Ships & Modules

The thing about it is that you're effectively asking for all current Explosive drone damage to become EM damage. I'd be really hesitant to say that everyone will continue to drop "Hammerheads". And ultimately, if changing the order on the spreadsheet doesn't really change anything... why do it? More imporantly: Why not do something else?

-Liang

Why do you persist in thinking about this in terms of Caldari and Amarr and Minmatar and Gallente? These are merely labels that refer to the corresponding damage types - Kinetic, EM, Explosive, and Thermal. Frankly, the idea that nerfing "Minmatar" drones is a nerf to "Minmatar" is utterly ludicrous. My core objection to the proposed change is that its change for the sake of making numbers on a spreadsheet look pretty, without actual regard to the gameplay affected. Basically - the proposed change is a net nerf to drones.

Do you really feel that Drones as a weapons system are overpowered?

-Liang

Your comment that "Why do Minmatar..." does in fact imply to me that you are somehow connecting "Minmatar" (read: explosive) drones are somehow connected to "Minmatar" as an "overpowered" projectile weapons system or "Minmatar" as an "overpowered" race as a whole. They really aren't - and really its best to think of all drones as being nonracial or even perhaps Gallente.



This is truly /facepalm worthy. This is you resolutely sticking your nose into your spreadsheet and demanding that the column that doesn't add up be fixed - and to hell with the overall effect on the game. The proposed change is a net nerf to drones - regardless of how you think it gets "made up for".

-Liang

You're right - its nothing to be ashamed of when you rather directly imply that you're making that mistake.



You obviously do feel that making the columns in your spreadsheet add up will make the game better. You've yet to make a case for this though, while I've actually made a case that this is simply not true. There's too much variation in how drones are used to make a blanket declaration that it will be better for the game.



Let's be clear: Effect of buff + Effect of Nerf < Status Quo

Yeah, Amarr (And Caldari!) drones are mostly useless... so maybe you could try suggesting things that fix that without ******* the rest of the game up?

-Liang

Which they will continue to do even if they get their damage nerfed.

Here's what we have now:
Ogres which are good if speed/tracking aren't important, and Berserks when they are.

What you're suggesting, is that we nerf one of the currently good drones, and buff one of the other drones to the point where it's better, but still not as good as the current explosive drones. So we'll have 3 drones that are meh, and one that is good. (and when tracking is important, people will STILL use the explosive drones, so you've not actually changed anything in that respect)

Overall, you're nerfing drones for the sake of better balancing the drones with themselves.

Think of it this way: Imagine if CCP one day decided that tachyons did too much damage for how much range they get, and that dual heavy pulses don't do enough. So, they swap out the DPS values on DHPs and tachons. DHPs would still be meh, and people would rarely use them, and tachyyons would end up being worse because of the changes. Lasers as a weapon system would have been nerfed, even though from a spreadsheet point of view the numbers would be better balanced.

TBH I think you are mostly right.

If I had my way I would make Amarr have Minmatar Drone stats and Caldari have Gallente Drone Stats.

EM / Therm is Strong to shield vs Exp / Kin which is strong to Armor. That way you can choose your Drones based on the Ships you will fight IE Min/Amarr Interception, Cal/Gal Dmg which each being effective towards a different tanking type.

That is my most preferable option.

Beserkers = Drones Now. Pretty Sure the Praetor would get a buff to compensate.

Right now Minmatar Drones are in fact OP.

It is a Nerf to one set of Drones, you can still get the Damage you had before with Praetor Drones.

You just have to decide if it is worth it. But wait you want your OP Super Drones without having to make a choice of what Drone to use.

Sure it wil, you will just have to decide if Dmg or Speed is what you need. If you go speed you get a nerf if not you are fine.

But if you just want a super drone that makes it so you don't have to think then things are fine.

If, instead of swapping the numbers around, CCP just buffed the amarr/caldari drones to have the same stats as their more useful counterparts, then there'd be choice given while refraining from nerfing drones. Hell, you even said it yourself. Liang's arguments apply to the idea of just swapping the damage modifiers on praetors and zerkers, which, as I've already explained, is bad.

I think swapping them is better then nothing but I do prefer the blanket buff with Dmg types being the difference.