Target Booster I & II

  1. Do Target Boosters work properly in the 1.35 patch? Cliffski noted they were bugged earlier in the week.

  2. Does a Target Booster:
    A. Add a flat amount to the weapons Tracking Speed? Example: Multiple Warhead Missiles .60 Tracking + Target Booster I .10 Tracking = .70 Tracking
    or
    B. Add a percentage to the weapons Tracking Speed? Example: MW Missiles .60 Tracking + Target Booster I (.60*.10 = .06) = .66 Tracking

It’s B, you get a percentage boost of the current weapon tracking speed.

So then it’s most useful on middle- to high-tracking weapons.

Do you get a cumulative benefit from using two or more?

Presumably.

The trouble is I think they have severe stacking penalties.

Thanks for the info Cliffski.

So high tracking weapons would get the greatest benefit from Target Boosters. That means a Cruiser Defense Laser/Tribe Autocannon with a 3.70 Tracking paired with Target Booster II (+16%) would end up with (3.70*.16=.592) 3.70+.59 = 4.29 Tracking Speed.

maybe so, but those weapons tend to hit anyway. I’d assumed their greatest use would be for plasma torpedoes, which are about as accurate as coalition precision bombing :smiley:

I can see the media briefing at space command now

a smartly dressed Lieutenant that looks like a member of muscle beach, cut, shaved and stuffed in a starfleet uniform is currently briefing the ‘coalition of the slightly willing’ semi-free press in the latest engagement.

Grainy footage shows a enemy Alliance cruiser trying to run a planetary blockade.

‘Here we have the enemy cruiser Gratuitous Green Tentacles attempting to break free of our blockade line. This footage from the plasma gun crew cam showes the success rate of our new Target Boosting module made by Kaboom Inc.’

The footage shows the Alliance cruiser emerging from the planets orbit and is met with bright stars of plasma from the plasma battery, one, two hits, a partial, three misses, a forth plumb in the center, a fifth scrapes the hull while the sixth misses by a wide margin.

The Lieutenant grunts and casts his eye over the assembled press corps like a drill sergant looking at a steaming dog turd on the parade ground.

'The success of target elimination within the specified DPM framework set by the Federation is around fifteen to twenty percent higher. The second footage you are about to see is from the other blockading cruiser ‘Itchy Trigger Finger’ who has yet to be upgraded.

Behind him another gun cam footage starts, the last of the Plasma shots from the first footage have impacted and missed, the Alliance cruiser is damaged but still moving. This time the camera shakes in time as multiple plasma batteries open fire and fills the screen with a mass of Plasma projectiles, they stream off the guns and out into space. Most miss the target with others just skiming the hull or impacting the remaining shields. The footage goes on for 3 minuites as the Cruiser gets closer with more and more impacts tearing chunks of the looming ship, behind the plasma misses grow smaller as they continue on towards the planet.

Finally the ship erupts in a blinding flash from within as it is torn apart like a ‘lifetime’ test in a childs toy factory. As the glow receeds the Lieutenant, whose eyes have not left the reporters steps in front of the still running footage.
‘We are planning on rolling these modules throughout the fleet and anticipate any remaining questions to the accuracy of our most potent weapons will cease, that is all’

Behind him, just over the shoulders of his straining uniform the footage starts to dim as the planet is lit up with small bright flashes, one, two, threefour…

The interesting benefit is going to be against edge cases. Pulse beam and CDL’s will be able to hit some new classes of fighters, although unfortunately not all.

Plasma still gets a bit of a bump against the faster cruisers, but you’re still crazy for firing plasma at fast cruisers.

Yeah, this is an interesting thread. I can definitely see now how the target booster would have the highest benefit for weapons which already have a high tracking rating when it is based off a percentage increase. Unfortunately those weapons are the ones that least need the boost. Unless, if boosted, they’re an ‘edge case’ now effectively capable of engaging fast fighters without tractor beams.