Player Features and Ideas Discussion

YAYYYY

Alright so for HACs (Heavy Assault Cruisers) we had a few goals:

Increase viability for the worst ships (Eagle, Cerberus, Sacrilege especially)

Support rather than disrupt current uses (AHACs)

Make room for new uses when possible

The biggest change here, and the one that affects all 8 ships, is a new role bonus. It is the same one that Assault Ships get, a 50% reduction in Signature Radius Penalty from Microwarp Drives.

We feel this is a really nice fit because it doesn't boost afterburner variations that are already very strong, but it does add to resilience for most other uses.

On top of that, many of the ships have gotten significant changes to slot layout or bonus. Also be sure to check out the MEDIUM WEAPON REBALANCE as it will have a big impact on HAC perfromance.

Small note: All the weird tiny stat tweaks are just to make the numbers more even (originally a lot of arbitrary randomness was added for the sake of "realism" and we are just cleaning some of that up, which we've done for all the recent rebalances.

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SACRILEGE - Highlights here would be the increased drone bay, increased PG, and the addition of HML to the Cruiser damage bonus. Hopefully the result is a ship that can more comfortably fulfill its heavy tackle/utility HAC role without sacrificing quite as much as it used to when compared to combat BCs or other HACs. We concede that the cap recharge bonus is a bit strange, but feel the ship actually doesn't need another standard bonus like damage application or range to make it work.

Role Bonus: 50% reduction in MicroWarpdrive signature radius penalty

Amarr Cruiser Bonuses:
5% to Heavy Assault and Heavy Missile damage (added heavy missiles)
4% to all Armor Resistances

Heavy Assault Cruiser Bonuses:
5% reduction of capacitor recharge time
5% bonus to Missile Launcher rate of fire

Slot layout: 6H, 4M, 5L; 1 turrets(-3), 5 launchers
Fittings: 1150 PWG(+120), 400 CPU
Defense (shields / armor / hull) : 1400(+7) / 2100(+12) / 1690(+2)
Capacitor (amount) : 1650(+25)
Mobility (max velocity / agility / mass / align time): 200(+2) / .567 / 11750000(-540000) / 9.24s(-.4)
Drones (bandwidth / bay): 50(+35) / 50(+35)
Targeting (max targeting range / Scan Resolution / Max Locked targets): 55km / 312 / 7
Sensor strength: 15 Radar
Signature radius: 140

ZEALOT - Zealot is arguably the most functional currently of the entire group and so it gets the least change.

Role Bonus: 50% reduction in MicroWarpdrive signature radius penalty

Amarr Cruiser Bonuses:
10% bonus to Medium Energy Turret capacitor
5% bonus to Medium Energy Turret rate of fire

Heavy Assault Cruiser Bonuses:
10% bonus to Medium Energy Turret optimal range
5% bonus to Medium Energy Turret damage

Slot layout: 5H, 3M, 7L; 5 turrets, 0 launchers
Fittings: 1180 PWG, 320 CPU
Defense (shields / armor / hull) : 980(-4) / 2250 / 1670(-18)
Capacitor (amount) : 1500
Mobility (max velocity / agility / mass / align time): 210(+1) / .553 / 12580000 / 9.64s
Drones (bandwidth / bay): 0 / 0
Targeting (max targeting range / Scan Resolution / Max Locked targets): 55km / 306 / 6
Sensor strength: 14 Radar(+1)
Signature radius: 125

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CERBERUS - Biggest change here is adding a 6th launcher. Also gets a huge maxVelocity boost so that it can actually kite some to take advantage of the great missile range.

Role Bonus: 50% reduction in MicroWarpdrive signature radius penalty

Caldari Cruiser Bonuses:
5% bonus to Kinetic Missile damage
10% bonus to Missile velocity

Heavy Assault Cruiser Bonuses:
10% bonus to Heavy Assault and Heavy Missile flight time
5% bonus to Missile Launcher rate of fire

Slot layout: 6H, 5M, 4L; 0 turrets, 6 launchers(+1)
Fittings: 720 PWG(+85), 500 CPU(+60)
Defense (shields / armor / hull) : 2000(-4) / 1200(+4) / 1400(-6)
Capacitor (amount) : 1100(+37.5)
Mobility (max velocity / agility / mass / align time): 205(+30) / .463 / 12720000 / 8.17s
Drones (bandwidth / bay): 15(+15) / 15(+15)
Targeting (max targeting range / Scan Resolution / Max Locked targets): 80km / 282 / 6
Sensor strength: 17 Gravimetric(+1)
Signature radius: 135

EAGLE - The Eagle will be a lot better because of the rail change alone, but we've also increased its power grid and replaced the utility high with an extra mid slot.

Role Bonus: 50% reduction in MicroWarpdrive signature radius penalty

Caldari Cruiser Bonuses:
10% bonus to Medium Hybrid Turret optimal range
4% bonus to shield resistances

Heavy Assault Cruiser Bonuses:
10% bonus to Medium Hybrid Turret optimal range
5% bonus to Medium Hybrid Turret damage

Slot layout: 5H(-1), 6M(+1), 4L; 5 turrets, 1 launchers(-1)
Fittings: 950 PWG(+75), 430 CPU(-8)
Defense (shields / armor / hull) : 2500(+391) / 1250(-16) / 1550(+3)
Capacitor (amount) : 1350(-25)
Mobility (max velocity / agility / mass / align time): 175(+11) / .576 / 11720000 / 9.36s
Drones (bandwidth / bay): 0 / 0
Targeting (max targeting range / Scan Resolution / Max Locked targets): 70km / 252 / 8
Sensor strength: 18 Gravimetric
Signature radius: 150

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DEIMOS - Like the Thorax, Deimos now has 4 mids and gives up the extra high. It also goes faster and aligns faster.

Role Bonus: 50% reduction in MicroWarpdrive signature radius penalty

Gallente Cruiser Bonuses:
5% bonus to Medium Hybrid Turret damage
5% increase to MicroWarpdrive capacitor bonus

Heavy Assault Cruiser Bonuses:
10% bonus to Medium Hybrid Turret falloff
5% Medium Hybrid Turret damage

Slot layout: 5H(-1), 4M(+1), 6L; 5 turrets, 2 launchers
Fittings: 1030 PWG(+40), 350 CPU
Defense (shields / armor /...

ONce again: Great Work. I look foward for more HACs in my Hangar.

You forgot the "and Damage" on Ishtar drone bonus or are you removing it?

No damage on the ishtar??

So all t1 cruiser versions of these ships are now just as fast if not faster than their equivalent HAC? I kinda thought... you know.. that HACs were supposed to be fast but I guess i was wrong.

these or therefore lack of changes will have virtually no impact on there usage.

I was expecting a more extreme buff perhaps more like the navy attack cruisers ... boy i was WRONG.....
15 slots only its T2 why not the +2 slots that the AF's get over T1 frigs .. where's the advantage over navy here?
50% is too low without reducing there sig radius especially on shield HACS
For the 150-200mil price tag these come with making them compete with Navy bc's for tank is stupid.. competing with sniping ABC's is even worse idea.

Overall CCP Rise back to the drawing board here

Cheers. Some great changes up there by the way; I look forward to the meta being re-jigged once again.

Ishtar still has bonus to drone damage I hope? I saw you are fixing that. What I do wonder about... the drone range bonus now says it applies to scouts and heavies... only? Does the drone control range bonus no longer apply to sentry drones now?

Looks good.

Considering that we've been shouting at the top of our lungs for a year that T2 won't get buffed as much as T1 was, I don't know why you're surprised.

\o/