Player Features and Ideas Discussion

I had a recent thought regarding off grid boosting and how it functions. Now instead of coming up with ideas on how to fix the technology of it, I would like to propose a different option.

Leave it.

Leave off grid boosting exactly how it is and how it works.

Permit battle cruisers (t1 and command ships) to negate it.

We have the basis for bubbles. Why not expand it.

Permit battlecruisers tousle that utility slot of theirs to project a anti grid sphere. Make it big (like 100 km wide) negates all boosting effects that aren't within that sphere of influence. Similar to how HIC's can shutdown warp drives.

If you want to be creative, allow every booster module to be able to script itself. Sphere negation script. Everything that is inside the sphere loses any off grid effects. At the same time, the booster ongrid will provide its boosts to the fleet.

So instead of nerfing offgrid boosts, give the players the ability to negate the effects through a fleet comp.

Spitballing an idea while watching the final four.

Thoughts?

Server load.

Now you have to check range from every single ship in every fleet on field to every single T1 battlecruiser on field, every second.

that can be tested. I wouldn't discount it based on load. We took maybe 70 HIC's into null last week with some comical effects when we all turned on the bubbles.

I don't see that as a specific issue.

HIC's and other bubbles are not an issue, because the check to see if you are in a bubble only occurs when you actually try and warp.

Very different from a proposed system where distance checks have to be performed every second for ever ship.

There are already effective counters to off grid boosting, such as the following.

Put pressure onto the opposing gang to use their links and use combat probes to find and kill the offending ogb.

Use your own links.

Don't engage.

Stop being bad.

perhaps this could be a deploy-able item instead?

+1
I think this is a very creative idea, but rather than making it a bubble, simply make it a grid effect. All ships within the same grid as the battlecuriser equiped with such an active mod would not be able to receive off-grid links, but would still receive on-grid links.

Sending out combat probers to catch combat boosters isn't a solution. Considering good chunks of them can simply sit on a undock or hugging a shield.

Counters to a bad system isn't to bring the same thing. Any strategy is lost. There should be a way to either bring the booster on grid or negate their boosting effects of combatant within the same grid of your booster (you risk it, if they don't like it, they can either go risk their booster by bringing it ongrid or go without it).

Pretty pointless to play of the answer to every situation is (bring this max ship for the fleet or just don't bother coming at all). The reverse should apply.

And none of this implies being good or bad, it's a flawed mechanic that can't be countered by the player base.

this wont be abused

Bringing links on grid only ensures larger gangs safety, most off grid boosts are for people who can seemingly 'solo' entire fleets of people who then complain on the forum about how off grid links are broken, the problem is they are too lazy to learn how to counter effectively.

Seperating players from their links by either putting combat probes out (they can either remain cloaked or take the risk), leaving system for a 'pull', camping the undock/gate or using your own links are all viable tactics, these are things small gang and solo players understand and dullsov blobbers don't, so yes, if people can not see the logical and even obvious answers they make themselves look bad.