problems here:

1) Is it possible to implement this? (freely combine whatever device you have on board)

2) Who will be able to make use of such a system? The average player, trekkie?

Even i would need to take a course in advanced physics and engineering at starfleet academy to come up with an idea that would not even be close to yours :p

With "i dont see, how a shield emitter can possibly siphon energy of incoming weaponfire" i meant "i dont see, how a shield emitter alone can possibly siphon energy of incoming weaponfire". For my tast you are combining a way to much things in order to get what you want, and i see no way how to possibly implement this in a game that shall be fun.

Just another opinion of mine.

Well in mine, the emmitor doesnt absorb anything, it just receives extra power to re-inforce the shields through the system.

Use could be a simple command to the appropriate stations...perhaps such custome adaptions would require the player/captain do it first and then be able to set it as a custom ship function...sort of like a macro that is duplicated by the crew.

Once its an automated function, you can just control the re-cycling of the feature. Essentially a simple command periodically, "recycle the plasma buffer".

Edit: Of course i see your point... you are a perfect borg drone and such, but you know... the rest of us are just stupid humanoids :D

Well, the beauty of assimilation, once you're one of us...everyone is "smart". We are always looking for good and willing(and not so willing too) team players. Because Borg are all intellectual All-Stars!

[k.mpok]

I guess I am partial to

Inverted/ing Shield Harmonics to abosrb a set energy harmonic signature. (thus absorbing a certain type of wpn energy).

[Jertyrael]

.. my only two cents regard the name and the tense of the skill in relation to the reference from the series.

Reversing polairty has always been an action and not a passive buff as was suggested.

If it was going to be done, it would have to be an activated ability with a limited effect before the tactical officer on the enemy ship adapted naturally.
Perhaps, as suggested, absorbing a small amount of energy instead of taking damage for three seconds. Or maybe simply repulsing the attack as polarity makes me think of a magnet.

I should bother my brother and ask him for his book on Star Trek Technology Theories (There's a lot of stuff that is actually in theory that's portrayed in The Trek Universe, if ya didn't already know).

My two cents.

(P.S. I should really have spent more time on these forums... I love this place!).

[Arakim]

This sounds like a Borg ability, but there is no reason why we couldn't have learned it from them by now.

Adaptive Shield Harmonics could be one step past Regenerative Shielding, and would reinforce the shield using the specified energy (disruptor, phaser, polaron beam). It would only last a short period of time (aka "Buff").

A personal opinion is that it would not normally be used aganist torpedoes, only beam weapons.

[Edrick]

Why don’t you just call it a "Shield Transporter” device and you could increase its effectiveness with the skill called "Shield Emissions systems"..... wait I think this idea has all ready been taken.

[Kinneas]

Hmmm ::: walks in sipping coffee and wagging papers ::

So NASA UFO videos posted in the last few days on YouTube show a number of ufo immediately moving towards electrical storms nearby when they happen.

At six minutes The voice over suggests they are drawing power from the conditions of the storm and 'harvesting' energy. http://www.youtube.com/user/stuffapproved
----
also:
An aside. Possible Star Trek humor here in this YouTube video of a ufo supposedly over Nevada. "Is this a plasma jockey testing Awen's suggestion to discover what shield reversing does?" Wooooo what a ride!

Another plasma jockey caught on YouTube?: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuGcZD64B68

a lovely quote: Electrons moving along a Birkeland current may be accelerated by a plasma double layer. If the resulting electrons approach relativistic velocities (ie. the speed of light) they may subsequently produce a Bennett pinch, which in a magnetic field will spiral and emit synchrotron radiation that includes radio, optical (ie. light), x-rays, and gamma rays.

A very Trekkie/Trekker paper from NASA advanced research: Minimagnetosphere Plasma Propulsion using plasma in a coil.: http://www.ess.washington.edu/Space/M2P2/m2p2.PDF "~ and we'll have fun, fun, fun till our daddy takes the warp core away...~

On Hans lfven and Birkeland currents: In 1937, when interstellar space was thought to be a vacuum and consequently unable to support an electrical current, he argued that if plasma pervaded the universe, then it could carry electric currents that could generate a galactic magnetic field. After winning his Nobel Prize for magnetohydrodynamics, it is said that he spent the rest of his life trying to convince scientists that magnetic fields were only half the story, and that electric currents played a more significant role in the universe. In 1974, his theoretical work on field-aligned electric currents in the aurora, based on earlier work by Kristian Birkeland, was confirmed by satellite, and Birkeland currents were discovered. Plasma Cosmology, an alternative cosmology to the Big Bang, is based on Alfvén's work.

Q: o.k. so if you reverse your MHD field (double layer plasma field?) while in a Birkeland current do you slow down or become repellent to the current proportional to your field? Are you pushed away from your current...er...current and will you be drawn towards an attractive current?

[Flatfingers]

Now that we're several days into this discussion, I'm wondering: will there be any feedback from Cryptic on this subject before Star Trek Online launches?

Should there be?

--Flatfingers

[Kinneas]

Now that we're several days into this discussion, I'm wondering: will there be any feedback from Cryptic on this subject before Star Trek Online launches?

Should there be?

--Flatfingers

ehhehe probably not.

"..and we would have gotten away with it too if it wasn't for you dang Trekkies and your blasted MMO! ~
-generic M.I.B.
---

It will be interesting to see how (if ever) they do it and why I appreciate Star Trek games. They usually do manage a way to take incredibly complex ideas and work them into easy to understand game play.

Eventually these concepts may become common.
---
As always, sorry for being negative. My MHD field is in constant flux as we finally get closer and closer to launch.

As others say it is nice to participate in any brainstorming of ideas like these and the Kobayashi Marus, etc.

[topekaguy1988]

Sounds cool :cool:

[Th4n4n]

In VOY, Captain Janeway repeatedly 'matches shield frequencies' to incoming fire. This allows various projected energy weapons (phasers, photon beams, and the like) to be harmlessly dispersed across the cosmos. By tuning shield harmonics / frequencies, the shot is more or less 'absorbed' or dispersed.

[Commodore_Rook]

Now that we're several days into this discussion, I'm wondering: will there be any feedback from Cryptic on this subject before Star Trek Online launches?

Should there be?

--Flatfingers

Yeah I was hoping they may have picked a name by now and can close this thread. Lot's of good ideas here.

[Azurian]

An aside. Possible Star Trek humor here in this YouTube video of a ufo supposedly over Nevada. "Is this a plasma jockey testing Awen's suggestion to discover what shield reversing does?" Wooooo what a ride!

Another plasma jockey caught on YouTube?: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuGcZD64B68


You realize that's footage is from a Titan Missile Launch from Vandenburg AFB, right? ;)

[PugPug]

Given that reversing or altering the shield polarity never did what this power does, I would consider it a poor name for the effect.

Usually reversing shield polarity is used to escape some sort of immobilizing or hindering effect, like a tractor beam.

[Sherp]

Now that we're several days into this discussion, I'm wondering: will there be any feedback from Cryptic on this subject before Star Trek Online launches?

Should there be?

--Flatfingers

I think if they're not going to directly reply and let us know what was chosen, they should at least unsticky the thread when they're done collecting input.

[Krakkken]

I like "negative sheild ionization".

[takiwa]

The STO team has been playing around with a new power set that we have coined The Reverse Shield Polarity. This power would be used as a “buff” that would allow a player to replenish their shields when hit with a certain type of weapon, rather than take damage. That’s the basics of the power. What we’re wondering is, Does calling it the Reverse Shield Polarity make sense? Is there a better term for this type of power?

There have already been some better suggestions for the name, on the first page were a few great suggestions.

Mine are below each with its own line.

Emergency power redirection (shields)

Absorbtive energy coupling (shields)

Shield absorbtive power bridging (SAPB) score... it acronyms well.

Supplementary power bridging


I would think this, among some other abilities, would be a double relation between tactical and engineering, similar to changing shield modulation, or ejecting the warp core for use as an explosive.
Takiwa

[voyagerexplorer111]

thought I could help you with that question look at this link --- http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Shield_polarity then go on deflector shield link on that page and that's your answer! It's also was on the sovereign in star trek armada 2 where deflector shields makes weapons bounce off ( http://armada2.filefront.com/screenshots/File/34267/3 ). One of the tricks with using these is using is to absorb the strength of the phasers and turning that into lots of energy for anything you want. Hope this message was useful.

[cocoa-jin]

I hope the devs acknowledge that reverse polarity is so far off from what they are propsing as the feature.

If they use this asorbtion feature, I hope they provide a reasonable, plausiable explanation that doesnt require the invention of some new tech, but instead makes use of current systems in innovative ways. It wouldnt require the feature be fully modeled as a live, dynamic feature of compound/multiple systems...just that the description of its use through those systems make sense.

If not, it would sort feel like a slap in the face considering evidence already presented by the community to the contray of reverse polarity. It might feel a bit gamey and non-canon if they just made up some random new tech just to force the idea of energy absorbtion into Trek.

I just feel new features in STO shouldnt neccessarily require new non-canon modules...just make creative use of current canon tech/systems.

Consider a defense against ablative armor. Ive discussed numerous times the benefit/advantage of using projectile ordnance/HEAT type shells making use of "hydro" shock like element/compound(essentially water or some dense fluid/gel held in place by a containment field)as an amplifer to the weapon to defeat the ablative armor. It wouldnt require the ordnance be anything much more advanced then a modern shell in terms of the war-head and it would also make use of simple containment field tech to hold the fluid in a compressed form to prevent it from turning into a gas in the vacuum of space. If the fluid is pressurized in the sealed torp casing it wouldnt even need a containment field.

At first I assumed it would require a new weapon to fire it...then I realized something, the torpedo tubes of Starfleet and likly Klingon ships use a combination of a magnetic rail gun and a light gas gun to fire the torps at high speeds....one could easily design a shell using essential a torp casing as housing for my anti-ablative projectile shell.

I guess what Im saying is that I dont want a bunch of made up stuff(non-Trek stuff) in an attempt to provide content and round out the game's inventory of items. When there are new features that can be implemented by making creative and innovative use of standard equipment...that is what Trek is about, intelligent and innovative use of what you have.

[Dis103]

The term sounds right to me. First thing that came to mind is when ships shoot the borg cube and their green shields come up. I am assuming that is what the borg do or something similar.

[Roy_Vash]

My previous: Reroute Shield Polarity
My new: Retune Shield Polarity

I still say the "skills" should be commands.

[MajorD]

I hope the devs acknowledge that reverse polarity is so far off from what they are propsing as the feature.

If they use this asorbtion feature, I hope they provide a reasonable, plausiable explanation that doesnt require the invention of some new tech, but instead makes use of current systems in innovative ways.
It does need a new tech, though. The information on shields points toward shields absorbing weapon energy and using it to reinforce itself to be counter to its functions. It can be new in the same way things like regenerative shielding are new, yet uses the same systems, but I really think it does need new hardware.

The problem is in there being this very specific piece of hardware or configuration for this very specific weapon. Is the weapon so extraordinarily dangerous that a special defense is required? Is the weapon so widespread that it makes sense to have a special defense? Is the weapon so easy to counter that you might as well use the defense? If it's just another weapon, and not even one that is particularly special in those ways, then there is no reason to have a special defense against the weapon.

But as you say, the best solution would be one that works with what is there. For a weapon to reinforce shields, it would probably need to be gravitational. The problem is, Trek shields seem pretty invincible when it comes to gravity, Voyager flew into the event horizon of a black holes (actually, that was at warp with shields down, but makes the point even stronger) so it's hard to imagine anyone trying to use gravity as a weapon in Trek. The closest it gets to a weapon is when in DS9 a Klingon used a graviton burst to disable some Dominion warp drives. It must have been a finely tuned or otherwise special burst of gravitons considering Voyager didn't even notice it was stuck in a black hole for days.

If you want a really weird solution, make the weapon in question fire chronotons. In Trek, chronotons can't be stopped by normal shields, but can stop them if properly set, which requires knowing the specific characteristics of the chronotons. Voyager got lucky when a dud chronoton torpedo got stuck in its hull, and they scanned the torpedo, providing the information to form a defense. But I digress. My point is (on the basis that some group has taken to using the technology for they're newer weapons) make a more advanced anti-chronoton weapon technology, one that can scan the temporal signature of temporal weapons as they are incoming. Instead of using the information to only counter the chronotons, co-opt the chrontons on impact with the shield and have them reverse entropy for the shield system. In effect, the shield regresses to a previous state by however many seconds or minutes, as determined by the quantity of incoming chronotons in comparison to the complexity of the shield system. Bigger shield systems need more chronotons for the same amount of temporal reversal, due to having more, or larger, emitters for their shield system.

This has a basis in Voyager and Deep Space Nine, where in the latter, captured chronotons were used in combination with the transporter to make a time machine. Okay, it's not perfect, that example is of sending a current object to an earlier period, not cutting out an object and reversing its entropy, but it does stand up to some extent. In Voyager, with temporal shields up, it was protected from universe changing temporal events. Isolate the protective phenomena to only the shields, and cause a time changing event to the shields alone. I'm not describing it correctly, the simplest way to explain is the way I originally did, with the reversal of time's arrow only on the shields. The interesting aspect is in if you reverse too much, or to a point where the shields were actually worse.:D

I would find a super advanced technology such as the above to be highly desirable in a Trek game.

[cocoa-jin]

It does need a new tech, though. The information on shields points toward shields absorbing weapon energy and using it to reinforce itself to be counter to its functions. It can be new in the same way things like regenerative shielding are new, yet uses the same systems, but I really think it does need new hardware.

The problem is in there being this very specific piece of hardware or configuration for this very specific weapon. Is the weapon so extraordinarily dangerous that a special defense is required? Is the weapon so widespread that it makes sense to have a special defense? Is the weapon so easy to counter that you might as well use the defense? If it's just another weapon, and not even one that is particularly special in those ways, then there is no reason to have a special defense against the weapon.

But as you say, the best solution would be one that works with what is there. For a weapon to reinforce shields, it would probably need to be gravitational. The problem is, Trek shields seem pretty invincible when it comes to gravity, Voyager flew into the event horizon of a black holes (actually, that was at warp with shields down, but makes the point even stronger) so it's hard to imagine anyone trying to use gravity as a weapon in Trek. The closest it gets to a weapon is when in DS9 a Klingon used a graviton burst to disable some Dominion warp drives. It must have been a finely tuned or otherwise special burst of gravitons considering Voyager didn't even notice it was stuck in a black hole for days.

If you want a really weird solution, make the weapon in question fire chronotons. In Trek, chronotons can't be stopped by normal shields, but can stop them if properly set, which requires knowing the specific characteristics of the chronotons. Voyager got lucky when a dud chronoton torpedo got stuck in its hull, and they scanned the torpedo, providing the information to form a defense. But I digress. My point is (on the basis that some group has taken to using the technology for they're newer weapons) make a more advanced anti-chronoton weapon technology, one that can scan the temporal signature of temporal weapons as they are incoming. Instead of using the information to only counter the chronotons, co-opt the chrontons on impact with the shield and have them reverse entropy for the shield system. In effect, the shield regresses to a previous state by however many seconds or minutes, as determined by the quantity of incoming chronotons in comparison to the complexity of the shield system. Bigger shield systems need more chronotons for the same amount of temporal reversal, due to having more, or larger, emitters for their shield system.

This has a basis in Voyager and Deep Space Nine, where in the latter, captured chronotons were used in combination with the transporter to make a time machine. Okay, it's not perfect, that example is of sending a current object to an earlier period, not cutting out an object and reversing its entropy, but it does stand up to some extent. In Voyager, with temporal shields up, it was protected from universe changing temporal events. Isolate the protective phenomena to only the shields, and cause a time changing event to the shields alone. I'm not describing it correctly, the simplest way to explain is the way I originally did, with the reversal of time's arrow only on the shields. The interesting aspect is in if you reverse too much, or to a point where the shields were actually worse.:D

I would find a super advanced technology such as the above to be highly desirable in a Trek game.

But the effect of using my plasma recycling is the same as if the shields themselves absorbed the energy to strengthen themselves without requiring one new piece of tech. Granted, a ship designer could make specialized systems specifcally for this purpose by taking standard systems in use by my idea and just beefing them up to handle larger loads.

It only requires transporters, bussard collectors possibly and the proper plasma that is best suited for the energy weapon being used.

Simple pour a dense cloud/layer of the plasma into the shield matrix, let it absorb the excess energy from the weapons blasts dispersed through and by the shield...then continously beam portions of the energized plasma in cycles into the transporter buffer, route a portion of the now combined energy of the energized plasma(which contains/consists in part of the absorbed weapon's energy) to the shield emmitors to re-strengthen the shields and then convert the remaining energy back into the appropriate plasma and transport it back into the shield matrix to absorb more blasts.

Its easy to implement, simple, no new tech and can be applied as a simple command...resulting in the shield being strengthened by certain energy weapons fire...just like the devs said.

Somebody tell me it doesnt make sense...because I see plain as day. It does everything they want and preserves canon, it eliminates the need for some made up module.

I mean whats next?....freeze rays and combat chariots?

[Powerhelm]

Reverse shield polarity makes it sound like you're using the shields to repel a physical object or something...

[MajorD]

But the effect of using my plasma recycling is the same as if the shields themselves absorbed the energy to strengthen themselves without requiring one new piece of tech. Granted, a ship designer could make specialized systems specifcally for this purpose by taking standard systems in use by my idea and just beefing them up to handle larger loads.

It only requires transporters, bussard collectors possibly and the proper plasma that is best suited for the energy weapon being used.

Simple pour a dense cloud/layer of the plasma into the shield matrix, let it absorb the excess energy from the weapons blasts dispersed through and by the shield...then continously beam portions of the energized plasma in cycles into the transporter buffer, route a portion of the now combined energy of the energized plasma(which contains/consists in part of the absorbed weapon's energy) to the shield emmitors to re-strengthen the shields and then convert the remaining energy back into the appropriate plasma and transport it back into the shield matrix to absorb more blasts.

Its easy to implement, simple, no new tech and can be applied as a simple command...resulting in the shield being strengthened by certain energy weapons fire...just like the devs said.

Somebody tell me it doesnt make sense...because I see plain as day. It does everything they want and preserves canon, it eliminates the need for some made up module.

I mean whats next?....freeze rays and combat chariots?
In TNG: "A Matter of Time", as mentioned on the MA's deflector page (http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Deflector#USS_Enterprise_.28NCC-1701-D.29), the defector is used with a phaser to ionize an atmosphere, then suck up the plasma using the deflector shields, sending the plasma into space. So, shields in Trek can direct plasma, this makes sense in terms of shields being gravitational phenomena. Maybe it's a bit like Metaphasic Shielding (http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Image:Metaphasic_shield_LCARS.jpg). The problem is, not all Trek weapons have or use plasma, although, I think later phasers have a plasma component. Also, Cryptic wanted this defense to be unique to a single, perhaps uncommon, weapon, where as phasers are very common. The defense wouldn't stop all of the phaser anyway, at best it might mitigate rather than eliminate damage.

The problem with beaming the energy away is, transporters are never shown to be that fast in getting a transporter lock. I suppose it would be a simple matter to predict where an attack will come from and teleport everything in the volume, but it faces a few problems. Most of all, the problem of transportation through your own shields, then there is the fact that transportation isn't instant, so the attack would still have time to hit. Also, transporter produce a confinement field, we know it's not innate to transporters because transporters in Enterprise didn't have them. So, it's a shield powered by the ship. So, you're going to be expending a lot of energy to transport the weapon energy. Then you're left with the question of turning the weapon energy into usable energy. If it's in the form of the stuff that causes the vaporization effect, I don't see any way you can use it to power your systems.

[cocoa-jin]

In TNG: "A Matter of Time", as mentioned on the MA's deflector page (http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Deflector#USS_Enterprise_.28NCC-1701-D.29), the defector is used with a phaser to ionize an atmosphere, then suck up the plasma using the deflector shields, sending the plasma into space. So, shields in Trek can direct plasma, this makes sense in terms of shields being gravitational phenomena. Maybe it's a bit like Metaphasic Shielding (http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Image:Metaphasic_shield_LCARS.jpg). The problem is, not all Trek weapons have or use plasma, although, I think later phasers have a plasma component. Also, Cryptic wanted this defense to be unique to a single, perhaps uncommon, weapon, where as phasers are very common. The defense wouldn't stop all of the phaser anyway, at best it might mitigate rather than eliminate damage.

The problem with beaming the energy away is, transporters are never shown to be that fast in getting a transporter lock. I suppose it would be a simple matter to predict where an attack will come from and teleport everything in the volume, but it faces a few problems. Most of all, the problem of transportation through your own shields, then there is the fact that transportation isn't instant, so the attack would still have time to hit. Also, transporter produce a confinement field, we know it's not innate to transporters because transporters in Enterprise didn't have them. So, it's a shield powered by the ship. So, you're going to be expending a lot of energy to transport the weapon energy. Then you're left with the question of turning the weapon energy into usable energy. If it's in the form of the stuff that causes the vaporization effect, I don't see any way you can use it to power your systems.

You arent teleporting through the shields...the plasma is in the amoungst the shield or just inside the shield. The plasma is ionized so it can likly be "adhered" to the inside of shield. The plasma would absorb ranges of EM energy(for which phasers are). But no plasma would effectivly absorb all ranges of the EM spectrum...so you'd need to configure the appropriate plasma to the weapon being defended against.

You wouldnt need to aim the transporter at the source of impact, just like to suck up hot boiling water doesnt require you draw the hot water from right over the burner...you can pull it from any where in the pot because energy diffuse readily in a fluid...though there will be hot spots and some spill over since any one spot can only absorb so much energy and disperse it about the rest of the shield and plasma cloud so fast.

The plasma is like a fluid capacitor amoungst the shield. It doesnt stop the attack, divert the attack , nor does it have to react to the attack. Its a passive supplement to the shields.

The initial energy investment is high, but consider this. Some of the energy being absorbed and re-routed to the shield emittors can be siphoned off and used to power the transporter and any other systems on the ship.

The transporter need not be quick to transport the material all at once, multiple transporters can be continously alternating(or not) in intervals, cycling the plasma in and out of the buffer(s) and back into or just inside the shield matrix.

Visually the ship would look like a swirling bubble of northern lights. Depending on the weapon energy and plasma used, you get different swirls of color in shield matrix.

*edit*
You can also use the Bussard collectors to spew the plasma out at high volume. You can also consider pumping the plasma into the warp nacelles to try and vent the energy through its manifolds, and even route the energy from the transporter buffer to the deflector dish and vent it out as a non-coherent beam of non-lethal...but perhaps blinding light.

The key is to use and/or vent the excess energy out of the ship without over heating the power grid.

[Lence]

I don't know

Reverse shield polarity sounds more like you're hacking the enemies shields and making it where they can't use their weapons. Other then the name the ability sounds pretty cool.

[MajorD]

snip
The problem is, to let the plasma inside the shield barrier requires leaving the shield porous, which would let everything through. Of course, shields do seem to have material selectivity, such as letting shuttles through, but not air. The real problem is in assuming that the weapons will be plasma based.

Using the Bussard collectors makes more sense than using the transporters, too, since we've seen them do this sort of thing.

[cocoa-jin]

The problem is, to let the plasma inside the shield barrier requires leaving the shield porous, which would let everything through. Of course, shields do seem to have material selectivity, such as letting shuttles through, but not air. The real problem is in assuming that the weapons will be plasma based.

Using the Bussard collectors makes more sense than using the transporters, too, since we've seen them do this sort of thing.

The plasma is delivered into the matrix from the inside...its intermingled into, or is at the very least in contact with the shield on the interior side. The plasma needs only to absorb the energy beaming exposed to the blast.

The energy doesnt have to be plasma based to be absorbed by the plasma. It only needs to be heat and/or EM based. Just like the gases in the earth's atmosphere arent protecting us from plasma, but from types of EM radiation.

The plasma acts like a shield induced, coherent layer of the atmosphere...like ozone to the nth degree. Just like ozone/oxygen absorbing UV(a type of EM emmision), the plasma does the same within the shield. Specific plasma(s) would be most effective against specific ranges/types of energy blaster/phaser ranges/spectrum.

Bussards would likly be the best way of delivering/injecting the plasma into the shield...but the best way of cycling it out may be the transporters...or a specially designed module for this purpose based on/using transporter tech...basically a larger, high volume transporter.

We could possibly modulate the polarity of the shields like mag-lift rails to have the plasma travel/cycle about the shields like a current, directing them to a point that expels the plasma back into the interior of the shield bubble for transporter or even bussard collection(one bussard releasing, the other receiving)...but directing too much into the Bussards and then into the nacelles could overload the the manifolds as it vents the excess energy as heat.

[SirReginaldo]

Why not have different levels of energy transfer from enemy weapons based on the many types of energy in the trek universe. Even though a simple way to capture energy would be solar, cause it is everywhere, although, thermal induction shielding would be a cool name for thermal adaptive sheilding allowing them to literally syphon heat energy, however an overload could occur as a negative.:D

[MajorD]

The plasma is delivered into the matrix from the inside...its intermingled into, or is at the very least in contact with the shield on the interior side. The plasma needs only to absorb the energy beaming exposed to the blast.
The plasma has to be outside the shield for it to interact with the weapon energy before it interacts with the shield, otherwise you have to leave the shield transparent to weapons fire. This will make the shield useless because there is no way a plasma will stop phasers and disruptor, considering phasers and disruptors can be fired through air, even underwater, just fine. Plasma is simply too diffuse to stop a phaser, the phaser energy won't be able to spread, and if it's set to vaporize the plasma that the weapon does effect will just disappear.

I know, it's a specialized defense for a specialized weapon. If it's a plasma torpedoes, you have to wonder why they don't do what you say, spread the energy over the entire shield and suck it up using the Bussard collectors. The explanation is probably that the plasma is too energetic to do that, and the field holding together is probably too strong.

The energy doesnt have to be plasma based to be absorbed by the plasma. It only needs to be heat and/or EM based. Just like the gases in the earth's atmosphere arent protecting us from plasma, but from types of EM radiation. Only primitives in Star Trek use EM weapons, with I think one exception. Thermal goes under either infrared EM or plasma. A plasma shield would work against those things, but it's unlikely to effect phasers or disruptors since they aren't EM based and aren't really plasma. It's just a guess, but I think they probably don't use EM, kinetic, or plasma (gun) weapons anymore because phasers and disruptors are just more efficient.

If someone were using a highly focused power transfer beam as a weapon, I could see doing something with the shields to act as a lens to defocus the beam.

[cocoa-jin]

The plasma has to be outside the shield for it to interact with the weapon energy before it interacts with the shield, otherwise you have to leave the shield transparent to weapons fire. This will make the shield useless because there is no way a plasma will stop phasers and disruptor, considering phasers and disruptors can be fired through air, even underwater, just fine. Plasma is simply too diffuse to stop a phaser, the phaser energy won't be able to spread, and if it's set to vaporize the plasma that the weapon does effect will just disappear.

I know, it's a specialized defense for a specialized weapon. If it's a plasma torpedoes, you have to wonder why they don't do what you say, spread the energy over the entire shield and suck it up using the Bussard collectors. The explanation is probably that the plasma is too energetic to do that, and the field holding together is probably too strong.
Only primitives in Star Trek use EM weapons, with I think one exception. Thermal goes under either infrared EM or plasma. A plasma shield would work against those things, but it's unlikely to effect phasers or disruptors since they aren't EM based and aren't really plasma. It's just a guess, but I think they probably don't use EM, kinetic, or plasma (gun) weapons anymore because phasers and disruptors are just more efficient.

If someone were using a highly focused power transfer beam as a weapon, I could see doing something with the shields to act as a lens to defocus the beam.


Ah...you're correct nadion is a particle. I could have sworn i had researched phaser before and found them to be EM. In that case, the plasma would be much, much less effective. Oh well, back to the drawing board!


I wouldnt expect the plasma to protect against anything explosive detonating on or within the plasma...though it would be effective against just the heat form such an explosion away from the plasma.

Oh well, good job on the EM aspect...next time I'll have to double check the parameters of my model.


So the plasma buffer would only be good against lower tech lasers and other EM weapons....very specialized defense...like you said. So its essentially useless against major Alpha and Beta quad parties/factions.

[MajorD]

Ah...you're correct nadion is a particle. I could have sworn i had researched phaser before and found them to be EM. In that case, the plasma would be much, much less effective. Oh well, back to the drawing board!

I wouldnt expect the plasma to protect against anything explosive detonating on or within the plasma...though it would be effective against just the heat form such an explosion away from the plasma.

Oh well, good job on the EM aspect...next time I'll have to double check the parameters of my model.

So the plasma buffer would only be good against lower tech lasers and other EM weapons....very specialized defense...like you said. So its essentially useless against major Alpha and Beta quad parties/factions.
It might help against real life particle weapons and fictional anti-proton weapons, but it wouldn't help in turning the attack into energy because the plasma would cool too fast, or something.

[cocoa-jin]

It might help against real life particle weapons and fictional anti-proton weapons, but it wouldn't help in turning the attack into energy because the plasma would cool too fast, or something.

Im not sure it would cool that fast...though it would cool for sure....likly through flourescing. But thats likly a good thing because it helps to minimize the overloading of internal systems used to process and handle the energy.

[Steinerguy]

Well I haven't had time to read every thread here but I think a good description for this ability would be something like this.

Power name: adjust shield harmonics or match shield harmonics.

Description: you adjust your shields harmonics to match the frequency of incoming enemy fire thus allowing all of damage type "X" to add to your shield grid instead of draining it. This power only works on areas of the ship still protected by shields and will have no effect on damage delivered to unshielded areas of the ship. This power last "X" amount of time or until "X" amount of total shielding is restored.

I think this could be a good possible description for this power.

[LunaticFringer]

I think as the first poster pointed out it does kind of have canon backing it.

But, to me, it seems that reversing shield polarity should act as a different kind of buff to break snagging effects on the ships rather than as an anti-weapon. A sort of technobabble option choice in some missions rather than a standard buff as it were.

I think re-modulating the shields sounds more correct for this kind of buff since it leans more towards direct use of blocking weapons with the shields. Like how the Borg do it.

That'd be my take on it.

[mistermgd]

The STO team has been playing around with a new power set that we have coined The Reverse Shield Polarity. This power would be used as a “buff” that would allow a player to replenish their shields when hit with a certain type of weapon, rather than take damage. That’s the basics of the power. What we’re wondering is, Does calling it the Reverse Shield Polarity make sense? Is there a better term for this type of power?

My title suggests one name for it! On another thread I asked about Kryptonians as a playable race with the crystalline technology as seen in Superman the movie and the fortress adn what I envisioned a ship like that could do is absorb phaser fire because the crystal could absorb energy and if the energy level exceeded the crystals" capacity, any excess energy could be used to create an energy shield or reflect that energy back at teh attacker or both based upon the % of the energy one allocuted for both. So my thinking is that you could tell your chief engineer to prepare for energy absorbtion and allocute 50% to shields and 50% for reflection back at the enemy.

[rayljr]

well here's an idea that may get no response, but what about giving it some long and unpronounceable name intentionally, and let each captain make up their own shortened version of that name.

it would give people a feeling of ownership of part of the game to have a part of it that they rename for themselves.

after i type this the idea sounds odd, but i'll run it up the flagpole, and see if anybody salutes it.

[mistermgd]

well here's an idea that may get no response, but what about giving it some long and unpronounceable name intentionally, and let each captain make up their own shortened version of that name.

it would give people a feeling of ownership of part of the game to have a part of it that they rename for themselves.

after i type this the idea sounds odd, but i'll run it up the flagpole, and see if anybody salutes it.

Nah. we can have interchangeable names though.

[Than]

The STO team has been playing around with a new power set that we have coined The Reverse Shield Polarity. This power would be used as a “buff” that would allow a player to replenish their shields when hit with a certain type of weapon, rather than take damage. That’s the basics of the power. What we’re wondering is, Does calling it the Reverse Shield Polarity make sense? Is there a better term for this type of power?

This might have been mentioned, but will say it anyway:)

If i recall canon here both the sovie and intrepid class uses a multispectrum shield DESIGNED to do that by default? as i believe Janeway babbles about this shield in some early VOY episodes and also explains why the ship can be in combat longer.

Technobabble:
Since the shield is using a multispectrum modulation it means that the deflector is no longer projecting just one "bubble" of shield, it projects multiple layers with different modulation that allows for the defence system to use this to detect and change some of the modulation to mimmic the energy that comes in contact with the layers and convert this into shield energy (think adaptive shielding like borg does it)

Deeper down: Since any kind of basic shield would work as a reverse polarity to repel energy, by reversing the shield polaity it "Should" match the energy that it is beeing exposed to and thus make your buff work..i just think you need to rethink how this is explained. Or at least the shield mechanic of things.

So since we know shields in canon can protect against physical and energy objects and torpedoes detonate when it hits the bubble suggest that the only possible way is either adaptive shielding based on proximity sensors to "project" more shield to that direction. Or it is a bubble that is given a constant feed of say protons or simmilar since we know protons tends to bump off objects (used to test or establish the molecular structure of material if i am not mistaken) That or bleed protons and add Neutrino to induce a fission reaction on the dangerzone (in a way it would work like todays reactive armor on tanks)

Could also use Neutrons as part of the deflector shield..to be honest anything could work.
Hmm or could use the a lego system: Be it you use multilayers magnetic fields that consist of different base building blocks that when "compressed" creates solid matter and hence it would work against energy and solid objects such as stones and torpedos.

Erm should note that no i am not particular skilled at atomic research or even insist i know anything about it, i am just trying to give a view :)

[Dext]

Sounds good to me.

[jfolds1]

I believe the TNG crew once saved a planet by absorbing then reflecting some kindof of atmospheric charge... it was in one of the series episodes.

Could watch that episode for some 'term' hints... even though they reflected the energy back into space.. they did use the shields to absorb the energy first..

shouldn't be too hard to shunt that into the shield capacitors

[IG_Slayer]

I believe the TNG crew once saved a planet by absorbing then reflecting some kindof of atmospheric charge... it was in one of the series episodes.

Could watch that episode for some 'term' hints... even though they reflected the energy back into space.. they did use the shields to absorb the energy first..

shouldn't be too hard to shunt that into the shield capacitors

I think I might member that.......................haven't watched that series for some time though!

[MajorD]

I believe the TNG crew once saved a planet by absorbing then reflecting some kindof of atmospheric charge... it was in one of the series episodes.

Could watch that episode for some 'term' hints... even though they reflected the energy back into space.. they did use the shields to absorb the energy first..

shouldn't be too hard to shunt that into the shield capacitors
They directed the resulting plasma from the atmosphere somehow using their shields. The plasma didn't penetrate the shields and wasn't absorbed by them.

[cocoa-jin]

They directed the resulting plasma from the atmosphere somehow using their shields. The plasma didn't penetrate the shields and wasn't absorbed by them.

I bet they could have done it by sending alternating changes in polarity through the shield like a mag-lift. Picking up the ionized/charged gases and launching it out like a magnetic catapult.

Dang...if only major factions used EM weapons...the things we could do.

[minago]

Can you reverse the polarity ,comes to mind from a spoof

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zKNZGmISZQ

[thefreshjedi]

Shield Modulation sounds better if it's a seperate category of skills. Or a subset of skills maybe. I think Reversing Polarity was only used in conjunction with different frequencies of shields, and whether they wished to attract or repel something.

"Polarity" usually denotes "magnetism", and is used to describe the interaction of magnetic properties which either repel or attract each other.

But if you're talking about simply adjusting shields to better handle the overall shield coverage, or filling in an empty "hole" in the shields, then you're technically recalibrating the shields is all. Or Modulating them to withstand different impacts.



-avery

[Sumoben]

It would be okay if the description says "Attempts to determine enemy weapon frequency, and attempts to change shield frequency to compensate. 25% chance of success on use, 20 second cooldown"

And call it "Remodulate shields" or something like "Tactical Shield Remodulation"

Or, Change it to something like, "Emergency Shield Reinforcement" . . . "Reinforces the shields for the next incoming hits, Decreases the next 5 incoming damage hits, with diminishing returns per hit. Starts at a base of 40% and lowers to 35% 30% 25% and 20% reductons. 1 minute 30 second cooldown"

Or it could be a passive skill.. such as...

"Increased Shield Remodulation Frequency"

"Increases the chance that your shields will automatically remodulate to a frequency that will decrease damage by 80%, but also increases the chance that enemy weapons will penetrate the shields and increase damage taken by 20%. 5% chance of each"

[cocoa-jin]

It would be okay if the description says "Attempts to determine enemy weapon frequency, and attempts to change shield frequency to compensate. 25% chance of success on use, 20 second cooldown"

And call it "Remodulate shields" or something like "Tactical Shield Remodulation"

Or, Change it to something like, "Emergency Shield Reinforcement" . . . "Reinforces the shields for the next incoming hits, Decreases the next 5 incoming damage hits, with diminishing returns per hit. Starts at a base of 40% and lowers to 35% 30% 25% and 20% reductons. 1 minute 30 second cooldown"

Or it could be a passive skill.. such as...

"Increased Shield Remodulation Frequency"

"Increases the chance that your shields will automatically remodulate to a frequency that will decrease damage by 80%, but also increases the chance that enemy weapons will penetrate the shields and increase damage taken by 20%. 5% chance of each"

Im sorry, but that just sounds way too gamey...it sounds like mechanics for one of those roll the dice MMOs...like Final Fantasy 2460.

It just sounds way too scripted and fixed...none of the fluid, natural law based mechanics I'd personally expect. It fills too much like the game is doing everything and Im just spamming features hoping the dice will roll in my favor.

Thats just me personally.

[Sumoben]

Im sorry, but that just sounds way too gamey...it sounds like mechanics for one of those roll the dice MMOs...like Final Fantasy 2460.

It just sounds way too scripted and fixed...none of the fluid, natural law based mechanics I'd personally expect. It fills too much like the game is doing everything and Im just spamming features hoping the dice will roll in my favor.

Thats just me personally.

I made it as "Crypticeqsue" as possible..=/

[seancorycooper]

It would be okay if the description says "Attempts to determine enemy weapon frequency, and attempts to change shield frequency to compensate. 25% chance of success on use, 20 second cooldown" And call it "Remodulate shields" or something like "Tactical Shield Remodulation" Or, Change it to something like, "Emergency Shield Reinforcement" . . . "Reinforces the shields for the next incoming hits, Decreases the next 5 incoming damage hits, with diminishing returns per hit. Starts at a base of 40% and lowers to 35% 30% 25% and 20% reductons. 1 minute 30 second cooldown" Or it could be a passive skill.. such as... "Increased Shield Remodulation Frequency" "Increases the chance that your shields will automatically remodulate to a frequency that will decrease damage by 80%, but also increases the chance that enemy weapons will penetrate the shields and increase damage taken by 20%. 5% chance of each"
this is eve's tac shield manipulation basically. what would be good would be something like this, plus eve's energized adaptive nano membrane..hmm

[cocoa-jin]

this is eve's tac shield manipulation basically. what would be good would be something like this, plus eve's energized adaptive nano membrane..hmm

:( makes me wanna cry to think of STO modeling Eve combat mechanics...it was such a turn off for me...its why I sat around popping rocks and developing scan/probe skills instead of fighting.

It was a undying desire for something Trek tha got me to drop out before my high probe skills ever became viable in the universe.

[Cnex1]

Maybe 'Invert Shield Polarity'?



I agree perhaps a more accurate term should be used (i.e.: polaric reinforcement)

[Sumoben]

this is eve's tac shield manipulation basically. what would be good would be something like this, plus eve's energized adaptive nano membrane..hmm

:( makes me wanna cry to think of STO modeling Eve combat mechanics...it was such a turn off for me...its why I sat around popping rocks and developing scan/probe skills instead of fighting.

It was a undying desire for something Trek tha got me to drop out before my high probe skills ever became viable in the universe.

No, its not based off of Eve, Shield Remodulation has always been a part of Star Trek, at least part of Voyager. I wasn't even thinking of EVE when I thought of the idea, I was thinking more of some CoX powersets.

[takiwa]

The STO team has been playing around with a new power set that we have coined The Reverse Shield Polarity. This power would be used as a “buff” that would allow a player to replenish their shields when hit with a certain type of weapon, rather than take damage. That’s the basics of the power. What we’re wondering is, Does calling it the Reverse Shield Polarity make sense? Is there a better term for this type of power?

Po*lar"i*ty\, n. [Cf. F. polarit['e].]

1. (Physics) That quality or condition of a body in virtue of which it exhibits opposite, or contrasted, properties or powers, in opposite, or contrasted, parts or directions; or a condition giving rise to a contrast of properties corresponding to a contrast of positions

OK above is the most relevant definition I could find referencing Polarity. The problem is in this particular definition its still listing poles as in earths magnetic poles, which by inference means that a shield in star trek has poles which it can reverse. Now if a pole can be reversed than I am not sure the shield is always shielding depending on where on the ship your talking about. To reverse shield polarity should literally mean changing the positive and negative side of the shields pole, which should do nothing unless there is another shielded craft close by in which case it should repulse both craft, or attract them based on where the other starship is and which pole was pointed towards your ship before and after you reversed the polarity of the shield. (does this make sense to anyone but me?)

Now the other definition simply states that the object would do something opposite, and well... opposite of a shield absorbing/deflecting a beam of energy would be? The shields also work against Kentic weapons in Star Trek if I am not mistaken, though inertial compensators appearantly are overwhelmed since you see trekky crew getting thrown about. So that would lead me to believe that since a shield under normal polarity absorbes and/or deflects energy that reversing it would allow it to pass through unhindered or make it do more damage.

ok thats me being nitpicky with words and the actual difference in meanings associated with words.
Takiwa

[Cochran]

The STO team has been playing around with a new power set that we have coined The Reverse Shield Polarity. This power would be used as a “buff” that would allow a player to replenish their shields when hit with a certain type of weapon, rather than take damage. That’s the basics of the power. What we’re wondering is, Does calling it the Reverse Shield Polarity make sense? Is there a better term for this type of power?

First, let me say thank you for asking our opinion on such a matter. It's been nice to have a relationship among the forum trolls, such as us; with the developers of this project.

My thoughts would be that Reversing Shield Polarity would cause some form of repulsion, not of absorbsion. In essence, your shields are there to absorb energy as is, hence the cost of energy to displace what would be energy damaging your vessel. Though not totally canon, I would think "Reverse Shield Polarity" would be a neat trick of reflect attacks away from your ship. Not necessarily back at the attacker, but have it repel the fire away from your ship, causing the attack to not damage your shields in the process. Maybe even give it a small % chance of reflecting the attack back to the aggressor.

Just my 2 strips of latinum

[Sumoben]

Or we could just call it the Corbomite reflector XD.

[PicardoManeuver]

The STO team has been playing around with a new power set that we have coined The Reverse Shield Polarity. This power would be used as a “buff” that would allow a player to replenish their shields when hit with a certain type of weapon, rather than take damage. That’s the basics of the power. What we’re wondering is, Does calling it the Reverse Shield Polarity make sense? Is there a better term for this type of power?

Seems to me it would be more suited to "Match Phase Variance." After all, you're adapting a weapon to absorb power from a weapon.

[mistermgd]

Seems to me it would be more suited to "Match Phase Variance." After all, you're adapting a weapon to absorb power from a weapon.

Why not keep it simple, "activate absorbtion shield."

[Sumoben]

Why not keep it simple, "activate absorbtion shield."

Cause that doesn't sound "trek"

[Angelwithsoul]

Cause that doesn't sound "trek"

How about calling it the "Reroute the thoronic field harmonic resonator from the deflector shield matrix to invert the ships shield polarity flux capacitor output"

Does that sound Trekky enough? :rolleyes:

But seriously, If I'd have to give this one a name... I'd go with on of those already suggested like:

Inverse Shields
or
Reverse shield polarity

Don't make the title to long, OR... Give it a long name but add a cool acronym to it. :cool:

[mistermgd]

Cause that doesn't sound "trek"

How's this then"ACTIVATE THE MULTISPECTRAL PHASE INTEGRATOR" or MSPI for short.

[Sumoben]

How about calling it the "Reroute the thoronic field harmonic resonator from the deflector shield matrix to invert the ships shield polarity flux capacitor output"

Does that sound Trekky enough? :rolleyes:

But seriously, If I'd have to give this one a name... I'd go with on of those already suggested like:

Inverse Shields
or
Reverse shield polarity

Don't make the title to long, OR... Give it a long name but add a cool acronym to it. :cool:

How's this then"ACTIVATE THE MULTISPECTRAL PHASE INTEGRATOR" or MSPI for short.


You two have to understand, that even Cryptic's Dev team are fans of Star Trek themselves, and likely wouldn't go for a non "treknobabble" name. I doubt that the majority of general Trek fans would go for it either. The name should reflect Trek, the description can be as simple as possible.. However, most people would like to see the actual name of the power to be something Trek.

[mistermgd]

You two have to understand, that even Cryptic's Dev team are fans of Star Trek themselves, and likely wouldn't go for a non "treknobabble" name. I doubt that the majority of general Trek fans would go for it either. The name should reflect Trek, the description can be as simple as possible.. However, most people would like to see the actual name of the power to be something Trek.

What's wrong with my last one; sounded pretty Trekky to me.

[Sumoben]

What's wrong with my last one; sounded pretty Trekky to me.

Something called, Caps lock.

Caps lock makes things fail, fail hard. =/

[Angelwithsoul]

What's wrong with my last one; sounded pretty Trekky to me.

Ok then, I'll go with "Inverse Shield Polarity".

Definetely has a trekky sound to it, It's not like I was at a restaurant the other day where I asked the waiter to inverse the shield polarity on my Ice-tea drink...

It's something you'd expect to hear on a Star Trek episode.

[USS_Parallax]

Technobabble is stupid. Star Trek needs far less of it. They try to make crap sound like it might make sense but they make it worse by explaining it with crap that doesn't make sense :P.

A lot of it is fine but they go overboard with the explanations often.

[mistermgd]

Technobabble is stupid. Star Trek needs far less of it. They try to make crap sound like it might make sense but they make it worse by explaining it with crap that doesn't make sense :P.

A lot of it is fine but they go overboard with the explanations often.

I agree but you know how some of these Trekky fans are.

[cocoa-jin]

Technobabble is stupid. Star Trek needs far less of it. They try to make crap sound like it might make sense but they make it worse by explaining it with crap that doesn't make sense :P.

A lot of it is fine but they go overboard with the explanations often.

It wouldnt be so bad if it made sense...but just random pseudo-science terms thrown together is a bit cheesy.

I like when they come up with pseudo-plausiable explanations and match the terms/technobabble to match.

[jwood299]

The STO team has been playing around with a new power set that we have coined The Reverse Shield Polarity. This power would be used as a “buff” that would allow a player to replenish their shields when hit with a certain type of weapon, rather than take damage. That’s the basics of the power. What we’re wondering is, Does calling it the Reverse Shield Polarity make sense? Is there a better term for this type of power?

I was just watching DS9 Season 1 Episode "Captive Pursuit" in which a random alien ship "Reversed DS9's Shield polarity to effectively bring down the station's shields. Sounds more like a De buff to me...

[cocoa-jin]

I was just watching DS9 Season 1 Episode "Captive Pursuit" in which a random alien ship "Reversed DS9's Shield polarity to effectively bring down the station's shields. Sounds more like a De buff to me...


Interesting...it could make sense that reversing your own polarity would have a repelling aspect to it, but that is assuming everything in the associated system/(s) is set up and re-calibrated for it.

But if your shields are forcibly reversed while your systems are still trying to work in the other direction, the shields system(s) could sort of "stall out"...shutting down your shields all together.

Like a power train, its designed to work forward and in reverse, but Im sure it would stall if you have the power train going in one direction and you encounter something strong enough to reverse or bog down the wheels while in motion.

[mistermgd]

Intially, I was thinking that this reverse shield polarity was really nothing more than reflective shiled rather than deflective so the principle is that energy sent at something can be reflected back at the attacker. Absorbptionon hte other hand is based upon a principle that energy can be stored much like we do with food. So energy absorbption and reflection would be based upon the notion that energy can be collected and stored within something adn teh amount stored can be eitehr modified so that energy is redirected backa t the source but less is absorbed in the case where 100% of the energy coudl be stored but is not chosen to be or if the energy directed at the object exceeds maximum capacity 100% then the excess energy, the difference from 100%, is reflected back at the source.

Based upon this theory, one form is sompler than the other, reverse shield polarity as pure reflection and then becomes more compelx as you advance towards absorbption and then absorbption/redirection and then finally absorbption/reidrection where additional energy is redirected thus making the defnsive system turn offensive by adding additional energy to make the redicreted energy stronger than the attack.

So we ened to see what possiblities within this spectrum exist for us in the game. As I said before, the notion of crystalline starships that comes from the Superman movies as beign the ultimate technology because of the abiltiy for the whole ship to absorb adn redirect energy as werll as advances in speed, maneuverability, and weaponry would be amazing.

[icarus911]

I would have to say a better term would be "Forced feed back modulation" would be the best description of what you guys are trying to accomplish. It would be a great idea to have but only as a 30 second or so buff.

[Angelwithsoul]

"Shield Impact Re-Energizing Module" Or, For the coolcats: The "S.I.R.E. Mod" Buff! :cool:

Just throwing it in there. :rolleyes:

[astralsolace]

In the various series, don't they normally reserve "polarity changes" for when their shields are already rendered ineffective and being compensated for? It sounds like what the devs are looking for is "adaptive shield modulation," in attempting to neutralize or benefit from energy fire.

[dantivirus]

In the various series, don't they normally reserve "polarity changes" for when their shields are already rendered ineffective and being compensated for? It sounds like what the devs are looking for is "adaptive shield modulation," in attempting to neutralize or benefit from energy fire.


That would be my sugguestion as well. If you're adjusting your shields to compensate for a certain type of energy, then "adaptive shield modulation" seems the good choice. If I remember correctly, the NX-91001 has somethng like that.

regenerative shields on the NX-91001 can adapt to enemy weapons fire during a battle.

Basically the same thing we're talking about right?

[rayljr]

The STO team has been playing around with a new power set that we have coined The Reverse Shield Polarity. This power would be used as a “buff” that would allow a player to replenish their shields when hit with a certain type of weapon, rather than take damage. That’s the basics of the power. What we’re wondering is, Does calling it the Reverse Shield Polarity make sense? Is there a better term for this type of power?

i love trek technobable, and i see that i am not alone in that.

from your description i can think of these possible names, other that reverse polarity mode;

narrow absorption mode
specific absorption mode
narrow frequency recharge mode
endo-shield mode [since endo thermic chemical reactions absorb heat rather than give it off [exo-thermic]]
endo-energenic shield mode
or the real tongue twister,
endo energetic specific narrow frequency shield absorption reverse polarity recharge mode - [use only with adult supervision]


i have the original message that started this thread quoted here because i may have misunderstood it.
i thought that the description of the setting for the shields was not a separate device, but a different setting for a device already installed.

so i addressed it as a mode, rather than as a device.

was i mistaken here?

and also, it seems to me that this mode is one where the selected destructive input, and ONLY the selected destructive input, would actually add strength to the shields by using the incoming energy, converting it, to a usable form.
and all other destructive input would pass the shields as if there were no shields at all.


it seems that the conversation has gone to something different than this.
either that, or i misunderstood the original message as posted.

will someone please be kind enough to let me know if, in fact, i am just not understanding the original message?

[mistermgd]

i have the original message that started this thread quoted here because i may have misunderstood it.
i thought that the description of the setting for the shields was not a separate device, but a different setting for a device already installed.

so i addressed it as a mode, rather than as a device.

was i mistaken here?

and also, it seems to me that this mode is one where the selected destructive input, and ONLY the selected destructive input, would actually add strength to the shields by using the incoming energy, converting it, to a usable form.
and all other destructive input would pass the shields as if there were no shields at all.


it seems that the conversation has gone to something different than this.
either that, or i misunderstood the original message as posted.

will someone please be kind enough to let me know if, in fact, i am just not understanding the original message?

I think some of us were mistaken. That sounds like type specific regenrative shielding. Definitely nowhere near as advanced as what I was thinking.
My thinking on the subject was more general yet much more advanced where as this is more type-specific and not much of a change from shield frequency remodulation.

[NCC1864]

I think you should just bag the whole idea

[VainEldritch]

It sounds good... BUT please do not use terms like "buff"! I do NOT want people running about asking for their ship to be "buffed". Nomenclature is soooo important in SciFi.

Please, please, please... no "ship buffing".

Reverse polarity: Yes!

Shield buffing: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[VainEldritch]

"Shield Impact Re-Energizing Module" Or, For the coolcats: The "S.I.R.E. Mod" Buff! :cool:

Just throwing it in there. :rolleyes:

Do... Not... Use... The... Term "BUFF"........... ever.

Oh no.

[Angelwithsoul]

Do... Not... Use... The... Term "BUFF"........... ever.

Oh no.

Not realy our choice is it?

But to be honest, What IS the sci-fi term for "buff"?

[TGcable]

The STO team has been playing around with a new power set that we have coined The Reverse Shield Polarity. This power would be used as a “buff” that would allow a player to replenish their shields when hit with a certain type of weapon, rather than take damage. That’s the basics of the power. What we’re wondering is, Does calling it the Reverse Shield Polarity make sense? Is there a better term for this type of power?

I don't know if it been said already but that almost sound like a heal. i don't like the idea of a ships healing in battle. repairing after a battle i'm fine with. heals during a battle noes. it be just like any other mmo just hosed down with star trek juice

[cocoa-jin]

Do... Not... Use... The... Term "BUFF"........... ever.

Oh no.

agreed...i was going to say it but decided to just ignore the post for a few days.

[dantivirus]

Seconded! Never ever use that term! ;)

Shields up! Red Alert! Set phasers to slaughter!

[doam]

Not realy our choice is it?

But to be honest, What IS the sci-fi term for "buff"?

Anti-cordial-reverse-non-de-powering.



But as I do not have an eccentric dislike of common gaming terms, I'll probably just use "buff."

[Saerain]

buff ma toon w ur guy (http://saerain.com/images/STO-EccentricDislike.png)

[NCC1864]

Not realy our choice is it?

But to be honest, What IS the sci-fi term for "buff"?

How About Refit

[Roy_Vash]

Boost...assist...reinforce...help...aid...support. ..

edit: charge

[DOUBLESHOCK]

yeah I like boost better.

[Matthias_DuBastyra]

I guess it would work but I agree with some of my collegues on this: there are other terms that can be much more specific plus, I do like the idea that a sheild could adjust its harmonics to absorb a specific type of energy. If you recall from STNG, everything was disruptor based but from games (Star Fleet Battles), animated Star Trek, and the original Star Trek, there were many other forms of energy weapons (can anyone recall the Klingon SFG?)

By creating many subsets of shield absorbtion, you force the captain to think quickly and adjust accordingly!
"Romulan War Bird decloaking off the starboard bow!"
"Red Alert! Set sheilds for plasma absorbtion!"
Now that's how its done!

[Angelwithsoul]

I am watching the Voyager Season 5 two-parter "Dark Frontier" right now, And The Borg just used the same technique as described in this thread.

Seven was asked how to proceed in adapting to a species weapons system. Her answer was to:

"Triaxulate Shield Geometry to absorb the species phaser pulses"

So, Now we know what The Borg call this move:

Triaxulate Shield Geometry.

Just thought I'd throw this into the mix.

[Interdictor]

Meh - "buff/debuff" is standard game nomenclature now (along with kite, aggro, rez, Leeroy Jenkins ;) ) - it's a quick and easy way to transfer game concepts and information to a wide variety of people. There is no real way of stopping it so I guess you guys are just gonna have to suck it up and deal with it. :D

[Apoc_0987]

I don't know. It sounds fine to me. Maybe "Energy Absortion Shield?" Does it really matter what it is called?

[trek68]

The STO team has been playing around with a new power set that we have coined The Reverse Shield Polarity. This power would be used as a “buff” that would allow a player to replenish their shields when hit with a certain type of weapon, rather than take damage. That’s the basics of the power. What we’re wondering is, Does calling it the Reverse Shield Polarity make sense? Is there a better term for this type of power?

I can see the naming thought process if "reversing the polarity" is to a specific weapon type, and not effective to all types; as each weapon has specific characteristics.

[Anichent]

"The shield polarity is an attribute of a deflector shield.

In 2371, when the USS Voyager came under bombardment by organic elements inside a nucleogenic cloud being, Captain Kathryn Janeway proposed reversing the shield polarity, to no effect. (VOY: "The Cloud")

During its passage through the space of the Swarm species in 2373, Voyager encountered a single Swarm vessel that fired a polaron burst into its shields. The burst changed the shield polarity to a rotation of 92 gigahertz, alerting the much larger Swarm fleet to Voyager's presence. (VOY: "The Swarm")

In 2375, the USS Voyager vented plasma from its nacelles and reversed shield polarity to escape the gravity well of a subspace sinkhole. (VOY: "Gravity")

In 2376, Seven of Nine informed the Voyager crew that they must cut power and reverse shield polarity to avoid attracting a graviton ellipse. (VOY: "One Small Step")

While in command of the Kraylor medical transport "Nightingale" in 2377, Harry Kim reversed the shield polarity at a crucial moment above the Kraylor homeworld, when they were caught in the tractor beam of an Annari warship. This broke the tractor beam lock and gave them enough momentum to reach the safety of the Kraylor defense perimeter. (VOY: "Nightingale")

Later in 2377, the USS Voyager unsuccessfully tried to escape being pulled into the Void by reversing shield polarity. (VOY: "The Void") "

-Memory Alpha

And so it seems to me that reversing the shield polarity of a Starship prevents or reduces it's detection in some cases, and the effect of something that has a pull or hold on the ship in some cases....with no reference to preventing damege. Therefore, I disapprove of the name.

[Anichent]

HOWEVER........

"Shield frequency

A shield frequency, shield harmonic, or shield modulation refers to the frequency settings of the shield emitters on a particular starship. If an enemy force were to obtain this frequency, they can modify their weapons to bypass the shields entirely. (Star Trek Generations) Shield functionality can be regained by remodulating the shields. (VOY: "Equinox, Part II") In order for two starships to merge their shield envelopes, the frequencies of their shields must be matched. (VOY: "Equinox")

In less than ideal sensor conditions, a ship can be identified by the pattern of its shield harmonics. (VOY: "Innocence")

In 2366, when the non-corporeal Koinonians drained antimatter from the antimatter pods to use it as energy to create their replica of Marla Aster, it was stopped by increasing the shield harmonics to match the antimatter containment effectively severing the Koinonian beam. (TNG: "The Bonding")

In 2371, Lursa and B'Etor were able to inflict severe damage on the USS Enterprise-D after learning its shield frequencies through modifications of Geordi La Forge's VISOR. They were then able to adjust their bird-of-prey's disruptors and torpedoes to pass through the Enterprise's shields. (Star Trek Generations)

The Vidiian starship that attacked the USS Voyager in 2371 was capable of continuously matching Voyager's shield frequencies, allowing them to clamp directly onto the hull. (VOY: "Fury")

In 2372, a shuttlecraft piloted by Tom Paris penetrated the shields of a Pralor starship by matching shield harmonics with those of the Pralor subspace defense field. (VOY: "Prototype")

In 2375, One, an advanced Borg drone with 29th-century technology, remodulated Voyager's shields to break the ship free of a Borg sphere's tractor beam. (VOY: "Drone")

Later that year, Lieutenant Commander Tuvok developed a new shield modulation which was hoped would be effective against the weapons of Devore warships. (VOY: "Counterpoint")

In 2376, the USS Equinox successfully engaged the USS Voyager after learning its shield frequencies. Although Voyager remodulated its shields several times, each time the new frequencies were passed to the Equinox by their EMH, which had been switched with that of Voyager. (VOY: "Equinox, Part II")

This also explains how a ship can fire through its own shields. Their weapons would be set to their own shield frequency."

- Memory Alpha

It seems that, calling this maneuver "rotate shield harmoincs" or "remodulate shields" would be a name suitable for the type of effect you are thinking of.

[crouchar]

i like :) I think its a great idea.

[Killgore316]

sounds awesome to me, what the guy above me said, remodulate shield frequency/harmonics.

[Rusulka]

The STO team has been playing around with a new power set that we have coined The Reverse Shield Polarity. This power would be used as a “buff” that would allow a player to replenish their shields when hit with a certain type of weapon, rather than take damage. That’s the basics of the power. What we’re wondering is, Does calling it the Reverse Shield Polarity make sense? Is there a better term for this type of power?

Okay to rephrase what you are saying above. It sounds like the shields are absorbing the power from a specific type of weapon discharge and then rerouting that absorbed power back into the shields to reinforce them. In Task Force Games Star Fleet Battles Andromedan ships carried Absorption Panels that fulfilled this purpose.

Energy Absorption Transfer (EAT) Module. For IG specific systems tags this could be read:
EAT Phaser
EAT Disruptor
EAT Plasma
EAT Tachyon

[Im-Kris]

makes sense

[MrMoose]

On a different train of thought i was thinking something like Active Dispersal Shielding so as the energy weapon hits the shielding it is just dispersed over the entire surface which in turn will add to its strength by a small amount. Not going on any storylines or science stuff just thought it sounded cool :D

[Cocidius]

Shields operate by dispersing energy directed against them. The question is, however, how does one collect that energy instead of having it strain the system?

Perhaps "Disruptor (or whatever else) Absorbtion Sheild Harmonic/Frequency" would do the job.

[Anichent]

Shields operate by dispersing energy directed against them. The question is, however, how does one collect that energy instead of having it strain the system?

Perhaps "Disruptor (or whatever else) Absorbtion Sheild Harmonic/Frequency" would do the job.

Sounds good, only most Starships' shidls, and therefore weapons, operate on different frequencies. To imply that one frequency would make shields impervious would be impossible....and would beg the question: "If such a frequency exists, why do all ships not use said frequency making their shields impervious?"

[cavilier210]

I think they try to get to the point where the shields are nearly impervious by having multiple frequencies layered over eachother

[kaltepuk]

"Reverse Shield Polarity" doesn't seem to make sense for what you described.

Seems like it should be some kind of "absorption", "exploitation", "energy shifter", "remodulation", etc.

[MrMoose]

Hmmmz how about Adaptive Exchange Shielding, its adaptive so it can protect against multiple weapon frequencies and it exchanges all energy streamed into it into a useful shield output.

Although im not sure i like the word exchange in there....

[captianjoe]

i think the name is perfect. the game is based on the television and movies. that is the phrase they used in both. so it sounds great

[Anichent]

i think the name is perfect. the game is based on the television and movies. that is the phrase they used in both. so it sounds great

The phrase they used....but the devs would not be using it in the right context. They also used "remodulating shields" in the television shows and movies.

[FalconDarkwing]

it looks to me as if the the oringinal post means if a specific weapon hits it two options can happen based on what the programmers made.
1) an option comes up where you can activate this ability to abosrb the damage to replenish your sheilds.. witch in that case some sort of reverse would work but i agree with not using the reverse polarity.. more like something ot do with the emiiter or teh energy system it self.

or

2) it happens automaticaly. sayits just a biproduct of the specific frequencys coming in contact. in witch case each class of ship would have an advantage against this type of weapon in combat. in whitch case could cause a unique and intresting tactical objective to overcome. personaly i like this option.

[FalconDarkwing]

Sounds good, only most Starships' shidls, and therefore weapons, operate on different frequencies. To imply that one frequency would make shields impervious would be impossible....and would beg the question: "If such a frequency exists, why do all ships not use said frequency making their shields impervious?"

actually to ansewer this one anichent, that problem coudl be easy to overcome. either side can remodulate frequencies to compensate and change the tactical feild. witch poses more possibilites as well in a hypothetical situation.

[asuffield]

It's treknobabble, I don't think it really matters that much what words you use.

That said, the words "polarity" and "(re)modulate" should only ever be used in an ironic and deeply silly fashion.

"Commander, quick, remodulate the phase flux polarity!"
"Sir, that's complete nonsense"
"Then do it again!"
"It's working sir, we're pulling away"

[Anichent]

actually to ansewer this one anichent, that problem coudl be easy to overcome. either side can remodulate frequencies to compensate and change the tactical feild. witch poses more possibilites as well in a hypothetical situation.

Then you see my point lol, I want to call it remodualating frequencies, not reversing polarity. According to Star Trek canon so far, reversing polarity would do nothing in regards to any weapons.

[Teknomage]

Have none of you noobs even read the Trek Technical Manual? ;-p Kidding.

I agree it should be called something more relevant to its effect, rather than the generic term "Reverse shield polarity". If my trek physics is correct (and my understanding of real physics helps), all the defensive shield is is an area around the ship of modulated EM energy, like magnetic or some form of electricity. The energy used here would then be set to specific frequencies of vibration, etc. Heat, for example, is simply particles at high vibration. If its high enough and contained in a specific area the heat is so intense that it can repel/absorb other forms of energy. Reversing the polarity of said vibrations for these particles/energy could work in the effect the devs want IF the incoming energy/particles were all one frequency. Most weapons work on multiplie frequencies, for this and other reasons.This did happen in Trek, but it wasnt perfect. They still took some damage, just not as much as before. When the Borg attacked they had a rotating frequency.. a constant change, to counter the constant change of the Borg weapons for a time. So, if you know the majority of the frequency the weapon's energy is set to, and you have the equipment that can do it, you can absorb some of that energy when it hits the shields.

Now in the context of the game, if I undertand what the devs are going for here, we could have a set of buffs that absorb a certain percentage of incoming weapons fire. If its a Fed ship you could gain the enginnering skill of absorbing 15% of Romulan disruptors.. after some skill training it would increase and/or you can gain another skill to do the same with some other form of weapon like plasma. The amount absorbed would cap, because it can never be perfect or youd be invincible. The effect would of course only last a certain time, based on your available energy (this duration could also be upgraded as you gain more skill). Because it would take a few hits to determine the frequencies of the weapons this buff isnt immediate use and it can be countered by the enemy if they have an appropriate "debuff". This debuff would be similar and have similar requirements. It could be as simple as they remodulate their weapons at the cost of time and energy and it would take a bit of time for the enemy to detect your adaptation. As for the name.. I agree it should contain something that identifies what its doing. Someone posted early on about Disruptor absorption grids or something. Grid implies a series of equipment laid about the ship. Yes, there would be specific equipment needed, but its not placed in a grid, its placed with the shield generators. So, I think Disruptor Absorbtion Modulation is good.. it can then be changed to Plasma Absorption Modulation, etc etc. If the buffs have categories and there is one for Shields these could be placed under that category (rather than saying Disruptor Absorption Shield Modulation). Note: not REmodulation.. thats redundant.

Sorry its long. I'm a science major, a gamer and a Trek fan so I can see all the aspects here. Its not perfect, I know. My real life and Trek phyics are a bit rusty lol

[DR_Illuminatis]

Just call it a Shield Modulation and be done with it.

That's all you are basically doing is modulating the Shield Frequencies temporarily to not take Damage. It sounds better than reversing polarity or what not. It could be stated that it can only be done cause the Shield emitters will burn out if you do it for any length of time longer than the buff. If you do, you run the risk of having to replace the Shield Emitters and the associated cost of doing so. Risk vs Reward Baby!

[Anichent]

Have none of you noobs even read the Trek Technical Manual? ;-p Kidding.

I agree it should be called something more relevant to its effect, rather than the generic term "Reverse shield polarity". If my trek physics is correct (and my understanding of real physics helps), all the defensive shield is is an area around the ship of modulated EM energy, like magnetic or some form of electricity. The energy used here would then be set to specific frequencies of vibration, etc. Heat, for example, is simply particles at high vibration. If its high enough and contained in a specific area the heat is so intense that it can repel/absorb other forms of energy. Reversing the polarity of said vibrations for these particles/energy could work in the effect the devs want IF the incoming energy/particles were all one frequency. Most weapons work on multiplie frequencies, for this and other reasons.This did happen in Trek, but it wasnt perfect. They still took some damage, just not as much as before. When the Borg attacked they had a rotating frequency.. a constant change, to counter the constant change of the Borg weapons for a time. So, if you know the majority of the frequency the weapon's energy is set to, and you have the equipment that can do it, you can absorb some of that energy when it hits the shields.

Now in the context of the game, if I undertand what the devs are going for here, we could have a set of buffs that absorb a certain percentage of incoming weapons fire. If its a Fed ship you could gain the enginnering skill of absorbing 15% of Romulan disruptors.. after some skill training it would increase and/or you can gain another skill to do the same with some other form of weapon like plasma. The amount absorbed would cap, because it can never be perfect or youd be invincible. The effect would of course only last a certain time, based on your available energy (this duration could also be upgraded as you gain more skill). Because it would take a few hits to determine the frequencies of the weapons this buff isnt immediate use and it can be countered by the enemy if they have an appropriate "debuff". This debuff would be similar and have similar requirements. It could be as simple as they remodulate their weapons at the cost of time and energy and it would take a bit of time for the enemy to detect your adaptation. As for the name.. I agree it should contain something that identifies what its doing. Someone posted early on about Disruptor absorption grids or something. Grid implies a series of equipment laid about the ship. Yes, there would be specific equipment needed, but its not placed in a grid, its placed with the shield generators. So, I think Disruptor Absorbtion Modulation is good.. it can then be changed to Plasma Absorption Modulation, etc etc. If the buffs have categories and there is one for Shields these could be placed under that category (rather than saying Disruptor Absorption Shield Modulation). Note: not REmodulation.. thats redundant.

Sorry its long. I'm a science major, a gamer and a Trek fan so I can see all the aspects here. Its not perfect, I know. My real life and Trek phyics are a bit rusty lol

I see what you mean....but the phrase "remodulate" comes from Trek Canon, so I figured it would make sense to say

[terradon]

How about shield absorption matrix being as it the shield that will be absorbing the energy just a thought i wold throw that in

[Bonedog]

I believe the question was directed towards regaining some shield integrity. Not to absorbing certain damage, in which case, would require a whole new thought into the matter. Of course, the damage would technically be absorbed into the shield batteries.

[NexusLord]

Resonance
Per Webster's: "In physics, the reinforced vibration of a body exposed to the vibration, at about the same frequency, of another body."
In other words; the shields energy would be reinforced by the hostile energy, instead of disrupted.

[Anichent]

Resonance
Per Webster's: "In physics, the reinforced vibration of a body exposed to the vibration, at about the same frequency, of another body."
In other words; the shields energy would be reinforced by the hostile energy, instead of disrupted.

But your definition requires "at about the same frequency" which isnt the way it works

[Teknomage]

I doubt the Trek fan community (myself included) will complain about not using the term REmodulate versus modulate/modulation simply because its not canon. Technobabble is technobabble.. until they release a Trek technobabble dictionary I dont think it has to be that perfect. In my many years of roleplaying Trek in countless ways one of the problems that occured a lot was people got bogged down in termonology, technobabble and being more concerned with whats canon versus having fun.. because its fiction and a game.

I agree with you that Resonance would be incorrect to describe the buff.. and the reasoning is correct. All matter resonates at specific frequencies. Heat, as an example, can be transfered because some other set of matter begins to match the resonance of the set of "heated" matter. This wouldnt work for the buff, in fact it would collapse the shields OR the shields would encompass both sets of matter.
This buff wouldnt disrupt weapon energy, it absorbs it.. maybe absorb isnt the right term, unless the devs want this buff to actually ADD to your shields when you take fire (THEN absorption is correct). IF the damage is just prevented, but it does not add to your shields or deplete them further, it should be called something else entirely. Tuning sounds too much like its an old car engine lol

[MrMoose]

i take your point about not getting bogged down on details like this but it is a good way to get the community involved and to get people thinking.

[J.L.Picard]

The STO team has been playing around with a new power set that we have coined The Reverse Shield Polarity. This power would be used as a “buff” that would allow a player to replenish their shields when hit with a certain type of weapon, rather than take damage. That’s the basics of the power. What we’re wondering is, Does calling it the Reverse Shield Polarity make sense? Is there a better term for this type of power?

this is a pointless buff, the current weapons system on the Enterprise E automatically ajusts its phasers to cause the greatest dmg, basically they are on an automatic rotating frequency ( this came about through interactions with the borg as you all know) this means that adjusting to the frequency of an incoming weapon would simply never be possible unless it was against something like a plasma torpedo or disruptors (these work by firing a mass encased in an energy field which caused not only Kinetic dmg upon impact but also releases the contents onto the shields/hulls of the enemy ships). if you push this technology a further 20 years federation technology will have both of these basic systems incorporated into every vessel because it became the basis of there ship designs once they began mass producing Akira/Defiant/Soveriegns.

Basically what im trying to say is this is a buff which would only really be working for federation, Klingon shield technology is not what you would call advanced.

As for the name might i recommend Shield Remodulation since this is the proper name not to mention the fact its already used on federation ships.

By the way the shield polarity has nothing to do with the frequency of the shields they are 2 separate things, I'de recomend you watch Star Trek Generations Again the battle between the Enterprise-D and the Klingon BoP it will explain in a simple manner about shield frequency and what it does and its relation to weapons.

[J.L.Picard]

But your definition requires "at about the same frequency" which isnt the way it works

one other thing your both wrong, in Trek if the weapon is at the same system as the shields then it bypass's the shield and does direct damage to the hull, this is why shields on a federation vessel (e.g. Sovereign class ship) remodulate to a frequency best suitable to deal with incoming fire instead of matching the same frequency as that of the incoming salvo.

in laymans terms, remodulating to the frequency of an energy based weapon e.g. phasers or a variant of that technology would give you the appropriate result however if you remodulate ur shields to a frequency shared with torpedos or disruptors that is going to end badly for you.

[Anichent]

one other thing your both wrong, in Trek if the weapon is at the same system as the shields then it bypass's the shield and does direct damage to the hull, this is why shields on a federation vessel (e.g. Sovereign class ship) remodulate to a frequency best suitable to deal with incoming fire instead of matching the same frequency as that of the incoming salvo.

in laymans terms, remodulating to the frequency of an energy based weapon e.g. phasers or a variant of that technology would give you the appropriate result however if you remodulate ur shields to a frequency shared with torpedos or disruptors that is going to end badly for you.

Who said we should remodulate to the SAME frequency of the oncoming weapons? :confused:

[J.L.Picard]

Who said we should remodulate to the SAME frequency of the oncoming weapons? :confused:

because you cant mix and match energy, if you could shields would have fluctauting shield frequencies in the sense that they are different on different areas of the ship, this is possible if you have multiple shield generators but you're trying to absord the incoming energy and use it yourself, the "buff" in question is to absord enemy fire to boost your shields energy reserves think of it as adding oil(weapon fire) to water(shields) its just never going to be absorbed, change the water to oil and hey presto energy absorption made easy.

[Anichent]

because you cant mix and match energy, if you could shields would have fluctauting shield frequencies in the sense that they are different on different areas of the ship, this is possible if you have multiple shield generators but you're trying to absord the incoming energy and use it yourself, the "buff" in question is to absord enemy fire to boost your shields energy reserves think of it as adding oil(weapon fire) to water(shields) its just never going to be absorbed, change the water to oil and hey presto energy absorption made easy.

So then what your saying is that what the devs want isnt possible. Because if the oncoming weapons and shields are at different frequencies they wont absorb...and if they are at the same frequencies the weapons will go through and render the shields useless.

[Teknomage]

Who the ****** hell said they were at the same frequencies to absorb? I never said that.. I never said by what mechanism this buff would absorb or prevent the damage from the incoming energy.. I just said WHY it would work (because both sets of energy are at different frequencies). HOW the energy is absorbed is a whole new ballgame... Though I am sure it will be discussed here. In the context of the game I dont think that discussion is necessary (again, bogged down in to much canon argument only hinders gameplay and fun). I also specifically said polarity, not frequency.. though you did have a point about the two being very different and not really having much to do with each other.

But heres one for all you.. Trek tech is so fragmented and half-made up trying to use it in a logical way that makes sense is near impossible.. I say just use it to a degree that satisfies the need without getting bogged down in it, be a little open-minded rather than insanely picky. Am I the only Trek geek who is totally ok with Trek stuff not being perfect? Who isnt this picky about something that just supposed to be FUN?

Use a name for the buff that simply conveys WHAT the buff will do.. disruptor absorption, plasma absorption, etc..

[J.L.Picard]

So then what your saying is that what the devs want isnt possible. Because if the oncoming weapons and shields are at different frequencies they wont absorb...and if they are at the same frequencies the weapons will go through and render the shields useless.

yes thats right, it would work purely on energy based weapons but anything else should break through the shields

[Teknomage]

The Devs can enable differing shield frequencies to allow the absorption of energy-based weapons by simply requiring the use and installation of a device that would enable the buff.. ie "Disruptor Absorption Modification" or whatever. Why? Because its simple, easy to apply and understand... rather than going back and forth on the issue.

And yeah any kinetic weapons, like torpedos, would still impact the shields/ship. They are a different type of weapon all together, in how they are deployed/delivered at least.

[J.L.Picard]

The Devs can enable differing shield frequencies to allow the absorption of energy-based weapons by simply requiring the use and installation of a device that would enable the buff.. ie "Disruptor Absorption Modification" or whatever. Why? Because its simple, easy to apply and understand... rather than going back and forth on the issue.

And yeah any kinetic weapons, like torpedos, would still impact the shields/ship. They are a different type of weapon all together, in how they are deployed/delivered at least.

actually knowing the frequency of the ships shields allows you to bypass the shield entirely with torpedoes as demonstrated by the BoP in ST Generations, as for Plasma weapons im not so sure i guess it would depend if they can modify the energy which the plasma is held in (electromagnetic field is what is used on the defiant's pulse cannons) to match that of the shields.

[Anichent]

actually knowing the frequency of the ships shields allows you to bypass the shield entirely with torpedoes as demonstrated by the BoP in ST Generations, as for Plasma weapons im not so sure i guess it would depend if they can modify the energy which the plasma is held in (electromagnetic field is what is used on the defiant's pulse cannons) to match that of the shields.

But if you know the enemies weapon frequency, then you know their shield frequency because as I explained earlier, and as was explained in Trek, a ships weapons frequencies match their shield frequency so as to pass through the shields.

Which brings 2 conclusions:

1) If you know the enemys weapon frequencies, then you know their shield frequency then you can just launch a Torpedo right through and destroy the vessel making the whole thing pointless

2) Since matching your weapons and shield frequencies allows energy weapons and torpedos to go through, then we know that as far as Star Trek goes, matching the frequency wont work to absorb enemy energy.

Therefore, this entire "buff" system of regaining shield strength from enemy weapons is unlikely to be possible through "Reverse shield polarity" "remodulating shields" "Matching enemy weapons frequency" or any other way I know about or has been discussed.

[J.L.Picard]

Sorry but weapons have absalutely nothing to do with Shields, do u think that a ships shield frequency is changing in the same way as the waepon frequency when fighting a borg vessel? i dont think so.

Second- the majority of Klingon ships focus on Diruptors and torpedoes for weapons basically u can use whatever frequency you want its not going to adsorb a diruptor bast nor a torpedo.

and this shield frequency is pointless against a plasma torpedo because even if you absord the energy of the containment field the plasma is still going to come into contact with the shield and cause dmg.

I also presume that this is a Federation Exclusive weapon since it just isnt something a klingon would ever come up with hell a klingon version would be to adsorb energy of incoming fire to power up there own fire, hell i just gave you the buff.

When Activated incoming Energy weapons fire is absorbed and transfered to your energy weapons for greater efficiency. I would call it something along the lines of

Inverse Energy Transfer