Player Features and Ideas Discussion

This suggestion solves the following problems with gang links:

- brings links on grid without the need to code new mechanics
- nerfs links without making them obsolete, putting all the precious SP in leadership into better use than now
- makes boosting and active and interesting gameplay role in a fleet, instead of being a job for alts
- makes ongrid links more viable for small gangs, promoting upengaging

Links as Projected Assistance Modules

Instead of fire-and-forget system-wide boosts, gang links are turned into normal modules, used just like remote repair, remote sebo and remote ECCM.

The main reasons are the need to kill OGBs and kill boring alt-gameplay. Currently players are excited to fly into combat as fighters, recons, logistics and scouts, but show a single person that wants to be an off-grid booster :D This suggestion would turn a gang booster into a logistics-type (but more complex), very active and vital role in a small gang, and good boosting could mean the difference between winning and losing.

- link fitting requirements are reduced so you can fit a full high rack of links on a CS
- their base stats are bit lower, but can be overheated to be higher
- only one module of a kind can be activated on one ship (so no triple Passive Defense IIs, but as many different links as you can)
- command processor requirement is removed

Range is something that requires careful consideration. I feel it should probably be less than logi and certainly less than EWAR range to enforce tactical decisions instead of just working your boost magic from 100km.

In addition to these targeted high-slot modules, there would ECM-burst style small (<10km?) AOE midslot boosting modules, with similar charge mechanics as ASBs. These would create a short-lived sphere of linky love around the boosting ship. These would be harder to fit and give lesser boosts.

Command ships would need to be adjusted to be able to keep up with their boosted mates, and this would mean removing all their offensive bonuses to keep things in balance.

This obviously favours small gangs, but nothing prevents large fleets to bring a wing of space bards. And it's easy to see that focusing boosting on kingpin ships (logi, tackle) and wings would still yield good results in large fleets.

I like this idea because it brings more complexity into battlefield, more tactical stuff to consider and a new, interesting fleet role using existing base mechanics.


Ẃhat do you think?

I did mention that CSes would need to be adjusted to keep up with their gang. This would mean making speed/shield boosting ships much faster, and armor boosting ships much tankier. Slot layout changes would obviously be needed as well. So my idea does not work out of the box just applied to current CSes as they are.

Not single person assist, but handful-person assist. This created the need for tactical decision-making, which ships are you going to boost when you can't boost them all? I think this is more interesting and player-skill elevating than passive, system-wide boosts.

As what comes to the necessity of remaining in contact with your fleet, aren't Scimis and Basis viable logis for mobile fleets? In order to benefit tanking of shield fleet, a Vulture would need to be able to boost their logi ships. Anyway, mobile CSes would need to be more mobile than now.

Are you sure? What about having a Damnation pilot just boosting your Guardians with armor and info links, and an Eos (iknowrite, lol) boosting your recons?

What you would loose in a large fleet is eg. the fleetwide HP boosts

But yes, this change would benefit small gangs much more than large fleets, and I see this as very positive thing.

best way to ask ccp to kill the game and the company.gg

I believe changing grids to being on grid would help out drastically. While providing sub-level command ships (frigate, destroyers and cruiser variants). This would encourage people to use gang links for multiple engagement scenario's while not putting forward the loss of a battle cruiser for a small gang frigate roam.

That being said, I would definitely like to see more modules that are similar to that of tracking links, remote sensor boosters, etc. Something that can be projected onto another ship in order to buff it.

Just wanted to repeat that this is indeed the best solution to the gang link issue

This hurts so much more than it helps

Where do I begin? The separation of field and fleet command ships is based (to an extent) on the ship participating in the fight (field command) and being at a safer spot (fleet command). Making it require someone to be on grid and having the bonus be projected nerfs fleet command ships along with large scale fleets where bonuses are more common and really matter.

People would still use alts to add more dps on the field while boosting but having it be projected nerfs it for large fleets because if only one ship at a time receives bonuses no one will ise command ships anymore

But them becoming more logi like doesn't make it a good thing, and the fact that the main bonus for fleet command ships is being able to use 3 links at once which would put too big of a gap between two ships under the same classification