Nietarr
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Posted - 2007.08.05 02:01:00 -
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The Problem: Currently, RSD's do not have an effective counter. Sensor boosters are limited by the 250 KM targetting range limitation and we've seen the math on how one RSD II against one ship with a Sensor Booster II still reduces the defending ship's abilities even without considering signal suppression skill or ship bonuses. This is particularly annoying for capital ship pilots who can be dampened to complete uselessness by one tech I frigate.
Proposed change: Make the effectiveness of remote sensor dampeners dependent on the sensor strengths of the attacking and defending ship. If the attacking ship's sensor strength is greater than that of the defending ship, RSD's operate at full strength. If the attacking ship's sensor strength is less than that of the defending ship, RSD's are reduced in strength by 100 * (x/y)%, where x is the attacker's signal strength and y is the defender's. So if a ship with 10 sensor strength hits a ship with 20 sensor strength, their RSD's are only 50% effective. An RSD II that normally reduces the target's lock range and scan resolution by 48% instead only reduces it by 24%.
What does all this mean in general?
Using RSD's on tech I ships smaller than your own will be largely unaffected, with exceptions of course. It will be much harder for smaller ships to use RSD effectively on larger targets and on many tech II ships. Capitals in particular will be difficult to dampen without fitting changes (more on that later). Overall it should reduce the all-purpose electronic warfare role that RSD has assumed now that ECM has been nerfed.
I don't have all the numbers crunched and I'm sure there may be tweaking needed, but I figured I'd show my thought process through a series of Question/Answer segments...
Great, why are you trying to make gallente RSD ships useless?
The sensor strengths for the Maulus, Celestis, Arazu, and Lachesis are 16, 18, 26, and 30, respectively. The Maulus and Celestis will still be able to dampen anything in the tech I frig to BS range quite effectively and most tech II ships as well. The Arazu and Lachesis will be even less affected.
Doesn't this mean that ECCM will also counter RSD's?
Yes, ECCM will then become a secondary means of countering RSD's by increasing your ship's sensor strength relative to your enemies.
Doesn't that make ECCM stupidly overpowered?
I don't think so myself. Remember, ECCM is a module that does absolutely nothing for your ship UNLESS you are being hit with ECM currently, unlike sensor boosters. Making it more useful adds more variety and flavor to ship setups. An ECCM may be as effective in countering RSD's as a sensor booster but offers no other benefits, and to truly immunize yourself from RSD's would require numerous midslots to fit both sensor boosters and ECCMs.
Doesn't this make capitals immune to RSD's?
On the opposite side of this, it also means that if you have a fleet hunting carriers you will now need ships specifically fitted with ECCMs for RSD usage on those capitals, which I think is fair. The attacking ships with fitted ECCMs would then have the sensor strength to match or exceed the sensor strength of the carriers, making their RSD's fully effective. Just like you need to fit Neuts to hunt MoMs and Titans, I don't think it's ridiculous to ask a few ships in the fleet to use ECCM to dampen carriers effectively.
Well, capitals can then also fit ECCMs to make them immune to RSD's again
Yes, this is true, but remember capitals live and die by their cap recharge. By fitting an ECCM or two they are reducing their cap recharge considerably (and consequently their tank). It's a significant trade-off in my opinion.
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