Imhothar Xarodit
Minmatar
Wolverine Solutions
Dead Mans Hand
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Posted - 2009.03.28 04:08:00 -
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I have to add this to the cause:
Right now I think the Stealth Bomber class of ships is not really a stealth bomber, it is a cloakable missile launcher.
First, what makes a stealth bomber a stealth bomber is the ability to go in undetected and perform a surprise attack. But as soon as you warp on the grid everyone knows you are there, and knows you are there until they see you warp away (or you go offgrid but that is tedious). There is absolutely no stealth present (unless you are there first).
Second, I think there is a module that should have been coupled with stealth bombers from day one: Passive Targeting Systems.
Stealth bombers should be able to use the Passive Targeting mods while cloaked and trigger their launchers while cloaked, automatically decloaking the bomber. So the moment you see the bomber you have already missiles going your way. This is a real surprise attack. The module types you could activate while cloaked should of course be either limited to launchers only or include specific other modules as well, like ship/cargo scanners which would not decloakg the ship (could probably be extended to all covops/recons, or limited to covops only as intel gathering tool).
Seriously, what is the point of them right now? They don't seem to have a real purpose.
Then what I think is the biggest flaw of bombs:
Unguided weaponry is soooo ancient compared to EVE technology!
Look at real area-of-effect bombs:
- Smart bombs
In reality this is the name of (laser) guided bombs. Why not combine the laser guided aspect with the incorrect naming of smart-bombs:
- In order to be able to use a bomb properly, YOU need a target painter active on the bomb's target (or some other bomber specific module). Possible explanation: because bombs carry such a heavy payload there is no more room for sensors and ship-linked tracking machinery without making them so big'n'slow you could ride them, so they are locked on your target painter's specific laser frequency.
- Bombs are slow. You need to get in close range (in contrast to real-live bombs) as a balancing act. Once the bomb is launched you can fly out of range but must keep your target painter active on the victim.
- This means you cannot warp away if you want your bomb to detonate.
- Plus you cannot cloak as that would make your painter to go offline and the bomb would either go inactive or explode after its flight time expires. Or keep painter online but then people can physically see where you are.
- With these requirements and proper balance, bombs could be made more deadly as the Bomber pilot is exposing himself to higher danger: he needs to move in close and stay on-grid and uncloaked until the bomb detonates.
- Cluster bombs:
Launched not at targets but rather at locations, cluster bombs split in smaller "bombs" and deliver blows over a large area.
- Compared to the usual bombs these would be used for harrassing smaller targets (as our current bombs are more effective against large targets).
- They would be launched in some direction and after a set time they split up in smaller cluster rockets hammering random targets (friend and foe alike) in their vicinity prioritized by size. So you launch one cluster bomb, knowing the speed and flight time you can calculate the distance it breaks up into cluster rockets.
- The rockets have a limited range where they search for targets. It is semi-random what target they chose but they start with lowest sig radius, wether they ignore drones or not is up for discussion.
- Problem from a developer's view: Not having all rockets smash the same target but have them spread and not making it a bigger lag bomb.
These are my ideas. They are nothing but ideas and would of course need lots of testing to ensure balance and versatility. They also allows more character specialization through skills.
Haven't made my mind up on the torps change yet.
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