TheDevilsJury
GoonFleet
GoonSwarm
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Posted - 2007.10.22 08:04:00 -
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I'm not entirely sure what problem you're trying to fix. Here's some suggestions that may or may not be correct:
1. The problem with the capital-only fleet "capital ships online" is not that the carriers/MSes stick their fighters on the battleship fleet and melt them. It's that lag and autoagression mean that the battleship fleet can't do **** while they get shot up by fighters. Solution? Fix lag the best you can.
In a lagless situation, a 200-man fleet with battleships will probably kill 60 carriers, or will cause them to withdraw.
2. The problem with mothership camping in lowsec has nothing to do with its damage output or solo ability. They can only melt battleships if they catch the battleship with their pants down, as a battleship that's paying attention will warp out. The problem is invincibility combined with officer smartbombs, meaning the mothership can kill all small ships (which its fighters can't hit anyway) and cyno out at the first sign of trouble. Solution? Nerf invincibility, not damage.
3. No carrier or mothership can solo in 0.0 anymore. Carriers that get caught solo die to small gangs every day. Motherships that get caught solo die to small gangs with increasing frequency. When my alliance finds a mothership or carrier doing something solo, it's not "**** guys a mothership just incinerated my BS in 0.2 seconds" it's "x up to kill capitals".
So with those covered, I'll answer the Dev's 4 questions:
MORE SUPPORT ORIENTED (my opinion: bad idea)
- Carriers don't do great DPS for their cost. You can tank one in a battleship if you're set up to do so, or tank one long enough to withdraw if you're not.
- Carriers don't have the incentive to do support tasks as their tools for support aren't good enough, nor are game mechanics:
-- Triage mode isn't good enough
-- Capital remote reps use too much cap
-- In fleet battles primaries don't survive long enough for carrier reps to take effect
-- ECM Burst doesn't affect fights much, as it doesn't prevent relocking (perhaps it should jam for X seconds)
-- Beyond that there are no other support tasks for a carrier/MS
- Players in general don't enjoy playing support classes, for what it's worth.
FIGHTER DEPLOYMENT LIMITS (my opinion: bad idea)
- Carriers won't be deployed to the battlefield anymore, instead they will sit AFK at a POS or micromanaging fighter assignments at a POS.
- Limiting a carrier to 5 drones as well means it can't be used to assist in a POS siege taking down POS modules.
THE IDEA OF MAKING CARRIERS SUPPORT (my opinion: more changes needed)
- To make a carrier a support ship, don't change fighters at all. You should instead add support capabilities and refine the current support capabilities. Here are some suggestions:
-- Allowing small ships to accompany a carrier as it cynos. Just frigate-size and below. This makes it *gasp* an actual carrier instead of a big droneboat. MS could be cruiser and below. Or whatever sizes.
-- Make remote ECM Burst more effective
-- Work your darnest on reducing fighter lag, so it is possible to field support fleets with carriers as well as attack them with support.
-- Make capital remote repping better. Short-range AoE is one suggestion so lag/locktime is not a factor.
DO YOU NOT LIKE THE IDEA AT ALL (my opinion: I don't)
- The problem is not clearly defined.
- The problem of "capital ships online" (capital blobs) is not solved by making carriers support ships, but by reducing lag to a playable level when fighters are deployed.
- The problem of "capital ships online" (MS/carrier = solo pwnmobile "the new battleship") doesn't exist, except for MS invulnerability in lowsec.
Disclaimer: I don't and can't fly a carrier.
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