Originally Posted by borticuscryptic

You're surprisingly not far off the mark.

Turns out that Viral Matrix is exploiting a loophole in the way that individual effects are applied by a periodic ability of this nature, which prevented it from being cleansed using conventional methods. You see, the effects don't have a duration until they are active. So while VM has 3 shut-down cycles, only one is ever active at a time and they are 4 seconds apart from one another. And since EngTeam only lasts 5 seconds, the best you could ever do is prevent 2 of those cycles from occurring, and the third would become active outside that safety window.

We've just managed to prototype and implement a new method for cleansing debuffs of this nature, which we haven't made use of on STO in the past. After this fix is patched in, Engineering Team will finally be a true cure for Viral Matrix (as well as the version caused by the "Viral Spread" Doff).

Originally Posted by dontdrunkimshoot

this is exactly what i have been experiencing! glad its not that im crazy, thats exactly whats been going on.

Originally Posted by icegavel

Is this solution to finally balance it and Science Team with the fact that Tactical Team lasts 3 times longer and gives three effects (auto-Shield distribute, damage buff, and Boarding Party cleanse - the other two Teams only have two effects)?

Originally Posted by tangolight

The shield redistribute part was added because players were complaining that Tactical Team was too weak, and the boarding party cleanse was really limited and situational compared to what the other two could do.

Originally Posted by borticuscryptic

You're surprisingly not far off the mark.

Turns out that Viral Matrix is exploiting a loophole.

Originally Posted by icegavel

Is this solution to finally balance it and Science Team with the fact that Tactical Team lasts 3 times longer and gives three effects (auto-Shield distribute, damage buff, and Boarding Party cleanse - the other two Teams only have two effects)?