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Make smartbombs "smart".
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Exploited Engineer
Creatively Applied Violence Inc.
#1 - 2012-10-14 11:05:15 UTC
Right now, smartbombs don't see as much use as they could.
This is mainly due to them being "dumb" rather than "smart" in their target selection.

My suggestion: Add a "settings" tab to specify smartbomb target preference - "Missiles", "Legal targets", "Aggressive targets", "Anything".

This would allow capsuleers to use smartbombs in hisec without the fear of accidentially incurring CONCORD retaliation. Additionally, smartbombs could have a setting to fire only if a valid target is in range, allowing for effective missile defense (set smartbomb target to "missiles" only, check "fire only if valid target is in range", activate smartbomb).

At the same time, remove defender missiles. They're useless and made obsolete by truly smart smartbombs.
Astroniomix
School of Applied Knowledge
Caldari State
#2 - 2012-10-14 17:21:40 UTC
Exploited Engineer wrote:
Right now, smartbombs don't see as much use as they could.
This is mainly due to them being "dumb" rather than "smart" in their target selection.

My suggestion: Add a "settings" tab to specify smartbomb target preference - "Missiles", "Legal targets", "Aggressive targets", "Anything".

This would allow capsuleers to use smartbombs in hisec without the fear of accidentially incurring CONCORD retaliation. Additionally, smartbombs could have a setting to fire only if a valid target is in range, allowing for effective missile defense (set smartbomb target to "missiles" only, check "fire only if valid target is in range", activate smartbomb).

At the same time, remove defender missiles. They're useless and made obsolete by truly smart smartbombs.


I REALY don't want to think about how much server load this would cause.
Verity Sovereign
Sebiestor Tribe
Minmatar Republic
#3 - 2012-10-14 18:21:23 UTC
Why would it have to be server side?

Why can't the client just say "fire smart bomb, if the following targets were in range, apply damage to them; targets X, Y, Z"
instead, right now, the client tells the server that it wants to fire the smartbomb, and the server must check which targets are in range and then do the damage calculations.

By doing such calculations only for the objects in a client supplied list, it should actually decrease server load when a smartbomb is fired.

Have the decision to fire the smartbomb in the case of missiles be client based, not server based. of course in this case, the smartbomb may fire too late to stop the missiles if the client has a poor connection
Goldensaver
Maraque Enterprises
Just let it happen
#4 - 2012-10-14 19:19:43 UTC
Verity Sovereign wrote:
Why would it have to be server side?

Why can't the client just say "fire smart bomb, if the following targets were in range, apply damage to them; targets X, Y, Z"
instead, right now, the client tells the server that it wants to fire the smartbomb, and the server must check which targets are in range and then do the damage calculations.

By doing such calculations only for the objects in a client supplied list, it should actually decrease server load when a smartbomb is fired.

Have the decision to fire the smartbomb in the case of missiles be client based, not server based. of course in this case, the smartbomb may fire too late to stop the missiles if the client has a poor connection


It's easy to cheat that way... Just modify your client a bit, and suddenly a lot of things are in range that shouldn't be. Sure, they might find out about it later, but it's nothing to make a firewall alt that just has to be able to run cap boosters and smartbombs in a ship with a decent number of high slots.

Also, you don't have to time the smartbombs perfectly. You're probably pulsing them one after another when you're in a firewall. And while the missiles pass through, they'll probably be hit by 2 or 3 smartbombs per ship in range, which should be enough to kill the missiles.
NiGhTTraX
Deep Core Mining Inc.
Caldari State
#5 - 2012-10-14 21:48:24 UTC
Don't think of them as smart bombs, think of them as area of effect weapons.

Also, you seem to be missing the point of EVE. The point is that you choose when and how to use your guns, not the client.

If you're gonna post here thinking your idea is the greatest thing since bacon and that it will save EVE and possibly all humankind with it, you're gonna have a bad time.
Romvex
TURN LEFT
#6 - 2012-10-14 23:18:31 UTC
i've always relished the idea of a derpbomb, which would SD your ship, yet cause huge damage to your surroundingsPirate
Bienator II
madmen of the skies
#7 - 2012-10-14 23:36:46 UTC
Goldensaver wrote:
Verity Sovereign wrote:
Why would it have to be server side?

Why can't the client just say "fire smart bomb, if the following targets were in range, apply damage to them; targets X, Y, Z"
instead, right now, the client tells the server that it wants to fire the smartbomb, and the server must check which targets are in range and then do the damage calculations.

By doing such calculations only for the objects in a client supplied list, it should actually decrease server load when a smartbomb is fired.

Have the decision to fire the smartbomb in the case of missiles be client based, not server based. of course in this case, the smartbomb may fire too late to stop the missiles if the client has a poor connection


It's easy to cheat that way... .


nope. client just filters 99% of all objects out and submits the list to the server. The server checks now the 1% if they are really in range. if they are.. bam. If not ignore and mark client as cheater.

how to fix eve: 1) remove ECM 2) rename dampeners to ECM 3) add new anti-drone ewar for caldari 4) give offgrid boosters ongrid combat value
Goldensaver
Maraque Enterprises
Just let it happen
#8 - 2012-10-15 05:23:12 UTC
Bienator II wrote:
Goldensaver wrote:


It's easy to cheat that way... .


nope. client just filters 99% of all objects out and submits the list to the server. The server checks now the 1% if they are really in range. if they are.. bam. If not ignore and mark client as cheater.


But then objects that moved out of range in the time it took your client to communicate with the server would be excluded. Also, I don't know if it's a good idea applying heaps of computing onto our home computers. A lot of older machines would have issues if you forced them to process things instead of the servers.
Exploited Engineer
Creatively Applied Violence Inc.
#9 - 2012-10-15 16:55:04 UTC
Bienator II wrote:
nope. client just filters 99% of all objects out and submits the list to the server. The server checks now the 1% if they are really in range. if they are.. bam. If not ignore and mark client as cheater.


The client thinking that certain objects are in range (while they're not) and triggering the smartbomb wouldn't be cheating, it would be plain dumb since the server only receives the "fire smartbomb" command, checks which objects are in range, and hits them with the smartbombs effect. If the objects aren't actually in range, you just wasted a smartbomb cycle.

However, there might be too much lag to reliably trigger smartbombs against missiles this way. Maybe the on-demand firing could be done for missile targets only (just like defender missiles work currently).
Ristlin Wakefield
Viziam
Amarr Empire
#10 - 2012-10-15 17:24:54 UTC
Romvex wrote:
i've always relished the idea of a derpbomb, which would SD your ship, yet cause huge damage to your surroundingsPirate


I endorse this idea.

I have a lover, her name is EVE. I see her every night and all she asks in return is that I have a pilot's license.
Commander Ted
Caldari Provisions
Caldari State
#11 - 2012-10-15 17:27:00 UTC
Sounds like a good idea, can't wait to camp undocks filled with war targets. Basically would be a easy calculation for the client "I wanna shoot these guys" and just tells the server who the pilot wants to shoot.

https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=174097 Separate all 4 empires in eve with lowsec.
Opertone
State War Academy
Caldari State
#12 - 2012-10-15 18:24:31 UTC
UHHM, no, please let anything hostile that comes near smart bombs suffer continous DPS when smart bomb is active.

Like an fire cloak shield, anything hostile that comes near takes damage. This is smart.

This post sums up why the 'best' work with DCM inc.

WARP DRIVE makes eve boring

really - add warping align time 300% on gun aggression and eve becomes great again
NuNu Dagobah
Royal Amarr Institute
Amarr Empire
#13 - 2012-10-16 12:16:54 UTC
Exploited Engineer wrote:
Right now, smartbombs don't see as much use as they could.
This is mainly due to them being "dumb" rather than "smart" in their target selection.


You know, the 'smart' in the name doesn't refer to the bombs, but to the user, you have to be smart to properly use them.
If you're not, and still use them, you deserve to lose your ship.

They were originally created as indiscriminate area of effect weapons, let's keep it that way shall we...
Exploited Engineer
Creatively Applied Violence Inc.
#14 - 2012-10-16 18:30:11 UTC
NuNu Dagobah wrote:
You know, the 'smart' in the name doesn't refer to the bombs, but to the user, you have to be smart to properly use them.


Right now, the smart way to use them in hisec (where most of the players live) is not to use them at all.
Don Alfredo
Peda Electronic Devices and Androids
#15 - 2012-10-18 16:56:45 UTC
I wouldnt mind them being a bit smarter, iirc they also destroy wrecks, or not? That really isnt all that great
King Rothgar
Deadly Solutions
#16 - 2012-10-18 17:57:47 UTC
Smart bombs are already smart, they don't blow up your own ship. This is more than can be said for a stealth bomber's bombs when fired by a careless player.

[u]Fireworks and snowballs are great, but what I really want is a corpse launcher.[/u]