iqplayer
Caldari
Dragon's Rage
Intrepid Crossing
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Posted - 2007.08.06 19:41:00 -
[1]
Edited by: iqplayer on 06/08/2007 19:41:57
 Originally by: CCP Greyscale
Edited by: CCP Greyscale on 06/08/2007 15:05:01
Originally by: CCP Greyscale
The authoring changes required to support the code changes here haven't made it onto SiSi yet, so the bay sizes are incorrect.
The main change here is to fuel bay sizes, which are roughly doubling in capacity. In order to accommodate this without making strontium loads ridiculous, we're implementing a separate strontium bay. Due to the need to move all strontium into its own bay during the patch, the strontium bay has to be as big as the current starbase fuel bays. If we get the opportunity to revisit reinforcement timers in future they may be adjusted down slightly, but for now we're constrained by circumstance.
If we do revisit reinforcement timers, it's unlikely right now that we'll use them to swing the balance of starbase warfare massively in favour of the attacking alliance as that doesn't look like it would improve starbase warfare.
I think some are missing the points of what Greyscale is saying here in relation to how CCP sees the balance of Stront timers.
This change is NOT to remove the possibility of 4 day stront timers, it's to increase the other fuel times. The *easiest* way to do this without changing the current reinforced values is to make the new stront bay the same size as the whole fuel bay now.
Given the 2nd comment, CCP also feels that reducing the Stront timer would favor the attacker (and many have already commented on this) and that they don't see a need to give the attacker any more ground than they've already got - which makes sense, because even with this change, the attacker still has the choice of when to attack, while the defender doesn't get that chance unless they are online for the attack and tweak stront during the attack. Really, I think it would be very fair for CCP to implement a 4 day stront timer *and* allow the defender to pick the exact time of reinforcement ending on the last day (though this time could be set ahead of time, and unable to change during the attack). This would balance nicely, as for the first attack, the attacker has as much time as they need/want to prep the attack, and can choose whatever time they like to engage. Then the defender would have up to 4 days (which should be plenty to arrange defenses) and get to pick the exact time of the final battle.
Would it make a successful attack harder? Certainly. Still, I think it would be more balanced. Would it lead to defenders always setting 'off hours' final battles? Possibly, but that would be a risk as well, since if the attackers chose to attack at the off hours time, there would be noone around to defend. The system isn't perfect, as RL demands like work/school/sleep can still be manipulated in attack/defense, but at least this way both sides would have the same potential to excercise the tactic.
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