[DEVPOST] Ship balancing - round 2

[Ampoliros]

(CBA looking up the old thread, so whatever)

FIGHT

Hey folks,

Thought it would be time for an update here. So far we are quite happy with the frigates we revamped in Inferno and we will start moving to the others soon.


What we would like to do next:

• Keep working on frigate overhaul, as we barely started so far - that means having a look at role, slot layout of the remaining hulls and sorting them into the combat, attack, or support categories (the bombardment role was removed as feedback shown it wasn't great to start with)
• Revamp the rookie ships to be more versatile - ideally they should offer a lot of small bonuses to show what their race philosophy is all about, without being as efficient at any tech 1 frigate in their own roles
• Since we are removing mining frigates, introduce an ORE frigate to take over that role in general - think of it as an expendable, fast miner able to ninja-mine in hostile environments, while mining barges are more of a static mining platforms
• Introducing an ORE frig makes us realize how painfully outdated mining barges / exhumers are in general - we want to make them all viable in some fashion and not systemically make the Hulk better at that role. That also means having a look at skill requirements, as the jump from a Covetor to a Hulk is almost non-existant (one idea it to move all mining barge skill requirements to level 1, while exhumers keep a mining barge skill requirement at 5)
• Then move into tech 1 destroyer hulls - having a look at the existing ships and introducing 4 new toys to play with.

Thanks for your feedback people, it helped a lot for the Inferno release.

tl;dr: New rookie ship bonuses, ore mining frigate and exhumers/mining barge changes. 4 new destroyers, sounds like, along with more destroyer revamp. Nothing solid right now, but interesting goals.

[Alain Colcer]

not sure what other destroyers they will add, but its nice to know they will continue working on ship balance actively

[Arele]

I still miss mines, even though they were broken as hell. Destroyer hull that lays mines, chop chop.

[jonesbones]

Give Exhumers more EHP. And I say this as someone who has ganked hundreds of them in high sec.

[Alistair]

not sure what other destroyers they will add, but its nice to know they will continue working on ship balance actively

Alternate T1 Off-Racial Weapons Platforms I'd guess.

Pure Rocket Boat for Amarr.
Pure Standard Missile Boat for Caldari.
A Slower, more durable long-range Arty Boat for Matari.
Pure Drone Boat for Gallente.

For combat, what else is there really but each races "other" weapons?

[elmicker]

not sure what other destroyers they will add, but its nice to know they will continue working on ship balance actively

Alternate T1 Off-Racial Weapons Platforms I'd guess.

Pure Rocket Boat for Amarr.
Pure Standard Missile Boat for Caldari.
A Slower, more durable long-range Arty Boat for Matari.
Pure Drone Boat for Gallente.

For combat, what else is there really but each races "other" weapons?

don't forget they all have to be vertical

[Liptonez]

I'm glad they're nerfing the Drake.



Wait.

[Daneel Trevize]

I have poasted telling CCP to shut the fuck up about myopic crappy T1 frigs reshuffling and throwing more unrequested things like destroyers into the mix, and instead focus on the existing assets that are so out of whack.
Let the neg-reps commence.

[Alistair]

not sure what other destroyers they will add, but its nice to know they will continue working on ship balance actively

Alternate T1 Off-Racial Weapons Platforms I'd guess.

Pure Rocket Boat for Amarr.
Pure Standard Missile Boat for Caldari.
A Slower, more durable long-range Arty Boat for Matari.
Pure Drone Boat for Gallente.

For combat, what else is there really but each races "other" weapons?

don't forget they all have to be vertical

Agreed.

[Zoidberg]

What's the point of replacing the mining frigates with another mining frigate? Unless the ORE frigate is required for a new resource, it seems pointless to me.

[Alain Colcer]

What's the point of replacing the mining frigates with another mining frigate? Unless the ORE frigate is required for a new resource, it seems pointless to me.

comet mining? system-wide belts as dangerous enviroments? t2 specialty mining frig for exotic materials harvested right in the corona of stars?

[Mfume]

I'm glad they're nerfing the Drake.

Wait.

Who seriously still thinks Drakes need a nerf?

[Alistair]

What's the point of replacing the mining frigates with another mining frigate? Unless the ORE frigate is required for a new resource, it seems pointless to me.

It generally is.

But as they're removing the Mining Racial Frigate, it vaguely makes sense.

End result, if done right I spose, will have all racial frigates be combat/combat support. And all mining done by ORE ships, with a clear ORE path from Friggy on up.

/shrug, makes no difference, but it's not horrible. I am unable to summon the rage of tohers about it, it's :iteration: and makes general sense.

[Daneel Trevize]

I'm glad they're nerfing the Drake.

Wait.

Who seriously still thinks Drakes need a nerf?

When tier3 BCs are rightfully nano-nerfed, Drakes and Canes will stand back out again.
...implying they're still not hugely over-represented in gameplay.

[Alenar Rumanev]

not sure what other destroyers they will add, but its nice to know they will continue working on ship balance actively

Alternate T1 Off-Racial Weapons Platforms I'd guess.

Pure Rocket Boat for Amarr.
Pure Standard Missile Boat for Caldari.
A Slower, more durable long-range Arty Boat for Matari.
Pure Drone Boat for Gallente.

For combat, what else is there really but each races "other" weapons?

How about the long awaited ship that can probe down and "depth charge" cloaked vessels (with some accounting for sig radius / cloak type so finding covops frigs is a 30 minute endeavor, assuming they are completely motionless). Combine that with a 90s or 180s aggression flag assigned by NPCs and watch the great 2012 bot purge begin.

[Chakrai]

CCP are paying attention to and modifying our spaceships. It's all cool.

[Mfume]

When tier3 BCs are rightfully nano-nerfed, Drakes and Canes will stand back out again.
...implying they're still not hugely over-represented in gameplay.

I've seen far fewer Drakes in the past 3 months*. And it's becoming increasingly fewer as more entities transition to Tier 3 based fleet comps. They are disproportionately represented on my killboard, since I've mostly been fighting the CFC and the CFC are one of the few remaining hold outs.

*Roughly the time it takes a large alliance to decide something is cool and skill into it.

I suppose you'd actually need to log into EVE to see this though, so it's understandable how you missed it.

[Tyrus Tenebros]

I have poasted telling CCP to shut the fuck up about myopic crappy T1 frigs reshuffling and throwing more unrequested things like destroyers into the mix, and instead focus on the existing assets that are so out of whack.
Let the neg-reps commence.

I'd agree that starting with rebalancing the BCs or something (prophecy? 14-incher?) might be more interesting.

I do wonder how the brutix will be modified though because if it gets any better... lol.

[Mfume]

I do wonder how the brutix will be modified though because if it gets any better... lol.

Resist bonus.

[Daneel Trevize]

When tier3 BCs are rightfully nano-nerfed, Drakes and Canes will stand back out again.
...implying they're still not hugely over-represented in gameplay.

I've seen far fewer Drakes in the past 3 months*. And it's becoming increasingly fewer as more entities transition to Tier 3 based fleet comps. They are disproportionately represented on my killboard, since I've mostly been fighting the CFC and the CFC are one of the few remaining hold outs.

*Roughly the time it takes a large alliance to decide something is cool and skill into it.

I suppose you'd actually need to log into EVE to see this though, so it's understandable how you missed it.

I'm actually unsubbed at this moment

Aren't you agreeing though? That tier 3s need a balance check, and then dreaks & canes will probably return to the top until they're also tweaked?

I do wonder how the brutix will be modified though because if it gets any better... lol.

Resist bonus.

My now-muddly Blaster Prophecy backbone.