Suggestion: defective weapon enhancement ROM

[Brzelius]

I would suggest to reduce the negative effect it has. I just now realized how very crippling it is when it is the first ROM you're trying out...
The "good version" enhances firing speed by around 20%, why does the "bad version" make your weapon totally and utterly useless?
It is basically impossible to kill even the measly centauri raiders with a defective weapon enhancement ROM applied without melting away half your own armor in the process.
I'd suggest greatly reducing the chances for misfiring, jamming and especially weapon chamber explosion so at the very least every second shot fired will be true and you're able to scrape together some credits to replace your defective weapon.
Also, why can you repair damaged armor just about everywhere but damaged weapons and devices have to be jettisoned in 95% of cases?

[speedofsquid]

It should be possible to fight without self-destruction by waiting for shields to regenerate after a weapon chamber explosion. Increasing misfires and jams while reducing weapon chamber explosions might help prevent damage in the early game and still make damaged weapons unusable in the later game, since early enemies are weak enough to be killed with a few shots, but later enemies often require sustained fire.

Also, why can you repair damaged armor just about everywhere but damaged weapons and devices have to be jettisoned in 95% of cases?

In both gameplay and gameworld, armor is simpler and designed to take damage and be repaired. Devices are more complex and difficult to obtain but rarely take damage, so the damage is crippling. Maintenance vs. initial costs.

[Psycholis]

i had this same problem but if it's your very first rom you find, just restart the game. by the time i find a defective rom, i have an enhancement and it just makes me lose it - no big deal and now it's a known rom. bad luck in rng, but no biggie.

[Atarlost]

The damaged weapon enhancment rom is very rare and you can go several games without finding one, especially if you stop using unidentified roms once you have a targeting computer.

[schilcote]

especially if you stop using unidentified roms once you have a targeting computer.

But then you don't get all the awesome weapon and shield enhancements, and I've found that a 20% shield buff can cause a huge increase to your chances of survival.

[Arisaya]

There are soon longzhu's and field crystals for that purpose. (and now enhancement devices)

[Bobby]

is it possible to enhance s shield's regen rate?

[schilcote]

There are soon longzhu's and field crystals for that purpose. (and now enhancement devices)

But enhancer roms come far, far earlier in the game. I got one in Eradani and two in the next system. They're really helpful in the early game, when you don't have enough money to purchase top-of-the-line equipment and don't have enough firepower to get enough money.

[Atarlost]

especially if you stop using unidentified roms once you have a targeting computer.

But then you don't get all the awesome weapon and shield enhancements, and I've found that a 20% shield buff can cause a huge increase to your chances of survival.

Have you ever not found the shield optimizer before a targeting rom?

Weapon optimizers get ordered at the first trading post whether I've found any or not so identifying them isn't so important.

[Prophet]

It all comes down to experience.
Personally, I hoard all the unknown items I collect and use them right before I upgrade while I'm sitting next to a friendly station. If something bad happens, the risk is minimal.
Using unknown items immediately after upgrading all your equipment when you are out of money is a very bad idea. So is using them when you're out in the middle of nowhere with no friendly stations close by.