Upcoming Feature and Change Feedback Center

Hello everyone!
We're planning a huge set of module tiericide in our March release and this thread will serve as the feedback location for changes to ECCM, Sensor Boosters, Remote ECCM, Remote Sensor Boosters, Sensor Backup Arrays and Signal Amplifiers.

These changes are pretty huge, and include a complete merger of all ECCM into their respective Sensor Booster modules.

One of the worst things about the ECCM, Remote ECCM, and Sensor Backup Array modules is that they feel terrible for the user when nobody tries to jam you (or when you get jammed anyways since there are no guarantees with randomness). To solve this problem we are adding Omni ECCM effects to Sensor Boosters, Remote Sensor Boosters and Signal Amplifier modules, and adding a new ECCM script for the active modules. Existing ECCM modules and blueprints will be converted on patch day into their closest sensor boosting equivalent.

These new modules will give bonuses to all four sensor strengths, as choosing the right ECCM type for your ship is not and interesting choice or valuable gameplay.

This change also has the added benefit of reducing the number of modules a new player needs to learn about by over 100 (we actually had 72 kinds of Sensor Backup Arrays in the game alone, it blew my mind).

As for the non-ECCM part of the Sensor Booster tiericide, we are increasing fitting costs a bit and adding new Rogue Drone faction and officer varieties. The new faction RSBs intentionally provide a very small benefit for scan resolution over T2, as we don't want to significantly buff instalock camps at this time. They provide some great targeting range and sensor strength however.

Here's the most recent iteration of the numbers:
[img]http://content.eveonline.com/www/newssystem/media/67557/1/SensorBoosters.jpg[/img]

We're very interested in your feedback on all these changes. We'll be releasing them to Singularity next week if all goes well, so that you can try these and all the other module changes planned for the March release. Please use this thread for passing along your feedback, and we'll be reading.

Thanks!

Clear Skies had you beat on this by a few years.

This is a good change. Nice job CCP.

Well Played CCP,

Really nice change.

It does. If you are not under jam pressure you can switch out the script and get your sensor strength or lock range boosted.

Doing the numbers on the T2 SEBO, and the scripted sensor strength comes out at 76.8 assuming 60% like the scan res and targeting range scripts. Current ECCM modules provide 96%. Did I just do the math wrong?

Looks great.

As a logi pilot, the flexibility to adapt to the situation with scripts is wonderful.

Thanks! 7o

That's the part I didn't latch onto, Thanks!

Yes, because whereas your choice of which jams to fit lets you prepare to counter different threats or have different opportunities as the battlefield evolves (fit more Amarr jams to counter guardian support, fit more Caldari for counter-jam work, etc.), there is no reason to ever fit an off-race ECCM. You don't counter a different type of setup by fitting the wrong ECCM, you just waste a slot. It's not a "choice" if there's only ever one correct decision.

What I think people don't like about ECM that many have pointed out is it has no counter play. If you are jammed, that's it. You can no do absolutely nothing of value for the next 20 seconds in addition to the time it takes to relock targets. Oh and heaven help you if you had someone tackled and they vomited out some light ECM drones on you and escaped. ECM drones are the most produced drone for all the EW drones than all other drones combined. The reason is very obvious. They are super cheap and turns any ship with a drone bay into a Kitsune.

ECM is not a fun game mechanic. It is a dice roll to see if players are allowed to play the game or not. Merging these modules initially sounds good and does help the situation some, but still does absolutely nothing to address the fact being jammed offers no counter play what so ever. ECM is just a terrible game mechanic that is a relic from old game design philosophy.