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Im happy to see that CCP is reviewing drug boosters, however, the changes they've made need to be reconsidered. The potential side effects that were associated with using a booster have all been removed but the tradeoff for this is a dramatic reduction in the effectiveness of the booster.

For example, a ''Standard Blue Pill'' used to give a 20% bonus to shield boost amount, however, on the current SiSi build the bonus is only 10%.

As well as the changes to the attributes, CCP has also modified the two skills that had effects on the booster side effects.

The new ''Neurobiology'' skill awards 5% gain to booster effects per level. Therefore at level 5, the booster effect would be increased by 25%, making the bonus from a ''Standard Blue Pill'' 12.5% (still 7.5% less effective than we are used to).

I think that at level 5 the neurobiology skill should award close to, if not the same effect as the old booster (I would rather risk the side effects than lose the 7.5% booster effectiveness).

The second skill that modifies the booster ''Nanobiology'' gives a 20% additional duration of attribute booster effects per level which is fine but when you realise that the ''Biology'' skill has the exact same effect (20% bonus to duration per level) then the skills are doubling up to give a 200% bonus to duration at level 5. When most pilots use boosters, it is for a tight situation (lets face it, they arent cheap) so the need for it to last all day is totally unecessary.

CCP I think you need to reconsider the changes, to allow good skills to restore the booster effects to closer what they used to be and not have the nanobiology skill stack with the biology skill.

Would like a dev's response on this.

Also, what will i do with my lo-grade Edge implants now ???

exactly with those changes its not worth using them anymore

FYI, those skills aren't new, they are Nanite Control and Neurotoxin Recovery renamed. I agree that especially Neurobiology is pretty weak.

Is it the goal ? To increase the general use of synth among the empire citizens. I can already see PvEr in Tengu having fun with Synth Blue Pill and Crash. To make synth boosters as popular as can be a vodka-redbull ?

However, it will decrease the cost/effectiveness ratio for the rest of the customers, (=PvPer), using the illegal boosters to increase their survival chance and combat performance.

The price people pay for a standard Blue Pill today should be the price for the strong Blue Pill in the future to keep the same cost/effectiveness ratio.
I wonder how the black market will reflect the change...

I always thought that combat boosters were illegals BECAUSE they can induce side effects. After all they are modified drugs. However drugs of lesser quality means a lower price with an easier acces to them.
So will the next step be : all boosters legal and allow biochemical reactor in high sec ?

Keep the side effects. Do not reduce the effectiveness so drastically. Maybe one step below but not two !

There is nothing wrong with the current booster system that would justify these drastic changes.

The whole point of boosters is a fun edge that comes with a cost - the fact they are risky, fun, and rare is what makes them part of the underworld of EvE. So many players want more bountyhunting / smuggling / drugmaking type activities, this change just clips the balls right off of booster use and makes their usage not a risky tactical choice, but an issue of pure economics. Now, you'd be foolish not to use them, demand will rise, to the point where it boils down to whether the isk is worth sacrificing for the hull you are piloting.

Anyone with experience using boosters knows how to moderate the side effects - skills and implants can make them happen only in rare circumstances, and careful ship pairing makes it irrelevent in a lot of cases even if you DO get the side effects.

The fact that they were unpopular because of side effects is only due to lack of player understanding / knowledge. The pro's knew they weren't a crippling factor to begin with. I really don't think removing the side effects is the way to make them more widespread.

Besides, the production seems to be bottlenecked at the source anyways - unless the drop rates for all the BPC's and gas clouds has been increased, this will only cause production levels to remain the same, and prices to skyrocket beyond being worth using.

With these changes, and no side effects, there is simply no reason not to use Strong, all the time. Since 8 Alliances have 100% lockdown on the 8 constellations where these blueprints spawn, these changes will fill their coffers up but no one elses. Booster use will become solely dependent on whether you have the riches to use them - these changes only favor the rich, not the brave.

I'm all for Booster adjustments, but the proposed changes seem bizarrely arbitrary. I'm hoping a developer can step in and share their thoughts, this is a pretty big set of changes to just slip in to SiSi without a blog and opportunity for more widespread feedback. There are a lot of problems that should be thoroughly discussed first before this hits Tranquility.

So what your saying is that right now drugs are risky, rare, and only used tactically.

Except that
1) Pro's know they are not risky
2) They are rare only becauase those who are not pro dont have the knowledge to the contrary.

Given that drugs are not risky, they are already being used by pro's when it is economically feasible (given the hull), so that argument is out.

Given that drugs are not already risky, then the argument that changes will make drugs used by rich people instead of "brave" people is laughable.

You also claim that reducing the side effects will not foster the use of drugs, but then complain that drug demand (and therefore price) will sky rocket.

Soooo many contradictions.

What is the legal penalty for this crime?

Do they make you drink Foster's?

No crime is worth that punishment. Why do you think it isn't sold in Australia?

One proposal that was mentioned ages ago and I liked was for boosters to separate the bonus time from the penalty time and also include some form of addiction.

So for example your booster gives you 20% more repping for 2 hours, but for the 24 hours after it wears off you suffer some penalty (either to repping or maybe to some other functions like it is today).

It was also suggested that you can delay that hangover by taking another booster, but the next hangover will be even stronger and possibly longer.

What could also be done is to reduce the effectiveness of the hangover killing booster. So say first one gives you 20%, but if you take another one of the same type while your under the penalty it only gives you 17% or 15% and the next one even less.

Obviously it would have to be balanced so that you can't just take a booster for your play time that day, then log off and come back fresh the next day and take another booster for the whole session.