Player Features and Ideas Discussion

This sounds like a more reasonable approach to me, though it would certainly impact more ships. For instance, any ship with 40m3 can now field two heavies.

This isn't nearly a big enough change.

booked

Ships with 50 bandwidth can currently field two heavies. I dont remember the last time I saw a thorax, arbitrator, or any ship with that bandwidth fielding 2 heavy drones and not 5 medium drones. You lose out on mobility and tracking with heavies vs others. Unbounused those things are slow.

you lose dps aswel, 5 medium are better than 2 heavies, more dps, better application etc...

Ahh those were the good old days :(

And no, limiting Gal to just Therm Damage Drones is just lame.
Every race has a pro and con to their weapon systems. Lasers have the fast reload. Missiles and Projectiles use no cap and have selectable damage.

Dronee/Boats need some balance work done, that's for sure, but taking Gal down to single damage type isn't it. Nor is nerfing them all across the board.

The end of the day, the issue is Sentries, and the Ishtar. Navy Vexor is strong, but expensive, without high resists, and you aren't going to see them take over after any Ishtar Nerf.

As for the HP vs Damage bonuses.. Gotta remember, Drones are the only system where you can disarm a ship. On Drone-based ships HP can be very important.. unless you are going to let us replenish drones from Cargo just like you can with Ammo. Without the need to dock/use a depot/etc.

Bouncer nerf misses the point. So does the announced Ishtar nerf of reducing the damage bonus.

Tracking is the problem. Sentries are a BS sized weapon systems. They should not be able to track frigates and cruisers at close range. Sub-BS hulls should not get tracking bonuses to them. With their native high tracking, PLUS the tracking bonus on many ship hulls, sentry drones can apply their BS sized DPS to medium sized or smaller ships, and do it without need for webs or target painters. This should not be possible.

Drones already offer the flexibility of being able to swap weapon class at will. No other weapon system can do this; it's part of their design and their key advantage. By carrying a stock of Light drones in their hold, even a BS can engage frigate sized targets. However, by changing your weapon class, you also change your DPS class. A Dominix using Light Drones is doing a fraction of it's DPS potential; this is a worthwhile tradeoff to hit small targets that would be able to speed tank you otherwise. Sentries don't need to make that tradeoff; that's why they are OP. Putting tracking bonuses on drone boats was a mistake that should never have been made; it sabotages the entire design philosophy of drones.

Without the tracking bonuses, sentries are no more powerful then equivalent BS guns. This is how it should be. Be able to down-class at will to engage a smaller target is already a huge advantage.

The damage bonus changes nothing.

That is true but they're pretty good at all other ranges. THere is after all a reason why people abuse the **** out of Bouncers and Curators.

Sentries do not need fixing. Simply remove the dreaded drone-assist and the Drone Damage Amp modules, which fixes all kinds of drone-related problems.