Ability: Gather Intelligence

Overview
Gather Intelligence is a built-in Starship Mechanic only available to players using Intelligence starships. Starships that fall into this category are:

Gather Intel
All Intel ships are capable of deploying an Intel sensor drone with the Gather Intelligence ability.

Basic Information

 * Profession: Any
 * Locale: Space
 * Game Description: Intelligence vessels are capable of performing deep scans on their target to reveal vulnerabilities. Every second, the target of Gather Intelligence will have 1 stack of Penetrating Scan placed on them. Once the target reaches 15 stacks, they become Vulnerable for a short time (Weaker enemies require less stacks to be rendered Vulnerable).

Multiple Intel ships can contribute to the number of Penetrating Scan stacks causing the target to become rendered Vulnerable more quickly. While in this state, Intel ships can use Expose Vulnerability abilities on them placing a crippling debuff on the target. After the Vulnerable stat expires, the target becomes immune to further stacks of Gather Intelligence for a short time.

Detailed Information

 * Target: Foe
 * Ability Type: Toggle: Expose Vulnerability Over Time
 * Range: 10 kilometer Range
 * Activation: 1 sec
 * Cooldown: 5 sec

Expose Vulnerability abilities
While the target is Vulnerable, Intel ships can use one of the three Expose Vulnerability abilities on this target. These powerful abilities find a critical weakness in the target starship and then allow you and your teammates to briefly exploit it. This comes in the form of a crippling debuff or control effect. After a target has been afflicted by an Expose Vulnerability effect, the affected foe quickly compensates for its discovered weakness and thus become immune to Penetrating Scan debuffs for a short period of time.

Expose Vulnerability: Defenses
Expose a vulnerability in your foe's defensive systems which significantly reduces the target's damage resistance and shield hardness for a short time, thus increasing the damage the target takes to both its shields and hull. In addition, the target will have all Engineering Bridge Officer buffs removed.

This ability's debuff effects do not stack with multiple users, however the ability's duration is extended for each additional application of Expose Vulnerability: Defenses.

Expose Vulnerability: Weapon Systems
Expose a vulnerability in your foe's weapon systems which significantly reduces their damage output and accuracy for a short time. In addition, the target will have all Tactical Bridge Officer buffs removed.

This ability's debuff effects do not stack with multiple users, however the ability's duration is extended for each additional application of Expose Vulnerability: Weapon Systems.

Expose Vulnerability: Critical Systems
Expose a vulnerability in your foe's critical systems thus rendering them held for a brief period. In addition, the target will have all Science Bridge Officer buffs removed.

This ability's debuff effects do not stack with multiple users, however the ability's duration is extended for each additional application of Expose Vulnerability: Critical Systems.