Pilot Archive
Thread: Shield programs, is anyone using them?
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pgm2b2
Mon Feb 21, 2005 8:08 pm
#1
Just wondering if anyone uses these, as they seem to make little difference in a combat situation.
Most Useful programs Cap shunt, Engine/reactor/weapon overloads.
Been Ace Reb Pilot for a while and do not have any Shield programs in any of my droids/flight computers.
Anyone Out there using them or not?
Any alternative programs that may be of use?
Weapon Convergance perhaps
Rishathra
Mon Feb 21, 2005 8:23 pm
#2
I'm also a Rebel Ace and I don't use any of the Rebel programs. I wouldn't mind them adding some sort of 'shield overload' type programs. That would be something pilots might actually use.
PaladinX333
Mon Feb 21, 2005 9:37 pm
#3
The rebel droid programs are all fairly useless. I am using 2 neutral programs and 2 imperial programs in my astromech. When itcomes to droid programs, rebels really got the shaft.
psikobunny
Mon Feb 21, 2005 10:14 pm
#4
Thing is, there's no way to put in a Shield overcharge and have it be anything close to balanced. Top end RE shields are already nigh invulnerable in PvE anyway, and replicating the /eshield special in whole or in part, just dilutes one aspect of Reb-ness to improve another. CtSS probably should have been a Rebel program, but Freelance was just as weak if not weaker than Rebel was at one point.
Some Rebel program possible fixes/additions:
Radically reduce the timer on some of the 'tactical' programs- the same DI that can CtSS every 17 seconds takes over 30 to use the back>front adjusts. Silly and debilitating.
Tweak the usefulness of the new tier4 programs, they seem like a Half baked version of CtSS, with a kicker on top.
Add an energy absorb program? A few seconds where incoming energy strengthens the shield instead of weakening it.
Make something like the Reverse of CtSS-- Shield to Weapon Shunt. Drains a % of shield energy into the blasters for a limited amount of time, creating highly destructive blasts....
As I said there are balance issues with powering up shields, or making new progs that do unsual things, but I'm sure somethign can be done to improve the Rebel situation.
Offtopic but related-- Jumpstart Special is useless unless dead in space near another player and not in combat... most times by the time we get clear and stopped my wingman's shields are charged anyway... A perfect tweak for this ability would be to allow for its use on friendly NPCs when in close proximity and matched speeds. Similar to /inspect, in that it needs to be close and takes a few seconds. But it would come in handy on Escort missions.
Narrganocca
Tue Feb 22, 2005 12:35 pm
#5
I use front and rear reinforce medium...nice for when front shields are near gone, but back are full...your cap to shield shunt is wasted here, cuz half the energy is wasted by not enhancing rear protection. Granted you gotta wait 30-50 sec before using another command, but there are plenty of times where I wanna keep firing, but need a little help to forward or rear shields before pulling off target and going into evasive maneuvers
Jisrael
Tue Feb 22, 2005 12:52 pm
#6
I totally agree with u all, rebel programs are worthless, even tho i used em a lot during my way up to master, I did master the old fasioned way, no droid programs, other than the reb ones ( didnt know about the whole trading chips thing till it was too late, Reb mastering woulda been a whole lot more easier), I belive that a look into those skills are in order, i like the idea of making the timers shorter, ut when u have shield shunt 4 and a huge cap, i use the SS4. I do have med shields reinforcemts programmed, but there just taking up space.
like someone else suggested, maybe a shield overload, gives u 1 1/2 more charge on ur shields.
About the Shields beeing impreg vs PVE, ever tried to tank a tier 5 gunboat, I have, and lived, but had no shields or armor left.
like someone else suggested, maybe a shield overload, gives u 1 1/2 more charge on ur shields.
About the Shields beeing impreg vs PVE, ever tried to tank a tier 5 gunboat, I have, and lived, but had no shields or armor left.
Shikkari
Tue Feb 22, 2005 2:49 pm
#7
pgm2b2 wrote:Just wondering if anyone uses these, as they seem to make little difference in a combat situation.Most Useful programs Cap shunt, Engine/reactor/weapon overloads.Been Ace Reb Pilot for a while and do not have any Shield programs in any of my droids/flight computers.Anyone Out there using them or not?Any alternative programs that may be of use?Weapon Convergance perhaps
I use Front Shield Adjust Heavy when trying to take out Gunboats from behind..if you get the rear weapon taken out and the ship doesnt turn then you can finish of the rest of the gunboat. I cant do this without the shield adjust program, even with my 2440/2440 reward shield(unless they are tier 3 or lower and even then I take a beating!)
pgm2b2
Tue Feb 22, 2005 2:58 pm
#8
Would just like to concur with the comment about the time it takes to use shield programs. It is far too long.
What processors do they have in them a 286 or something
bpraswid
Tue Feb 22, 2005 3:08 pm
#9
I am a rebel ace pilot. Ifwe have huge mass ship may be shield program and space droid will come in handy. But ifi amusing low mass ship, i usually skip it to make a room for better weapons, shield or armor.
CNevyn
Tue Feb 22, 2005 4:40 pm
#10
MonsofoLexius wrote:
psikobunny wrote:
I get the icons backwards ALL THE TIME!!!!!! I need to get power in the back, I promptly dump it on the front, and scream in agony...
*pants* ok I admtted it. Im a scatterbrained Rebel. I feel better now.
Do what I do. Make a macro and assign your own icon......
/droid droidcommand_shieldadjustfrontfour (Shield Front Adjust - Extreme)
/droid droidcommand_shieldadjustfrontthree (Shield Front Adjust - Heavy)
etc.
I find this very helpful indeed. Also, when the chatter speech came out, I thought "some" of them'd actually be handy in combat. but as they all go to spatial, people're either on the wrong tab or out of range for them to be useful. instead, I added a group msg. ie:
/ehields;
/g Engaging Emergency Shields!!
which I think is enough to let group members know I'm in trouble and getting my arse kicked.
ps: on a side note, eshields, ethrust, and I would assume eweapons, all reset your overloads once they're finished. This is an incredible pain considering the time it takes to reload them.
I don't know if it as by design, or merely not considered when the new overloads became availble. I'd like to see it addressed though. If I outfit a ship with lesser components, intending to overload them, I'm basically a sitting duck if I have to use eshields in combat. (once it expires)
Alyxian
Wed Feb 23, 2005 1:00 am
#11
Honestly there are a couple useful things the Rebs could get.
Shield-->Weapon repair: If you are taking damage, repair weapon if you make it out alive
Shield-->Engine repair: If you are taking damage, repairEngine if you make it out alive
Used with cap to shield, this would be very useful.
I also think all ships using astromech should get bonuses to the time it takes to run proggies, seems to me an astromech should be better than a flight comp.
Sar-larid
Wed Feb 23, 2005 1:05 am
#12
One of them in particular(Extreme Adjust to Front) is incredibly useful in deep space, , specifically because noone else seems to use Rebel programs.
, specifically because noone else seems to use Rebel programs.You know what? Pretend I didn't say that. The way I see it, the more people think these programs are worthless, the better, >
MonsofoLexius
Wed Feb 23, 2005 1:11 am
#13
psikobunny wrote:
Radically reduce the timer on some of the 'tactical' programs- the same DI that can CtSS every 17 seconds takes over 30 to use the back>front adjusts. Silly and debilitating.
Now there is an interesting idea. Take the penalty out of the adjust, and make it a faster change.........
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