Player Features and Ideas Discussion

Ah yess,

An EntosisImmunity Blockade Unit: deploy at >50% of gates to make the sov structures vulnerable to entosis links.

This update does the opposite of what nullsec needs.

Having an arbitrarily defined alliance-wide primetime does not incentivize diversity.

The real problem is that there's no longer any risk-reward calculation in this system. By turning sov into a game of laser tag there's no use at all for dreadnoughts anymore. There's no reason to risk anything valuable on the field when you're only trying to aim a laser at a thing until the other guy leaves grid; you can do that with moderately priced cruisers. The likely scenario is that we'll just be able to drag out fights past the end of the window and force a stalemate at long range without any meaningful fights happening.

It's like CCP wants nullsec to just not exist. They seem to hate everything about large alliances and coalitions even though that's what makes this game unique, so they're trying to force our gameplay to change in a way they like better without understanding what we already have or what the changes would actually mean for us.

There has been posted quite a number of ways to counter a trollceptor over these 40 pages actually.

Entosis fuel is a good idea. +1

I think that this is all getting overly complicated.

The Entosis Links system doesn't seem like a bad mechanic. But I'd simply restrict them to Cruiser-sized hulls and above. Adding more resources etc., doesn't sound like a fix.

I love the idea of Command Nodes and spreading out the fight. But that is where the main issue with the interceptors is.

The main reason to me is the warp speed differences between hulls. Simply put, Frigates and Destroyers are too fast and will be used too often to capture the command nodes. Alliances will use smaller hulls to more quickly take over the Command Nodes. Larger hulls will become more obsolete for sov-fights and will have very little use. Alliances with more members will have a huge advantage at quickly capturing command nodes without as much thought being put into fleet composition and tactics.

Create a hull size requirement for Entosis Links and suddenly your fleet cannot instawarp past gatecamps or bubbled gates. You have to either fight through or bridge past somehow. There would be more reason to use titan-bridges or jump bridges to move defensive fleets into position over nodes.

Yes, interceptors could be killed on grid with all sorts of light missile / fast tracking ships like Talwars, Muninns or even Algoses but you don't want the whole meta to be revolved around countering travel 'ceptors with Entosis Links.

Many have already mentioned it, there should be a balance in effort for both Attacker/Defender.


Suggestion:
The entosis link needs cap booster charges to run. (like the ASB)

You have several options to balance this.
- Activating the Entosis link consumes 1x charge and runs forever until it is deactivated/captured or interrupted. Or make it time based, e.g. 1x charge is good for x minutes.
- The charge size matters, e.g. only 400 cap booster can be used for an Entosis link. That means Ceptors have only x attempts to use an Entosis link before they have to get more cap booster from a cloak hauler/whatever.

You can't run amok with like 500 Ceptors for an unlimited amount time but you could if you put a lot of effort into it. Roaming fleets in bigger ships won't have a problem and undefended systems will still be rather easy to conquer.
On the other hand defender will have an easier time to deflect any not so serious attempts on their sov.

I honestly cant understand the continuing hand wringing over the interceptor with a sov laser.

(*) Before snakes/quafe/offgrid or fleet boosts, etc your average trollceptor would have ~140 km lock range and would be going at ~5.2 km/s, align time without mwd 2 .. 3 seconds. It would have approx 2000 ehp. Signature ~70m with mwd on, ~30m with mwd off.
(*) When using sov laser (assuming T2) it would be "stuck" in 2 minute cykles. At minimum it would need 2 minutes to start harassment + 10 minutes to cause a timer. It is possible to use it in two slightly different ways (1) creating initial "troll" timers (2) trying to ninja capture command bunkers.

So how would one go about countering such thing. Let me do couple assumptions first
(1) There is someone in local when trollceptor comes in and notices a hostile in local. (it is defenders prime time so it is reasonable to assume every system is populated somehow)
(2) Defender is not prepared for it sitting in grid already but has to spend 2..3 minutes to warp to it's ship stockpile, get a correct ship and go make the troll die/go away (meaning the trollceptor can go to it's desirable range unopposed)
(3) There is only a single trollceptor and single defender present in system. Ofc in reality both sides are free to bring buddies / alts into the mix.
(4) Both pilots at all lev 5 skills, no additional boosts (in reality both sides can have implants / OGB, etc)

[1] Static structure (ihub, tcu, station), initial timer creation
- both sides have a set of tacktical bookmarks prepared (more likely for defender as he is living in there after all)
- defender lands on grid, trollceptor takes note and starts to "burn offgrid". On average it has approx 60 seconds of sov laser timer remaining.
- example defence ship I would use with set of tacticals to harass a trollceptor
[Cormorant, Cormorant MK III]
Magnetic Field Stabilizer II
Magnetic Field Stabilizer II

Limited 1MN Microwarpdrive I
Sensor Booster II
Sensor Booster II

150mm Railgun II
150mm Railgun II
150mm Railgun II
150mm Railgun II
150mm Railgun II
150mm Railgun II
150mm Railgun II
Sov Laser I

Small Hybrid Locus Coordinator I
Small Ancillary Current Router I
Small Hybrid Locus Coordinator I

Spike S x1000
Javelin S x1000
Caldari Navy Antimatter Charge S x1000
Targeting Range Script x2
Scan Resolution Script x2

- warp to a suitable bookmark (~10 sec) , lock (5 seconds), fire 2-5 volleys (5 .. 13 seconds), 150 damage / volley, 300 .. 750 damage.
- repeat the process, on average trollceptor escapes with some hull left - about every 4th trollceptor should die bcos it was unlucky enough to have ~90 seconds remaining on its timer when you landed.
- warp to structure, use your own sov laser for a minute or two, go back ratting OR if troll sticks around in system try to chase it a bit before going back to ratting.

Cost of platforms (irrelevant for balance purposes) 15 mil (+20 mil for t1 sov laser if present) for defender vs 20 mil (+80 mil for t2 sov laser that is needed to be a trollceptor).

[2] Command node - freshly spawned neither side has bookmarks.
- defender is already in a combat ship - most likely en-route to the command bunker when troll comes in, or if troll is already present both initiate the warp when the bunker spawns. Matter of luck who comes out of warp where.
- because of earlier assumptions there is for some reason only one defender and only one attacker present.
- defender has the advantage of being able to switch ships if there is stalemate with trollceptor.
- defenders goal is not to kill trollceptor but to cap the command bunker as fast as possible
- bring a T1 cruiser (blackbird, celestis) with sufficient lock range to neuther the trollceptor, cap the node.
[Blackbird, Antitrolololol]
Signal Distortion Amplifier II
Signal Distortion Amplifier II
Damage Control II

Experimental 10MN Microwarpdrive I
Large Shield Extender II
Sensor Booster II, Targeting Range Script
ECM - Spatial Destabilizer II
ECM - Phase Inverter II
ECM - Ion Field Projector II

Rapid Light Missile Launcher II, Mjolnir Light Missile
Rapid Light Missile Launcher II, Mjolnir Light Missile
Rapid Light Missile Launcher II, Mjolnir Light Missile
Sov Laser I

Medium Core Defense Field Extender I
Medium Core Defense Field Extender I
Medium Core Defense Field Extender I

Hornet EC-300 x2

- carry mobile depot and full set of racial jammers to pick suitable jammers for specific trollceptor

Cost of platforms (irrelevant for balance purposes) 25 mil (+20 mil for t1 sov laser if present) for defender vs 20 mil (+80 mil for t2 sov laser that is needed to be a trollceptor).

It could be just one unit to activate it and then it lasts until you no longer are on grid/dead/win/lose lock. Then it would last the whole four hours.

Then again, maybe it shouldn't last the whole four hours and clearing the grid of hostiles before you go activating the Entosis Link is the way to go. Which I think is the better solution.

Just reposting what seems to have gained some traction in case it was lost in the pages:

In regards to the Entosis Link using fuel:

I think this is a good idea. Using one Strontium every time you turn the module on would do a few good things.

• As Mike pointed out earlier along with the original people I'm sure; it would mean there is some form of logistics taking place to contest these systems. Especially when it comes to the outer lying systems.
• Smaller ships, such as interceptors *hint hint*, will have to be somewhat selective on what systems to contest and how many times they are willing to try to contest it. If they find themselves dealing with actual defenders active in the system and negating their Entosis Link with their own, they will have wasted time and will need to move on.
• Even if super zippy, untouchable (allegedly... ) ships do their thing, they can only do it so long before they run out of fuel.
• The defenders have the luxary of nearby stations and POS's that are common for alliances that own sov to resupply their Entosis Links.
• Overdrive Injectors, which is used to gain fast speed, have a penalty to cargo space. Food for thought.
• If players do not like the idea of having to resupply so often with small fast ships, they can use larger ships with bigger cargo bays. These larger ships tend to be much, much slower than tiny fast frigates. Getting the picture now?

What the over all effect is it still means abandoned systems can still be captured just as easy as this new sov system wants, without having to subject itself to the mythical Trollceptors that terrorize the dreams of certain groups.

What are your thoughts?

Battle Entosis Fuel Bader is a GO!