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Thread Statistics | Show CCP posts - 7 post(s) |
Gypsio III
Dirty Filthy Perverts
270
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Posted - 2012.04.24 14:54:00 -
[1] - Quote
Yeah the Merlin change is interesting. At the moment it's a good frigate, so losing the resist bonus is a shame. But we've got to keep the optimal bonus because that's what Caldari railboats have. So it's a straight choice between shield resists and damage. The current tanky Merlin demonstrates that shield resists can work; the Naga demonstrates that range and damage can also work.
So, I dunno lol.  |
Gypsio III
Dirty Filthy Perverts
270
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Posted - 2012.04.24 20:24:00 -
[2] - Quote
Lunkwill Khashour wrote:
Disclaimer: haven't flown a Merlin in years. Hybrid range tends to a more bombardment and less brawler/combat. No utility highs and less cap aswell. Whatever this Merlin is, a combat frigate it isn't. Suggest to change a low in a high, give 2 (or 3) launcher slots and switch optimal with resist bonus.
Maybe a name change to "bad Kestrel clone" too? There's already a perfectly good Caldari missile frigate, and although we don't know what CCP intends to do with it, I'm willing to bet it'll stay missile-focused.
However, the mobility of the proposed Merlin is terrible.The Caldari mobility theme is slow-but-agile. The current TQ Merlin adheres to this, but this proposed Merlin is the slowest and least agile. Stick to the racial theme. |
Gypsio III
Dirty Filthy Perverts
275
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Posted - 2012.04.30 16:32:00 -
[3] - Quote
Seems like even CCP doesn't know what the "bombardment" role is. Probably because it doesn't exist. It sounds like someone invented it in an attempt to describe the Kestrel, but there's no need for it. DPS-at-range, which is what "bombardment" effectively is, is an ability rather than a role. It reflects the modules fitted, rather than the hull and its bonuses.
The Merlin and Kestrel should both be general combat frigates, just using different weapon systems. The Kestrel can act as a ranged support platform as implied by the term "bombardment" using SMLs, or as a close-range general combat ship using rockets. The Merlin should be able to act as "bombardment" support using rails, or as a general combat frigate using blasters.
The proposed Merlin, a pure hybrid boat with damages to hybrid optimal and damage, looks like a sensible starting point. It needs more agility though, Caldari ships are slow but agile, whereas the current proposal is just a brick. Some people may dislike this loss of the resist bonus, but we can give that to the Kestrel. How about a Kestrel with four rockets, bonuses to shield resists and kinetic damage and 4-4-3 slots?
But yes, CCP, you've got to look at all of the "combat" frigates at the same time. "Combat" including the attack frigates such as Condor, Slasher etc. |
Gypsio III
Dirty Filthy Perverts
277
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Posted - 2012.05.04 14:27:00 -
[4] - Quote
CCP Ytterbium wrote:MERLIN:Again, good comments regarding the ship general role and range bonus, so it has been replaced with the old good school shield resistance bonus to turn it back into the heavy tackler / brawler you all learned to care about and love fondly.
- New bonuses: 5% bonus to Small Hybrid Turret damage and 5% to shield resistances per level
- Capacitor (amount / recharge rate / cap per second): 350 / 175 s / 2
- Mobility (max velocity / agility / mass / align time): 310 / 3.6 / 997000 / 3.36 s
Looks a bit Gallente now.  Glad you upped the agility a bit though, although it still seems to be the least agile, which, is very un-Caldari.
I don't know what to think about the loss of the classic Caldari optimal bonus. The current Merlin works well with its bonuses to optimal and shield resists, despite the lack of a damage bonus. The ability to use 75 mm rails, or null in neutrons, and try to hang out at ~8 km, made the Merlin distinctly different from other frigates and it was effective at that range. Now, it's much more similar to other frigates, things are more homogeneous and it may turn out that you've cut some valuable diversity from the game. |
Gypsio III
Dirty Filthy Perverts
277
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Posted - 2012.05.04 14:59:00 -
[5] - Quote
Sunviking wrote:It might work well for the Merlin, but I hope it doesn't get replicated for the Rokh when you come to Battleship balancing, as Rokh is supposed to be a long-range platform which needs its optimal range bonus. I would like to see Damage and Range bonus on the Rokh instead of the shield bonus.
I dont want to see Hybrid Damage and Shield Resist bonus on ALL the other Caldari Tech1 gunboats. You need at least some Caldari ships to have that Range bonus.
Indeed. A damage/resist Merlin should work, but it probably wouldn't be great for the Rokh, and would be certainly be poor for the Naga. Some tricky balancing work ahead I think. |
Gypsio III
Dirty Filthy Perverts
278
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Posted - 2012.05.07 16:14:00 -
[6] - Quote
Unfortunately, Scorch has that mid-range role monopolised, with the extra bonuses of superior tracking and rapid reload to high-damage ammo.
My ideal Merlin would have optimal and damage bonuses too. Losing the shield resist would be a problem, but you should still be able to whack a MSE on for reasonable EHP. The Merlin's old role of heavy tackle can be transferred to the Kestrel, by giving it a shield resist bonus and an extra medslot. |
Gypsio III
Dirty Filthy Perverts
279
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Posted - 2012.05.08 23:07:00 -
[7] - Quote
Seraph IX Basarab wrote:Mira Lynne wrote:[quote=TrouserDeagle]
Back on topic: Resists/Damage Merlin looks great. Significantly Slower and Less Agile than the Rifter though... Caldari are supposed to be the most agile race Since when?
Since about 2007. Well, maybe not "most agile", but certainly "quite agile". Caldari was formerly the slowest and least agile race, which resulted in predictably horrible mobility and huge disparity between races' ships' average accelerations, as calculated by 0.75 * [top speed] / [align time]. in 2007ish CCP changed Caldari's agility across the board, in a rare example of a good blanket change, such that Caldari align times were broadly close to that of Minmatar - although the lower top speeds meant that Minmatar acceleration was still quite superior.
There's been quite a bit of fiddling with speeds and align times since then but the general rule of good Caldari agility has been maintained. |
Gypsio III
Dirty Filthy Perverts
283
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Posted - 2012.05.13 09:51:00 -
[8] - Quote
Armour resists is an Amarr bonus, except for specialised classes. There's nothing wrong with boost/rep bonuses in principle, CCP just needs to make sure that they're worthwhile (10%/level would be a good start) and that the ship has the slots, fittings and hull stats to make use of them.
As ever, balance ships, not bonuses. |
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