Player Features and Ideas Discussion

I don't want the rorq to be 'forced' to live in the belt, however making the boosts attractive to PUTTING it in the belt is much better.

There was already a very long thread about the Rorq called "I missed the Fanfest Stream" that was monitored by the CSM and CCP. Ultimately the thread resulted in the Rorqual update planned for a few months back to be cancelled.

There were already ideas there similar to the OP's. The consensus was that pretty much any simple benefit to offense or defense would not be enough to convince anyone to siege it in a belt. Post-Phoebe, however, with a lower risk of dreadnought hot-drop, a simple combat buff to the Rorq could be considered, although I am still skeptical.

Another major idea was to basically change the Rorqual from being a booster ship to a miner - basically making it like a super incredible hulk. A lot of people liked it, but I don't think it was seriously considered by CCP.

An idea, brought up by me, was adding some form of invulnerability. Apparently over a year ago, there was serious consideration given to giving the Rorqual a POS shield, but this was cancelled for technical reasons. When I put up my idea, most of the reaction to it on the thread was negative from the other posters and considered game breaking. However, I remember reading an announcement somewhere in which some Dev said that they were shelving the Rorqual update and potentially considering some sort of invulnerability that would allow the ship to be fought over. Keep in mind that while I proposed a specific idea of invulnerability, my major point did not involve details. There have been several different concepts about whether the Rorq could be reinforced, whether it would be able to exfiltrate conveniently, and exactly what the Rorq would be able to do while invulnerable, and what effects of the invulnerability on ships with the Rorqual would be (could the hulks just hide in the shield, could the Rorq and the hulks use drones in the shield, etc.)

So basically, OP, you're a latecomer. Ideas like yours have been presented and pretty much been picked apart by the players. I don't know if they know what they're going to do with the Rorqual. However, it is still being thought about, and it has changed from a simple matter of tweaking some numbers and buffing some stats to a major revision of how the ship will work.

Thanks for posting, as we need to remind CCP to keep on the Rorqual, but this thread is just going to be a repeat.

EDIT: There is currently no restriction on sieging in a belt. I used to rent so deep in null that NOBODY was around. I have sieged in a belt before.

Well, I thought about that too, and was considering writing a post about making the originally proposed modifications to the Rorqual and seeing if it causes people to move it into belts. The last several balance passes (HACs, etc.) were very minor and Fozzie said, 'we are just making minor tweaks and seeing if they have an effect and might make further changes if needed' kind of thing. I was going to suggest that they do this with the Rorq. Just make some changes and fixes and seeing if people take them into belts.

The problem with your idea is that it FORCES Rorqs into belts. If you're going to force a Rorq into a belt, it better have a prayer, or you'll just kill the ship.

And the Rorqual does get used. It just gets used from POSes. The Rorqual was SUPER utilitarian before they nerfed the jump range to 5 LY. It was my most used ship, for mining and hauling, when I was out in deep null. I would like to see some useless bonuses (the scanner) be changed into something useful and I would like to see its combat capabilities increased. But if I am FORCED to take it into a belt it will need a complete rework.