Player Features and Ideas Discussion

Ok, i do realize that changes need to be made to missiles expecially those having to do with the tengu and the drake.

However, I feel y'all are making nerfs/changes without actually stepping back and looking at things.


So, with your projected changes to heavy missiles you're essentially attempting to nerf drakes and tengus, but you're also aware of possible discrepencies with other hml fittable ships.

Now, there will be issues with this.


However, I think the existing issues with missiles is going unnoticed by CCP.

For instance,

When you're using t2 unguided missiles you're choosing between javelin and rage.

Javelin is designed to give you better range and effectiveness at the loss of damage.

Rage is designed to give you better damage at the loss of range and effectiveness.

This system works great.

All t2 ammo/crystals for turrets do this same thing.


HOWEVER,

For some reason CCP has seemed to have forgotten this recipe when it came to guided missiles.

As they are

Fury is designed to give you greater range and damage at reduced effectiveness

Precision is designed to give you greater effectiveness at the loss of range and damage.


Now, I ask, why the hell did they go against all their designs when they created these?
Every other weapon system in game is built with a different goal, but why are these so different?

Perhaps this is what needs to be changed about missiles in order to nerf the drake and tengu.

Example
Using a drake with all skills level 5, you get.(NO OTHER MODULES)

HAMS
Rage - 349 kin dps @ 18km
Javelin - 246 kin dps @ 30km

HML
Fury - 224 kin dps @ 75km
Precision - 189 kin dps @ 42km

Now, I feel for a BC class ship these ranges are just fine. However, it's the lack of a cohesive design goal that became the flaw here.

So, if you flipped the design of guided missiles to match that of all other weapon systems, then you'd get on a drake

Rage - 349 @ 18
Javelin - 246 @ 30km
Fury - 224 @ 42km
Precision 189 @ 75km

This falls much more in line with out turrets work.
short range turrets give you more dps at shorter range, and t2 damage ammo give you shorter range with more dps, while t2 range ammo gives you better range with less dps.


This means the drake would still be able to reach out to 75km, but would be doing so with 189 dps instead of 224 dps.

Honestly, I feel that this is a good change for all guided missiles.

Even running missions this means that cruise missiles and heavy missiles will be able to take frigs/cruisers out at range instead of up close.

This is a nerf to tengu and drake dps at range, while still giving them effective range that you see from other ships of their class.

Seriously CCP, consider this before you go making all these changes/nerfs.

Edit..

Forgot to mention that the reload time and ammo volume of hams and hmls actually reduces the dps a bit.

Another edit.

Wanted to throw in some numbers on a Hurricane for comparison.
(all skill lvl 5)

425mm AC II
Hail - 417 dps @ 1.5+9
Barrage - 298 dps @ 3+18

720mm Howitzer Artillery II
Quake - 294 dps @ 7.5+22
Tremor - 168 dps @ 54+22

Now, compared to the drake this is
68 more dps @ 7.5 km less comparing hail to rage
52 more dps @ 9 km less comparing Barrage to Javelin
70 more dps @ 12.5km less comparing Quake to my sugested fury
21 less dps @ 2km more when comparing Tremor to my suggested javelin

I actually feel this is a good balance.
To be honest, this isn't a Hurricane fitted for more dps with launchers on there, which could significantly overpower the drake in dps. By example if I fitted hams with ACs' and hmls with artys', then I'd get
(also swapping comperative ammos as well

Hail+Rage 497 dps
Barrage+Javelin 354 dps
Quake+fury 358 dps
Tremor+Precision 211

So, with my suggested changes to guided missiles, not only would the drake and hurricane be on par when the Hurricane only fitted turrets, but the hurricane would actually surpass the drake in dps if it added in missile launchers.


Now, when you compare that even if the Hurricane doesn't use missile launchers, but instead has two utility highs for neuts or whatever else, than perhaps this could make up for the difference in tanking capability.

However, even if you felt that it didn't a simple nerf to the drake tank in exchange for equal damage with all missile damage types would probably greatly balance the system.

AND ALL CCP WILL HAVE TO DO IS CHANGE GUIDED MISSILES TO BE BALANCED LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE!!!!

Note also flight time of missiles.

So the range difference is 3-5 kms less than difference than what I've noted in the drake to hurricane comparison

+1

Great idea! Do this CCP.

I did, but it's sooo damn long that CCP stopped reading it