EVE Information Portal

and to add insult to injury, now do the same thing to pulses

Well, we'll find out for certain, after play testing on Sisi, and live on Tranquility.

I think it is a step forward and the extra CPU, PG, and cap makes for some new ways to fit the Gallente ships, in particular. It might not be quite enough, but I'd prefer to see another buff in the future, rather than a nerf.

Hopefully, what we are all really seeing here is just the first of many, and more frequent, ongoing, rebalancing changes to the game.

It seems to me you're making the same mistakes you've been making for years. Trying to force each racial weapon type in to a comparative clone of each other is only going to lead to a state of constant balancing and re-balancing. Rather than doing this you should be thinking about creating specific roles within Eve that specific weapon types (and by extension, specific racial ships) excel at. The two Hybrid weapons themselves are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Let's take Blasters as an example and let's assume Blasters are brought in-line with the fitting requirements and range of Autocannons. Why would I use a Blaster right now when Autocannons do sufficient enough damage to kill a target yet allow me to dictate speed just as easily, if not better, with a Minmatar ship rather than a Gallente, without having to worry about using Cap? If I was a comparatively new player who'd just spent the last year and a half training up Minmatar skills, where is the incentive for me to cross train?

The question here isn't "how do I make Blasters more comparable to Autocannons?", the question should be "how can I give people a reason to use Blasters in some situations where they are better than Autocannons and Pulse Lasers?". The same question applies to Rails vs. Artillery/Beam Lasers. Variety is the spice of life but it's also the key to balancing these weapons rather than the paper, scissors, rock approach that's been taken for years and simply results in over compensation in one weapon type resulting in a preference being given at the expense of the others. There needs to be more variation in PvP, more reason to use different combat types to suit different situations where different weapon systems and racial ships are superior within those situations.

Interesting stuff.


Hope to see it work.


Quick reminder, don't forget to change all the "Descriptions" for the T2 Ammo highlighting any relevant penalties.

All these one-line posters going 'Woo!! Thanks CCP! This is awesome!' are going to feel pretty let down when they realise these tweaks basically change nothing.

CCP, this is really disappointing. When the Chaos stats were leaked, you told us that they were WIP and may change. Now, it turns out that they were exactly what you were going to implement (apart from correcting your agility nerf to a buff).

Blaster boats will still be outclassed by every other short-range weapon system. They will still be kited by every other type of ship, with their superior versatility of range. If, by some miracle, a blaster platform gets its target into optimal range, its damage output will still not be enough to make up for all the damage being applied by the opponent while it was getting into range.

Right now, blasters are an all-or-nothing weapon, but their 'all' is really quite pitiful compared to the downsides. So the way to fix them is either to a: give them a truly massive increase in damage output at short range, as a trade-off for all the times they'll be outranged, or b: broaden the envelope where they can be partially effective, while still maintaining their slight advantage up-close.

If you're determined that blasters should remain a very short range weapon, then they really have to do a truckload of damage at that range to make up for all the time getting into range, taking damage while doing none. In other words, blasters should do something like twice the damage of ACs if they get in range. Letting a blaster platform get into optimal range before it's at least half-dead already, should mean almost certain death.

If you don't want to give blasters that kind of insane damage, then you have to give them better range. They shouldn't be iwin buttons at longer ranges, but they desperately need more versatility. No other weapon system has such a small envelope in which to operate, and such a steep decline in effectiveness outside of that sweet spot. So fix it with a rebalancing of ammo types to give blasters viable options at ranges beyond Null.

As for rails, you've designed a weapon system that only gains superiority in ranges where the new scanning mechanics make fighting completely impossible. Just give them another 10% damage boost on top of the one you've given them already, and they might become useful.

It would be nice if CCP posted at all in this thread to reassure all those concerned about this supposed 'rebalancing' that the feedback is actually being taken on board, and being acted on.

This, pretty much. Just highlighting too what you said in #2, why many *think* that projectiles are.. Projectiles operate in falloff, which many don't understand how it works. Extend the falloff and you improve the projectiles alot, decrease the falloff and they're worse. The TE buff was what made projectiles so popular, as you point out. Projectiles in themselves was neither considered good nor bad pre-TE buff.

In my view the major issue is really that Gallente struggles to get in range. At the same time you want the speed and agility on Minmatar, it's their racial role. Same time Minmatar has the web ewar, which would be better suited on Gallente.. and we have the armor rigs with their high calibration and speed nerfing effects. It just all adds up. Gallente works - if they get in range. Which they do, in high- and lowsec (it's probably why I don't think it's an issue with blasters, just rails).

Some dude suggested Gallente should have like a short burst-speedboost somehow, I thought it sounded interesting. Give them a kick, not overall speed over time, just a kick. Might be what's lacking. And fix the damn rigs already. Whole rig layout could use a look at.

What on earth are you talking about
Short range being a niche? clearly you don't do much pvp,
That's a disadvantage, means a => bad thing
And it was ment to come as a downside of using blasters
compared to upsides of blasters.

General idea behind it was Blasters = very short range, but incredible dps.
However at this point blasters = very short range, incredible (however not applicable) dps

Could not have said this better. They either need to be faster or the most durable hulls.

And a counter-counter-counter point

1) You are right in that unless you have the bandwidth (which you do on specific bonused ships) you will use combat drones but then you are back at the beginning. The DPS of the drones is offset to the fact that you are out of range to bring your blasters to bear. And if you throw on a second web (which is the freaking point of this whole problem) in order to hold a FLIPPIN' BATTLESHIP/BATTLECRUISER in place then you're tossing out boosting mods that your opponent has no need to do. You're throwing out a SEBO, disruptor, or any other mod because you already are filled with a MWD, cap booster, and scram... this means to be viable even against a shield tanker you need to have a minimum of 5 midslots. The diemost has 3. Brutix has 4. Mega has 4.

MWD, cap booster, scram, web... and for a cruiser you have drop one.

2) Yes but you are also missing the weapon bonus as well, the Tempest's bonus gives it just as much DPS. and you're also throwing in a red herring... Gallente have to train more in drones than a minnie pilot. Even counting in training time missiles takes about 2-3 weeks to be a viable additional weapon system. Not really a huge deal, you'll be running heavies and not cruise on them.

All the other players bring very good points. This better just be the icing on the cake. We don't want anything half assed like usual.

Either make Gallente ships design worthwhile or change the design all together. We are TIRED of being niche pilots.

What's the point of being class cannons if everyone else are lightning bruisers or bulldozers?