EVE General Discussion

Indeed

Click page 17, read what the ISD said.

I didn't read the thread, is there anything interesting apart from the OP's delusional hopes that a broken mechanic working in his favor won't eventually be fixed?

CCP has the same problem your post has, nothing useful.

Better than hiding behind an alt.

For all I know your main could fly hulks all day.

I'd make a couple of changes:
- Remove all gang link strength bonuses from all ships.
- Nerf the **** out of command links. 50% bonuses are ******* outrageous in a game where people train 2 months for a 2% advantage over their enemy.
- Remove command processors. This means only dedicated command ships can fit more than one link.
- Dramatically lower the fitting on links and allow any ship to fit gang links. This gives people an extra choice about what to fit in a high slot - guns, neuts, link, etc.
- Links are modified to apply to everyone in fleet and on grid. Only the highest bonus per link type (interdiction maneuvers, shield harmonization, etc) applies.
- Increase the DPS, speed, and agility of all fleet commands.
- Add Command Destroyers (5 guns/3 links) which are geared primarily towards frigate gangs.

For bonus points:
- Buff certain modules (tackle and tank modules comes to mind) to compensate for nerfing links so hard.
- Increase fittings on the ASB and decrease it's reload time. Intended to prevent multiple ASB monsters.
- Increase the overheat bonus on regular active reps

-Liang

Ed: The implication for small gang vs large gang is that most links aren't that important to the small gang. And the ones that are, they will make SURE they fit. This is notably kiting based links. But on the whole they're just not disadvantaged here - not that it should make that big of a deal given how hard I'd nerf links.

The fix to offgrid boosters, is to stop them working off grid. This by itself fixes all outstanding issues, under present mechanics.

- There is nothing to suggest T3 boosters are notionally dead if they can't be offgrid. Yes, you might actually have to train something to fit an effective tank to it. T3's can fit one link (maybe two), a tank and some useful ongrid facility (e.g. single or twin-linked skirmish loki) and I'm sure like other minmatar ships the loki can be fit to kite, if you really insist; choose your compromise. This one T3 link ongrid is also more powerful than a fleet command ship, so you can heavily emphasise that link's bonus if you as an FC want to, for specific squads depending what you have and what you need, with attendant risks now that you actually have it there. Choices (and piloting) become a little more distinctive than "everything, please", which only increases the diversity possible and practical. This can not be bad, for anyone.

- While indeed, often command ships are used even presently as FC boats, they're "allowed to" be ongrid mainly because it's a tough sell to make someone take their main and sit out a fight. CFC FC's have apologised to their boosters when telling them to get to a damned safe pos. This is absurd, and it's absurd that it's the only sensible choice, when it's available to make.

I shouldn't have to write any more, but noone else really stopped so let's continue with why this kind of non-participating participant removes things from the game, rather than adds to it.

Yes, ships on grid can be killed. How truly awful that must be. In fleet fights indeed your functional high value super tanked targets are going to get shot at. Maybe they get saved by logistics. Maybe they soak up 5/15/50 ships' worth of incoming damage before (if) they die. The availability of or necessity of killing this type of target, and recognising if it's not working is tactics and part of the equation that decides beweeen "killboards green" and "deleting losses from killboard to appear green". And there's an element of piloting skill involved in being on grid and staying alive too. Whether you like them or not, even in large fights there's more than align and anchor, something I'd point out is already more than some CFC claymores can manage.

And if in a large fight a T3/CS is "always" going to die to alpha, maybe all those battlecruiser link bonuses can actually get used instead, rather than ignored completely. Use some flexibility and adapt. In this case, boosters become lost in the crowd, perhaps? Or diversify to using squad boosters with specific boosts. There's plenty of underused tools this change would return to viability, and I truly can't think of any good reason for people to not want to put their cards on the table.

It's just to maintain a present advantage that's neither skill, not skillpoint based. When, on occasion I've put two alts on grid and screwed up massively, because for one reason or other the attention requirement goes over the line I can manage. That's my loss, and my risk. There's no reason whatsoever this shouldn't apply to every ship that participates.

Finally
- I'd apply an offgrid test to mining bonus, too. But given that it's back in vogue to coddle them I'd have to say ultimately, I don't care. I'm sure some people do.
- I don't care if an effective booster is inside a pos shield, so long as the fight is on the pos grid.

CCP is a business, and as such won't ban "macroers" and "bots", as they're all paid for accounts.

I heard that a lot from the tinfoil brigade, who harped on about how CCP prefered subs over everything else.

Well in fairness, your TEST, it wouldn't help you guys anyway... :)...

I'm still laughing that Nulli forced you guys to self D 3 SC's.... sorry but boosting off grid is least of your issues :D

(I'm just messing with you)

I really dont see an issue with this boost problem, if in fact there is one. Surly you dont want the fleet boost to be front an center in the blob...His life expectancy would be less than a Cyno in middle of delve.