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Player Features and Ideas Discussion

 
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Simple AB/MWD switching for dual props
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Daedalus Arcova
The Scope
#1 - 2011-11-17 16:13:55 UTC  |  Edited by: Daedalus Arcova
Afterburners and MWDs can't run simultaneously - a fact any dual prop pilot is helpfully reminded of whenever they try to switch between the two before the current cycle has completed.

In an ideal world, trying to activate an AB while an MWD is running would automatically disable the MWD, and start the AB as soon as the MWD cycle completes. Vice versa for activating an MWD while AB is running.

That would be all kinds of awesome.
Zircon Dasher
#2 - 2011-11-17 18:44:22 UTC
Daedalus Arcova wrote:
Afterburners and MWDs can't run simultaneously - a fact any dual prop pilot is helpfully reminded of whenever they try to switch between the two before the current cycle has completed.

In an ideal world, trying to activate an AB while an MWD is running would automatically disable the MWD, and start the AB as soon as the MWD cycle completes. Vice versa for activating an MWD while AB is running.

That would be all kinds of awesome.


So nothing mechanics wise would change. The cycle would still have to complete before the AB (or MWD) activated.

I can't see the benefit except for being able to alt-tab to another character safe in the knowlede that your alt will soon be burning out/in range without you paying attention to it.

Nerfing High-sec is never the answer. It is the question. The answer is 'YES'.
mxzf
Shovel Bros
#3 - 2011-11-17 18:54:22 UTC
So you want to lessen the impact that pilot skill will make when running dual-prop setups. Not supported.
Daedalus Arcova
The Scope
#4 - 2011-11-17 18:59:49 UTC  |  Edited by: Daedalus Arcova
The benefit is that you don't have to spam the AB button when you're trying to avoid wasting vital seconds in the heat of combat. More than a few times, when I've been trying to switch prop mods, I've ended up switching the damn thing off again because of that uncertainty about when the cycle will end.

Remember:
- Cycle indicators don't start and stop in the right place. It's often hard to tell when a cycle begins and ends.
- There's a delay between activating a mod and it starting to cycle. It's too easy to accidentally deactivate a mod just as it starts to cycle.
- You can't turn on one prop mod until the other has finished completely. When you're brawling up close, you don't want to miss a beat.

Those three factors combine to make dual-prop setups more troublesome than they need to be. Being able to seamlessly switch between AB and MWD and back again would just make for a far less frustrating experience.
Daedalus Arcova
The Scope
#5 - 2011-11-17 19:28:19 UTC  |  Edited by: Daedalus Arcova
mxzf wrote:
So you want to lessen the impact that pilot skill will make when running dual-prop setups. Not supported.


This is about improving EVE's bad UI. Skill doesn't come into it.

Imagine you are designing a UI feature from scratch. You want to give the user three mutually exclusive options (AB/MWD/off), that are likely to need to be switched in a hurry. You wouldn't do it the way EVE does it. You'd have a single switch with 3 different positions, and changing from one mode to any of the other two would take minimal effort.

Unfortunately, EVE's cumbersome UI doesn't allow for that level of simplicity, but the nearest you can get within the current UI is as I've suggested.

EVE is supposed to be about spaceships. Pilot skill should manifest itself in better flying, not in mastering module whack-a-mole.
Zircon Dasher
#6 - 2011-11-17 19:47:20 UTC
Daedalus Arcova wrote:
The benefit is that you don't have to spam the AB button when you're trying to avoid wasting vital seconds in the heat of combat. More than a few times, when I've been trying to switch prop mods, I've ended up switching the damn thing off again because of that uncertainty about when the cycle will end.

Remember:
- Cycle indicators don't start and stop in the right place. It's often hard to tell when a cycle begins and ends.
- There's a delay between activating a mod and it starting to cycle. It's too easy to accidentally deactivate a mod just as it starts to cycle.
- You can't turn on one prop mod until the other has finished completely. When you're brawling up close, you don't want to miss a beat.

Those three factors combine to make dual-prop setups more troublesome than they need to be. Being able to seamlessly switch between AB and MWD and back again would just make for a far less frustrating experience.


-The only time I have ever had indicators be wrong is if I am technical issues or there is lag.
- Stop spamming the button like a 10 year old button masher and/or get your "shakes" under control.
- If 1 second is the difference between you winning (or running) and losing then you played the situation to tight. This is your fault.

Nerfing High-sec is never the answer. It is the question. The answer is 'YES'.
Daedalus Arcova
The Scope
#7 - 2011-11-17 19:53:38 UTC
No. The UI is just bad. Not only is it bad, but it's laggy and inaccurate. There is no defending it.
Mirak Nijoba
Gamers Corner
#8 - 2011-11-17 19:54:51 UTC
I agree the same thing could be implimented for switching ammo types over. I hate playing whack a mole change up when im trying to switch my ammo from long to med to short. Especially when im coming in at 300m/s or so in a battleship and they're approaching at the same rate.

As it sits. I have a 10-15 second window where my med range ammo would be most effective. If i could change the ammo over given a 1 second delay then instantly my guns pop right back on. It would give me 9-14 seconds. Instead of the extra 3 seconds i spend fidgeting with my guns being offline switching ammo then putting my guns back online.

Or puts me down to a 6-11 second window of shooting. Where I try to recoup my losses and spend another 3 seconds switching my ammo to my short range. Where in all reality i have a 3-8 second window of actual shot clock time for my mid ranged guns. 1 maybe 2 shots at mid range is bad.

If this were an implimented feature . It would help in a lot of situations. Where Pilot Skill should be focused on flying to get into that perfect range while adjusting speeds to match. Without playing whack-a-module-Change-Up. It could make pvp more interesting and bring more ammunition into play.

I fly amarr and I like to fly close. I once had a Navy Apoc - MWD fit. ^_^ Did hella good dps, flew fast, and had a damned good tank.

Made my life easier. Except that I only flew with one ammunition. Multi-Freq's. No sense in playing with the others.