Topic: Signal Maskers use 5x as much AP as they say they do

It's eating ~10 AP every 2 seconds not at cycle end or beginning.  Fix the tool tip if this is WAI.  Detectors don't do this.

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Re: Signal Maskers use 5x as much AP as they say they do

dum dum dum

insider knowledge - maskers power consumption depends on the hitsize of the robot using it.
oh wait, that information is even linked in their description.

but wait, why do i have to tell that those who actively play the game for years.

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3 (edited by Crepitus 2014-07-13 14:03:52)

Re: Signal Maskers use 5x as much AP as they say they do

Annihilator wrote:

dum dum dum

insider knowledge - maskers power consumption depends on the hitsize of the robot using it.
oh wait, that information is even linked in their description.

but wait, why do i have to tell that those who actively play the game for years.

It should be calculating it for me on a per bot basis the same way everything else does "Information", "Information (unmodified)".  That still doesn't address the fact that it eats power outside the beginning/ending of cycles.

EDIT: "The accumulator usage of a signal masker seems small, but there are secondary factors involved with the base accumulator value listed. This value will be multiplied by the robot's surface hit size. For example a Seth has a hit size of 10 m, so if you use a signal masker that has an accumulator consumption of 3 AP, the total accumulator usage will be 10x3=30 AP / cycle"

Even with that taken in to account it's using far more than it should.

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4 (edited by Annihilator 2014-07-13 14:05:02)

Re: Signal Maskers use 5x as much AP as they say they do

Crepitus wrote:

Detectors don't do this.

Detectors don't do this... but neither does their buff last as long as the cycletime.

Crepitus wrote:

It should be calculating it for me on a per bot basis the same way everything else does "Information", "Information (unmodified)".

everything else is not correct either. most prominent attribute that is nowhere listed in clear text: damage per round fired.

Its a missing information in either case, that should be listed,
that i agree with.

especially since masking was announced to be the popular equipment choice after the next balance patch.
~24 AP/s permanent consumption could be an issue on some heavy mechs not expecting that

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Re: Signal Maskers use 5x as much AP as they say they do

I'm sitting here watching it on a bot with hit size 4.  I'm using a T4 masker which says 2.35 AP per 10 second cycle.  The formula says it should be 4 * 2.35 / 10 second cycle, that's 9.4/10.  That is .94 per second even if it's not waiting til the beginning/end of a cycle.  It's using 10 per 2 seconds.  It's backwards and way more.

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6 (edited by Crepitus 2014-07-13 14:09:21)

Re: Signal Maskers use 5x as much AP as they say they do

Annihilator wrote:

especially since masking was announced to be the popular equipment choice after the next balance patch.
~24 AP/s permanent consumption could be an issue on some heavy mechs not expecting that

It will be the *ONLY* choice.  Masking will be hilariously OP.  Islands could be heavily populated and no one would ever see each other.  It's another train wreck.

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Re: Signal Maskers use 5x as much AP as they say they do

your right, the information there is not completely correct either...

it will consume every 2 seconds the full ap*hitsize.

that was intended when they got released, and written down somewhere.

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8 (edited by Blocker 2014-09-16 04:51:01)

Re: Signal Maskers use 5x as much AP as they say they do

Annihilator wrote:

your right, the information there is not completely correct either...

it will consume every 2 seconds the full ap*hitsize.

that was intended when they got released, and written down somewhere.

Necro thread:

I was looking at this the other day, so after reading this thread I have this question: Does any other module use AP throughout the duration of it's cycle ?

If no then
Why make maskers do this? I understand that AP use is linked to bot hit size, but that is a known factor whether the masker is on or off. Why not just have the masker consume the calculated AP at the start of the cycle and be done with it ?
else
because of "potato" ?

Re: Signal Maskers use 5x as much AP as they say they do

Because of balance.

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Re: Signal Maskers use 5x as much AP as they say they do

Norrdec wrote:

Because of balance.

So did you actually read my post, or did you just see the word potato and get all excited ?

11 (edited by Norrdec 2014-09-16 10:18:46)

Re: Signal Maskers use 5x as much AP as they say they do

Why make maskers do this? I understand that AP use is linked to bot hit size, but that is a known factor whether the masker is on or off. Why not just have the masker consume the calculated AP at the start of the cycle and be done with it ?

Because of balance. You don't ask what was the balance about, we only know it was a balance change. No other modules does this.

Not my fault your potato needs me to explain everything.

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Re: Signal Maskers use 5x as much AP as they say they do

Norrdec wrote:

Why make maskers do this? I understand that AP use is linked to bot hit size, but that is a known factor whether the masker is on or off. Why not just have the masker consume the calculated AP at the start of the cycle and be done with it ?

Because of balance. You don't ask what was the balance about, we only know it was a balance change. No other modules does this.

Not my fault your potato needs me to explain everything.

But you explain nothing, just saying it's because of balance is not an explanation.  But never mind, it's not that much an issue, I was curious and asked. Seems a sensible answer is not possible on these forums.. Ignore my post..

Re: Signal Maskers use 5x as much AP as they say they do

Because of balance.  On a light Bot cam,intact and trioar the masker is intended on these small bots.  If it pulsed like a signal detector and you applied 1 ewar application you would be out of AP, making you 1. Useless and 2. Punishment for those who don't immediately cut off their masker right before you engage.

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Re: Signal Maskers use 5x as much AP as they say they do

the question is "why don't work detectors the same way", and why is there no indicator in that bloated item info (there is lots, really lots of redundant information, but missing important ones completely)

same goes for some other modules that have lasting effects (shields, supressor, demobs, amps, etc.)

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Re: Signal Maskers use 5x as much AP as they say they do

Ville wrote:

Because of balance.  On a light Bot cam,intact and trioar the masker is intended on these small bots.  If it pulsed like a signal detector and you applied 1 ewar application you would be out of AP, making you 1. Useless and 2. Punishment for those who don't immediately cut off their masker right before you engage.

Thanks for explanation, I have a better idea what you mean now. I still don't see why it needs to be different, if you switch it off mid cycle it still uses the AP until the cycle is finished. But that's ok, at least I know the reasoning behind it now, whether I think it's implemented correctly or not is another issue.

Re: Signal Maskers use 5x as much AP as they say they do

Blocker wrote:
Ville wrote:

Because of balance.  On a light Bot cam,intact and trioar the masker is intended on these small bots.  If it pulsed like a signal detector and you applied 1 ewar application you would be out of AP, making you 1. Useless and 2. Punishment for those who don't immediately cut off their masker right before you engage.

Thanks for explanation, I have a better idea what you mean now. I still don't see why it needs to be different, if you switch it off mid cycle it still uses the AP until the cycle is finished. But that's ok, at least I know the reasoning behind it now, whether I think it's implemented correctly or not is another issue.

I like how the maskers implemented, I kinda wished detectors would have been a flat increase like maskers but have their values cut in half.

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Re: Signal Maskers use 5x as much AP as they say they do

Blocker wrote:

I still don't see why it needs to be different, if you switch it off mid cycle it still uses the AP until the cycle is finished.

which makes sense on maskers, since you are still masked until the visible cycle ends.
Unlike Detectors, which are increasing your detection for half the cycle time, and not consuming more energy then the first pulse -> that would make sense if they would display stuff like proxy probes, aka just an echo of the moment they have activated.

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