Player Features and Ideas Discussion

An idea i've pitched before in another thread, though that got burried in other less relevant suggestions.


I propose a highslot module you can fit to any sub capital ship.

When activating this module on a friendly target it requests a link. The target can reciprocate by activating it's own escort module back at the original ship.

This links the ships as long as they remain within roughly 15km.

When linked they share HP an resistances, using the higher of both. Repairing either ship repairs their combined HP pool. For targetting purposes, both ships are still seperate entities with regards to range, speed and signature radius.


The purpose of this module is to make escorting ships a much more viable activity. Whereas you should be able to block an enemy's shots when positioning yourself between it and the ship you're protecting, you instead are condemned to just watch your client die - Nothing you can do about 20 catalysts going straight for their target.

With this however you are giving the to be protected ship a much more realistic chance of surviving. It can also create an entirely new line of work for mercenaries, even adding some functionality to marauders outside of their pve niche.



Limitations: An escort link can only be active between two ships, no more. Only subcapitals can use the module. I would suggest that both freighters and jump freighters have this module 'built-in', or at least given a highslot for it.



I can see some potential problems too though, but nothing specific - Maybe my mind is just too clouded, please don't hold back when coming up with problems with this idea :)

Well, consider the current state of affairs:

- If hauling in high-sec, bringing a Rapier and ECM support along makes you nearly ungankable.
- If hauling in non-highsec, you want to be stealthy. No one wants to run around with 3 battleships connected to them.

thus I do not see how this would actually be useful.

When I read the title I said wow an escort module that you will escort freighters etc so you don t get lost in gates and jumps.But then I read it wasn't it.

yes there is. there is so much u can do. oh so so much.

a T2 minmatar ship has insane EM resist, a T2 amarr ship has insane Explosive resists. Not to mention they both have high therm kin resist respectively. LInking these ships would completely negate the need for hardeners almost entirely and allow them to fit anything they want.

Isn't the fix for the concerns something like:

Escorted ship has all resistances set to zero for module cycle time;
When module active and escorted ship locked the escort ships takes all damage for the escorted ship.
Long cycle time to prevent just restarting the link when the escort or escorted ship loses lock or dies?


Neat concept, needs mechanics that aren't quite as abusable in the current proposal.

These are good changes. Instead of sharing resistances etc one should could indeed be the escort, the other the escortee... Though would hp still need to be shared?

That still raises some questions, like what happens if you shoot the escortee, or even try to target it? Otherwise i really like this idea.