Player Features and Ideas Discussion

I think this is kind of a cool idea. I'd like to take this and run with it in my mind a bit - mind if I write about it later after I ruminate on it?

Sadly it is a problem that HACs can regularly outDPS, outrun, outsigtank, and outtank, the CBCs nowadays. But yet people in 1 thread try to argue that cost should be the balancing factor, when a minute later when talking of their favorite ships, cost doesn't matter.
There is always the T2 argument, but well T2 CBCs are commandships, which the only thing they compete on are tank, and perhaps utility in the command sense.

Although you can put a command module on your CBC and make you're gang extremely more effective without the cost of a CS. And someday when they finally figure out how they want to work out on grid boosting, they'll probably have a springback because of the lower odds of them being primaried.

And we have a winner. Its a shame they've been somewhat pre-nerfed but they should make a lot more sense when this comes round.

Giving them T2esque specialist bonuses isn't really a fix is it?

Yea it would be amazing but horribly OP.

I would say Combat Battlecruiser need something more, with the recent warp speed changes, making the CBC even slower than they were before, the low speed, high sig, they do have a problem. I wouldn't say DPS is an issue, the Cyclone has a naturally low DPS in comparison to other CBC's exchange for a good active tank.

However Combat Battlecruiser have always been in a midriff for a roles. HAC's obviously out damage them while matching the tank and they are faster and smaller, but I don't think a CBC fleet should stand toe to toe with a HAC fleet in first place should be fair so comparing them is a little skewed.

The percentage bonus for overheat may be an idea, but I don't see it being completely the game changer to making CBC having a good role.

CPP already gave a new thing to CBC's, the MMJD, but I don't see people using them, at least not in Highsec wars that I participate in. Null, and Low may be different.


Personally I think all CBC need a speed buff, and maybe to counter it a slight mass increase. Making them good at flying fast in a straight line, that way they get to where they need to be quickly but not so they can turn on a dime and avoid fire like a hac could. Give them all a slightly better tank, increasing the main part of the ships tank while decreasing the unused part, IE: Raise the Ferox's shield HP by 500 and dropping the Armor EHP by 500. But keep the DPS the same. Also changing the warp speed to around 3 AU or 2.75 AU, because 2.5 is just waaay to slow for something with medium guns. The speed bonus plus the MMJD would make them great for landing inside a enemies fleet, and dealing damage there.

Also any bonuses given to CBC should NOT be given to ABC's. The Attack Battlecruisers have roles and are very good and making those roles work, they don't need any buffs.

That's my two cents anyways, I've never tried to think about how to balance the game. But that's how I would like to see CBC's work. Sorta like a heavy cavalry, dive right into the enemy lines and burn out before they start taking real damage.

Here's part one of a series I'm going to do on this topic. Thanks again for the idea!

if you don't want a literal heat damage modifier, then as mentioned, you could in its place use a 50-100% bonus to module's Hit points attached to the hull. Therefore making it unique to battlecruisers. As an example:

Role Bonus:
- Can fit warfare link modules
- 100% bonus to Module hitpoint and overheat bonus




But that's exactly what i'm getting at. You have a large ship using cruiser sized weapons, what benefit do you get in a slower ship with the lower classed weapons, but a slightly bigger buffer. With all that extra mass, shouldn't a ship be able to have better fail-safe's and control of those weapon/tank systems (larger heatsinks, etc). So, instead, we get supercharged versions of the medium weapon/tank system. I mean, look at the tier 3's, their added mass and control systems, gave them bigger guns, but lower tank. So instead of trying to fit massive guns on battle cruisers, the extra room/weight is used to give better tank and get more out of the weapon/tank system than a typical cruiser.

Or, to even add on to that, you get unique OH bonuses to each battle cruiser. As an example for the Cyclone:

Role Bonus:
- Can fit warelink modules
- 100% bonus to module hitpoint and when overheated shield booster capacitor need reduced by 60%

This would then allow fitting of XL boosters with medium cap booster, and while the cap booster reloads, you can OH SB and get better tank and much less cap consumption, allowing you to possibly survive between reloads, until either you still cap out, or burn out your tank.

Now that's an example, and not necessarily what i would want. Each ship could be different though. Hurricane could get a prop mod specific one, drake could be more tank or damage, or even precision. I mean there is a lot of potential there to get creative, and make each hull fun or fill a niche`. Keeping in mind, this is only during OH, so its not permanent.



MMJD as mentioned earlier are a nice added tool, but are limited to ships with spare mids (generally armor ships or shield specific ships like drake). I will admit, BC tank seems a bit meh, but if they buff it more, then you're going to be getting into some of the buffer levels of BS. Then, what really is the point to fly BS?

I've finished the second part of The Current State of Combat Battlecruisers. This part focuses on data I gathered regarding the usage of combat battlecruisers. I think you'll be as surprised as I am to see the numbers laid out.

I would like to see a second T2 class of Battlecruiser honestly, if you dont want a command ship theres no point in really invsting in battlecruisers for the same reasons you listed, its just a bit more EHP, roughly the same DPS, and speed for more ISK.

I think resists are fine where they are. Its a t1 ship, it gets t1 resists. Warpcore strength? I see no real use for it, except for running away. Which is not what i want to do. I'd rather have more tank/dps to kill people, instead of running away.