Player Features and Ideas Discussion

We need a niche for them, without hamstringing them when poking at stuff outside said niche, correct?

Navy BCs were introduced to be the weapon of choice against any and all things smaller while still being able to punch fatties in the face .. so why not marry the range of HACs with the tracking of N.BCs .. increase speed a tad (look up the word "tad", does not mean 3k/s HACs!) and you have your kiters that double as useless snipers.
Would prefer if the kiting contingent be gun based so that the only counter doesn't become 'more of the same' or 'Hvy Neuts' as was the case during the nano-age .. depends on eWar revamp I suppose.

Second set of HACs are then free to be made into "drop an anvil on the enemy" brawlers or a toned down T3 or psuedo recon (ie. 1x recon bonus such as web/point range) sort of thing ... (yes, I want my Sacs to have a neut amount bonus ).

* Role/Class bonuses left my brain-trust as it is not possible to find something that does not either make them comparatively OP as hell or of such limited use as to be a waste of breath.

True, in medium-scale confrontations such could be useful.
But in terms of upping the "soloing" aspect, I'd rather go for the anti webbing stuff.


--
Yes, T3 is better.
But right now, I think the major problem is that there is no real flexibility. T2 is not to be about flexibility on paper but these changes just won't fit for everybody unless there is a way to interchange that role bonus.


Maybe it would be appropiate to give HACs access to just one subsystem, allowing you to either fit:

- Bubble immunity
or
- Anti-webbing
or
- AB bonus
or
- a small across-the-board +xy% bonus to all HP types.
or
- MWD sig

In other words, let HACs be a small stepping stone to T3.
I'd even go as far and have HACs have a 2nd subsystem slot (which should orientated to weapons).

It would be balanced because you can't stack the best of all subsystems like on the T3 ship.

HACs would be more unpredictable while giving the capsuleer more freedom over his expensive T2 ship.


This is only a pipedream and I'm sure T3 fans will complain, but right now I really don't see any other point. One suggested bonus just screws up the uses for other players.

edit:
Trying to find solutions to the 80pages of agony, tears and lamentations of IWIN HAC'ers capsuleers' issues with HACs. Clearly, that role bonus plus those little tweaks helps only a little bit.
It is probably too complicated and undesired for as the target of the thread is apparently "small scale patching" rather than a more longer term fix, but what would speak against a stepping stone to T3? See it as a T2.5 if you must.
Just saying that there is quite a big gap between T2 and T3.

+1

You guys seem extremely self serving, the Zealot is already considered the best HAC and you want a drone bay too? OK then I want 50 MB drones on the Eagle since it is bad and also has no drone bay.

Zealot has half the midslots and the broken-as-can-be ASB's are not really viable .. they are to put it bluntly vastly different beasts.

Personally abhor the "add drones to fix everything" dogma, it is frightfully close to the "CovOps cloak fixes everything" mentality, but the Zealot is severely lacking in the fight control department and if it is to have a place outside of the AHAC swarms that needs to be addressed.
Now if the Sacrilege is made a demigod in the solo/small-scale arena then the need for the Zealot to have the above is somewhat redundant, but Sacrilege would need to be so dominant as to make everyone else weep for that kind separation of labour to be "fair" to Amarr and intentionally breaking the game is bad form (unless one is a Dev with a Minmatar crush that is )

Zealot already possesses that enviable projection, what it needs is application (applied damage = fight control). Tracking is where you want to go .. be it by way of a hull bonus or the introduction of the 'missing-since-forever' third pulse, I am open to both

why not 125/400

if other races take missle from caldari , caldari could take drone from gallente :)
and change the resist bonus to drone dmg and optimal

Maybe its to late to ask for this since the next HAC iteraiton will come tomorrow, but please give the Eagle 5 light drones.

Then it can serve both as a medium range fighter and a brawler, depending on the pilots wish. With one high-slot moved to mid it can both tackle and have a tank, but adding 5 light drones are not just for extra dps; it's also usefull to fight off hostile frigates and kill enemy drones.

Been reading through this post and it seems like there a couple of intertwined issues:

1) Proper Role Definition for HACS vs. Navy Cruisers vs. T1 Cruisers

2) Attack Battle Cruiser Balance vs. Rest of BCs vs. HACs


For #1 CCP needs to define a specific role that HACs are supposed to fill and then bonus them accordingly. Right now the HAC Bonuses make no sense ship to ship and HACs vs. other cruisers

For #2, ABCs from my understanding they were supposed to be high damage against large ship classes and have minimal tanks. The key for me is LARGER ship classes. I think this would be easily handled by give the ABCs a +25% (or more) increase in the signature radius for large turrets, remove drones from the Talos. To 'fix' the tank issue just increase their signature radius by 10% to 20%. Keep the bonuses the same.

Throwing an idea out there.

I've seen a few posts looking to balance super-caps to be more in-line with the current game-play, most want to achieve this through a nerf. However I have read a couple compelling explanations that the desired result can be obtained by forming counters to the current state of super-caps, and as people have already been discussing that HACs need a role to fulfill, I would suggest that they play a part in this counter to super-caps and caps alike.

I propose that HACs be given a role in capital fights / offence, give them a way to directly hamper capital defenses in a similar way to HICs are able to prevent capitals from leaving. I don't mean by directly damaging the said capital, but perhaps weakening them so that they are more vulnerable to conventional weapons systems (with the new HACs you still need the raw dps of a fleet, but its just more effective).

Of the top of my head for example, how about HAC only module that give them the ability to launchers boarding party's that slowly reduce resists, carp recharge or damage output. Just and example, but I hope it gets my idea across.

EDIT:
Of course this would probably entail splitting the 2 HAC hulls into two slightly different roles, similar to how Recons are split.

Tournament's over. Any updates?