Are you sure? What about having a Damnation pilot just boosting your Guardians with armor and info links, and an Eos (iknowrite, lol) boosting your recons?

What you would loose in a large fleet is eg. the fleetwide HP boosts

But yes, this change would benefit small gangs much more than large fleets, and I see this as very positive thing.

This suggestion solves the following problems with gang links:

- brings links on grid without the need to code new mechanics
- nerfs links without making them obsolete, putting all the precious SP in leadership into better use than now
- makes boosting and active and interesting gameplay role in a fleet, instead of being a job for alts
- makes ongrid links more viable for small gangs, promoting upengaging

Links as Projected Assistance Modules

Instead of fire-and-forget system-wide boosts, gang links are turned into normal modules, used just like remote repair, remote sebo and remote ECCM.

The main reasons are the need to kill OGBs and kill boring alt-gameplay. Currently players are excited to fly into combat as fighters, recons, logistics and scouts, but show a single person that wants to be an off-grid booster :D This suggestion would turn a gang booster into a logistics-type (but more complex), very active and vital role in a small gang, and good boosting could mean the difference between winning and losing.

- link fitting requirements are reduced so you can fit a full high rack of links on a CS
- their base stats are bit lower, but can be overheated to be higher
- only one module of a kind can be activated on one ship (so no triple Passive Defense IIs, but as many different links as you can)
- command processor requirement is removed

Range is something that requires careful consideration. I feel it should probably be less than logi and certainly less than EWAR range to enforce tactical decisions instead of just working your boost magic from 100km.

In addition to these targeted high-slot modules, there would ECM-burst style small (<10km?) AOE midslot boosting modules, with similar charge mechanics as ASBs. These would create a short-lived sphere of linky love around the boosting ship. These would be harder to fit and give lesser boosts.

Command ships would need to be adjusted to be able to keep up with their boosted mates, and this would mean removing all their offensive bonuses to keep things in balance.

This obviously favours small gangs, but nothing prevents large fleets to bring a wing of space bards. And it's easy to see that focusing boosting on kingpin ships (logi, tackle) and wings would still yield good results in large fleets.

I like this idea because it brings more complexity into battlefield, more tactical stuff to consider and a new, interesting fleet role using existing base mechanics.


ߦéhat do you think?

ߦéhat do you think?