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Gameplay / Re: Problem with gunner/Two engineering slots on gunners?
« on: July 24, 2015, 10:07:38 pm »
The real problem isn't the number of slots, the problem is that most of the time gunners are completely redundant. The people who use that are just trying to get achievement unlocks, nothing more. Why? Because there isn't a ship in the game that ever requires more than three different types of ammunition buffs, and a coordinated group of three engineers is perfectly capable of doing that. Combine this with the fact that anyone can man any weapon and that engineering tools are always in demand far more often than ammo swaps, the end result is that gunners are moot. Irrelevant. There is nothing that they can do that intelligent engineers using teamwork can't do just as well, on top of all their engineering perks.
However, that's only one facet of the problem. The other is that this is a player skill based game, not a stats-driven RPG type game. A player with excellent marksmanship is just as deadly behind the sights of a weapon regardless of what character class they choose. Likewise, a player with terrible aim gains nothing by choosing gunner as a profession. It is entirely plausible, and in fact quite common to see, veteran engineers who are far deadlier with a ship's weapons than novice gunners. This only further exacerbates the problem of gunner being an inherently inferior choice.
The real solution, then, isn't to give them more engineering slots. That only admits that they're basically useless and is a cheap ploy to make them more like their clearly superior engineering counterparts. This solves nothing and would only limit gameplay by forcing everyone to be even more alike than they already are. What gunners really need is more diversity - something that sets them apart from engineers instead of beneath them.
What I propose is actually much simpler: Instead of trying to turn gunners into discount, second rate engineers, how about we enhance the gunner's abilities to be a better gunner? (Mind blown!) To that end I suggest that we consider perks of the more direct variety. For example, how about increased gunsight zoom for gunners (compared to engineers and navigators)? The ability to zoom in farther would lead to better weapon accuracy and more precise target placement, and it would be the simplest thing in the world to code into the game (FOV zoom). Or perhaps an inherent decrease in projectile dispersion simply from being a gunner? Say, 25% reduction on top of any specific magazine buffs applied. Again, the gunner is now able to deliver much more accurate weapon's fire, and over longer range, than his counterparts.
If you like, you can make these into gunner exclusive magazine buffs that only gunners would be allowed to choose (although there is already such a buff for dispersion, currently anyone can use it). As long as we're doing those, how about another unique gunner power - the ability to load exclusive defense buffs into weapons as well (thus helping alleviate the helplessness of a gunner who's weapon has been hit). Meaning moving the Heat Sink into a new category of "defense" buffs that can be loaded alongside an offensive, magazine buff (thus each weapon could have two item buffs, one magazine and one gunner exclusive defense). Add in "Increased Armor/Damage Resist" as an option so that a gunner's weapon is less likely to be crippled while they're manning it. Or perhaps a "Fast Reload" buff that does exactly that & reduces reload times by 25% or more?
These are just a few ideas that I am tossing out there. By no means should they be considered the definitive solution. They are, rather, simply a proof of concept to prove my original point: That the fix to gunners isn't turning them into 2nd class engineers. The fix to gunners is to improve gunners ability as gunners.
However, that's only one facet of the problem. The other is that this is a player skill based game, not a stats-driven RPG type game. A player with excellent marksmanship is just as deadly behind the sights of a weapon regardless of what character class they choose. Likewise, a player with terrible aim gains nothing by choosing gunner as a profession. It is entirely plausible, and in fact quite common to see, veteran engineers who are far deadlier with a ship's weapons than novice gunners. This only further exacerbates the problem of gunner being an inherently inferior choice.
The real solution, then, isn't to give them more engineering slots. That only admits that they're basically useless and is a cheap ploy to make them more like their clearly superior engineering counterparts. This solves nothing and would only limit gameplay by forcing everyone to be even more alike than they already are. What gunners really need is more diversity - something that sets them apart from engineers instead of beneath them.
What I propose is actually much simpler: Instead of trying to turn gunners into discount, second rate engineers, how about we enhance the gunner's abilities to be a better gunner? (Mind blown!) To that end I suggest that we consider perks of the more direct variety. For example, how about increased gunsight zoom for gunners (compared to engineers and navigators)? The ability to zoom in farther would lead to better weapon accuracy and more precise target placement, and it would be the simplest thing in the world to code into the game (FOV zoom). Or perhaps an inherent decrease in projectile dispersion simply from being a gunner? Say, 25% reduction on top of any specific magazine buffs applied. Again, the gunner is now able to deliver much more accurate weapon's fire, and over longer range, than his counterparts.
If you like, you can make these into gunner exclusive magazine buffs that only gunners would be allowed to choose (although there is already such a buff for dispersion, currently anyone can use it). As long as we're doing those, how about another unique gunner power - the ability to load exclusive defense buffs into weapons as well (thus helping alleviate the helplessness of a gunner who's weapon has been hit). Meaning moving the Heat Sink into a new category of "defense" buffs that can be loaded alongside an offensive, magazine buff (thus each weapon could have two item buffs, one magazine and one gunner exclusive defense). Add in "Increased Armor/Damage Resist" as an option so that a gunner's weapon is less likely to be crippled while they're manning it. Or perhaps a "Fast Reload" buff that does exactly that & reduces reload times by 25% or more?
These are just a few ideas that I am tossing out there. By no means should they be considered the definitive solution. They are, rather, simply a proof of concept to prove my original point: That the fix to gunners isn't turning them into 2nd class engineers. The fix to gunners is to improve gunners ability as gunners.