Player Features and Ideas Discussion

T1 ships are entry level ships, low SP, low cost. Do you use T1 tank and weapons or T2? Why would you use T1 tank or weapons if you can use T2? That is the same with ship progression. Once you have the skills and money to fly a better ship you will do so. The times you will revert back to something less will be solely based on your preference. Usually as a suicide ship you want to save some ISK by using T1 over T2/T3.

As far as Assault Frigates go, they need some love and a balance pass now that T3D are out. And CCP has, IIRC, stated they intend to take a look at AFs in the near future.

Let see, full hull fitting with rigs and dmgc in defense mode will be complete OP but again good design!

I don't think anyone is going to dispute the obvious ship progression argument. At least not reasonably.

However, T3 destroyers overshadow nearly everything else that uses small weapon systems. Only some of the Interceptors are worth flying, while others are gimped in horrible ways (Crusader, Claw), and overall they have no meaningful DPS, especially if you want to use them at long range.

The biggest problem is with Assault Ships. The only advantage an Assault Ship has over a T3 destroyer is the signature radius bonus while using MWDs. Besides that, T3s have every conceivable advantage over Assault Ships, even speed! This should not be the case.

There are exceptions, for instance the Retribution has a 7.5% tracking bonus while the Confessor does not, but in the grand scheme of things this bonus makes very little difference when a Confessor is faster, has easily twice the DPS, and can hit out to far greater ranges.

At a minimum, I think Assault Ships should generally be faster than T3 destroyers.

Claw and other Interceptors are very useful. They can catch things fast, travel anywhere safely, blap and run, and make for quick roams to hit PVE targets etc., I don't think that interceptors are meant to tank and/or brawl, aside from maybe the Taranis.

As far as the Assault Frigates go, the Harpy, Hawk (in brawler situations), Enyo (brawler), and Vengeance are alright. The Punisher, Wolf, Jaguar, Retri, and Ishkur are overshadowed by other ships in my opinion - especially the new T3s destroyers.

But back to the Hecate. That signature bloom means that they will take heavy damage from most competent cruiser comps. But depending on player skill and warpins the Hecate will be hell for some of the other T3 dessies. As far as it looks now I am liking solo brawling fits and a Harpy-esque 125mm rail fit. Maybe a little high power (due to the sheer versatility) but I'm sure that if the cost can be kept high enough people will still have reason to use cheaper ships.

Well, we won't be using Enyos in our C4 wolf-rayet ratting. That's like, 1650 DPS in C4 W-R, and basically perma-run MWD to get from rat to rat extra fast.

YOLOSWAGCASHDOLLAZ

Certainly invalidates the majority of other options, especially in C13's. Woe betide anyone who gets dropped on by these in any wormhole, with nice 0m warp-ins.

Interceptors are actually supposed to be designed for combat, so it's sad that the Crusader and Claw, which both should be elite combat inteceptors, are relegated to the role of shuttle.

If you spend any decent amount of time trying to find a use for the Claw / Crusader, you will know that they are garbage cans.

I love the T3 destroyers just as much as anyone else. I do not want to see them nerfed again. I love the Confessor the way it is.

However, if you think about this rationally, it is impossible to look at the current frigate lineup, and conclude that any of the Assault Ships are in a good place. As soon as the Hecate is out, there will no longer be any reason to purchase an Assault Ship, aside from silly reasons like aesthetics, which from a gameplay perspective is really irrelevant here.

With that in mind, it should be impossible for anyone to ignore the hideous problem with the Crusader and the Claw. They used to be okay, once upon a time. But they have never actually been good, and in the current game they are simply mediocre. Arty Claws are terrible, like, absolute crap. The only reason someone should use one of those, is as a tackle Interceptor, but at that point, you are using the wrong ship for the job, and should just get a Stiletto.

Such ashame to see a veteran 2007 char going around ganking peoples in T3D's. If that's not trolling I don't know what is. Get yourself a SC or Titan.......... and stay in it.

This right here.
it looks great other then its redoncules dps.
its going to end up being another Catalyst used for ganking, At least with this you can have a tank.
but seriously tho i think this is going to be the next suicide ganking specialty ship really this will replace the Tornado in Jita ganking i think for half the cost look at the other T3D's prices already far more cost effective.

On another note i think Suicide ganking needs to be looked at but thats not the point here.

cant wait to drop a fleet of these onto some freighters for the lulz