Player Features and Ideas Discussion

The Gallente destroyer is supposed to be a power projection drone boat.
It would seem in order to fill this role it would need a longer lock range than the other destroyers.
Because of the slower drones than missiles it takes longer to project that power out to max range.
Hence longer targeting range needed to project that power.
Then maybe drone speed and damage and hit point bonuses.
Maybe even a 5%/ level ship bonus to drones sig size, so the drones get harder to hit as well.
It is not a lot but it would make them stand out from other drone boats not gallente that also have drone bonuses.

What ever is done to it, it does need something to set it apart from the Amarr destroyer as that is more of a drone boat than the gallente destroyer is.

It's time to stop hobbling Gallente ships with structure tanking.

SERIOUSLY.

These sound awesome. I love how unique they each are.

That's something I really appreciate about your new balancing. It's make so many more ships viable giving many more choices.

I'm especially excited for that Amarr ship because it's pretty much exactly what I would have asked for.

It's tight like the old destroyers. Since they're so fragile with delayed DPS I'd want to sit back and shoot while someone else had point. If you want gank and range:

High:
Arbalest Launchers x 8
Mid:
Limited MWD
Tracking Computer II
SB II
Low:
BCU II x 2
Rigs:
Ancillary Current Router x 2
Warhead Calefaction Rig

If you want T2 launchers is a massive pain in the ass. You need all the rigs as Ancillary current rigs and you would have to pick up just about everything else as meta versions or accept only one BCU. And this is assuming of course that the TC give a worthwhile range bonus come winter.

After reading all of this thread this is my feedback:

AMARR DESTROYER:

The Amarr destroyer is poor because the range bonus on the neuts just doesn't cut it. 12km is not enough projection for a destroyer and if it was to get a 40% per level bonus it would relegate the Sentinel. There fore I think the ship should be refocused into damage projection and resilience which are great Amarr traits.The drone bay also overshadows the Gallente destroyer by not only having the same bandwidth but also more drones. As suggested for the Gallente destroyer, I think a rethink of the drone bay and bandwidth is required so that it retains its dronebay advantage but has less bandwidth. I also think the idea of medium drones with a tracking bonus instead of damage should be explored.

Ship bonuses:
+10% to drone tracking and hitpoint per level
+10% bonus to armour hitpoints or 5% armour resists per level
Role bonus:
+50% bonus to laser optimal range
Slot layout: 4 H, 3 M, 5 L, 4 turrets
Fittings: 55 PWG, 150 CPU
Defense (shields / armor / hull) : 750 / 950 / 850
Capacitor (amount / recharge rate / average cap per second): 600 / 370s / 1.62s
Mobility (max velocity / agility / mass / align time): 235 / 2.75 / 1700000 / 4.71s
Drones (bandwidth / bay): 40 / 100
Targeting (max targeting range / Scan Resolution / Max Locked targets): 39km / 525 / 6
Sensor strength: 10 radar
Signature radius: 66
Cargo capacity: 300


CALDARI DESTROYER:

The Caldari destroyer is simply overpoweredit deals far too much DPS and alpha strike damage even though it is delayed damage. The kinetic damage is also a bad choice. We have seen how this bonus is bad for hulls already and are changing it to a RoF bonus on the Caracal and I suspect the Drake will be getting it too. So, I suggest pushing two of the high slots into a low and a mid and swapping the 5% kinetic damage bonus for a 5% RoF bonus so as to reduce the alpha damage but retain some good sustained DPS

Ship bonuses:
+5% to rocket and light missile launcher rate of fire per level
+10% to rocket and light missile explosion velocity per level
Role bonus:
+50% to rocket and light missile velocity
Slot layout: 6 H, 4 M, 3 L, 6 launchers
Fittings: 45 PWG, 210 CPU
Defense (shields / armor / hull) : 950 / 750 / 750
Capacitor (amount / recharge rate / average cap per second): 500 / 320s / 1.56s
Mobility (max velocity / agility / mass / align time): 250 / 2.5 / 1900000 / 4.89s
Drones (bandwidth / bay): 0 / 0
Targeting (max targeting range / Scan Resolution / Max Locked targets): 45km / 475 / 7
Sensor strength: 12 gravimetric
Signature radius: 69
Cargo capacity: 450


GALLENTE DESTROYER:

The suggested Gallente destroyer is fairly lame. This is because it's more like a Catalyst with drones that doesn't have as much DPS than a different destroyer. The two utility high slots are also wasted and would serve better as a low and a mid. Pushing the bandwidth up and drone bay up so the ship can use medium drones with a tracking bonus instead of a damage bonus is a good option and I feel should be explored as it opens up the option of using two sentry drones. A bonus to fitting requirements for drone upgrades is also something that could be explored as fitting drone upgrades to small ships is insanely difficult and would allow pilots to choose better tracking/range or drone speed.

Ship bonuses:
+10% to drone tracking and HP per level
+10% bonus to hybrid optimal range per level
Role bonus:
-33% to drone upgrade CPU requirements
Slot layout: 4 H, 4 M, 4 L, 4 turrets
Fittings: 55 PWG, 150 CPU
Defense (shields / armor / hull) : 800 / 850 / 950
Capacitor (amount / recharge rate / average cap per second): 550 / 350s / 1.57s
Mobility (max velocity / agility / mass / align time): 240 / 2.45 / 1800000 / 4.46s
Drones (bandwidth / bay): 50 / 75
Targeting (max targeting range / Scan Resolution / Max Locked targets): 42km / 500 / 7
Sensor strength: 11 magnetometric
Signature radius: 72
Cargo capacity: 350


MINMATAR DESTROYER:

The Minmatar destroyer is probably the best of the bunch balance and design wise. My only change would be to drop a high slot into a low slot and switch the damage bonus for a RoF bonus to compensate.

Ship bonuses:
+5% to rocket and light missile launcher RoF per level
15% reduction in MicroWarpdrive signature radius penalty per level
Role bonus:
+50% to rocket and light missile velocity
Slot layout: 6 H, 3 M, 4 L, 6 launchers
Fittings: 48 PWG, 200 CPU
Defense (shields / armor / hull) : 850 / 800 / 800
Capacitor (amount / recharge rate / average cap per second): 450 / 290s / 1.55s
Mobility (max velocity / agility / mass / align time): 255 / 2.89 / 1600000 / 4.64s
Drones (bandwidth / bay): 0 / 0
Targeting (max targeting range / Scan Resolution / Max Locked targets): 36km / 550 / 6
Sensor strength: 9 ladar
Signature radius: 60
Cargo capacity: 400


In summary.
All the ships would have different slot layouts to each other.
The drone ships differ to each other in drone bandwidth and drone bay.
The missile ships no longer alpha too much and have more options in fittings.
The ships roles are more of a "Fleet Frigate Screening" role which is more defensive than their turret counterparts due to delayed damage.

Any feedback from the community on these suggestions?

You're joking right?

The Amarr and Gallente destroyers seem somewhat misplaced to me, the Gallente one is sorely lacking in DPS for a ship with all it's bonuses towards damage., and having the highest signature radius and drones for DPS, it's going to be popped before it can apply any DPS in most situations, it's slow and can't hold it's own in duals against the other destroyers. The Amarr one looks interesting but I don't really understand the purpose of it, the neut bonuses force it to come in close where it will lose to all the other destroyers. A coercer (probably the most vulnerable destroyer to energy neutralisation) will pop it before it can cap it out, other cruisers are likely to pop it and it doesn't have the defence needed to survive while capping something else out since a flight of light drones are going to be get rid of it. The new Minmatar destroyer looks the most balanced and well refined although the signature radius bonus seems a little tacked on. Caldari destroyer is hilariously OP, it will out-right one-shot any non-brawling frigate, with near perfect damage application, it's like an Artillery thrasher with perfect tracking and 50km+ range.

My suggestion
Gallente
5% to hybrid damage replaced with 10% to Drone Tracking per level. (ala Tristan)
+1 Turret. (This makes up for the damage bonus)
25m3 drone bay/bandwidth -> 50m3 drone bandwidth/bay.

This adds a few more interesting options to the Gallente Destroyer. the ability to field a flight of medium drones with the tracking bonus means it can use them against other destroyers/frigates more effectively, at the cost of practical damage application because of the slower speed of medium drones, and puts it at more risk against frigates which can out-run them or destroy the drones far away from it, this also brings the damage up more in line with the other destroyers when brawling.

It also adds an interesting option of using Sentry Drones as well. 2x Sentry Drones with drone tracking while using rails at range seems like it would be interesting.

I'm trying to work out a Tanky/staying build for the gallente one, but i'm not feeling it lol

I can see use for it messing about in lowsec and scan plexes, But insta death in null keeps playing out in my head, At least the catalyst might get to do 4/500dps with a good warpin... before a death of glorious fire.
( Instant catalyst Rail damage with align out options? ~ or waiting for drones to return ?lol? )

The big plus about it seems to be the ability to have a point & web. But it's.. designed for range :s
Small gang ew ganking? Like an old school frig gang with one ew mod each & point or web lol

Yep drones/ drone AI/interface needs lots of attention aswell as more drone bonuses on ships and less guns it would also help if we had more drone upgrades in the highs and more cpu to use them or reduce cpu on those drone mods