Player Features and Ideas Discussion

HOW TO FIX THE CLOAK ISSUE WITHOUT BREAKING ITS PURPOSE

First and foremost, I am a lover and hater of the ability cloakies have to shut down entire systems with just one person. I will be honest in that I have used myself as an AFK cloaker before, and enjoyed every minute of the terror for the people I was using it on. I also admit that it is a completely overpowered weapon that has little to no way of combatting. Players of eve deserve at least some level to combat against this, and I believe I have a solution that will satisfy both the cloaky pilots, and the people who hate them.

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A new module would be added to the game, named something along the lines of "Cloak Disruption Field". Either high slot or medium slot. The specs of the module are:
Optimal Range: 250,000 m
Activation Time/Duration: 300 s
Effect Duration: 30 s
Can only mount 1 per ship (like doomsday)
(Possibly only mount of specific class or ship)

The effect and purpose of this module is NOT TO UNCLOAK any cloaky ships. The purpose is to simply make anyone on grid AWARE that there is a cloaky ship on the field. The activation timer is designed to let the device be used every 5 minutes. The actual effect of the device will only be active for 30 seconds. (Longer reload than usage)

When the device is activated a "ping" is sent out onto the grid (250km). Any cloaked vessel within the 250km range of the activation will see a timer pop up on the HUD similar to having an ECM used on them (30 seconds). Any ships on the grid will see these cloaked vessels on their overview, and their tag on the field (30 seconds).
HOWEVER the cloaked ship will be treated similarly to a ship that has activated its warp but hasn't left field. Although people can see the ship (30 seconds) they cannot lock, align, or approach the ship as it still has its cloaking device activated (it's just visible on grid). The ships on grid can now manually fly towards the cloaky ship (if AFK or stupid) and get within the 2000 m range to decloak the vessel. From then on it is treated as a normal decloak.

If after 30 seconds no ship comes within range to decloak the ship, the cloaky vessel disappears from overview and becomes normal cloaked again. The cloaky vessel may also choose to warp off when the effect is activated also reengaging its cloaking device. The ability to recloak via warp will also still work even if you are warping to another point on field. The warp field disrupts the cloak disruption field module, allowing this.

The cloaked ship must also BE ON THE FIELD at the time of activation. If you warp onto the field after the device is activated (even if during that 30 second window) you will not be effected. This is only designed to make people are that there is a cloaky already on the field.

WARNING: The effect of this device is not friendly safe. It is designed to hit all cloaked ships on field, friendly or enemy.A simple trick would be to have your friendly cloakies on field activate their warp (bunnyhop) right as you activate the device. Thus retaining their cloak, but not the enemies.

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BEFORE EVERYONE STARTS CRYING ABOUT TOO MUCH OR TOO LITTLE

I'll be happy to bring up both arguments right now.
Cloakers are going to complain that you can fit up a full fleet of ships with this device and essentially break their ability to cloak up on field.
Carebears are going to complain that the cloakies ability to retain cloak via warp (bunnyhopping tacticals) is OP. They may also complain that the effect should last longer or completely deactivate the cloaking device.

Both are wrong, and here's why. Cloakers know, but will not admit, that they have an overpowered toy. And let's be serious who wants to give up a no risk win all wtfcannon. Carebears are always going to want a safer space, and would, quite probably, turn god mode onto their ships if it was ever offered to them.

An obvious thing that will upset cloakers is that a whole fleet could have these on, essentially denying all cloaking capabilities. This is a possibility, at the moment there is no combative way to fight cloaky ships. And if an entire fleet has these fitted, that means an entire fleet is missing a medium or high slot with the specific purpose in mind of hunting cloakies. It won't be something you can keep on as an everyday device, the fleet has to specifically know they are going to be fighting cloakies, and fit accordingly.

This will not become something that ends up on every ship. A fleet may have one ship carry this device, but that's only good every 5 minutes, and it has to know you are on field to actually use it. Even then, you just have to survive for 30 seconds, or warp off.

This will give carebears an ability to know if their area is safe from AFK cloakers (to an extent), and give fleets a way to fight cloakies without breaking the purpose behind being a cloaked ship.

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Before you hit reply to complain about this idea, all I ask is you try to think of a way that would fix it,

Fly safe,
~Sparks

This ruins one of the essential uses of a cloak:

You could no longer reliably travel through a gate camp in nullsec.

You come in, they put up a bubble, you decloak, pulse your MWD, and cloak to get out of the bubble and escape.... They ping the grid with this device... and suddenly all the fast tackle on gate knows exactly where you are, and the chances of getting out of the bubble and warping off before you get decloaked is slim...

The biggest benefit a cloak has is the ability to travel moreless safely... This device fucks that up!!!!

Exactly this.

Greetings

Although I disagree with the premise that AFK cloaked is a problem. I will give kudos when someone posts a rational thought to fix what they see to be as a problem. Kudos to you sir! I hope your idea is not implemented though.

vr
East

The solution described has the possibility of making Stealth Ships unusuable at ALL in fleet engagements

Consider this: a Squadron of 10 sniping ships ( for maximum effect Cormorants? or Moas?) equipped with one device each +1 Fast tackle^TM. No grid for stealth ships

Also concerning AFK "harassment" it does not seem as a solution to me. Once every 5minutes you know a hostile is not in grid with you. Great.
I think that if it took a scout 2.5mins( the semi-random semi-average you'd have between pings) from getting on-grid to tackle a target, he'd deserve to... you know NOT succeed?

Also on the issue of gate camps/bubble tactics, by 30 seconds on overview you give even a T1 cruiser time (and info) to catch you (IMHO)
unless it's a Cov Ops cloak, where at you maintain your speed, so only fast tackle will catch you.... hm...

On the other hand a possible solution could have been a variation of the logooffski timer : no interface commands(clicks or keys) -server queries (eg mining) for 2 times the time needed to shed off aggression timer: disconnect pilot. BUT that would ruin chat channel loggers - which is a fun sport in itself



PS: Don't impliment this Idea: Cloak production is the no1 Income source for USDF, outside of bounties