Player Features and Ideas Discussion

After the recent complex changes and data/relic site changes I have come to a disturbing conclusion: The currently available options for exploration ships are inadequate to the task. Let me explain a bit further though before the flaming posts begin.

T1 exploration frigates feature respectable dps, sufficient utility slots and decent cargo and do their jobs very well when used for the class/scale of operation they're intended for. If you intend to upgrade though the options are highly limited and not as effective in relation to covering everything you need to in order to actually do everything you did with your basic frigate.

Covops frigates: looks like an upgrade at first with the better scan strength and virus strength, but then you halve (or worse!) your capacity to carry what you find, and should the need arise to fight off anything other than the occasional hamster you're screwed. Ejecting your cargo and begging for mercy is more effective than fitting weapons to them.

the Gnosis: nice idea, could've used a bit less focus on weaponry and a bit more on actual toughness but effective, However it is a limited issue ship and will only decline in numbers as time progresses. A nice gesture but ineffective unless they can be mass produced.

as for other ships, most ships in the lineup don't have enough option mounts and lack the cargo space to operate for a decent length of time.

T3: these are great for explorers in that you can configure them to pack enough punch and enough tank to deal with combat sites while still retaining enough option mounts to pick up data/relic sites as you go. They work well enough that CCP took exception and disallowed them into 3/10 and 4/10 sites because AS OUR ONLY REAL OPTION they were bieng overused for this purpose. Logically if I can fling an oracle through a gate I should be able to fit a much smaller and lighter legion through the same place but enough on that.


What I am proposing is either a set of racial exploration ships or a series of either Society of Concious Thought or Sisters of Eve ships that are relatively cost efficient to their size class. One cruiser, one battlecruiser, one battleship each tuned towards exploration similar to the T1 frigates we started with. 2 utility highs, 2 utility mids, tank, and enough room in the hold to operate for more than 30 minutes at a time. DPS shouldn't be over the top, in fact somewhat below the average for the size class vs the T1 lineup of the same.

come up with a way to eliminate pvp from low/null and I'll go there, I don't play eve to get butraped by a blob.

let me clarify how this'd help your addiction to killmails and total ignorance of the intended topic of this thread.

less expensive exploration ships = more likely to be risked in low/null ventures meaning you get to shoot your guns and pet your ego a bit more.


next.

i do exploration in low and null sec (kill people there too when i'm not being a carebear) and i do it in a cov ops frigate and have never even come close to being caught by any gate camp being too lazy to learn how to avoid camps is no fault of ccp's also all those ships listed would be more expensive than a cov ops frigate i see T1 frigates in null on a regular basis scanning down sites and it won't get any cheaper than that

So ask for something and shout down anyone who disagrees? Stay classy.

It's almost like Covops haven't been rebalanced yet.

this, at least ad a faction exploration ship lineage, pretty much like the mining barges.

I'd love to see a Sisters faction exploration cruiser that is a step-up in performance (at a cost of flexibility) from a Tech 3 cruiser. Give it a scan/launcher bonus (similar to cov-ops and T3 subsystem), virus bonus (+15), covert cloak, increased warp strength (requires a scram to stop, not just a disruptor... but NOT interdiction nullified), lots of mid-slots (5-6), a couple high slots (3-5, with two less weapon hardpoints than slots), and a nice size cargo hold. Price wise should be on-par with other T2 cruisers.

Overall performance would be better at scanning and data/relic sites (given a fit with appropriate mods in the mids) than a T3 with an optimized fit, but without the ability to reconfigure into a ship with overwhelming combat abilities (as can be done with a T3 cruiser). Increased warp strength would make low sec more attractive for some, but without the ability to be interdiction nullified would balance the risk/reward for use in null sec.

It shouldn't be able to solo null combat sites (not enough DPS possible), but should be able to take-on hi/low sec sites if properly fit (replacing scanning/analyzing modules in mid slots to fit a tank).

as a probe scanning ship i think it is great. i did a proposal on it here: https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=261234&find=unread

what do you think?

Fly a CovOps if you cant avoid dying in that you are pretty bad.