Player Features and Ideas Discussion

Since the infamous "heavy missile nerf", missile players have been wandering around in the dark wilderness. It's long overdue to finally let these folks back in from the cold... The previous nerf cut too far and too deep, to the point where heavy missiles have all but disappeared from PvP. It's not just the damage that was nerfed, but the range and application. I don't think anyone would argue that the range wasn't excessive, and that perhaps it needed a bit of a damage adjustment. But to also adjust damage application basically neutered these.

So I have a simple proposal for heavy missiles (stats are based on Faction variant):

• Increase the damage from 155 to 160 (original = 172)
• Reinstate the explosion radius to 125
• Increase the explosion velocity to 85 (original = 81)

The range nerf remains intact (revised flight time, missile velocity). As for the rest, these are relatively minor changes that primarily improve damage application. To keep heavy missiles balanced with heavy assault missiles, I would also propose the following for heavy assault missiles (again, based on the Faction variant):

• Decrease the explosion radius to 115 (original = 125); revised
• Increase the explosion velocity to 110 (original = 101); revised

Comments welcome.

I agree. Aplying damage is really horrible with this stuff ;-)

The 125m explosion radius was the original pre-nerf value. So with my proposal, heavy missiles still have the range hit, lose most of the damage, claw back the explosion radius and gain a slight bit to explosion velocity. It makes them marginally better and not quite so anemic. The changes to HAMs are to ensure they offer better damage application for short-range (PvP) targets, which they should. Don't forget: missiles don't have any damage application modules other than rigs and implants.

i agree that HM need something done.

the proposed changes sound good but may be OP the marging of balance of HM is very thin.
but its worth the shot in 1.1 a nerf in 1.2 is easy....

HAMs need a slight adjustment to damage application, because there's almost no difference between a revised heavy missile and a heavy assault missile. Current:
• Heavy missile: 140m EX radius, 81m/sec EX velocity
• Heavy assault missile: 125m EX radius, 101m/sec EX velocity

Proposed:
• Heavy missile: 125m EX radius (original, pre-nerf), 85m/sec EX velocity
• Heavy assault missile: 115m EX radius (revised), 110m/sec EX velocity (revised)

Who said HAMs were ok? The prevalent use of RLMLs prior to change in Rubicon clearly suggests otherwise.

• Odyssey... Heavy missiles are perceived as "OP". Solution: Range is nerfed 22%, damage 10% and explosion radius increased 12%. Heavy assault missiles are left unchanged, and light missiles buffed by 10%. Result: HMs disappear almost entirely from PvP, HAMs retain their niche role for WH space/PvE and players switch to RLMLs en masse for PvP. Drakes are all but abandoned.
• Rubicon… Rapid light missile launchers are now perceived as "OP". Solution: Introduce a radical change a week prior to Rubicon that gives them a 'burst' mode that strips 79% (not a typo!) of ammo capacity, doubles their fitting requirement and replaces it with a 40-second reload time. Result: Missiles basically disappear from PvP, aside from rockets on frigates and light missile launchers on destroyers. Caracals are all but abandoned.

My proposal is fairly straight-forward.
1. Adjust the damage application of heavy missiles; retain the range and some of the damage nerf.
2. Improve the damage application for heavy assault missiles as an alternative for short-range combat in PvP.
3. Reinstate the old rapid light missile launchers, improve damage application but reduce damage to pre-Odyssey buff.

As has been clearly demonstrated, you can't simply buff or nerf one system without adversely affecting the others. You need to make heavy missiles better, you need to make heavy assault missiles preferable to heavy missiles for use in PvP - and you need to reduce the effectiveness of light missiles/rapid missile launchers against cruisers and larger targets.