Ships & Modules

But you are assuming blaster fit = neutrons, when really there's no need to cram neutrons onto every single fit. At most you gain ~6% over Ions, 10% over electrons and indeed some Ion fits do equal or more DPS by virture of the more relaxed fitting requirements.

I stand by my point that fitting is not the key issue for blasters and therefore the proposed 'fix' is not convincing. Also, I'm not Alex, I'm Gabriel and always have been

I agree completely. Hybrid simply have no role - there is no situation where you say "we need blasters/rails", and CCP's changes do not address this in the slightest. This is because the roles that hybrids had have been usurped by ACs and lasers. This cannot be fixed by boosting hybrids by any sensible amount, because the problem isn't really hybrids, it's ACs and lasers. Hybrids are balanced because the have defined roles - the others are overpowered because they are too good in too many situations.

In general, the utility of a weapon as fleet size increases is in proportion to its range. In a blasterboat, you can't afford to sped all day MWDing about, when you can just sit still and fire Scorch. This straight away means that blasters need to be better than ACs in solo combat, as ACs are better as gang size increases. But, of course, they're not, because if you're soloing, you want mobility and the ability to apply damage from outside web range - hence you want Minmatar hulls and ACs. If you choose blasters, you have a slow ship with no ability to apply DPS from outside web range, and the requirement to go into web range yourself to apply your DPS. Tackling yourself in every fight, with no ability to GTFO when Teh Blob arrives, when a Minmatar AC option is available, is basically a complicated form of Russian Roulette - brave and exciting, but foolish.

Even despite this, if blasters really had a damage advantage close up, they would have a minor niche. But thanks to slot layouts, the greater viability of shield gank fits on AC boats and selectable damage, they don't. ACs are supposed to be used in falloff - so why do they have such high damage and tracking close up? I've run numbers on the new t3 BCs and, ignoring tracking, a shield gank Tornado with Hail will kill a Void Talos even if the fight starts at blaster optimal. It has less raw DPS, sure, but the damage-type selectability and ease of fitting LSEs means that Talos runs out of EHP first. If those are the final stats, then it's just stupid.

The only proper fix will involve one race with fast ships and short-ranged weapons, and the other with slower ships and high falloff. The fast ships will be able to use their speed to avoid unfavourable fights and choose favourable ones, but they'll have to go inside web range to apply their DPS. The slower ships will not be able to get tackle or avoid tackle nearly as easily, but will have better DPS application at range in compensation.

You'll know when blasters and ACs are balanced because you'll face a tough decision about whether to fly a Vaga or Deimos. Call it the Deimos test - if the Deimos is not balanced with the Vagabond, then blasterboats and AC-boats are not balanced.

As for rails, well, they're pointless in a world that instant probing and on-grid warping to eliminate the ranged niche. But even if you fix the "warp-to-enemy" problem, then Tachyons on optimal-boosted hulls have still usurped rail's long-ranged role.

Personally i think the balances listed are going to be quite powerful for Blaster boats.

The the change to the Inertia Modifier and the speed increase both are paired to play to the blaster boat's role. The whole point of being in a blaster boat is to get into blaster range, and that means running right at your target more often than not. On the surface only the speed upgrade really works for this but it's once you get into scram range that the Inertial Modifier really comes into play. Diving right towards the enemy you don't really need to move from side to side too much but once it hits scram and your MWD shuts down you'll start to slow down but with the increased Inertia the drop in speed happens much slower and that means you can coast right into blaster range quicker and easier.

The drop in fitting requirements and the cap usage drop also benefits the Blaster boat. The fittings probably won't affect the guns too much, but what it will do is leave more fitting resources to fit more of a strong tank. You're throwing yourself literally into the face of the enemy's guns, you need a strong tank to handle the damage as you're closing. Plus the massive drop of cap usage means that an Active tank setup is more of a valid option. It could be a racial trait, Amarr have buffers, Gallente have active tanks.

Also, I have to say, I love the possibility of the new Destroyers. I finally can use my Catalyst without being laughed at. :p

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Yes very interesting indeed but don't forget this, witch is the most important factor killing blaster ships:

you accelerate faster, you have overall better speed when MWD'n ! -right !

Now must I remeber you the 500% sign penalty when using mwd making your thorax get almost the double sign radius of an orca and makes you get in tha face 110% dmg knowing untill you get in your ridiculous blaster range engagement, everyone and his cat is blowing your face?

Diemost, that's why

I've seen a few ones but I can't just look at without being critic, duno if those were from that guy but most I saw were older enough, maybe before several nerfs, then all others are very specific situations and some blind could figure out most piloting mistakes from targets. Also diemost works fine with logis and friends webing scraming.

Stil, I rather use vaga's or cynabals every day.

I was thinking of the ones where he solo's enemy gangs in his diemos, takes out vaga's and cynabels by the dozen.