Shao Lyn
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Posted - 2006.10.26 12:02:00 -
[1]
Besides all the blah blah blah above, ECM is screwy. Why is it chance based? Hate to bring up real life, but the two most common ways of engaging in Electronic Attack (which is what ECM is) are either mass band jamming with a very strong signal or inverse wave jamming. With mass band jamming (which works with any e-m signal including lasers) one must simply cover a range of frequencies with a signal stronger than what the transmitter is able to put out at the receiver. With inverse wave jamming one must match frequency and strength precisely and it negates both signals. In the real world it is equally desirable to jam both active and passive systems using a mass jamming approach. And for those who are opposed to the "concept" of ECM, well its been around since 1940, and has been gaining ground ever since. I doubt it would go away in the future, and at least within the confines of the game, there are countermeasures which can be used.
Now with the above in mind, ECM mods should be just like any other OFFENSIVE mod. There should be different size mods which give off different strengths. In addition, let's have some ECM charges. The basic charge would be an x1, which would have the module use the amount of cap listed (like a reverse cap booster) and put out the listed strength of the mod. If this number is equal to or greater with a Racial jammer the target is jammed, if using a multispec it has to be greater. Now in addition to the x1 charge, I'd suggest an x2, x3, x4, and x5 charge, all of which would increase the cap usage by the listed amount, but only increase jaming strength by 2/3 of the number. This would allow a frigate sized ECM to still jam a BS from time to time, but at the expense of all/most of its cap and only with racials.
This would also require less tweaking of the ECM ships as most currently have a cap usage reduction bonus which basically equates to getting to use the next stronger charge for "free".
Doing the above would make ECCM more desirable, as it would be possible to make certain ships "unjammable" at the cost of low and mid slots though. ECCM is a DEFENSIVE option, and should have some added side effect, perhaps a slight reduction in sig radius.
So in summary, give ECM charges, make "scaled" ECM mods, simplify the formula to IF Jam Str > Sig Str THEN 0 Targets max. This brings it in line with "physics", makes ECM less variable and more like every other mod in the game, and still allows it to be an area worth putting skillpoints on while at the same time keeping it off every ship. It also would "encourage" ships only jamming ships of the same size or smaller.
Enjoy and discuss. |