man you fly frigs and blob...who you kidding.

Greetings

Firstly, thank you for clicking on my thread. It is very important that everyone reads this and understands the situation.

I fully support the existence of off grid boosting. The reasons for this are many, but I have tried to summarise the main arguments below.

The Mining Argument

In EVE it is not convenient for miners to use mining boosts on grid. The only way for them to mine properly is for them to have a Rorqual provide boosts, at zero risk, from inside POS shields. It is totally unreasonable to ask them to risk in game assets. Everybody in the know agrees on this.

As OGB must remain for mining purposes, it therefore must remain for combat purposes. The reason for this is because CCP cannot code a new 'role bonus' for the Rorqual, allowing it to be the only ship that can provide system wide links, and only for mining links.

The 'Really Difficult to Program' Argument

It is very common for a competitive game to contain a 'broken' or 'overpowered' element from time to time. Typically, upon detecting such an element, game developers disable the element completely until it can be corrected. However this is not appropriate for OGB. The reason for this is because it is actually really difficult for the CCP programmers to fix OGB and will take them a very, very long time. As it will take such a long time, rather than disable it the mechanism, it is far better to leave OGB in the game indefinitely in a broken state because the damage it causes to the gameplay should just be 'tolerated'.

The Revenue is King Argument

In order to use OGB you need to subscribe for an account on which to keep the boosting pilot. Therefore OGB provides CCP with revenue. It would not be appropriate for CCP to nerf OGB as this would lead to players that use OGB unsubscribing accounts. CCP's primary objective is to increase the wealth of its shareholders. Good gameplay isn't actually the priority.

The EVE is Harsh Argument

The magical thing about EVE is that it is a very harsh environment. That is why it is appropriate for players use OGB to gain an advantage, at no risk, for a monetary cost, as it is in keeping with EVE's harsh environment. 'Pay to win' mentality would usually be frowned upon, but it is a very appropriate game mechanic in a harsh sandbox like EVE.

The Fair Argument

In competitive gaming 'pay to win' is typically frowned upon. However CCP has made OGB available to all players in EVE via their 'pay to win' mechanism, which makes it ok. Anyone can subscribe an extra account with them, and train up a boosting alt to provide a risk free combat advantage (and actually quite a massive advantage at that). If players do not wish to wait to train the alts, they can purchase plex, and sell this for in game isk, and purchase a boosting alt on the character bazaar.

The 'Elite Solo PVP' Argument

Eve contains a small number of elite solo pvpers. These guys are very good indeed. They use OGB to help them fight against whole gangs of pilots solo. Without the availability of the OGB 'pay to win' mechanism they would not be able to do this as nearly well, therefore it is important that OGB remains in the game so that these elite solo pvpers can continue to own gangs single handed (and without having to risk their boosting alt).

It doesn't matter that a bi-product is that hundreds of 'entry level' tech 1 frigates and destroyers in faction war space are linked to the teeth (at no risk to the boosting alt), which effectively give these ships the same performance as if they were fit with top end modules, only at zero isk risk, and hence allow them to roflstomp any true solo, and higher skilled (but unlinked) pilot. Pay to win is acceptable in eve and should be embraced.

The 'It has always been like this' Argument

One of the strongest arguments you can make in support of a current game mechanic is that it has always been like it. OGB has been around a very long time, therefore, it logically follows that it should persist into the future for a long time. Whilst deciding on whether to keep OGB using logic is certainly reasonable, it is in fact more appropriate to make the decision simply on the basis of how long the mechanic has already persisted.

If I have missed any of the main arguments, please let me know and I will include them.

Getting rid of OGB is gonna get rid of small gang pvp.
Its simple as that.
Look at it how you want to, say what you want to, its simple as that..
We will see a decline of small gang pvp corps decline. All of eve will be controlled by large alliances and corps..
THANK YOU CCP FOR F'ING US UP AGAIN..
THANKS CCP RISE(a solo/small gang pvp'er atthe root, i guess your root has decayed), CCP FONZIE

Hello, operator?

I think I've been trolled

They would still be lynch pin ships providing free pirate implants and officer mods to the entire fleet. The scaling mechanic you're suggesting here is pretty terrible in a game where people train months and spend billions for a 2% advantage over their opponent. On grid links don't fix anything, IMO.

-Liang

I think it's odd that the this situation hasn't been talked about

Two fleets of identical cheap, T1 ships engage. One with OGB wins over one without OGB.

While OGB gives amazing abilities to solo pilots, it also allows those solo pilots to **** other solo/small gang pilots with impunity even with the same, or cheaper, ships. I can't count the number of times a "slow" ship was able to catch a "fast" ship because of OGB. Or the number of times I've seen a "solo" Condor hit 5 or 6km/s. And even if I do manage to kill that Condor, I've killed 15m of his billion isk setup. OGB is bad for the REAL solo/small gang.

I'm for removing OGB not because I'm a blobber, but because I'm a solo/small gang PvP'er. OGB is bad for solo/small gang because it makes OGB more important then pilot skill.

Nuff said

This equation involves much much more than a fight with identical ships. Honestly a fight like that would never happen..blah blah....

Stabber (quick cruiser) vs. thorax (armor tanked cruiser, supposedly slower) thorax ends up being faster then stabber b/c OGB.

Any solo maulus/condor/hookbill pilot w/ OGB attacking basically any cruiser makes it impossible to even attempt the sling, even on a quick ship

Armor SFIs OH'ing faster then Cyna's base

T3's with enormous point ranges and web ranges with ridiculous speed engaging small-gangs and raping total face

These situations go on and on. OGB gives pay to win players more pay to win without risking any on-grid assets. It's broken, it breaks solo/small gang, and it should be removed

Its the pilot that matters, not the ship.

Next

Getting rid of gank links = Getting rid of 12,000,000 skill points

Stick to your day job

I say edgy stuff I actually don't believe and sign my posts too.

-James

Actually I do not think pvp gangs have a problem with on-grid boosting. Even in fields like gate camping it does not make a big difference ...just one more interaction to warp the booster on grid.
Bring it on.

"Solo" pilots and faction warefare probably will be nerfed by ongrid boosting...and of course miners in 0.0 should park one or two ecm - burst scorps next to their orcas in the belts (normal tacklers) and scouts in the surrounding systems...

Just buying better stuff is not being a more skilled pilot. In the case of OGB it is exactly the ship not the pilot skills that is making the win because the hull you're flying is doing things that it cannot be reasonably expected to do.

I can detect it (to an extent) but I can't counter it bar the ridiculous extreme of buying and running my own alt that follows me everywhere. I could bring friends but so could he but all with greatly increased stats.

The problem with statements like this is that "PVP gangs" is a very, very, very wide target. Narrowing it in by giving the example of a gate camp is kinda revealing, TBH. I'm personally against the idea of such huge bonuses being thrown around, whether the link ship is on grid or off. We're talking about across the board 50% bonuses being given in a game where people train months for a 2% bonus to a single attribute.

Links are OP - on grid or off.

-Liang

Your comprehension level is extremely low.

Boosts on their own do not win a fight or lose one. I was getting to the point that to an extent the better pilot will win every time if he wants to.

Everyone here is talking about boosts like they make a ship invincible. Are these losses of your so close that the added 10,000 ehp of theirs destroyed your entire fleet? That the 10k extra point range kept your entire fleet tackled even though you were winning? People, boosts dont increase DPS or intelligence.

Let me know what fit you use to get 50% bonus to all stats. How do I increase my dps by that much? Still havent seen an example of lesser incapable ships killing a much larger more capable fleet.


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Your comprehension level is extremely low.

Boosts on their own do not win a fight or lose one. I was getting to the point that to an extent the better pilot will win every time if he wants to.

Everyone here is talking about boosts like they make a ship invincible. Are these losses of your so close that the added 10,000 ehp of theirs destroyed your entire fleet? That the 10k extra point range kept your entire fleet tackled even though you were winning? People, boosts dont increase DPS or intelligence.

Were this true, the current climate wouldn't be, "OGB or don't bother". Which it is.

It's not defensible. If, as you say, skill and pilots make the difference, then you shouldn't be bothered by losing it.

But, if the reverse is true, and OGB provides a large advantage to whomever has it, then it's mandatory and both sides should be assumed to have it all the time. And the side that doesn't manage that now mandatory requirement, loses.

Either way it's a broken mechanic that cannot be allowed to continue.