Ysabelle nKataros
Evolution
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Posted - 2009.07.27 10:26:00 -
[1]
Recently in the Dev Blog CCP expressed a desire to know why the Minmatar Tier 1 and Tier 2 BS are so unpopular. Here are the factors that I think contribute.
Reason 1: Starting players. I don't recall the exact numbers but aren't Minmatar the least popular choice for starting race? Most pilots choose the race they eventually specialise in (with the exception of the raven. Damn those ravens  ). I don't think this is such a bad thing, as it fits the Prime Fiction. Plus, I'm told the starting proportions are more balanced now than they used to be.
Reason 2: Typhoon requires many skills. To be effective in the Typhoon, you need good missile skills, drone skills AND gunnery skills. This is a very daunting prospect for players, who view the amount of time required to build up an extra combat specialisation as something that could be invested much more profitably in a different area. Please note that I'm not saying this is a bad thing - I love the typhoon, it's a fearsome ship in the right hands. If CCP want to "solve" this problem, one possibility would be to make it even more dangerous - an extra mid slot or ROF bonuses for example. The use of a ship is a balance between its effectiveness and ease of use. Minmatar are not intended to be damage absorbers, they're meant to be vicious chew-your-face-off damage dealers, so let's make them do damage equivalent to their reputation.
Reason 3: Tempest is a weakling, especially in fleet. Over the past few years, the other races' ranged turret battleships have been boosted; the Apoc is now a very sexy ship, the Megathron doesn't fall far short, and the Rokh has an insane range. The Tempest has relatively low damage due to only having 6 turrets, pathetic range (140km optimal + 44 falloff? Come on, I know Minmatar ships are supposed to work in falloff, but that's ridiculous compared to the Apoc and Mega which top 200 optimal) and tracking that is just insufficient to compensate for its other failings. At short range, its tanking ability is okay-ish but still nowhere near any of the other races' and the Minmatar speed advantage is fairly useless in a ship of that size.
Those are my thoughts on the reasons.
BoB: When we have fleet battles, our killboard crashes |