New katana star effect

[Novak 67]

Currently, I think that the current katana star cannon projectile effect is getting old, so I want to make an suggestion, I want to make a new look like this.

Screen Shot 2015-05-04 at 7.38.02 pm.png (29.4 KiB) Viewed 7696 times

And here is the code for it.

Code: Select all

 
<Starburst style=			"flare" spikeCount=		"5" spikeLength=	"10" primaryColor=		"#09c7e8" secondaryColor=		"#09c7e8" />
<Ray  style="jagged"  shape="tapered"  length="100"  width="24"  primaryColor="#00d5ff"  secondaryColor="#006b80"  intensity="80" />
 

I hope I do the right choice.
Novak 67

[JohnBWatson]

I agree that the projectile should be a bit more impressive. I'd also like it to be somewhat more powerful. At present, it does very little to justify its cost.

[Song]

I agree that the projectile should be a bit more impressive. I'd also like it to be somewhat more powerful. At present, it does very little to justify its cost.

Passthrough and range. The Katana is currently optimised in a way that makes it good for long-range sustained fire....something the AI cannot do, and that gets very boring when players do it. It's actually balanced about right for its damage when you take the passthrough into account. It used to be more powerful, but was hideously overpowered as a result. It's still overpowered if you know how to use it, but not as badly.

The effect isn't all that bad either, considering. It's not really a very exciting weapon. You trade off damage for a gimmick effect which is actually quite powerful. The main problem is the lack of good competitors in vanilla with the same level of availability.

The issue with making the weapon effect too impressive is that weapon effects should ideally reflect the properties of the gun. The katana is a low damage, high epentration weapon....so big flashy effects may not be appropriate (although that is a nice effect). What I might try doing as a test (since I'm messing with the gun anyway for SM&M++) is adding a lightning-bolt effect to the beam, running along the boring bit.

[JohnBWatson]

Passthrough and range are good, certainly, but for the same price I can get a mark V howitzer that's an all around better weapon.

I have a somewhat complex but interesting idea for the weapon: Low damage and 50% passthrough, but every time it passes through something it increments a variable. When it ceases to exist, either by hitting something and failing to pass through or by distance, it explodes into a star effect with radius and damage dependent on the variable.

[Atarlost]

Passthrough and range are good, certainly, but for the same price I can get a mark V howitzer that's an all around better weapon.

I have a somewhat complex but interesting idea for the weapon: Low damage and 50% passthrough, but every time it passes through something it increments a variable. When it ceases to exist, either by hitting something and failing to pass through or by distance, it explodes into a star effect with radius and damage dependent on the variable.

The Mark V has lower shot speed and they're good against different enemies. The Katana is better against the Ares since they're mostly ion vulnerable and several are thermo resistant. The Mark V is better against the Ventari and Kobol since they have ion resistant armor.

[JohnBWatson]

I've always thought that the Ares' internal HP made howitzers and the like mandatory. Their weaker units not as much, I suppose, but they're rarely seen alone lategame. I've tried using howitzers against the Kobol but the low shot HP and the Kobol omnidirectional Tev9 spam make it much easier to Lamplighter them instead.

As for the Ventari, they suffer from a problem I've come to call "Only one big slow ship with no long ranged weapons" syndrome, leaving them absolutely defenseless against anything with decent range. They could really use an interceptor to escort their destroyers.

[Novak 67]

I've always thought that the Ares' internal HP made howitzers and the like mandatory. Their weaker units not as much, I suppose, but they're rarely seen alone lategame. I've tried using howitzers against the Kobol but the low shot HP and the Kobol omnidirectional Tev9 spam make it much easier to Lamplighter them instead.

As for the Ventari, they suffer from a problem I've come to call "Only one big slow ship with no long ranged weapons" syndrome, leaving them absolutely defenseless against anything with decent range. They could really use an interceptor to escort their destroyers.

Yes, I think there should be a new ship for the Ventari, probably with only a ion disruptor and only half the size or quarter the size of the destroyer I suggest.

[Song]

I've always thought that the Ares' internal HP made howitzers and the like mandatory. Their weaker units not as much, I suppose, but they're rarely seen alone lategame. I've tried using howitzers against the Kobol but the low shot HP and the Kobol omnidirectional Tev9 spam make it much easier to Lamplighter them instead.

As for the Ventari, they suffer from a problem I've come to call "Only one big slow ship with no long ranged weapons" syndrome, leaving them absolutely defenseless against anything with decent range. They could really use an interceptor to escort their destroyers.

The katana has pseudo-WMD due to passthrough. It's not very good, but with the high ROF it does build up. More importantly, internal hitpoints are getting a rethink at some stage according to a comment on Ministry by George...so buffing the weapon would have to wait until after any changes to that are made, to avoid over-correcting. The katana itself is not underpowered: it's another feature that's reducing the effectiveness of many other weapons as well. I do agree though for the current version...howitzers are generally better weapons unless you know how to use a beam weapon very precisely.

The ventari in general could use some new graphics and ships at some point. The "destroyer" is too small and they lack other vessels. This will probably put them back to "most dangerous enemies in the game", but eh. Those times were fun.

[Xephyr]

I agree that the projectile should be a bit more impressive. I'd also like it to be somewhat more powerful. At present, it does very little to justify its cost.

I've played entire games past St Kat's using the Katana, including destroying the ICS. I'd say its pretty well balanced as is.

[Novak 67]

I agree that the projectile should be a bit more impressive. I'd also like it to be somewhat more powerful. At present, it does very little to justify its cost.

I've played entire games past St Kat's using the Katana, including destroying the ICS. I'd say its pretty well balanced as is.

Oh, but I think in the late games I would say that this weapon is under powered, I think it should have a small buff of 75% chance of pierce and 15 damage per shot
just because it is lvl 7, and I think that lvl 7 ion weapons should have at least 15 points of damage.

[JohnBWatson]

The katana has pseudo-WMD due to passthrough. It's not very good, but with the high ROF it does build up. More importantly, internal hitpoints are getting a rethink at some stage according to a comment on Ministry by George...so buffing the weapon would have to wait until after any changes to that are made, to avoid over-correcting. The katana itself is not underpowered: it's another feature that's reducing the effectiveness of many other weapons as well. I do agree though for the current version...howitzers are generally better weapons unless you know how to use a beam weapon very precisely.

I'd agree there. Back before internal HP, I quite liked the Katana.

The ventari in general could use some new graphics and ships at some point. The "destroyer" is too small and they lack other vessels. This will probably put them back to "most dangerous enemies in the game", but eh. Those times were fun.

With ion effect immunity and the temporary nature of its effect, I'd say they wouldn't be the most dangerous. Making a ship bigger is more of a nerf than a buff, after all. They'd probably be up there with the Kobol, though, at least when they first show up.

[FourFire]

I like the current effects for the katana starcannon. I also don't think it needs to change mechanics wise: I recall when it was rather overpowered, back in 1.08b I killed the starfish with it.

[Novak 67]

I like the current effects for the katana starcannon. I also don't think it needs to change mechanics wise: I recall when it was rather overpowered, back in 1.08b I killed the starfish with it.

Well, I also think that I want to add the new "Ray" effect to the pre"1.3 effects of weapons since I also think that the pre 1.3 effects are quite plain.

Also, one of my brothers actually played pre 1.3 and actually killed the CSC with your method as well, it took FOREVER to kill it. even with autopilot on.

[FourFire]

I like the current effects for the katana starcannon. I also don't think it needs to change mechanics wise: I recall when it was rather overpowered, back in 1.08b I killed the starfish with it.

Well, I also think that I want to add the new "Ray" effect to the pre"1.3 effects of weapons since I also think that the pre 1.3 effects are quite plain.

Also, one of my brothers actually played pre 1.3 and actually killed the CSC with your method as well, it took FOREVER to kill it. even with autopilot on.

by "starfish" I mean ICS.

[sun1404]

The Katana is pretty good as it is, especially considering it shows up rather early. Yes, it have lower DPS than the Mark V, but it's faster, easier to aim, less prone to being shot down, much better for shooting down projectiles, and again, it has passthrough.