If a pilot wants the Boosts they have to target the command ship, call it a data link or what ever.

This would put a serious hole in incursion running, as well as making links all but worthless in anything beyond small gang honoure brawls.

The concept is a little too narrow for what boosters are used for. The idea is ok but it's pretty limiting that the booster turns solely into a targeting buffbot (ain't much different to its current duty of afk alt buffbot), but it needs a better concept.

So you want to make command ships to be insta locking? As that is the only way one will lock that frig in time to make giving it a speed boost to matter.

Yes this is probably a nerf to AFK off-grid links, I am of the opinion that they are needing to fixed. Theoretically because links would be targeted you could actually buff the amount of bonus they give so theoretically if you boosted the ship being targeted by the rats in the incursion he would have more tank then before.

While also boosting all your logi and webbing ships too? Tank isn't the only think links boost.

To be honest, if you want links removed you should ask for it outright. Ideas like this, that make them worthless in gangs of more than ten at the absolute most, and wreck their use even in PVE, are just dancing around the point.

Cut the train time in half and sure. Otherwise they need to be aoe at least. -1

I like it.

Thus, each command ship can buff 4-8 other ships, depending on whether it gives up damage potential.

Add another T2 destroyer hull, which can provide smaller boosts, but can keep up with frigate gangs and enter the appropriate FW plexes

Problem with this whole idea is it is pushing hard at a 'fly abso's and slieps and nothing else' environment. Squads have 10 peeps in them, wings have 50. So you'd likely need 3 commandships per squad at least for optimal links coverage, doing nothing but f1-f8 on friendlies then not much else til the end of the fight. This doesn't really solve the 'make boosting engaging' and meaningful problem. Any boosting command ship is still gonna go full links and maybe smart bombs with an eccm package so their links don't drop then tank and more tank. Grid fu aside, a method of making grid being the defining factor would be ideal.

How is this different than flying a Logistics ship? No one ever complains that flying a Logistics ship is boring.

they do all the time. logi is boring and the added fact we aren't on kills is just dalt in the wounds. The only time logi isn't boring is when there is actually a close fight between the 2 sides which doesn't always happen.

TL:DR all the above bull shiz.

For those of you who don't follow the "developer" subgroup

CCP is working on a system called brain in a box.
The reason why boost have reminded system wide and not on grid is do to the way the game called data. If CCP was to take their current system and go to on grid boost - it would have to check for the booster, ship getting boost and like 400 other things. Makes a lot of work for the server.

Wow, what a horrible idea this op has.

That's lazy fitting. You can fit ewar, some damage, neuts, drones, many things to utilise those commandship slots

I agree armour command ships might have 1 or 2 slot available to fit some unbonused ewar and smartbombs and neuts are interesting but situational especially in larger engagements.

What I am trying to theorise is a unique active role which allows to influence a fight based on their actions. I think we can agree that logistics/triage is probably one of the more engaging roles to take in a fleet, you have to watch your watch lists and broadcast and at times decide which target you are going to prioritise for repairs.

What would be great would be more roles in EVE that are similar to the engagement level of logistics.

But this idea doesn't. All it does is say 'okay bring more commandships and activate then forget'

Its is definitely a possibility but is probably a less effective use of pilots.

Capacitor is the first resource you could use to limit this and probably the most simple. You can run maybe 2 out of your 4 link permanently but would have to pulse the other two when they are needed.

Another alternative would be charges with a short reload. You could easily keep a single target buffed with two modules but it would require management.

I did not want to over complicate the system and make it more tedious but you could possibly add a degradation of the bonus of consecutive cycles (similar to how the Reactive Armor Hardener works).

I dislike that idea because it sounds tedious if the cycles are too short and yet if the module cycle is too long module is clumsy to use.

So there are already examples of ways to limit AFK links.