Ships & Modules

As someone whose flown with/in machariels in PVE and PVP, I can vouch that the mach is just a little too good at its role. In agreement with what most people have said in this thread, it doesn't need a tremendous nerf, just a small one to overall DPS, or a slight tank nerf and everything is golden. That said, I'm going to move onto the 'issues' I've seen discussed.

Machs are fast. Yes, this isn't an issue, this is a feature for angel ships. Their primary use comes from being faster than every other ship in their class, but that said, they're easily outclassed by smaller ships, and even some slow recons. Unlike other ships of their class, they can be crippled by a simple jam, or in the case of amarr recons, by tracking disruption (I'll take this time to point out that out of all the faction BS, Machariels are the most vulnerable to TD.)

Even if the machs are fast, they don't do that much more DPS than any other faction battleship, with the notable exception being a truly effective PVP bhaalgorn. A mach's greatest benefit isn't its speed, its how agile it is in combat, so if a fast frigate can catch it without being picked off if the pilot isn't as skilled as any of his peers, he'll be able to dance around with the frigate until either he or the frigate gets raped by the inevitable backup one or the other has.

EVE is very much not a solo game, but the Mach does absolutely splendid in its role, which I have always interpreted to be 'small to medium sized harassment.' They're expensive, yes. They're skill intensive, yes. And if piloted by a complete lemming, a machariel is less than useless. Unlike most other battleships, you have to have at least some clue of what the hell you're doing otherwise you're going to become a liability rather than an asset to your gang, and I've seen mach gangs get skunked and raped by proper gangs on the other end of the spectrum. Machs don't hold any single advantage over everything that makes them invincible, but they do have a few extravagant benefits that do straddle the line with overpowered.

How do I think the mach should be nerfed to preserve its position but also to deal with the abundance of issues it has, even if those issues are only held by mediocre and rigid players? Honestly, I don't know. Perhaps adjustments to its speed, or its acceleration to prevent outrunning fast cruisers, maybe a slight filing off on the falloff bonus, or maybe, better yet, lowering the overall EHP. The mach to me screams that it is meant to hit very hard, very fast, and get the hell out while still being able to protect itself and other ships, so I don't think it needs or deserves a massive nerf. Do other ships underperform when compared to it? Yes.

Will the Mach always win any and every engagement? No. I think CCP started to stealth address some of these 'issues' with some of the other changes that were bemoaned at the time and raged against. Machs, unlike other faction battleships, have pitiful capacitors and are therefore extremely vulnerable to neuting. That means to me that a geddon might be a very bad match for a machariel pilot on his own or will be a threat with a moderately skilled pilot at the helm. Or, there are the new EAF changes to consider, or the new ceptor changes, and so on.

As for comparing the machs to other ships, no other ship has the same role as the mach on a battleship level, at least since the nerf of the nanophoon. That said, other battleships might be able to stand up to it or even kick the **** out of it at long or close range, but like I've said so many times, it all comes down to pilot skill. If you have a great pilot in a mach versus six **** pilots in a range of other ships, the mach will probably take one or two out before being able to retreat. If you have a **** mach pilot against mediocre or even decent pilots in a few other ships, then the mach will definitely be blown to bits. Its all about thought and situational awareness in EVE, which only experience can bring.

Then again, some experience might only bring whining since the other pilots won't want to put in the effort to learn how to best use what the hell they want to fly and will resort to scumbag tactics in order to get their kills. Whatever the case is, the Machariel does not deserve a huge nerf, but a slight rebalance. And comparing the Machariel to other faction battleships is ridiculous, as none of them are expected to perform in the same ways as the machariel.

I don't understand why CCP is trying to nerf all the BS as much as it's possible... it's a freaking BATTLESHIP FFS it should be powerfull like hell, especially pirate, T2 BS's...

I think Mach, Vindi are good, but Rattler and Nightmare should get just a tiny tiny buff for pvp possibilities.

Many for and against arguments here and my opinion is the Macha could do with some give and take re balance no nerf or buff.
In the end this thread is full of speculation and hear say mixed with plenty of tears, hopes and dreams.

Stop crying if it gets nerfed fly another ship.

As for the whiners the Mach isn't that good so please ready your forum rage incase of a buff.