Player Features and Ideas Discussion

One of the major problems with links is force multipliers of links over large fleets. This is because, I believe, both command of fleets and boosts/links flow from the top down. A fleet commanded can have a fleet booster apply boosts to a max fleet, requiring one ship with links. Off-grid or on, I think we all can agree that seems rather absurd. Fleet command always flows in a hierarchal fashion, but there is no precedent for boosts to flow in the same manner. In fact, knowledge and talent in real-life is applied at the squad level and continues up through the ranks.

I propose flipping boosts around - they are a squad level decision. This assignment of fleet booster is done at the squad leader position. The wing or fleet commander can choose among the various squad bonuses in their subordinate squads to apply to themselves (pick a squad to act as the "wing commander booster", and get those bonuses).

In practice, this increases the necessary boosters in a squad to one, and in a full fleet to 25. It also removes the vast advantage given to large fleets through hierarchical top down force multipliers and instead offers a choice between increased DPS and better capabilities.

This could happen independently of any off-grid boosting change. These boosts would still be AoE, either at the system level as currently or at the grid level as some have proposed.

Edit: Two things to note: I'm not sure if mining boosts should even exist in the system. They certainly wouldn't be worthwhile with this sort of decrease in "force multiplier" (though they're starting to become their own special snowflakes since they can be run in POS shields unlike other links). i also realize that Incursions need to be looked at if this were to happen, since off-grid boosts are so essential to most fleets.

I would like 5-link fleet boosters to be untenable.

By the time you're at 25 link ships (or to put it more simply, 1 link ship per 10 people), you'll look for alternatives like on-grid battlecruisers with one or two links instead so you don't lose DPS.

Or, and I know this a novel idea, we could put links on grid, so that people would have the added tactical dynamic of being able to target each other's boosters.

I think on grid boosting would accomplish your goal. By moving the boosts on grid they would then be vulnerable to being destroyed. Smart FCs would then bring multiple boosters in case one gets taken out. You could have these multiple boosters in charge of wings and squads. When one of your wing boosters gets destroyed you would then promote one of your squad boosters up to the wing and one of those squad members up to the squad booster. You could also put all your eggs in one basket and just keep replacing the fleet booster.

With this tactic when a booster gets destroyed you would only loose partial links for the fleet, maybe just a squad or wing. It would slowly dwindle down the effectiveness of your force instead of loosing it all at once. I am sure there are other tactics that experienced FCs could come up with but I think we all agree that on grid boosting should be implemented.

As for the mining boosts. I think this would be a good thing as well, but it would have to come with a massive overhaul to the Rorq and the Orca would need a tweak. It would give us a reason to put those ships in the belt/anom but also not be completely helpless. The Orca could use a little bit of a combat buff for safer use in Lowsec. I would say maybe 10% per level to light and medium drone damage and HP. The Rorq would require a much larger rework and there are already dedicated threads for that. Basically you would use an Orca in High/Low and a Rorq in Low/Null.

Just my thoughts on the issue.
KL

Remove command processors while you are at it.

Death to the following things:

• Supers.


• Streamers.


• Links.


• Drones/Ishtar.


• If you ask CCP, missile boat viability/Caldari.


• The Launcher.


• The new UI.


• The old UI.


• Renters.

Did I forget anything?

Instead of having a Command Ship Providing Fleet Boosts using several Modules why not have a Command Ship with a single High Slot where a Fleet Bonus Module could be fit with Scripts for each type of Bonus added? When the Fleet needs a certain type of Boost the Command Ship Pilot would select the Boost (up to a total of four can be selected at a time, with a total of seven Links of any type being added to the Bastion Command Module) to provide the boosts to the fleet.

The modules would be the Warfare Links and Mining Foremen Links. Switching between Links would take five minutes each and could be reduced based on pilot skills and ship bonus.

This new type of Command Ship would have configuration sequences similar to the T3 Destroyers where each system selected would have its own deployment and retraction video sequence.

Cloaky AFKs
F1 monkeys
Null sec BLOBS
BLOPS
Instant lock camps
Bubbles
Nullifed interceptors
Nulllified T3s
T3 destroyers
T2 HACs
Multiboxer miners
Station games
High sec wars
Gankers
Nullsec ratters

Did I miss anything else?

You missed the one being killed all the time, EVE itself.