The modding system - bugs, exploits and overpowered ships

[Axeface]

This has been an issue since the game released so I am posting it as a discussion of sorts here.

I always mod my ships and I use the effective ones. I mod them to increase their stats for OOS, for ships that I know I will be using myself I often mod them slightly differently. I've never been sure because I dont know how its intended to work and I am no mathematician, but it seems like theres something wrong with the calculations.

For example the Nudger engine mod.
It will say something like -30% travel speed, but if you get a high roll on the base ship speed (like 43%) the travel mode speed goes UP - shouldnt its base travel speed be reduced by 30%? This issue I think effects basically all mods.
And before anyone says that I am misreading it because the text goes green if you roll better than a previous roll, no, travel mode speed can increase when installing this mod.

Another really broken mod is the Slasher green weapon mod. Getting a high Reload and damage roll results in massively inflated stats - try it on a destroyer main battery. Both sustained and flat damage get huge boosts and this results in very powerful ships (especially OOS). If this is how its intended then I'll just say that Slasher is very overpowered (and the intended drawback doesnt effect turrets...).

I think there are further problems especially with repeated rerolls not calculating properly.

As a sidenote, i've often asked for a way to make the same roll across multiple weapons - the desync that occurs if you mod your ships is very unpleasant. So I'de like to repeat that request now. I also think the RNG nature of the system could use a second look and could be improved a lot, I like the feeling of getting a high roll so I am not against it in principle.

Overall, i'de appreciate some clarification here. Perhaps it all works as intended and I'm reading it wrong, but after doing this crisis event and seeing other peoples experience of it I feel like theres something wrong with my ships. And if these numbers are intended I'de just like to say that the system is overpowered, inflates OOS/IS disparity, leads to issues with AI such as M ships constantly just smashing into their target because they are too fast (ships are way too fast in this game) and easy to exploit - for example the previously mentioned Slasher mod on turrets issue which itself highlights another issue with the game, the firing of turrets lacking any further shipwide impact. Green mods are often the best/most broken ones too and they make higher quality mods completely redundant.

[GCU Grey Area]

For example the Nudger engine mod.
It will say something like -30% travel speed, but if you get a high roll on the base ship speed (like 43%) the travel mode speed goes UP - shouldnt its base travel speed be reduced by 30%? This issue I think effects basically all mods.

As I understand it travel speed is derived from base speed, so a mod which improves base speed will also improve travel speed. Consequently for mods such as Nudger there are effectively 2 modifiers to travel speed, one positive (due to base speed improving) & one negative. If the positive modifier is higher the end result will be an overall improvement to travel speed.

Another really broken mod is the Slasher green weapon mod. Getting a high Reload and damage roll results in massively inflated stats - try it on a destroyer main battery.

Slasher's a decent turret mod, however very much prefer Expediter for destroyers. Decent rolls can add ~3km to range.

[Axeface]

As I understand it travel speed is derived from base speed, so a mod which improves base speed will also improve travel speed. Consequently for mods such as Nudger there are effectively 2 modifiers to travel speed, one positive (due to base speed improving) & one negative. If the positive modifier is higher the end result will be an overall improvement to travel speed.

Yeh that seems to be whats happening, but my question would be is it intended that this mod gives increased performance to all stats it modifies?
One reason I think it isnt the intention is the existence of the Pusher green mod, for example - why would anyone in their right-mind install the pusher mod (10% max increase to forward thrust). A good proc on Nudger will be better than a good proc on Pusher. Surely the intention is that Nudgers negative modifiers would be too punishing, making Pusher attractive to people that dont want negative modifiers at all.

Heres 2 images, 1 with a good Nudger proc and 1 with a good Pusher proc - why would anyone ever use Pusher? Seems like there is redundancy here and thats never good.
(I dont consider boost thrust a valid statistic for capitals other than much more nimble ones like the Ray by the way, and the difference here is negligible anyway).
This ship without an engine mod.

Slasher's a decent turret mod, however very much prefer Expediter for destroyers. Decent rolls can add ~3km to range.

Ive have never done enough missions to get enough of the parts to become very familiar with the exceptional weapon mods, but I would expect and want an exceptional to be better than slasher - although I really dislike mods like that one, where the secondary stats constantly change, I hate that - especially when I'm burning through precious high energy catalyst (another thing that really annoys me about this system, why punish us so much with high energy catalyst?).

[GCU Grey Area]

Yeh that seems to be whats happening, but my question would be is it intended that this mod gives increased performance to all stats it modifies?
One reason I think it isnt the intention is the existence of the Pusher green mod, for example - why would anyone in their right-mind install the pusher mod (10% max increase to forward thrust). A good proc on Nudger will be better than a good proc on Pusher. Surely the intention is that Nudgers negative modifiers would be too punishing, making Pusher attractive to people that dont want negative modifiers at all.

Advantage of the mods which only affect a single stat, with no downsides, is that it often takes fewer re-rolls to get desired stats compared to one which modifies several stats. There are circumstances where I'll choose a mod which is inarguably less potent than alternatives if it means I can get a good enough outcome while expending fewer modding resources, particularly if I'm intending for widespread installation on many ships.

In the specific case of Nudger v Pusher did notice in your screenshots that Pusher provided marginally better travel speed, which is usually the stat I aim to improve for my L freighters & miners. Personally though, tend to prefer Reaver for mine, usually alongside Polisher chassis mod.

Ive have never done enough missions to get enough of the parts to become very familiar with the exceptional weapon mods, but I would expect and want an exceptional to be better than slasher - although I really dislike mods like that one, where the secondary stats constantly change, I hate that - especially when I'm burning through precious high energy catalyst (another thing that really annoys me about this system, why punish us so much with high energy catalyst?).

Main reason I avoid Slasher for main guns is it signifinanctly reduces the number of shots I get before they overheat. In the early game, before I have exceptional parts, tend to go for cooling mods for main guns instead. Particularly fond of Benguela in this regard.

Do however generally take a LOT of missions in my games to obtain exceptional weapon mods, specifically to improve the range of my demolition fleet destroyers. The extra range provides a much greater margin for error during station demolition operations (particularly advantageous if the target's a Commonwealth station armed with several dozen L plasma turrets) & is also highly beneficial during fleet battles. Have a strong preference for my ships shooting first, ideally killing their foes before they get close enough to shoot back.