The Energon Pub

As we’re going to see a massive influx of new players over the next few months it concerns me that we’ve now run out of X-Ray Lasers and Disruptor Rifles.

I’m worried that the next generation of new players are going to be forced into purely brawler configs just to get a decent damage output, at least until they can afford Plasma Shotguns.

The following weapons are now out of stock: -
Battle Blades
Dol-Laser Rifle
Heat-Seeking Laser Blasters
Poisonous Paralyzer Fluids
X-Ray Laser
Disruptor Rifle

I’d like to propose an amnesty in selling off any and all spare (unequipped) weapons that are short in supply, especially Dol-Laser Rifle, Heat-Seeking Laser Blasters, Poisonous Paralyzer Fluids, X-Ray Laser & Disruptor Rifle to give these new players a chance. (yes I’ve left Battle Blades off the list as I think most people know I’d consider timeshare on my soul to get my hands on some but this really isn’t about what I want.)

Glyph – I don’t want to trouble you unnecessarily but what happens to inactive players weapons?
When their accounts are closed do their weapons go back into the pot? If they aren’t because they may come back and get the account reactivated then would it be possible to have a forced buy out of their weapons at the buying rate rather than the selling rate?
Or maybe there could be missions that generate weapons like the armour ones, but they just go into the pot not just available to one faction.

Just a few thoughts really but it’s got to help. Better suggestions gratefully received!

The problem, as far as I understand it, is that the database has to keep track of every single weapon, so constantly creating new ones isn't a feasible option.

I always thought an upper limit on the number of weapons one can keep - e.g., 3 inactive weapons at any time - would work.

However, it seems that in version 2, the weapons will degrade then be destroyed eventually, thus reducing the weapons being kept track of and in turn reducing the problem.

How this will apply to inactive weapons (or inactive players who have equipped weapons) we don't know yet.

davidasnoddy wrote:However, it seems that in version 2, the weapons will degrade then be destroyed eventually, thus reducing the weapons being kept track of and in turn reducing the problem.

So brawlers all round then?

The core problem witht the weapons is that there is no facility to sell to each other.

As for degradable weapons...



Give all the weapons 1000 uses (either attacks in a mission or 1000 misisons).
Once that has been exhausted, its has a 10% chance of breaking/snapping +10% for every 10 times its used until its destroyed.
(So from 1001-1010 uses , it has a 10% chance of breaking, 1011-1020 = 20%, 1041-1050 = 50% chance etc)

Reduce that chance by 5% for every point in skill (so it has a use other than for battleblades!), as a Skilled character is far more likely to look after his killing implement than a hammer-handed brawler who probably has no idea which end is the noise come from...

This ties weapons degrading into the game in a straightforward way, and hopefully reduces the number of unused weapons. Also with 1000 uses, it wont run out quick either. This coupled with a warning of impending weapon failure and restock missions could sort the problem.

Think it'll work?

Heat seeking Laserblasters? but there so slow, recharge is over a minute.

as i have advertised in a recent weapons thread, and elsewhere i have recently picked up 3 x-rays for the sole intention of selling on when someone asks for them. no one got in touch....

shockwaveuk wrote:

davidasnoddy wrote:However, it seems that in version 2, the weapons will degrade then be destroyed eventually, thus reducing the weapons being kept track of and in turn reducing the problem.

So brawlers all round then?

da

How about a patch or something is put into place where you can only have as many weapons as you do characters?

That way if you have 12 characters you can only have 12 weapons and all of this nonsense about degrading weapons can be thrown out the window and all other bitching about weapons can be put to rest.

I still think you should only be allowed to have one of each type of weapon.

Having weapon stock limits really doesn't help with the rare ones since teams will have no problems having 12 of them and nothing else.

Blackmoon wrote:How about a patch or something is put into place where you can only have as many weapons as you do characters?

That way if you have 12 characters you can only have 12 weapons and all of this nonsense about degrading weapons can be thrown out the window and all other bitching about weapons can be put to rest.

I personally don't like this idea. I don't mind the concept of a limited amount of stuff you can store ,but I like to keep weapons untill I'm sure I'm not going to use them again. I have never had more than 6 extra weapons and I believe (could be slightly off) that I have never had more than 2 of any one type. Why is everyone so off on the idea of weapons slowly degrading, it's in many other games (diablo comes to mind). And some of them slowly degrade the max durability/eventually break.

i personally am against weapons slowly degrading, as in real life, its just not feasable. fair enough, a sword might get blunted, but it can always be sharpened again. a gun is designed so that it can quickly and easily be repaired by its suer, i believe that is a key component in boot camp.

also the motto, this is my rifle, this is my gun, when you ignore the sexual innuendo, means that there should be an attachment to the weapon in question,that it should be symbolic for the character, as well as useful. therefore, if i want to stick with a dol laser rifle, it should stay with me until death.

another reason for which im against weapons contantly degrading is the fiscal limits it imposes on characters. personally speaking, i havent made any money in a long while, since i upgraded to level 2. yes that was early, but i just got bored of level 1. thus if your battle blades break just as you are trying to cut it(pun intended)on a higher level, you will get nowhere very quickly.

I agree with the need for weapons. I'm a new player, and I kept getting my butt kicked until someone finally sold 2 x-ray lasers and I bought the only one I could. I'm still getting my butt kicked by shotguns, vibro-axes, and energon crossbows, though. I can't even hang out in the arena anymore! I'd at least like a restock so I could save up for a better weapon.

1 set of PPFs are now available.

Damn it!!! I've told it before already!!!

Why do we need to have 500+ of each weapons??? There is simply _NOT ENOUGH 'BOTS AND 'CONS_ to use them!!!

I've got a simple and automated idea:

When there's one stock of weapons runs down to 0, the automated script starts. RNG chooses one of the stock of weapons that's over 400, decreases it by 100 and increases the empty stock by 100.

That provides that there's always enough of every weapon and the total weapons number won't increase.

Simply as that (until the V2 with all its weapon ideas can be implemented, of course).

What do you say, Glyph?

Ok, then i will sell my unused Disruptor Rifle then.
Lets hope a new player who needs one of those buy that.

Why not scrap the weapons shop and have a standard weapon given to all TF when they are created, these can't be sold but could be unequipped for brawlers. You wouldn't have to buy new weapons but the one weapon could be upgraded indefinitely at cost, better upgrades would be made available with FP stats as armour is with rank.

shockwaveuk wrote:Why not scrap the weapons shop and have a standard weapon given to all TF when they are created, these can't be sold but could be unequipped for brawlers. You wouldn't have to buy new weapons but the one weapon could be upgraded indefinitely at cost, better upgrades would be made available with FP stats as armour is with rank.

+1

shockwaveuk wrote:Why not scrap the weapons shop and have a standard weapon given to all TF when they are created, these can't be sold but could be unequipped for brawlers. You wouldn't have to buy new weapons but the one weapon could be upgraded indefinitely at cost, better upgrades would be made available with FP stats as armour is with rank.

I like this idea, I second it.

shockwaveuk wrote:Why not scrap the weapons shop and have a standard weapon given to all TF when they are created, these can't be sold but could be unequipped for brawlers. You wouldn't have to buy new weapons but the one weapon could be upgraded indefinitely at cost, better upgrades would be made available with FP stats as armour is with rank.

Actually, that's not half bad of an idea. Just make weapon damage a function of Firepower, and allow the player to name his weapon the same as he can name his bot. I mean, integrated weapons are becoming a major part of Transformer design, just look at most of the current toys that integrate the weapon into the transformation, or the movie designs.

if my faulty memory serves correctly, which it typically doesn't, this issue of out of weapon stock is going to be addressed relatively in time. The largest problem with the weapon system now, at least in terms of how weapon stocks go and how they are bought, is that people buy and buy and don't sell back. Meaning there are people out there that have ten dols, twenty Battle Blades, hell there are some that have the original Non Recharge Swords. I am fairly sure that this problem will resolved two fold, through a similar mission set up to armor and a storage locker with limited space.

But remember my memory is faulty and can not be taken to seriously.

Alpha Strike wrote:if my faulty memory serves correctly, which it typically doesn't, this issue of out of weapon stock is going to be addressed relatively in time. The largest problem with the weapon system now, at least in terms of how weapon stocks go and how they are bought, is that people buy and buy and don't sell back. Meaning there are people out there that have ten dols, twenty Battle Blades, hell there are some that have the original Non Recharge Swords. I am fairly sure that this problem will resolved two fold, through a similar mission set up to armor and a storage locker with limited space.

But remember my memory is faulty and can not be taken to seriously.

I still like my idea, it also solves the weapon strengths problem too.

Deadboy wrote:

shockwaveuk wrote:Why not scrap the weapons shop and have a standard weapon given to all TF when they are created, these can't be sold but could be unequipped for brawlers. You wouldn't have to buy new weapons but the one weapon could be upgraded indefinitely at cost, better upgrades would be made available with FP stats as armour is with rank.

Actually, that's not half bad of an idea. Just make weapon damage a function of Firepower, and allow the player to name his weapon the same as he can name his bot. I mean, integrated weapons are becoming a major part of Transformer design, just look at most of the current toys that integrate the weapon into the transformation, or the movie designs.

The only possible problem I see in this idea is that there is no possibility for the player to choose between fast-recharging moderate-damage weapon and slow-recharging high-damage weapon for his Transformer.

But it could be upgraded too. Close Combat Weapon (and its damage) could be an attribute of Strength and Ranged Combat Weapon (and its damage) - an attribute of Firepower. Skill and/or Intelligence can decide how often the bot uses his more powerful weapon and how often - the less powerful one (by default 50:50).

So, in this case the battle would be something like this:

02:15 - Bot 1 shoots Con 1 with Rocket Launcher
...
03:45 - Bot 1 strikes Con 1 with Vibro-Axe

And, if there's no point invested in either Strength or Firepower, it means there's a default weapon
(for example, Bare Hands for close combat, Laser Pistol for ranged).

...Can't resist to make the pun...

"I'll crush you with my Bare Hands!" (c)Galvatron
Does this mean Galvatron really had a Strength of 0?

Alpha Strike wrote:The largest problem with the weapon system now, at least in terms of how weapon stocks go and how they are bought, is that people buy and buy and don't sell back. Meaning there are people out there that have ten dols, twenty Battle Blades, hell there are some that have the original Non Recharge Swords.

I believe that the largest problem with the weapon system now, at least in terms of how weapon stocks go and how they are bought, is that there are hundreds of unused weapons no-one wishes to buy. Meaning there are people out there that have ten dols, twenty Battle Blades and don't want everybody else to have the same, and that's all!

shockwaveuk wrote:

Alpha Strike wrote:if my faulty memory serves correctly, which it typically doesn't, this issue of out of weapon stock is going to be addressed relatively in time. The largest problem with the weapon system now, at least in terms of how weapon stocks go and how they are bought, is that people buy and buy and don't sell back. Meaning there are people out there that have ten dols, twenty Battle Blades, hell there are some that have the original Non Recharge Swords. I am fairly sure that this problem will resolved two fold, through a similar mission set up to armor and a storage locker with limited space.

But remember my memory is faulty and can not be taken to seriously.

I still like my idea, it also solves the weapon strengths problem too.

well not exactly. Weapons are abit tricky when it comes to their strength. They deal in percents not hit points or damage points. Thusly if you get hit with something it takes a percent out yer hide. If you have armor or endurance then you can block a small fragment of the initial damage percent but you still get hit pretty hard. To solve the weapon strength problem the game will have to be set onto a points system. Meaning, hit points and damage points with the two defense boosters actually shielding against damage, via armor, or increasing HP via Endurance increases. Weapons would have to built around various types, melee weapons would have to be able to be able to act like melee weapons... For example if one mech is armed with a melee and his opponent is armed with a melee, then technically those two could block and parry one another, Range v Range can't really block but it can detonate though even that causes minor damage. Melee v Range becomes the fun deal, which I'll let people's imagination soar over.

Alpha Strike wrote:

shockwaveuk wrote:

Alpha Strike wrote:if my faulty memory serves correctly, which it typically doesn't, this issue of out of weapon stock is going to be addressed relatively in time. The largest problem with the weapon system now, at least in terms of how weapon stocks go and how they are bought, is that people buy and buy and don't sell back. Meaning there are people out there that have ten dols, twenty Battle Blades, hell there are some that have the original Non Recharge Swords. I am fairly sure that this problem will resolved two fold, through a similar mission set up to armor and a storage locker with limited space.

But remember my memory is faulty and can not be taken to seriously.

I still like my idea, it also solves the weapon strengths problem too.

well not exactly. Weapons are abit tricky when it comes to their strength. They deal in percents not hit points or damage points. Thusly if you get hit with something it takes a percent out yer hide. If you have armor or endurance then you can block a small fragment of the initial damage percent but you still get hit pretty hard. To solve the weapon strength problem the game will have to be set onto a points system. Meaning, hit points and damage points with the two defense boosters actually shielding against damage, via armor, or increasing HP via Endurance increases. Weapons would have to built around various types, melee weapons would have to be able to be able to act like melee weapons... For example if one mech is armed with a melee and his opponent is armed with a melee, then technically those two could block and parry one another, Range v Range can't really block but it can detonate though even that causes minor damage. Melee v Range becomes the fun deal, which I'll let people's imagination soar over.

I was refering to the problem of L1s running about with some of the strongest weapons in the game.

Elcor wrote:

Alpha Strike wrote:The largest problem with the weapon system now, at least in terms of how weapon stocks go and how they are bought, is that people buy and buy and don't sell back. Meaning there are people out there that have ten dols, twenty Battle Blades, hell there are some that have the original Non Recharge Swords.

I believe that the largest problem with the weapon system now, at least in terms of how weapon stocks go and how they are bought, is that there are hundreds of unused weapons no-one wishes to buy. Meaning there are people out there that have ten dols, twenty Battle Blades and don't want everybody else to have the same, and that's all!

I think you overestimate the maliciousness of the players. If anything, it's that the 90% of the players who don't post here (and therefore probably don't care) have no motivation to go through the trouble of selling all of their excess weapons back. You only get back a small fraction of what you paid, and you only have three things to do with that money - gamble, buy armor, and... buy more weapons!