Player Features and Ideas Discussion

I have a simple suggestion... One that pretty much solves some o the more important matter in off-grid boosting in my view.

Speed, and Extra range.

I think that off-grid boosting should lose these bonuses.

That alone would solve the biggest issue with most of what problems I see in faction warfare.

Extra agility is more or less alright, but the extra speed could be transformed into a cap-related bonus, allowing you to run your MWD/AB for a longer time and the extra range on webs/points is mostly silly really, since its a real (bad) game changer.

But the speed thing is the thing I see as most ovepowered, so in reality the problem with off grid boosting lies with the Skirmish Warfare bonuses.

I think a simple fix for off grid boosting condors/hookbills going at stupid speeds with 40+ km missile range is solved by the two above changes.

As such, I'd sum up the changes to off grid boosting as:

1. For Interdiction Maneuvers, replaces range with warp strenght bonuses.

That'd be awesome, and would actually HELP faction warfare people killing the multi-warpcore stabilized no guns things/ships that do sometimes show up. For webs it should increase the strenght bonus, but not the range bonus. Also cap consumption reduction for the two modules would be great to have.

2. For Skirmish Warfare: Redution in Cap usage when using propulsion modules. Actually helps using longer points due to lowered cap consumption (tech II versus meta 4 warp disruptors). Also possibly enables cap-stable oversized propulsion modules fits.

Its more about addressing the fact that command links have a varied impact on PVP over the whole scope of eve and trying to offset some of the imbalances without affecting areas where they work as intended. That they are overpowered is a seperate discussion.

Problem I'm increasingly noticing with the posts above they are all very narrowly focused on specific instances of PVP without consideration of how link warfare works in other parts of eve.

The overview is client side. You're told everything that's on the grid and your computer breaks down the numbers where it needs them. It's 'easy' to build a system that applies an effect to lots of ships, like the HIC spheres, that only need to check when the player initiates an uncommon action.

Building a system can apply persistent effects and needs to be calculated based on distance regularly is also 'easy'.

Building the hybrid system that can apply persistent effects to large numbers of pilots based on distances and respond within a second is really hard. Especially considering in the new system it's unlikely you'll have a handful of command ships on grid, you're likely to have a dozen or more for a large fight so everyone is covered.

I have thought that an interesting option would be to force the receiving ship to have to use a module to receive off-grid bonuses. Call it a Deep Space Antenna or something. Make it a high slot item that uses some capacitor and fitting. That way "1v1" frigates would be forced to drop a percentage of their DPS if they wanted to receive the benefits of off-grid links. But dedicated tacklers could make the compromises necessary to receive the massive bonuses links provide. Also, fleets could be designed around using or not using such a module.

To implement this, nerf the bonuses of the existing links dramatically, and use the module to "amplify the signal". So off-grid boosting would still work as it does currently, but say at only 10% of its current effectiveness without the module fitted. A mild, but hardly game changing amount. Without the module all ships in a properly set up fleet would receive this bonus as they currently receive full-strength bonuses.

However, when a player activates the module, the game checks to see if the ship is receiving bonuses and adds a multiplier to those effects up to the current amount. Give the module a long cycle time to reduce calls to the server to check if links are active.

Also, consider giving this module a visual effect when active, so pilots can readily tell if another pilot is actively receiving links. That would provide some interesting intelligence gathering opportunities.

You could even add a new skill(s) to go with the module: Deep space antenna tuning. 20% per level to antenna gain effectiveness. At level 5 and running the module, bonuses would be the same as they are now. Maybe another skill to reduce the capacitor use of deep space antennas.

Advantages:

Gives new "utility" to utility high slots
Shakes up fittings / cap stability on many ships
Allows dedicated tacklers to get the bonuses they need at the expense of DPS and cap use, making "1v1s" against links more fair
Allows the current system for applying bonuses to remain in place. Just have the percentages tweaked.

Disadvantages:

Fitting on smaller ships is penalized to a greater degree
Can be shut off with energy neutralizers.
Adding more modules to game / additional skills to train.

Can you imagine the logistics of trying to deal with this in a large scale fleet? :P its enough hassle as it is getting people to properly fleet up with boosting chars in the right positions to get bonuses working properly - a lot of people just don't even seem to see the value in them until they've been in a few reasonably organised say 20 v 20 fights or 3-4 man skirmish fleets against larger rag tag fleets, etc. etc.

One of the things that is both a strength and weakness in Eve is that there is a more blurred line between competitive play and casual play than typical in many games and a good balance of both is required if you want to keep the game healthy with active players and gang links unfortunatly in their current form have a disproportionate impact on those different areas of the game but are a necessary tool in some form or other if you want to promote higher levels of competitive play.

A few things come to mind in regards to how the link system could work.

Link Affects Application
- Link effects should be applied at activation and only for the duration of the cycle.
-- Module is activated; bonus is applied to all ships within range.
-- Ships not in range when module was activated do not get the bonus until the next cycle, assuming they are in range.
- Link Effects last longer than the cycle time to minimize the impact of reapplying the link effect (e.g.; If a link is already applied, it will remain instead of having to be calculated again.)
-- This could potentially allow interesting game play options for certain ships to be able to leave the "Sphere" of the link bonuses for a period of time while still being provided the bonus (Until the link effect duration expires).
- Link effects should be applied from the source outward
-- Range checks should be performed by the source of the link outward and not by the recipient of the effect. This would reduce the range checks required.
Example: In a fleet of 230, a ship activates his gang link. The server performs a query requesting everyone that is in fleet with that person and within range. The results of that list are flagged to receive the effect for a set duration.

Skill Effects:
- Skill level increases range
- Skill level increases link effect duration (Since above, we are detaching the link activation time from the link effect duration.)
- Skill level does not increase strength.
-- This one is debatable, but strength should probably be a fixed amount based on ship bonuses/role and not at the skill level. This would allow someone to be completely useful number wise when equipping the module instead of training for what seems like eternity for a few percent better bonuses.

Link Effect:
- Potential impact of links could be stored in a place that would be less impacting for the server to enable.
- Example: Storing the end result of having links on the ship or whatever system is being used to store the details of the current ship the character is in (e.g.; in the database every ship entry has another column added to where its active attributes are stored. This column will house the modified values of each impactable attribute so when a link is present, a flag is toggled and the new values become active for the duration of the link cycle.).

Link Modules (Just a few examples):
- Sub-capital Modules
-- EWAR Strength or Range
-- Optimal Range
-- Fall Off
-- Missile Flight Time
-- Missile Flight Velocity
-- Sensor Strength
-- Scan Resolution
-- Ship Agility
- Capital Modules
-- Armor values and Resistance
-- Armor repair amount and cycle time (Both Local and Remote)
-- Shield Values and Resistance
-- Shield transfer amount and cycle time (Both Local and Remote)
-- Capacitor values and regeneration
-- Reduction in siege/triage time and fuel cost
-- Ability to enhance ship bonuses?
- All Modules
- The reason for separate modules would be to restrict only certain link types to certain class of hulls.
-- This would allow you to keep the especially powerful bonuses on the riskiest ships to use (i.e., Capitals).
-- If you did not like some ships being unable to provide certain bonuses based on hull size, you could use this as a way to balance link effect strength.
- Should be tweaked with the amount of fitting requirement you would expect for a module of this type since you have now dictated which ships are allowed to use them.
- Add mechanics where the links become more expensive to run the longer they are active.
-- A cap cost that doesn't allow for a cap stable fitting without sacrificing something else?
-- A charge perhaps in the tune of booster charges or fuel. They don't require it to be loaded per say, but it has to be on the ship somewhere?

Link Bonused Ships:
-- 99% gang link reduction bonus on ships is changed to a "Can fit Gang link modules" or a "Can fit Capital Gang link Modules" (If it’s not already.)
-- Since only a selected few ships are now capable of using these modules to begin with, there should be no need to have a range/duration/strength bonus/role on the hull.
-- The “per level” bonuses on the command ships can be used to reduce capacitor use and allow more modules to be activated at a time.
-- Provide a weapon bonus on the command ships similar to marauders and some faction ships to allow for more links to be fitted while maintaining a bit of combat viability.

Fleet Mechanics:
- Link users should not have to be assigned a booster position for others to be impacted. They should require you to be in fleet and within range to receive.

Please keep in mind that this is just a rough idea of what I was thinking in regards to how links could work in the future.

TLDR: There is no TLDR, deal with it.

The good news is that you'll have a bunch of command ships ready for when they are rebalanced!

Currently command boosting is not fun for two reasons two reasons:
1) You are best serving your role away from the battle or better yet, off grid.
2) You turn your modules on a forget about them (and if an alt forget about command ship itself)

So currently Command boosting ships are not present in the battle 'commanding' and even if they had to be on grid they wouldn't be making meaningful decision, just turn your modules on and stay out of harms way. This just promoting a boring play-style.

Active Commanding
My vision for command bonused ships is an in the fight support role. Just like recons and logistics you are not doing significant damage, but the utility that your ship can provide is capable turn the tides in battle.
This requires that boosts not be a fully 'passive' modules. Like webs or shield boosts in a big fight you should have to adjust command module usage depending on the situation. Under current EVE mechanics I see an active command ship targeting specific friendly units and giving them bonuses depending on the situation. The targeting mechanic is good because it requires the player to make a conscious decision about which fellow player could benefit from powerful boosts. The ideal target for these boosts would likely change over the course of the battle requiring the command ship pilot to follow the flow of the battle switching his buff to where they are needed most.

Two simple examples of command play:

• Friendly is call primary: you quickly lock him up and he receives bonuses to resistances/repair amount allowing him to survive.
• Friendly tackler needs help, lock him up and give him bonuses to speed and point range.

I understand that boosting for larger fleets still requires a somewhat passive fleet wide bonus module, but to encourage these ships to be on field the passive fleet bonus should be lower and the command ship should be able to target specific ships to amplify their bonuses. This is similar to the way that many armor hardeners have a passive bonus to resistance, when the module is not active. I would argue that that perhaps passive remain while ship is uncloaked in the same system even when the active module is running.

Additional Thoughts

Overheating?
CCP could allow this active module to be overheated for either increased effective range or boost %.

AOE Scripts? (like ECM remote burst)
I know CCP Fozzie dislikes the script system but perhaps these modules could be scripted to allow for different targeting effects similar to heavy interdictor bubbles, which can be turned from an AoE bubble into a single target point. These modules could work the opposite, starting as a single target boost but when scripted the bonus would radiate outwards from the target ship and effect friendly ships in a certain radius to create a sphere of influence.
Alternatively you could target the squad leader and the booster would effect only his squad that are on grid.

Either of the implementation would be helpful when you have large amounts of ships on field who you want to give bonuses to. The radiated effect would be lower than the target effect so it ensure pilot make decisions on who to target or what module to use.

FCs in Command Ships?(bit of a tedious link)
Most FC control the fight flying one of the combat ships allowing them to dictate their fleets range for optimal damage whilst avoiding threats. If a command ship pilot could fit modules to give him realtime on-grid intel it might suit FCs to sit inside specifically non combat ship. In conjunction with the battle intel he could apply specific bonuses when he want to maneuver his ships like trading armor bonuses for ship agility when he wants to quickly reposition his fleet. Such intel tools might include:

• Easily discerning the distance between two ships on grid (perhaps through being able to place the tactical overlay on a friendly ship
• Increased ship viewing distance to on friendly ships (able to change view to any friendly ship on grid)
• Reduced signature strength to allow the commander to stay out of the heat of the battle without being easily probed down.
• Extended targeting range
• Expanded watch list sorted by hierarchy (easily monitor the health of his fleeted ships)

No, taking off grid boosts out of the game doesn't eliminate that style of play. Requiring boosts to be on grid does. They're very subtly different.

-Liang

I also fully support targeted boosting, it would be normal combat mechanic and an interesting role to fly in a gang.

Off-grid boosting is strictly a multiboxed alt mechanic and needs to go.