buffs time limit

[cmhDK]

So, I think it's safe to say the buffs are confirmed to be in the game
I'm sure there are a few times in the movies or TV series that some temporery buffs have been used, but most of the time they have been permanent improvements
but there have been cases of ships extending their shields to help another and so on, and that's a buff imo

I would like to know the time limits the buffs would have and what the players want

personaly I would want buffs to work (time based) like they do in WoW
I've played CoH for a few years, and what I hated most about being a support character, is that buffs would only last from 10sec to 5 min
that would leave me little time to do anything but buff my team wich in time becomes verry repetitive

I would like buff to last for longer then that, say 10 min to 30 min or so
or in case or extending you shield (if we'll be able to) as long as you've got shields and you're close enough to the ship you're helping

what do you guys think?

short or long buffs?

[ScouseSandwich]

Well, why not both? With short one having greater benefits than long ones??

Just an idea

[daverobbins]

I would say short buffs.

For instance: diverting all power to shields or phasers would only work for a short time until the extra power on those systems is burned/depleted.

I also think there should be negative effects for diverting power. If you divert extra power to shields your weapons will be less effective, etc.

[Jack596]

a longlasting buff could be like 10% more power to shields for 30 mins or so.
a short buff could be to absorb all damage from next 5 hits for example. I think this would be a good idea.

[Loekii]

I would want 'diverting power' to NOT be a magical 'buff', where you suddenly get 'magically stronger shields'.

I want a simple Power Management System - where you have a number of power units that you allocate/distribute to your shields, engines, labs, transporters, each weapon, etc. So you if you want to 'divert power' to the Shields, you actually have to take power from say movement or weapons. I really enjoyed this aspect of StarFleetBattles.

As far a buff times, I sort of agree with WoW Times (as well as WoW cool Downs on Special Moves and abilities).

[overlordthor]

Power diversion can be handled without buffs and such things. In Starfleet command, you control your power distribution in a simple manor especially in sfc3, 3 bars one for primary weapons(phasers), one for heavy weapons(photons) and one for shields, slide it over for more power to a system. Simple method for controlling power distribution. Activating other systems like tractor beams or your "deep scanners" took power from the pool which all 3 bars took from. Engines, yeah, SFC3 didn't draw energy for engines, but that can be debated upon whether or not it should.

You had a max amount to set to each system type based on what kind of weapons you had in and what they drew from the "pool" so you would double the standard power of the weapons firing basically if you fully devoted power to it.

SFC1-2 were a little different but similar principle. except engines also drew power from the energy.

Buffs like extending shields, well, I think thats more a matter of the shields being weaker while extended and not a time period, you have say half as much ability to deflect attacks from shooters hitting you, when it drops, it drops?

Buffs like your engineer overpowering the warp drive to give a boost to your power available to all systems, I'd say a few minutes, maybe 10, with a side effect of reducing the total power available just afterward?

I dont know what kind of buffs one person can put on another in this style of game with spaceships, maybe an "aura" to give advanced targeting telemetry, or something like that.

[cmhDK]

I would say short buffs.

For instance: diverting all power to shields or phasers would only work for a short time until the extra power on those systems is burned/depleted.

I also think there should be negative effects for diverting power. If you divert extra power to shields your weapons will be less effective, etc.

heh.. and just like that my mind was partially changed, I agree with the divert power having to be short (well.. at least not more then 5min or so) and with negative effect, though I think that the system you divert power from shouldn't work at all

although in the series they never seem to have a time limit, the power is diverted untill they change it back
at least they never said "damn, power was restored to normal" ;)

thanks for the input :D

[Loekii]

Power diversion can be handled without buffs and such things. In Starfleet command, you control your power distribution in a simple manor especially in sfc3, 3 bars one for primary weapons(phasers), one for heavy weapons(photons) and one for shields, slide it over for more power to a system. Simple method for controlling power distribution. Activating other systems like tractor beams or your "deep scanners" took power from the pool which all 3 bars took from. Engines, yeah, SFC3 didn't draw energy for engines, but that can be debated upon whether or not it should.

You had a max amount to set to each system type based on what kind of weapons you had in and what they drew from the "pool" so you would double the standard power of the weapons firing basically if you fully devoted power to it.

SFC1-2 were a little different but similar principle. except engines also drew power from the energy.

Buffs like extending shields, well, I think thats more a matter of the shields being weaker while extended and not a time period, you have say half as much ability to deflect attacks from shooters hitting you, when it drops, it drops?

Buffs like your engineer overpowering the warp drive to give a boost to your power, I'd say a few minutes, maybe 10, with a side effect of reducing the total power available just afterward?

I dont know what kind of buffs one person can put on another in this style of game with spaceships, maybe an "aura" to give advanced targeting telemetry, or something like that.

I agree.

I like your idea about the 'Engineer' Overpowering the Warp Drive to get more power, but then having less power after the 'buff'.

I am worried about the idea of 'Buff' Ships. Such Buffs really should be limited to the Context, rather than something you would find in a Fantasy MMO. There are some ways to 'support' other ships that make more sense than a 'combat aura', or 'magical healing':

AWAKS type support (improved Targeting, based on the surpeior Scan/Sensors of a ship and it sharing data)
Medical - Beaming over crewmembers to replenish crew casualties -- be this would require dropping shields.
ECM - interfering with enemy's targeting systems.
Extending shields around a crippled ship (but this would weaken the overall shield strength and requrie the ships to be on top of each other).
Tractoring - pulling crippled ships out of combat, holding an enemy ship at bay
Repair (out of combat). Increased damage control teams to assist with repair.


For the most part, I really hope they keep any 'buff' STAR TREKY, rather than going for a copy of a Fantasy MMO 'Buff'.

[cmhDK]

I agree.

I like your idea about the 'Engineer' Overpowering the Warp Drive to get more power, but then having less power after the 'buff'.

I am worried about the idea of 'Buff' Ships. Such Buffs really should be limited to the Context, rather than something you would find in a Fantasy MMO. There are some ways to 'support' other ships that make more sense than a 'combat aura', or 'magical healing':

AWAKS type support (improved Targeting, based on the surpeior Scan/Sensors of a ship and it sharing data)
Medical - Beaming over crewmembers to replenish crew casualties -- be this would require dropping shields.
ECM - interfering with enemy's targeting systems.
Extending shields around a crippled ship (but this would weaken the overall shield strength and requrie the ships to be on top of each other).
Tractoring - pulling crippled ships out of combat, holding an enemy ship at bay
Repair (out of combat). Increased damage control teams to assist with repair.


For the most part, I really hope they keep any 'buff' STAR TREKY, rather than going for a copy of a Fantasy MMO 'Buff'.

I 100% agree, there should be no magic, nothing that can't be explained, and most such things have a negative effect of some sort
like beeming over some crew to another ship would leave you without that crew untill they return

I like the idea of helping another ship with targeting