Dear CCP Fozzie,

so far so good, changes are on the way, but I like to state a tiny concern to my Kestrel with only 45 powergrid and lets do some basic math - I like math.

Take a little look at this:

Light Missile Launcher II uses
28 CPU and
9 powergrid

Limited 1MN Microwarpdrive uses
23 CPU and
15 powergrid

Nothing new here.

Now lets add some numbers:

4x9 powergrid = 36 powergrid (all very basic math here) and lets fit an MWD to actually GET IN RANGE-
36 + 15 powergrid = 51 powergrid and 5 empty slots.

How do you plan to make the Kestrel move in a more desireable distance to make use of the long range bonus, if she cannot fit the means to do so?

Yea, Yea, fitting is our concern and we have to make do somehow but CCP consider the most used modules in pvp which are.
MWD for mobility
scram or long point
web if possible to assist tracking / missile tracking
damage control (everybody uses it on any boat anyway)

Or ask yourself, would a tad more powergrid break da game and be the end of the world of New Eden?

Precisely. This is what I'm noticing with the frig rebalancing that is rather bad. Caldari are being given extreme weapon range. Range that no other frigs and destroyers can even get close to. What is it with 10% range bonuses with Caldari ships. How about 5% or 7.5%. Other races live with those sized bonuses. Also, give some range bonuses to other races. Missile range skills are both 10% per level. Then you give one or two 10% range bonuses with the ships. Then this gets applied to light missiles and rails, the two longest range small weapons systems. It's frickin crazy

At the same time the new Caldari small ships are able to make use of the new asbs with resist bonuses and a free mid for a td and thus they can end up brawling better than other frigs specifically designed for brawling and in no way able to kite or snipe. Examples of this being new Cormorants, Condors, Merlins, and the Hookbill.

It's one thing to have racial preferences in combat styles. It's another thing to make only one race capable of a whole style of combat and the other races not able to engage in that style. Unfortunately it appears the latest changes are making the game more heavily tilted toward the latter. Now to some this might not be a bad thing (to me it is) but it's even worse if you also allow that same one race alone to avoid the combat role straightjacket and not the other races.

As to the specifics of the latest changes. I've already mentioned my puzzlement with the Kestral extreme range.

Why is the tristan shorted a slot? You do not give a drone damage bonus. So what is the rationale? If you look at the drone boats at larger sizes the Myrm and Domi (and scorp a similar design feature), they actually get a compensatory non-high slot for losing a couple highs. You limit the tristan to two gun slots and a utility. And then you do not give it the customary compensatory non-high slot. Also, what's with the sig radius changes? -9m for the kestral yet you leave the tristan at 41? This seems extreme. Is Caldari now going to have no downside for their shield tanks? Then fitting tristan 35pg and 130cpu, kestral 45pwg 180cpu WTF And if a kestral needs 45pwg why does a breacher only need 35pwg? Is one launcher really worth 10pg and does one launcher really equal 2 light drones? Lastly speed, the tristan is the slowest? Why are you stepping it into the former Caldari position in this regard.

You appear to be exagerating the racial differences in ships while at the same time granting only one of those races beneficial exemptions from its former relative shortcomings. I really can't believe what I'm seeing. It makes no sense. If this carries on to the larger ships you might as well just delete Gallente and Amarr and armor tanking in general. The eve-kill top twenty has been dominated by shield ships for a while, months, years, and it keeps getting more extreme every month. If Caldari is going to become faster than Gallente, remain more tanky, retain and even increase engagement range and kiting abilities, and still have the best ewar, do us all a favor and just delete Gallente from the database. The only gallente ship in the top twenty is the Lachesis and that is there for it's long tackle role and oh btw it shield tanks and uses missiles

edit- and stop throwing a stupid increase of 2.5% in active armor tanking to Gallente as if it will make a difference. It doesn't and it won't. It marginally helps pve tanking. It means fuckall for pvp. Unless you are going to introduce an equivalent op ancilliary armor repairer line? Also the adaptive armor hardener is weaksauce or worse (like cap wise for a frig). Wake the **** up you guys.

I was going to use Merlins, Condors, and Kestrels in my 1v1's with Fozzie. Thanks for spoling my plan! He would have lost every match!

Can i get a 5% shield resist bonus on that kestrel instead.

I mean seriously light missiles all ready have enough range to do whatever they want and for rockets the buff is still going to keep them close enough, also being that caldari are THE slowest race, that they are going to be in brawling range anyway. I hope you'd learned how useless all these range bonuses are in the long run since the two most important ranges in pvp are 10-13km and 24-28km and anything more is sort of irrelevant.

If the breacher gets a shield bonus why cant the kestrel get one too? It would be the better bonus and actually make the caldari missile boat the better missile boat which it is supposed to be.

CCP Fozzie: Just wanted to say that, with a very heavy heart, I support the Kestel changes. I miss the RoF Kessy of long ago, but understand the changes that got us here. I am very glad to see it get a general damage bonus. This makes it more valuable in PvE for a young mission runner. The extra mid slot has been needed for a long time. I'm glad to see that the option of having two BCUs with rockets has been thoughtfully considered.

Question: Any chance of the Caracal getting a general damage or RoF bonus? For a T1 ship, this would create a natural progression to the Raven.

Btw, how about a way to make HAM Caracals more viable?

I think you have it a bit wrong: It goes: T1 - Navy - Caldari T1 - Pirate - Caldar Navy

Caldari frigs are really strong. All those midslots... With each reblance, the Caldari frig lineup gets stronger.
Hookbill top of its class.
Merliin top of its class.
Condor top of its class.

(tracking disruptor against turret hulls, capless weapons system, neuts, etc...)

You appear not to understand that TDs and neuts are used against all the other frigs in competition with the Condor. So your argument is flawed for ignoring that there is no difference between what can/is applied to these ships by opponents. As for missile weapon systems they are blessed with range benefits over guns. Especially with range bonuses rockets do not force the fight at point blank only option that is the only choice for blaster fit ships.

Ok so you say, there is no problem, you all just need to learn to use damps, webs, and jammers? None of those are specific counters to the Caldari range bonused ships. They are pretty much used against everyone, except maybe damps. Damps would be a usable counter to kiting. However, damps eat a lot of cap and cpu though, in addition to a mid. None of which are in great supply for "armor" and short-ranged gun frigs. Those mids get filled with pointing mod and web so that if they can catch something they can hold it to bring the high damage short range guns into the action.

Went looking for your killboard stats to get some idea of your combat experience. http://eve-kill.net/?a=pilot_detail&plt_id=1189998 .
"If you see no data, a cronjob has been submitted to calculate your monthly values. Please come back in a few minutes.
Thank you for your patience." Considering that you were born in 2011 I'm not expecting that the 0 kills and 0 losses will change much as I wait for the cronjob. If you are going to post opinion here do it with a character with which you fight or have fought. Otherwise your opinion is frankly not worth much.

[quote=Alticus C Bear] But then pulled it. To me the range advantages of missiles are what really needs addressing and I really don't see why they floated the change they did.

!5. The big point of eve is that even if you don't want to pvp you can be prey to those who do ^^ And no not all ships need to be good pve ships, thats just silly.

A 10% bonus is a bit strong especially for T1 but they keep giving them out to missile ships anyway.... doesn't help that missiles range is OP to begin with they will need a serious range nerf in order to use TE/TC's.