Originally by: Goumindong

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Originally by: Hugh Ruka

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Goumindong, one question.

What role do you imagine for the Eagle?

Seeing your suggested changes (and the discussion going on), I see only Beagle variant improvements in your proposal. Sniper Eagle stays the same damage wise while costing more to fit and operate than the current version (more fitting cost in isk, ammo, cap, grid etc).

If you add a drone bay, you are improving the Beagle. 5 light drones make almost nothing against a competent tackler. Removing missile launcher options weakens both Eagle variants. The shield HP bonus is kind of helpful to both, but only marginaly (you need to fit extra modules to make it usefull).

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Imagine two main roles.

The first is a Heavy tackle with a HP based tank. Its slower than most other tacklers, which is a downside, but will have the largest HP buffer of any of them. Alternatly of course, it can run as the standard beagle setup as it does today, but with more survivability and still have decent dps. The tackler can either fit dps or speed, without terribly too much sacrifice.

The second is the same role it has today. Its sniping ability doesnt change and its already the best of the anti-support snipers. This doesnt change, but with 5 light drones, it does have an increased ability to chase off tacklers.

The change was mainly prompted for three reasons.

1. Shield tanked blaster boats ought to be a possibility, and there is no reason to not give them to Caldari.

2. This change needs to keep the current designs significantly different to warrant flying different ones given a preference or specific situation.

3. The sniping ability of the eagle should not be changed.

I know Merin is going to come in here and say it sucks, and that the ship has to be better than or equal to all other snipers at all ranges. But it doesnt, and it shouldnt.

I think that a good way of describing the problem is that merin doesnt think that the following constitutes overpowered: "A ship that performs its intended role better than or equal to another ship that is also designed to fill that role in all reasonable situations with no apreciable downsides"

The 5 turret eagle with a damage bonus does that. The Muninn and Zealot, which both dont have other roles they exceed in would be completly eclipsed by the 5 turret bonused eagle.[The Zealot already is, but that is another issue that needs fixing]

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