Cruiser Command

I want a black hole generator - creates a black hole at a picked spot within bc sight, takes 3 sec to become active, cannot be used straight on a target.

Entering blackhole causes 1500 damage to cruiser, 500 damage to small ships. Teleports target to a random location (that is further then 2 screens away from entrance). Also causes 50% of current core stability loss (but not less then 15%)

Price is 5k energy or 25 kerm. Cooldown 3 minutes.

Blackhole closes up 1,5 sec after a ship enters it

Sounds like an interesting escape ability-- throw up a black hole, fly into it, escape a fight. Could set these up for a destroyer to use to bomb the enemy BC and then teleport away.

DumbMarine wrote:Sounds like an interesting escape ability-- throw up a black hole, fly into it, escape a fight. Could set these up for a destroyer to use to bomb the enemy BC and then teleport away.

Can also use it to send enemy cruiser away on a chase, and save your chomper if it couldn't dock in time

This sounds to powerful to be able to be upgraded right away

Red-Rocket wrote:This sounds to powerful to be able to be upgraded right away

How powerful? you can't use it on hostile cruiser to force send him, he'd have to be dumb to jump it - he has time before it shows up. Plus if you use it to run around, you waste energy, stability and core.

3 seconds isnt that much and early on in the game the BC doesnt move alot, let alone a guy always on nav. This is an advanced upgrade

I really want to add some core specializations, but it's a rather big addition I feel and I might wait with it until I come back.

More specializations!

Inverse Core Assembler - Whenever a small ship dies, it's non-kermiculite cost is fully refunded. Small ships launch with full power. Docked ships no longer give power to the battlecruiser.

Graviton Negator - Enables the Gravity Amplifier and Twist Space abilities at the science console.

Gravity Amplifier - Non-BCs cannot cross the edges of the map while this ability is active. The edges of the map will glow green. 150 GW upkeep, 30 second cooldown. The cooldown is activated if the BC is hit by a tractor beam. Shared cooldown with Twist Space.

Twist Space - Ships that cross the edge of the map are sent to the center of the map instead while this ability is active. The edges of the map will glow black (harder to see). 150 GW upkeep, 30 second cooldown. The cooldown is activated if the BC is hit by a tractor beam. Shared cooldown with the Gravity Amplifier.

Colossus Reactor - Enables the Ignite Colossus ability at the science console. When this core specialization is first researched, the BC gains the Ignite Colossus buff.

Ignite Colossus - (75 green) 15 second cast time - The battlecruiser's power output increases by 375 GW as long as core stability is above 90% (if stability drops below 90%, this buff temporarily does nothing, but functions normally when the stability is back above 90%). This buff lasts for 3 minutes. The BC visibly sparks/glows with power while this buff is active (diminished when stability drops below 90%). When this buff ends, the BC gains the "Depleted Core" debuff.

Depleted Core - The BC's core output is locked at 0%. This debuff lasts until the Ignite Colossus buff is activated. (it's like an addiction)

Linked-Core Array - Enables Fortress Mode at the weapons console.

Fortress Mode - 10 second cast time - The battlecruiser spawns 4 large stationary towers at it's diagonals (like an X shape). While in fortress mode, the battlecruiser's weapons are disabled, and the weapon console instead controls the weapons for the towers. Each tower fires one set of lasers or kinetics (so double the standard lasers or quad kinetics power). Weapon costs are unchanged, and laser range increases by 100%. While in fortress mode, the battlecruiser cannot move or turn. Each tower has 3000 hit points, no shields, and double the sight range of the battlecruiser. If a tower is destroyed, the battlecruiser takes damage equal to half of it's maximum HP. It takes 10 seconds for the battlecruiser to deploy into fortress mode, during which the ship is immobile. It takes 10 seconds to undeploy.

DumbMarine wrote:Inverse Core Assembler - Whenever a small ship dies, it's non-kermiculite cost is fully refunded. Small ships launch with full power. Docked ships no longer give power to the battlecruiser.

Something like this would be hilariously fun to have, but at the same time kind of overpowered. Because things like the Corvette are very expensive but cost no Kermiculite, it means you can send a never ending hoard of Corvettes to try and stomp upon your enemy. And that is quite powerful in itself if you're willing to send 3 players out on Corvettes to go stomp people at all times. For balancing purposes maybe 'half back' or something similar might be best.

DumbMarine wrote:Graviton Negator - Enables the Gravity Amplifier and Twist Space abilities at the science console.

Gravity Amplifier - Non-BCs cannot cross the edges of the map while this ability is active. The edges of the map will glow green. 150 GW upkeep, 30 second cooldown. The cooldown is activated if the BC is hit by a tractor beam. Shared cooldown with Twist Space.

Twist Space - Ships that cross the edge of the map are sent to the center of the map instead while this ability is active. The edges of the map will glow black (harder to see). 150 GW upkeep, 30 second cooldown. The cooldown is activated if the BC is hit by a tractor beam. Shared cooldown with the Gravity Amplifier.

I'm not sure I get the point of twist space personally. Even if you use it as an escape mechanism, it's not particularly difficult to follow you. Moreover, I don't think we want to encourage going into the late game through an ability like Gravity Amplifier... one hour long games are already frustrating enough.

DumbMarine wrote:Colossus Reactor - Enables the Ignite Colossus ability at the science console. When this core specialization is first researched, the BC gains the Ignite Colossus buff.

Ignite Colossus - (75 green) 15 second cast time - The battlecruiser's power output increases by 375 GW as long as core stability is above 90% (if stability drops below 90%, this buff temporarily does nothing, but functions normally when the stability is back above 90%). This buff lasts for 3 minutes. The BC visibly sparks/glows with power while this buff is active (diminished when stability drops below 90%). When this buff ends, the BC gains the "Depleted Core" debuff.

Depleted Core - The BC's core output is locked at 0%. This debuff lasts until the Ignite Colossus buff is activated. (it's like an addiction)

For what is it, and it's potential counters, it seems incredibly powerful. Given a Kermiculite lead it seems almost impossible to deplete simply because the only real hard counter is the Yamato Cannon, which requires 40 Kermiculite. It gives an overwhelming advantage that can't really be stopped if the opposing team doesn't have any Kerm lead.

DumbMarine wrote:Linked-Core Array - Enables Fortress Mode at the weapons console.

Fortress Mode - 10 second cast time - The battlecruiser spawns 4 large stationary towers at it's diagonals (like an X shape). While in fortress mode, the battlecruiser's weapons are disabled, and the weapon console instead controls the weapons for the towers. Each tower fires one set of lasers or kinetics (so double the standard lasers or quad kinetics power). Weapon costs are unchanged, and laser range increases by 100%. While in fortress mode, the battlecruiser cannot move or turn. Each tower has 3000 hit points, no shields, and double the sight range of the battlecruiser. If a tower is destroyed, the battlecruiser takes damage equal to half of it's maximum HP. It takes 10 seconds for the battlecruiser to deploy into fortress mode, during which the ship is immobile. It takes 10 seconds to undeploy.

In one sense I like this in that it's an incredible risk. Heavy damage output, 6000 raw damage to death. A surprise attack will instantly destroy the enemy battlecruiser if they are deployed. At the same time, instant death almost feels like too much of a risk, and the casting time means that it can't be used during a chase or initiation. It can only be used either to poke or to defend, and it has too big of a limitation to defend -- so basically poking.

One thing worth noting with the ignite collosus is that 75 kerm is 15000*8= 120000 energy (with 5 kerm remaining), if I did the math correctly.

This should mean that it takes you 3½ minute with the buff to get enough energy for another boost.

What I don't like about it is that it's super powerful if you can afford it, but if you mess up and dont kill them, you're sitting there with a full capacitor and no kerm and you're screwed. I would say that getting back in the game with no kerm and no energy reg if you dont manage to kill them with your full cap is impossible against a half-decent team.