Devilish Ledoux
Caldari
Caldari Provisions
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Posted - 2006.10.21 14:32:00 -
[1]
The changes are most definitely not all bad, although they do make things more interesting.
Sure, it will be a little bit harder to ambush someone and pop them before help arrives. But it will also be harder for targets to get away. Using one WCS will make ratting noticeably more difficult (although still tolerable). Using two will be out of the question for all but the most skittish of ratting players (or for non-combat ships).
Of course, if ratters can't run, maybe they'll come up with new and innovative ways to defend themselves. That might make things a bit harder, but it would certainly be more fun. Also, recall that nerfing stabs works on both sides of the equation, the more annoying "I'll kill you if I can, but you can't kill me because I can always run" type of pirate will become less common. This will mean that certain adventurous players will set up more effective "pirate traps" than they are currently able to. This isn't really a nerf, either, though. Just another added element of danger/fun.
Also, since the HP increase is proportional, it will still mean that more fragile ships will become even more fragile in comparison to other ships. So we should still be quite able to snake the occasional mining barge despite the valiant efforts of their defenders.
Oh, one more thing: Using hardeners will be proportionally less useful than shield extenders, unless you KNOW what kind of damage you'll be up against (ie, unless you're a committed ratter). My math might be a little off here, but I do believe that this will make battleships with resistance mods will be more vulnerable to HACs and command ships with extenders, due to their inherent resistance bonuses.
Changes to battlecruisers will also make them more viable, both as ratters and as inexpensive piracy platforms. I don't know who comes out ahead here, but it does sound more fun.
Oh, and salvage will mean better loot for us for when we can't convince someone that a ransom is in their best interests.
In the end, pirates do gain an advantage against the unsuspecting or the alone. But the well-prepared should have increased opportunities to defend themselves. Whether or not they'll take advantage of these opportunities remains to be seen. In general, though, if you can beat someone now, you'll still be able to beat them after Kali 1. It will just take a bit longer and they'll have increased incentives for fighting back. You'll also have to be a bit more careful about picking your battles, since it will be more easy to lay a trap for an ill-prepared pirate.
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