How about a sat that projects a shield around an area

@Jip said in Another Novax conversation:

@Dorset said in Another Novax conversation:

I agree with you something dramatic needs to be changed not just cost changes.

I've discussed this idea last year over voice, and I'll post it here. It has three parts. The goal is to actually utilize the satellite layer. This layer exists in the game, but there's not much going on there. Ideally these satellites become part of armies, like any other mobile unit. To support the Fatboy - from above!

Not a ground station, but a factory

At the moment you need an additional ground station for each satellite. This is a little bit cumbersome. Both from a programmers perspective (the satellite is not shared when your defeated - it is rebuilt at the station). As I think it thematically lacks a bit.

Proposal: turn it into a factory. Allow it to pump satellites, like a regular factory.

Multiple type of satellites

Instead of just having one satellite, there will be three:

• 1. A scout satellite. Relatively cheap and provides various types of intel. Enables the UEF to have Omni intel on-site to counter stealth and cloak, for example.
• 2. A missile-based satellite. This would be the 'default' satellite, at the same costs of the current satellite. It fires a salvo of missiles. And those missiles can of course be intercepted by TMD. The missiles do not track, just like regular missiles. They will have some AOE though. And of course, you don't want to use this against Cybran missile deflectors . By being missile-based, the satellite is easier to counter:
• • It makes the satellite worse against mobile armies. Just like mobile missile launchers.
• • It makes the satellite unusable against naval armies, as they are usually packed with mobile TMD.
• • You don't need to built shields everywhere, likely just 2 TMDs at each location.
• 3. A laser-based satellite. This would be similar to the current satellite, except that it's designed to bust shields. The beam is continuous. For its costs, it will deal relatively low damage to non-shielded units (think 1/4th). And it will deal about half the amount of damage against shields as the current Novax does. But then of course continuous.

All satellites will have an energy upkeep. The rational of @Nomander that upkeep is unusual for mobile units is correct. But given that these are the only units on the satellite layer, they can be their own niche. They are essentially flying buildings anyway. All weapons of the satellites also have upkeep to fire, just like for example stationary artillery and the Ravager do.

When a player runs out of power the satellites simply stop firing because of the weapon upkeep. When a player loses the last Novax center all satellites become uncontrollable and unelectable. They start losing health (and visually: orbit). When their health drops to 0, they crash to the ground.

Allow SMDs to intercept satellites (manually)

This idea is not new. It's used in LOUD. I like it thematically. It provides the player with an option to immediately counter a satellite if the player thinks it's necessary. For example, countering the laser-based satellite would be a no brainer if you are also being shelled by artillery.

Now, I don't talk about costs here because that's all too soon to discuss. It's the idea - the theme and the experience of it, is what this proposal is about. And of course the positioning of the units in the roster, what are their purpose and how do they remain balanced mechanically?

Yes please

What do you do when you see a novax? Rush to preemptively shield every minutely valuable thing in your base. HQs, mexes, power, storage, exp's being built.

What do you do when you see t3 arty up? Shield your power.

Novax is OP by virtue it can instantly change target with 100% accuracy. It will find a gap in your base and exploit it.

Arty while still annoying, takes time to aim at something new, fire, and maybe hit that target. You're not aiming at mexes with T3 arty (unless you basically already won and have nothing else to hit).

You have time an opportunity to shield your base as needed when defending against arty, and generally a lot less of that with a novax.

@Blade_Walker Holy nostalgia hit

Clearly we should just let people pay to get unbanned! Then FAF gets the money and the IP owner doesn't, and then we can buy it!

/s

Honestly, 1100 isn't high enough to worry about ruining games. Just play and let it adjust over time.

Aeon is just boring to play tbh, even if they are balanced or the strongest.

I'd go for a smaller footprint & weaker shield. Seems like it'd be fun to play with.

Understandable, I should've just pinged you.

Honestly I'm really surprised a major forum software is lacking a default dark mode toggle. I will look more into getting it added upstream. But IIRC from what I read when I originally looked into it others have already tried.

@Brutus5000 It should be in the top left corner, you can see it in the demo gif I posted above.

You added both the custom CSS & JS?

@Brutus5000 I offered to implement it myself if given permissions and provided the relevant code for any other admin to do it when no one answered.

https://forum.faforever.com/post/62702

For reference: Read topics should be a different font color compared to unread.

Also, I never received any feedback about implementing a real dark mode.

I would 100% start playing this over full share.

Better idea, nerf the arty meta.

I say this in regards to custom games as MM is different:

Can we stop with the rules? FAF is starting to feel like a digital nanny state. It's a small enough community as is, it's like we're trying to literally rule it out existence.

Too often lately there's something else that needs rules added or further restricted.

• Name change restrictions (That no one asked for other than mods getting annoyed at players having some laughs)
• Leaving games: Honestly that whole thread was pretty cringe to read. So much debate over something players can self moderate for and already do.
• Constant debate over smurf accounts when we all know a ton of players have and use them anyway
• And now unpausing? Again, something players can not only self moderate for, but literally just re-pause anyway.

Just let the community handle things themselves when it comes to things that be player-moderated.

Tease

I know what we can do, get rid of everything except the ACU. It can generate its own resources. Also forget buildings. We don't need those. Just have units spawn from the ACU. Also maps should all be divided into 3 lanes. Upgrades should be free and come from killing units. Maybe give other abilities instead of just overcharge too.

Pretty sure it's existed since the start, just increasingly more rare as FAF made changes. I especially remember multiple SMDs firing at a single nuke used to be fairly common until FAF made changes as Jip pointed out.

Seems like Jip gave yall the answer already, take it up with the balance team.

I suggest we all go back to playing Pong, it's much simpler and doesn't confuse the masses.