Ships & Modules

http://eve-kill.net/?a=top20

Heavy Missile Launcher II is by far the most used single weapon in EVE, with more kills than the next 5 weapons all together. Out of the top 20, the four missile weapons account for 38.69% of kills. So yeah, while your statement is true, all other weapons systems have over 60% of the top 20 kills, but if missiles weren't so OP, they would represent a far smaller share of the total kills. Just based on the amount of ship hulls with missile weapon bonuses, compared to turret hulls.

You can't avoid taking full missile damage from a Heavy Missiles in a BC with MWD. If you don't use MWD, you take full damage because you are so slow, and if you use MWD, your sig bloom negates the speed. But you can easily avoid taking full damage from turrets by controlling range, transversal and using TDs. And yes, you can mount TDs on missile boats, too.

Doesn't sound very well balanced to me, basically all you need to do in a missile ship is spam F1 and keep inside your range, range which is much longer than most turrets with equal dps. On top of that you even have selectable damage types.

On a side note, there are two (2!) Gallente blaster ships now in the Top 20! 5 Hybrid Weapons!

Never trust a statistics which you haven't faked yourself. Lets take a look at the Minmatar Killboard for August 2012:

http://minmatar.eve-kill.net/?a=alliance_detail&all_id=1285&m=8&y=2012&view=ships_weapons

So what do we find? 280mm Howitzer Artillery II is the top killer number one by far!
Caldari Navy Scourge Heavy Missile is at place 11.

What do we learn from this: Your link is bullshit. It doesn't say anything. Heavy Missile Launchers are popular because Drakes and Tengus are so popular. Does it say anything about how good or bad missiles are performing? No. In fact if you need 20 people to pop one target with missiles (because of low dps) and you need only one Scorch Pulse Laser guys to do the same you statistics would even say the opposite: Missiles would be counted 20 times while Laser only 1. From this follows: Missiles are so weak that you need much more of them to get any target killed.

280 arty?


Are you trying to imply that we should start blobbing arty jaguars?

That is a frigate weapon killer.

This is how I see it, the only advantage missiles have is range. The whole hitting every time point is completely moot because applying that damage is a challenge. How many times do you see a drake appying full damage to a small target? You don't. HMLS are good in numbers, but not great.

If they want to apply TD to missiles they have to add mods for explosion velocity and signature, otherwise missiles will become completely useless because they will easily be countered.

I think it's more along the lines of Drakes are cheap, they have huge tanks, and work great in blobs hence why they are used so much, plus they are very noob friendly. Great ships, mediocre weapon system

Nope.

Huh!?

If the target has no angular velocity, a turret ship will blow it to smithereens regardless of the targets signature size, even at short ranges. With missiles, if your targets signature size is too small, it can practically sit still and still only take a fraction of the missiles paper DPS. Try shooting a frigate with torpedoes.

Only it is not comparable. Example?

3-BCU HM Drake
- with Navy Scourge: 414 DPS
- with T2 Scourge: 462 DPS (+ 48 DPS)

3-HS Beam Harb
- with Aurora: 305 DPS
- with Navy MF: 526 (+ 221 DPS)
- with Gleam 534 DPS (+ 229 DPS + better tracking)

So the Drake does average DPS over it's whole missile range. T2 missiles add whopping 48 DPS (with an additional penalty against smaller targets + sig bloom). So T2 missiles are even more spezialized for their intended target size.

The Harb does less damage at range. On paper. Try to hit a frig at 50km with HMs and not much will happen. You need spezialized missile ships for that job. A Harb can 2-3 volley said frig.

But true, against bigger targets the Drake has an advantage here. Until something comes close. The Harb can switch to short range ammo. Suddenly the same Harb deals almost twice the damage. With recently boosted T2 short range ammo even with better tracking. T2 damage missiles don't have this advantage, unfortunately. But also true: once something comes really close (or the Harb gets TDed), missiles are better again.

All I want to say: it's all fine how it is. Missiles are relieable but average in terms of damage. Also bad as soon as a target doesn't fit to the missile size. Turrets are far more flexible but vulnerable to ewar. Sounds fair to me.

Could we do the comparison again with ABing armor tanked targets? Or just use Arty as an example for turrets

I never said turrets are superior. I said it's ok how it is (well...the ship penalty of t2 missiles should be removed, as it was done with turrets recently). Missiles and turrets both have their advantages and disadvantages. It depends on the situation what is better. My point is: missiles affected by TDs would make missiles just bad. And TDs OP.

TDs are OP? Try to win 1v1 against Drake in Curse. I already know who wins.