Player Features and Ideas Discussion

interceptors hold still and allow themselves to be destroyed in my fantasies too, how bizarre

You do realize that you can catch an interceptor that's running an Entosis Link, right? They have to sit in range of the structure while the cycle runs, so if a Garmur can land mid cycle AT ZERO on grid, all it has to do is OH a WD2 and bam, Interceptor isn't warping off, and it can OH a MWD and close faster than the interceptor can react. At 13.6km it can apply a WS2 and that Interceptor might as well be standing still.

At MOST the interceptor has 10 seconds from the time it can see the Garmur on D-scan to GTFO, but once you factor in "being human" you're really only looking at maybe 6-7 seconds to get out of the high speed orbit to warping out. Seems like a lot of time, until you start figuring in server connection latency and then suddenly you're looking at a very tight window in which you can run away.

Hah someone missed the point about moving to the next objective

basically the point about trollceptors

After further mulling over the changes and the feedback of others more experienced in Sov warfare both under the current mechanics and the older mechanics I have the following thoughts to toss into the ring:

Grinding Sov was and still is an annoying and un-enjoyable experience.

The Enosis module is a good start towards reducing grind and the need for massive super capital fleets.

No one likes losing things in their sleep. Real life should always be more important and the game's mechanics should respect that.

For people depriving someone else of a structure (TCU, IHUB, or Station), the process should not be a simple matter, but neither should it be laborious.

While Sov was not designed for small corporations or a handful of people, it should not require huge numbers across multiple time zones to manage and maintain.

Sov of one system or station should not be dependent on 'nodes' outside the system in question. The defender should always have the home court advantage - it is their structure being defended. Additionally smaller entities are placed into an immediate disadvantage when attempting to take Sov from a larger group or defending Sov from a larger group if they have to run to multiple systems in a Constellation to capture points. Their fewer numbers already place them at a disadvantage - don't make it worse.

However, you also want to spread fights out. Each system in a Constellation held by the same defending alliance can spawn the Command Nodes despite the originating system. If the Alliance only holds one system in a Constellation, then only that system spawns the Command Nodes. While this does not prevent a large buildup of an invading force in a system, it does prevent a smaller force from losing Sov of a system because they were unable to reach a command node several systems away they had no stake in controlling.

People should be able to initially attack in their own time zone but the defender should be able to dictate when reinforce occurs. POCOs have struck me as a good example of meeting this. Prime Time (usually when the alliance as a whole is mostly online and playing any given day) will not be important to vulnerability, but for when reinforce exits.

Therefore (All ideas assume the current mechanics proposed by Fossie except otherwise noted):
1 - Base capture rate for a single Entosis module should be 30 minutes with diminishing returns for additional ships applying the link to no less than 10 minutes. These times do not reflect occupancy bonuses which could push it to between 40 and 2 hours.

2 - Base capture rate outside the Prime Time should be multiplied by x8 while capture rate is normal during prime time. If the capture attempt is not interrupted when Prime time is entered, then the capture rate returns to normal and all existing time spent during the capture is adjusted. So if a single sub-cap was applying a link for 3 hours on a location and then starting the third hour the system went into the defenders prime, the remaining Entosis application time will drop from 60 more minutes to 3.25 minutes (1/8th of an hour). These times do not reflect occupancy bonuses.

3 - Only TCCUs and IHUBs are vulnerable to reinforcement 24/7 while being more vulnerable during prime time.

4 - Given the value stored within Stations, they are only vulnerable to reinforcement during Prime Time. The enabling and disabling is normal.

5 - Command nodes spawning in the Constellation: will only appear in any given the system if that system holds a structure owned by the defender at the time of reinforcement. Example: Alliance A holds all TCUs in a Constellation. Alliance B has 2 IHUBS and 1 Station across two of those systems within the Constellation. If The IHUB of Alliance B is attacked then any Command Nodes spawned will appear in the two systems Alliance B has these structures in. If the TCU of Alliance A is attacked, then the Command Nodes will appear in any of the systems in the Constellation.

6 - Command nodes only appear during the prime time of the defender.

Well its a good system except for the whole entosis link on uncatchable inties thing.

Ok, couple of points to make:

Wannabe EFT warriors with their gimmick sniper fits, learn about the difference between "paper dps" being the raw damage potential of the hull, weapon system, ammo, skills, implants and environmental effects and "applied dps" which is the above apply to a target which is doing something other than being an immoble target without resists and having the sig radius of an outpost. Putting the sniper eagle fit into eft and using long range faction ammo realises about 7 dps applied on a 4kms stileto that has good transversal, and that is at optimal range. No icant link the dps graph as I am at work, learn to use the dps graph yourself.

Others have pointed out gimmick faction frigate and T3 destroyer fits that can catch these interceptors. These work better, but seem to hilariously relc on landing at 0 on the inty or rely on it dumbly orbiting a TCU. Also, dont claim you can probe it down and kill it with x pimp fit frigate when the frigate lacks a probe launcher. Not going to happen (well it will with some goons being terriblel) point is you have to close range to 20-24km with an interceptor to tacklet it, closer if you want to web it. A dram can do 8kms, it will still only close at 4kms if our inty pilot aligns off into space. Assume our inty started 110km from the drams warp in it will take at least 22 seconds to get into scram range and needs another 10 seconds to really apply dps. You duke it out and maybe 2 minutes later its done. Op success! Killmails and gf. Your dram docks up and repairs mods overheated and heads back out to chase down another inty. 2 systems over and 5 minutes later, the dram lands on grid aligns and burns to our next inty, but 21 seconds later the inty warps off. Entosis cycle complete, troll face on. Now the dram can't do crap to catch the inty because it warps and aligns faster and is immume to bubbles.

Multiply that by a fleet of 255 inties and telll me you will harvest kill mails? You probably will for a day or 2 then spend time uselessly capping sov nodes.

What if the fleet comes back with 200 inties and a wing of dictors Svipuls, Keres and Daredevils to counter defenders in gimmick fit frigates? First hostile gate camp your defender dram runs into will kill in a heartbeat (ok 3 hearbeats cause no goon has less than 60 heartbeats per minute).

Really the point we goons are driving home is this on any scale above a 1v1 fight the inty is just too fast, agile, too small and evasive to not dictate if and when it fights and this is with the benefit of experience we have fighting inty gangs on our home turf.

This is pretty offtopic for the entosis link thread, specifically, but you do raise an excellent point. I agree that capture nodes should prefer to spawn in systems in the constellation where the defending alliance has least one sovereignty object (ihub, tcu, station.)

I will remember this when more relevant forum threads arise on the topic of capture nodes, and pass it along to the Goonswarm Federation CSM reps as well. It's not to steal your thunder, or anything, but I feel like it's a legitimate concern and it'd be a shame if you, specifically, missed the thread, forgot, or otherwise were unavailable to reiterate the point.

I was worried there would be no more capital fights....but then...

Screw evasion fits....super carriers are the dominate force.

Massive sensor strength = ECM less effective
Massive targeting range = Sensor Damp unrealistic
Wait wait wait....they're immune to electronic warfare silly me
Massive tank...
Massive utility....reship to go catch that pesky evasion interceptor

And the biggest thing of all....Remote ECM Burst

....of course the big guys with a super carrier will carry the day against any smaller force (smaller meaning subcap)

I imagine one super carrier could solo cap a node in 70% of cases. 1 super carrier plus friend or two able to refit to chase down a guy capping outside the 150 km remote ecm burst range would make it 90%. Even the fittings for that super carrier could be dirt cheap. Wouldn't need expensive fighters/bombers unless you thought you were gonna get dropped on....and if they do they better bring enough dps to drop you in that short timer cap window.

Aeon > Wyvern > Nyx > Hel

So aside from interceptors; you are saying the Entosis Link module is perfect? If not, then what needs work?

Not only is this important, it's fundamental. However, the idea that ANY large bloc would be able to refrain from attacking each other once trollsov goes live is simply laughable. The decision will no longer be in the hands of bloc leaders because it will no longer be relegated to a relatively small group of cap pilots flying ships very few people can afford to individually lose without SRP/alliance support.

The decision will be made by line members flying cheap subcaps doing serious sov damage and/or provoking routine fights with formerly blue neighbors because they are bored and tired of stagnant null. The moment they realize that standings the diplos have set mean squat, 80% of coalition PvP pilots will be rolling the sov of anyone not wearing their alliance tag. And there's nothing their alliance can do to prevent this. Kicking these folks will merely serve to weaken that alliance's ability to defend sov while simultaneously adding to the numbers of ronin intimately familiar with local geography. Each and every one of them capable of contesting sov in a relatively meaningful way and now pissed at the alliance that just kicked them merely for the desire of finding fights nearby with groups they mostly already don't like.

Probably the funniest part of this change is the number of people that seem to have forgotten their alliances are NOT made up predominantly of people with capital ships or the budget to lose those ships on their own whims. Pilots who don't actually need or care about 20m ratting ticks in a Nyx with perfect IHUB upgrades in a system. These are the faceless line members making up a huge portion of your numbers that will suddenly have the tools to contest sov whenever they want in the cheapest ships available; SRP and diplos be damned. Goon core should do well as usual, BRAVE, etc., but everyone better be taking a serious look at their demographics if you think you will have ANY chance to control who your line members are attacking once this change goes live.

And best of all, if this DOESN'T happen, it will expose baldly the lie of nullbears claiming that they are tired of stagnant null. It will be in the hands of each and every 2 month old pilot with a hangar of subcaps to vote with their sovlasers, so to speak, as to whether or not null should remain blue and stagnant. Bloc leaders will have pretty much no say in this choice.