Originally by: McEivalley

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GM Chron... what about the sig rad reduction? Pretty please with sugar on top, give us some feedback on that notion. Although the range is increased due to flight time and the torps new velocity, people should remember that most engagements take place in a much tighter atmosphere. Cruiser and below anti-frig platforms will have easy time to lock down and obliterate SB.

A sniping zealot, munnin or eagle would take down 5 stealth bombers before they have a chance to recloak or warp out. EWAR might save a couple, but we're talking about platforms that almost insta-lock frigs and doing terrible damage. A cerb with javelins, even dampened by one or two bombers, would still lock them fast and far enough, and with javelins will make them disappear in bright colors.

Any ceptor on grid will deter stealth bombers from ever decloaking, unless they are fully aligned out. But even then, all they will accomplish is to send their volley into space, unless they risk certain doom for their volley to connect with the primary. The maximum operating range of a stealth bomber that wants to deal some damage (according to my experience and the velocity time of a faction or max damage torp, or even a t1 torp) in order to get on the killmail with a damage percentage other than 0% would be around the 30-40km and below (depending on skills). Rigging the stealth bomber with velocity rigs would up the effective range to around 50km. A zealot would massacre them at these ranges. The only valid defense against turrets and missiles while operating at such slow speeds is having a tiny signature radius.

Just to tell a story. I once, in sisi, tackled a shuttle with a point and web, and shot it with just one heavy assault launcher. The shuttle pilot did all he could to move, which was pretty much about 200m/s-250m/s. I must admit that my poor heavy assault launcher skills, no rigs and no painter contributed a lot to the end result, but i was still amazed to see the shuttle tank the missile launcher at around 70-80% shields.

Still, operating at longer ranges and slower speed spells doom to the stealth bomber. Nowadays bombers respect the idea of being built out of composite alloys to reduce their radar signature radius and use chaff to bloat out their signature radius when compromising their radar signature (e.g. when opening weapons bay doors, the contemporary equivalent for eve's decloaking) or when being fired upon, in order to cause weapon disruption.

Note, this is a passive ECM defense. We don't have that in eve. The quickest, closest equivalent will be the reduction of the stealth bombers' signature radius significantly making them harder to lock, but more importantly, harder to hit effectively without the use of enhanced weapons. It would create a new fitting role for missile boats for taking out stealth bombers, and might goad you in the future to add modules (or add to existing modules) an increase to turrets' signature radius.

Diversity is good. All in all I welcome these changes with open arms.

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Originally by: Vorononv Circut

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Originally by: Max Hardcase

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Icing on the cake : bomb launcher to general Hi slot with max 1/ship.

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Agreed. FYI though, there already is a 1/ship limit. The PG bonus only applies to the first bomb launcher you put on.

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Originally by: Gartel Reiman

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Originally by: Adeena Torcfist

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Explosion velocities need drastically increasing. Sig radius' can be changed using painters, so thats all fine.

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Explosion velocity can be (effectively) changed with painters, too, since it's based on the target's sig. Double their signature radius and the value of the explosion velocity used in the formula is effectively doubled. Just like how increasing a target's sig is similar to an increase in tracking for turrets.

This is why/because it's not possible to speed tank missiles with a MWD any more.

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Originally by: Perry

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After many years i will finally buy myself a Stealth Bomber because the prenerf is gone. Torpedos, Covert Cloak and Bomb Launcher in any Highslot... Thank you! This is the best boost to a ship class i have seen in a very long time.

PS: Make it happen to Black Ops too. I know you want to!

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Originally by: CCP Chronotis

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Hi Folks,

A small update on some changes we are looking at making.

Bomb Velocity and flight time

These have been tweaked a little further with shorter flight times and increased velocities. Chiefly this is to allow for a little more potential success with bomb use. The effective range remains at 30k.

Bomber signature radius

These have been reduced a little and the intent being they will be slightly less vulnerable to damage. The intention is more along the lines of avoiding battleship weapons if your moving but still vulnerable to support ships.

Feedback is welcome on these two changes and continuing feedback on the stealth bomber itself.

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