Regular Shields vs. Phased Shields

[Triumvir Emphy]

Phased shields at level I are a trade off between less points but blocking more weapons. At level III phased shields provide more shield points than normal shields.

Yes, phased shields block "normal" weapons and phased weapons. But not weapons like null-space and other non phased shield skipping weapons.

[DirectorTsaarx]

Actually, I think Phased Shield IV's are equal to Shield V's; and Phased Shield V's are better than Shield V's.

To expand on the other point: the only weapon that is stopped by Phased Shields but not by regular shields is the Phased Polaron Beam. All the other shield-skipping weapons (IIRC) will also skip phased shields (i.e., null-space weapons, one of the temporal weapons, the weapon & engine damaging weapons). And don't forget that some weapons skip shields but not armor, while others skip armor but not shields (just to make it confusing)...

[s_rat]

Thanks for your responses.

Out of curiosity, which weapons "skip" armor?

[DirectorTsaarx]

Shard cannons skip armor but not shields. I can't think of any others that only skip armor. There may be an organic weapon that does this...

And we've already discussed the weapons that skip both shields and armor, and the weapons that only skip shields (i.e., phased-polaron beams).

I think the weapons that only damage specific components (weapons, engines, bridges, computers) also skip shields (both kinds) and armor.

[E. Albright]

quote:

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Originally posted by s_rat:
And do shields provide any protection against DUCs? I'm assuming not, but I'm not sure.

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Alas, shields generally laugh off DUCs w/o any special problems. DUCs are not anything special, but are fairly mediocre. However, they're at least far better than they used to be...

[Baron Munchausen]

FYI, the only weapons in the default techs which skip armor are the Shard Cannon and the Crystalline Torpedo (actually a seeker) -- both in the Crystalline Technology racial area.

The AI doesn't seem to understand the distinction between standard and phased shields, unfortunately. Even when it researches them it doesn't actually use them but sticks with the original type. Maybe it would be better for the AI to go with the MOO system of adding a modifying component that "hardens" standard shields. The AI could probably understand that easier (less tricky for programming). I'd really like to see different 'types' of shields that were more or less effective against different 'types' of weapons.

[Blue Lord]

Highest lvl of normal sheilding generates 300 points. Highest lvl of pahes shielding generates 375. But as someone said, the gap between phased lvl 1 and normal shileds highest lvl is rather large. How do you solve it? Simple, I don't switch from pahed to normal untilthe pahsed can generate atleast as much as normal.