Executus Primus
Black Phoenix Legion
The Fourth District
5
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Posted - 2012.11.11 00:18:00 -
[1] - Quote
I am not sure i like the ECM changes because they all seem to be balanced around the falcon scenario.
Considering the changes (especially the skill change), the general idea seems to be that ECM is too strong. Personally i don't think that is true. I believe that is a perception that is scewed by the frustration that the binary nature of ecm brings, but has nothing to do with reality. If you look at the ecm ships, essentially there are two use cases:
a.) lolfalcon
b.) noobblackbird
I do not see many scorpions anymore, and for good reason. Close range that BS is useless, even with armor tank (which cripples its ecm role quite a bit), it cannot be kept alive in even a medium sized engagement even with remote rep support. Long range used to be viable "in theory" because you could actually fit it to outrange hostiles, but it also meant that you could not follow a mobile fleet, had problems with proper warpins. etc. to cut it short it wasnt all that viable in dynamic fleet fights.
Nowadays with the t3 BCs range and alpha even that role is obsolete. The rook can't fit a tank that is needed for logistics to keep it alive and at the same time fit the proper ecm to do its job. The falcon is a one trick pony in limited scenarios that usually dies really fast in even medium engagements due to its limited range. Kitsune? In theory workable but too slow and too few hp to survive. Griffing is probably a decent frigate, but people outgrow that.
So yes, ECM got a really bad reputation because people don't like to die without being able to do anything. In reality however the role of ECM has dimished quite a bit. For fleet fights it is usually a lot better to bring damps for the enemy logis than to bring ecm.
If you nerf ecm effectively now, people will think twice before brining any ecm ships to fleets, because they will be even MORE useless. The scenario where some dude decloaks a falcon on a 1v1 fight on the other hand wont be affected much at all.
I think you really have two choices here if you want to avoid that, and you should - considering how awesome the scorpion looks.
a.) change the ECM mechanics fundamentally, make them usefull, but less frustrating for people, probably ditch the binary nature of the beast
b.) change the ecm ships. If ecm stays the same but is a lot less usefull, ecm ships need to be more survivable and compatible to fleet doctrines. |