Just as Unikraken asked, here you can find all my feedback notes.
So, before Stridents entered service, I suppose that I can help you to fix some most notable problems by pointing at them... Anyway I have no time to something more serious than filling in this blocknote. So, I hope you'll find some time to fix at least some part of notes below... Before you will go dark till next release.
First of all, I must apologize for all... difficult moments in my text below. English is not my native language, but I'm working on it. If there will be something unclear or clearly wrong in my words, please, tell me and I'll try to correct it.
Following material regarding version Alpha 0.75.1.
The UNSC
I. UNSC Main Balance Objections
The faction is more interesting now, and ideas of Alpha Damage strategy and fleet micro control are amazing. Now players have to keep their fleets' formations and plan every single step in engagements with the Covenant. But, as everything new, this idea has some problems in part of performance.
The list of my objections and thoughts in short form, regarding UNSC balance you may see below:
1) UNSC is too weak in early game.
They have not even a single chance to expand and research something new, if the Covenant player will push them hardly. All their units are underpowered in both damage and hull strength in comparison to Covenant ones. Humans have to buy many weak units in order to compensate Covenant's superiority, but such taxes are bad for researches.
I understand that Alpha damage idea demands the UNSC to be like that, but now they're just like kittens in the river: enemy is too fast, too deadly. I believe, if you will buff all their MAC damage and hull points slightly, nothing catastrophic will happen. Furthermore, you will help to save some resources for necessary researches.
2) UNSC Shiva missile launchers are underpowered.
They have too small AoE and too low damage to Covenant shields, but, as we all know Shiva is the only effective way for majority of the UNSC fleet to reduce enemy shields. I suggest to increase Shivas damage to shields greatly, and damage to hull slightly + increase AoE minor damage to all ships in area of blast.
In addition to this, I suggest to increase their AoE ability to disable light and medium enemies for some time greatly. With such levels of radiation, bright flash and thermal effect on hull, their sensors must simply die... at least, for some time. Capital ships shouldn't suffer so much due to their size, while Titans can only take damage to shields and hull without any new disabling effects.
This change also won't ruin balance, because only capitals and stations have such powerful (but currently underpowered) weapon in their arsenal.
3) UNSC has no effective non-capital tank classes in early game, while Covenant has entire line. It would be great, if Halcyon class will become available earlier. Perhaps, for higher price in cap and resources. It was very expensive ship and entered service much earlier than Marathon.
Something must hold the line and they're ideal for this job. Marathons are too expensive, frigates are literally made from paperweight, ODPs can't perform slipspace jumps.
4) Majority of UNSC starships are underpowered in cases of MAC damage or hull strength, so there are only few useful classes to wage the war against Covenant: Halcyon, Autumn, Orion and Infinity. I'm not talking about full-scale buff for the UNSC, but let's make those Marathons [+DMG+ARMOR], Valiants [+DMG, +HULL], Halberds [+DMG] and Charons [+DMG, -HULL] a little bit more useful.
II. UNSC Units Objections
1) Marathon-class seems a little bit underpowered in early game and completely useless in middle and late. It has no sufficient hull, damage and speed to be formidable foe. I buy them only in early game, and only because of their stats, which are slightly better than Phoenix... and Shiva ability.
I suggest to buff it's MAC damage and increase it's armor with no price changes. This ship should finally occupy it's place as mass-produced combat vessel for early and middle game.
Additional problem: Marathon has missile barrage ability, but it can't be used until you research it.
2) ONI Sloop problems. You have to set enemy target in range to cloak it, while Sahara just have the button.
Another problem is that both ONI Sloop and Covenant Recon have no cloak animation at all - they simply vanish, like there are no their models. Also, Sloop can't exir cloak by player's order. In short: Basic Recons cloaking ability doesn't work correctly.
Problems with Cloak:
Also, ONI Sloop has 2 'reveal mines' slots on the tab: one as ability and the second as perk. What's about returning of old good Combat Maneuvering for improved dodge chance instead?
3) Sahara-class Heavy Prowler problems.
1. Sahara-class basic weapon problem
It's clearly, that you use model similar to the ship from Halo Legends, episode 'The Package': same size, forms, same windows positions, same cloaking technology and even same underbelly docks for SPARTANs Jet Bikes. But there, in 'The Package' and on Halopedia it called OP-49776. In that movie, this vessel had blue pulse lasers. We see it when it's decloakig in order to save John-117 and Dr.Halsey from following Covenant aircraft. After decloaking, Prowler immediately shots volleys of blue fire and kills all Covenant Banshees almost instantly.
Also, there is an article on Halopdeia about XEV9-Matos Nonlinear Pulse Cannons, which confirms that Sahara-class equipped with this weapon. But there is no information about OP-49776 weaponry. If you and me guess (and most likely be right) that they share one and same class (OP-49776=Sahara), so we must conclude that OP-49776 was armed with XEV9-Matos during the Raid on Third Fleet of Glorious Consequence.
Furthermore, your VO actor says: "Charging pulse lasers" when Sahara ordered to engage the enemy.
Now, in current release, Sahara-class armed with unknown red beams and can't attack enemy aircraft. Those beams are ineffective against almost everything Covenant have in their arsenal.
To solve this problem, I suggest to change it's beam weapon to canonical XEV9-Matos pulse laser cannons and allow it to attack enemy small crafts (Banshees, Seraphs, etc), dealing extremely high amounts of damage to them. Also, those lasers should be effective against smallest enemy ships: recons, corvettes, transports, builders.
Then prowler will have a chance to change tide of battle, like in 'The Package' and just save itself from enemy patrols in hazardous situations, when cloak field disengaged. Anyway, without real MAC it won't be a threat for a real Covenant ship... So, balance won't be ruined and in-game description will remain correct.
OP-49776 (Sahara by your version) in action:
Tip: you may check original game files (Advents) and find good visual effects for XEV9-Matos there. Perhaps, even with appropriate sound. With increased rate of fire per volley (aka laser machinegun), it would be close to 'The Package' effect.
2. Sahara-class low antimatter amount
Now Sahara-class has MAX. 36 antimatter points, while Cloak costs 1.1 per second, Shiva costs 6 per launch and + it has to perform slipspace jumps to gather intelligence. Ofcourse, those jumps should be cloaked to not be detected/destroyed instantly. So, this cloak works approximately 5 minutes in idle stance and without any additional taxes. In slipspace it drains very quickly, sometimes even in half way.
Perhaps you made such small amount of antimatter in order to prevent players from sitting in Cloak for too long, launching Shivas and building minefields without any retaliation (with all consequences), but now it's simply insufficient for specialized intelligence work deep behind enemy lines. After all antimatter expires, players have to wait approximately 10 seconds before cloaking field might be re-engaged for new relatively long term. Enemy aircraft and ships can't reach the prowler anyway, but you have to distract from more important things to handle the situation. Still... no retaliation.
Most interesting thing is that ONI Sloop has 120 antimatter points and same tax rate, not being a capital ship, so it's not so expensive, but even more effective as intelligence vessel. Without long term cloaking Sahara is really almost useless. Minefields, Shivas and Spartans don't cost ship's price.
I suggest to increase Sahara-class MAX. antimatter amount at least to 50-60 points in order to prolong it's time under cloak and so make players' lives more quiet and prolong average mission time. But Shiva cost should be increased to 10 or even 15 points, to be fair.
3. Sahara-class HORENT mines problems
I had to make a list, because there are few things to be fixed
-Now Sahara can transport some amount of HORNET nuclear mines, but in-game they're called (both unit and ability) as standard proximity mines. Wrong description.
-These mines work as sensor, and even when all friendly units are out of the system, mines still see and hear everything there. A little bit unfair, isn't it? I believe, this problem should be fixed.
-These mines have too small area of deployment, number and too long ability recharge time (90 secs!). Now there are only 5 mines per shot... So they're almost useless. I suggest to increase their number to 10-15 and area of effect to 2-3 times of current value.
-These mines deal very low damage to Covenant shields and hulls, so they're useless. as weapon. I suggest to make them really nuclear and really deadly.
-These mines need some time to cloak, and during this time they might be destroyed with ease. More over, when they're destroyed they blow up WITHOUT any damage to enemy units staying close to them, right in range of explosion. I suggest to increase their damage from destruction greatly and decrease time, needed to cloak.
-These mines can not be detonated, because remote detonation button requires a target.
HORNETs detonation button now:
-Also, they can't be placed in Asteroids gravity wells. It says that all mines slots already used.
4. Sahara-class Shiva nuclear missile targeting [SUGGESTION!]
As all other Shivas, it has too low damage to Covenant shields and hulls, BUT: it can attack any type of targets, even buildings. So, I suggest to add ability to fire at any target to all Shivas in UNSC Navy.
5. Sahara-class Cloaking field:
While cloaked, Sahara can use all of its abilities. It seems a illogical and really unfair. I suggest to disable all other ship's abilities (Shiva, Spartans, Mines) while it's cloaked. If you remember, in 'The Package' it had to drop its cloak in order to launch Spartans party.
Besides, could you add delay to all cloaking abilities?. Let's say, 1.5-2 seconds after ability engaged or disengaged. Then covert operations will be more interesting and risky.
6. Sahara-class can't get Shield Upgrade
Being a capital ship, Sahara can't be upgraded with shield technology. In it's case every drop of hull/shields is critical. Hope you will fix it.
7. Sahara has no own icon in ship production menu. There is ONI Sloop picture.
8. Sahara has no stylized model for unit/faction display in the left lower corner.
9. Sahara has unused experience points after level 5. It would be great, if you'll find some way to use them.
4) Capital ships and Infinity shield recharge effects
They use different effects, when Shield Recharge ability enabled. Infinity's one looks better. What's about unify this effect for all ships?
5) Charon, Paris and Stalwart classes have different MACs damage values
For some reason, all these ships have different MACs damage.
I suggest to equal their MACs damage values, but make Paris most armored and best-equipped with archers to counter enemy frigates. Stalwart should remain it's position of antiaircraft frigate as now, but with slightly worse armor and archers ammunition than Paris. And Charon should have worst armor/HPs from all, but being capable to invade planets.
6) Valiant-class seems underpowered. At least, for super-heavy cruiser. It's known that it's a command vessel and should not go in first wave, but command stuff cannot be placed onboard of unreliable ship. And Valiant's basic low HPs make it just as I said: unreliable. This sort of super-heavy cruiser can't withstand massive amounts of damage without even a single experience armor upgrade. Though, with this upgrade it's still too vulnerable to enemy small crafts and long range energy weapon.
Also, it's MAC damage in previous version was much better than now. So, what's about getting her back into action with slightly improved MAC damage and greater hull plating? For greater price, of course. Buff giver must live for living.
7) Autumn class heavy cruiser use Halcyion's voice. Perhaps, you will add a new one?
8) Check Autumn class abilities. Now it has Shield Recharge even without shields.
9) Halcyon still use old model, while you've promised new one. With class name and post-war UNSC logo.
New Halcyon model, not included in present release:
III. UI Problems
1) No 'scuttle' and 'rename' buttons with resolution lower than recommended. They're out of screen, so can't be picked and pushed. I believe it's a significant problem for many players. I can't provide you with screenshots, because personally I have no such problem.
2) UI has a "Dead zone" between lower left and right tabs. You can not pick up units there, so you have to move your screen to do it. Perhaps, you would like to fill the gap with those 'Rename' and 'Scuttle' buttons? Kill 2 rabbits per shot.
"Dead Zone"
3) Player in-game portraits are bigger than frame, so you can see wrong effect on face of your character. Also it looks a bit inaccurate.
4) In many places words are crossing their tabs. For example, in research menu. Relationships Tab and Diplomacy menu also have this problem.
5) Research menu doesn't indicate bright space to separate currently available researches from unavailable and soon available. Very uncomfortable.
Screens for 4 and 5:
6) Not sure if it is bug or not, but when you create a match you don't see characters' portraits. Also, after you've chosen faction your logo decrease it size greatly. Strange things happen.
7) Matchmaking UI looks broken. Many things... Words crossing tabs somewhere. Wrong place for match name and password, no pretty background.
8) Some vessels, like Saharas, Eions and Stalwarts don't have stylized models for unit/faction display in the left lower corner.
9) Cradle Supply Depot has broken faction logo on screen. You can see it only if you're looking directly from close enough distance, but as soon as you go far enough it's emblem vanishes. Also, Cradle Depot somewhat uses an Orbital HQ model, but OHQ still has this on its picture in menu.
10) UNSC (not sure about Covenant) WIN tab is broken. There is no picture and fonts lying above logo.
How it looks like:
IV. General suggestions:
1) Separate DEFCOM from OFCOM by new criteria.
OFCOM will have only units and common (faction-wide) military researches, while DEFCOM will have only specific buildings/defenses and their very specific researches. Just like in Armada III.
2) To build ODPs/Hangars/Bases/Titan Factories all factions have to research them first. So, if ODP and Hangers will be available to research in early game, so bases will become available only in middle, and titans foundries only in late. Also, Covenant as clearly offensive faction should have their defensive buildings and their researches much far from start, than the UNSC. Let's say, hangars available from mid.game and their researches in late.
3) Make Cloaking ability affecting stats
-First, I suggest to make all units, exited cloak untargettable for 1-2 seconds for enemies (they need some time to pick up target and bring weapons to there).
-Second, add 'Ambush' buff for 5 seconds after decloaking to all units with cloak. It will increase weapons damage on 20% for all ships' weapon.
-Add cooldown 5-10 seconds to every cloak with 1.5 sec delay before engage and completely disengage cloak.
4) Change animation for all disabled units. Now they're just rotating on X axis (Swan's Lake of 26th century?). I suggest to add Y axis like in Armada III. So all disabled units have to not only change course, but also correct their angle.
5) Add defensive weapon to diplomatic vessels. Even in Star Trek (much less brutal that Halo) universe these liars had something scary to show.
Let's say, machineguns to have at least some level of protection against enemy small crafts.
6) Allow players to jump to allies slipspace beacons.
7) Decrease planet bombing effects' speed and make different planet bombing values. All those planes fly too fast. Also, all UNSC ships now have equal planet bombarding damage. It is strange, because Charons looks slightly smaller that Phoenixes. And Infinity...