Player Features and Ideas Discussion

My proposal is simple.

As after the warp speed changes it actually matters to some degree add a navigation skill that allows one to increase in-warp speed. Say, something about 2 or 3% per level should be adequate for making this skill effect noticeable enough but to not be outright overwhelmingly must-have skill.

The effect would be in that case in the same ballpark as the warp speed hard-wirings and substantially under thew warp-speed rigs level. De-acceleration is already capped at 9 so it does not affect already fast ships very much but thould be noticeable in battle-cruiser and heavier category saving one approx 3 to 5 seconds on average warps if my napkin math is correct.

If you must you can throw the skill in some speed oriented minor faction LP store for adding them some unique twist. Thukker perhaps?

Just because some people are incapable of doing simple math is not a good reason to have or not have some particular skill/module/effect.

There are effects already in game that affect both warp speed and sig radius.

Sig radius penalty can be had through number of rigs, modules as well as external e-war effects. Sig radius bonus can be had from skirmish warfare links in quite wide range of variations depending on the boosting ship, if T1 or T2 link is used and the presence of some hardwires in the boosters head.

Warp speed can already be affected by low slot modules, rigs, hardwires as well as a pirate implant set.

Don´t see the point, as you stated there are options to increase your warpspeed, but you have to give a slot away or an implant. No need for an skill here.

And isn´t it the "task" for interceptor to get enemy ships pointed before they warp of ? Take some drohnes with you, they will help to keep the interceptor busy.


mfg

-1 No need

It would make more sense to give flat bonus like +.1 Au/s per level so big ship who do want more speed actaully feel it because at 3%, you are looking at around 0.3 Au bonus on a V skill.

It's also a bad idea either way.

With a 5% chance that even at V you'd still be slower.

Warp speed is already balanced to the degree that CCP wants it to.

If they added a skill that increased warp speed by 3-6-9-12 and 15% based on skill then all ships would have their warp speed reduced by the same amount to compensate.

It's like the "Advanced Spaceship Command" skill. It adds 5% agility per skill level. Except that all the ships it applies to requires you to have "Advanced Spaceship Command" at level 5. No ship requires level 4 or less.

So do you think CCP balanced those ships before or after taking the skill into consideration?

Not really. Warping consists three parts. (1) acceleration to the max warp speed, (2) travel at max warp speed (if the warp is long enough), (3) de-acceleration phase which is 3 times longrer than the acceleration phase. De-acceleration is capped at 9 AU/s (which translates into de-acceleration coefficient of "3" in the exponent).

For most warps the speed difference would be neglible, at best. At 20 au/s you already hit the max warp speed almost instantly and de-acceleration speed is capped no number where you are.

Similarly "too fast" interceptors. It is already trivial to push an interceptor or cov ops to warp at speed that is above 9 au/s. Which is the defining number here determining on how fast you land on target on warps shorter than ~30 au.

The main effect here would be the larger ships. That up to ~15% is not so ground breaking to be a must have skill, but it would be, in my opinion, significant enough to justify its existence.

It's easy to chek in SiSi yourself. Go plug in the 12 or 15% warp speed hardwire and see how the speed of your ship changes. You will probably not notice the result in interceptors, but if you do a 120 au warp in battleship the effect will be quite noticeable if you keep track of time.

Another essential LVL 5 skill? Eh...

It's not really essential at "Level 5". Although I'd imagine most people flying anything larger than frigates would do it to L4 and then decide after that depending on what rank it is. If it's say, Rank 5 or above I would see only people who fly capitals and a lot of BS doing it to 5.

That percentage bonus would be far more significant for ships that are slow in warp because the warp speed effect is not linear, its exponential. So If you are under ~3 au/s warp speed any change to the warp speed will affect your time spent in warp tunnel more than above that speed. At 3 au/s your de-acceleration coefficent goes from below "1" exponent to above "1" exponent.

Especially in the light of the recent announcement about capital ships being able to take the gates I can see such skill be pretty popular. In addition to price +15% warp speed implant going up in price and well as low slot mods for increasing the warp speed. Archon slowcat travel fit would be probaly 4x warp speed increasing mods and the rest filled with inertia stabilizers and taking 1 to 2 shortcuts in specific locatiosn where that 5 ly range can save them significant enough number of jumps.

About the skill itself: You do not need to seed it on market. It might be an interesting option to use it as an opportunity to add something unique into some minor faction LP store. Say Interbus or SoC or Ammatar or Thukker. I would even go as far as to say sisters or Mordu might qualify as well but these LP stores are atm already quite healthy.