Ships & Modules

So the Hybrids have been buffed and the number of viable ships using it have vastly increased.

So lets compare with what you get for Energy Weapon and Hybrid skills:

Excluding frigs, they are easy to train and hybrids win here as well:

With hybrids, you get:
Throax,Deimos,Vigilant,Proteus,Brutix,Talos,Naga,Mega,Rokh,Vindi

Most of them have valid fittings with rails or blasters.
Thats, 10 valid pvp ships using hybrids. Most of those ships work in small gangs while the Rokh have potential to match the Abaddon in fleet use in the long run. (as people train into it)

If you train lasers, you get following:
Zealot,Legion,Harb,Oracle,Geddon,Baddon,Nightmare,Bhaal

That is only 8 valid pvp ships, and their role overlaps more and many must be used with support in specific fleet concepts, and there is almost no good shield option. The biggest advantage is that they hit resist holes and thats about it.

---

So are we gonna see hybrids overtake energy weapons usage in the long run?

In your opinion a weapon used by 2 Races one of which every combat ship has as a main weapon and the other more then half use it and their are only 2 more Ships. Most people would call that a rather poor showing considering their are a lot more Hybrid Ships in the Game then Laser Ships. Especially with 3 Drone Boats that don't have Laser bonuses unlike Gal Ships and 4 Missile Boats in the Amarr Lineup.

The good news is that the Maller, Omen and Prophecy are going under the microscope and the Harbinger is most likely being brought in line with the other Tier 2's. The Proph, Omen and Puni may just be getting that Laser Dmg Bonus so they can stop being high tank projectile boats.

Ether way with T1 Frigates / Cruisers and Tier 1 Battlecruisers on the Rebalance block as laid out in the CSM Minutes and Dev Posts as well as CCP saying they are looking into Armor vs Shield Balance Amarr should be plenty fine.

Even with the Null buff, blasters lack the versatility of Pulse with Scorch.

But Rails vs Beams: they are probably about the same.

Scorch is awesome because it basically triples range.
Sure, its only a 50% range bonus from "standard", but we should really be comparing the guns using the T1 high damage ammo.

Going from MultiFrequency to Scorch means getting 3x the optimal, for over 2x the total range.

Going from PP/EMP/Fusion to barrage means getting 1.5x the falloff, for a little over 1.5x the total range

With antimatter, about 2/3 of your range comes from falloff, going from AM to Null gives you 2.8x the optimal and 1.5x the falloff, for about 1.8x the range.

Scorch still wins:

Actual stats:
Medium Pulse Laser II Multi/Scorch
Optimal: 3000/9000
Falloff: 2000/2000
Optimal+Falloff: 5000/11,000
Ratio: 2.2

200mm Autocannon II PP/Barrage
Optimal: 600/1200
Falloff: 4800/7200
Optimal+Falloff: 5400/8400
Ratio: 1.56

Light Neutron Blaster II AM/Null
Optimal: 900/2520
Falloff: 2500/3500
Optimal+Falloff: 3400/6020
Ratio: 1.77x

Of course, not to say that autocannons need a buff, bc the T1 are already OP'd in my opinion.

When you look at the base stats of the autocannon turrets, it doesn't seem that bad.
The problem is the ammo: when you load the high damage ammo into the other turrets, you get a nearly 50% effective range penalty. When you load high damage ammo into autocannons, you get a LOL effective range penalty of 10%
When you load the "standard" 0% range modifier ammo in the other guns, you get no "perks", while Lulz, the autos get a 20% tracking boost (and the base stats already have the best tracking)

Anyway... my point is that you still don't get the same range extension as you do with lasers, and blasters already were limited by range.
(although lasers always could load radio/microwave to get the same range, but this means you are doing about half the DPS- so its double your range, or double your DPS, depending on how you look at it).
So I wouldn't say that Hybrid have displaced lasers, but the balance is much better now.
I also don't thing Scorch is too OP'd as people whine about, rather Null was previously under powered (its better now, 1.8x vs 2.2 is close enough for me, considering range was never their strong suit), and as always, autos are between fine and OPd.

Well there are a lot more factors in this choice. First of all I dont think your list of ships on either side of the line is correct/complete.

Given that there are other things to consider. Hybrids are a very in your face brawler choice, PVP wise anyways. This is a fighting style you must appreciate. Lasers offer much more range even with the 'short range' pulse variation while losing relatively little DPS is doing so.

Lazers do a set damage type, so they'll do better against shield tanked ships by default so the part of space you are in and what you end up fighting most of the time also plays a role in your decision.

Personally I've had a laser/amarr account and I didnt like it very much. Cool ships and all but I mostly fight armor tankers and the fact they are not made to shoot those really showed.

Also are you a trained armor tanker and do you prefer to be one? Amarr (laser) cant shield tank ships like Gallente/Caldari (Hybrid) can.

Anyways the choice depends on where you fly, what you are already trained to tank and how you like to fly.

[Dominix, YouForgotSomething]
Damage Control II
Energized Adaptive Nano Membrane II
Energized Adaptive Nano Membrane II
1600mm Reinforced Rolled Tungsten Plates I
1600mm Reinforced Rolled Tungsten Plates I
Magnetic Field Stabilizer II
Magnetic Field Stabilizer II

Tracking Computer II, Optimal Range
Tracking Computer II, Optimal Range
Stasis Webifier II
Warp Disruptor II
Prototype 100MN MicroWarpdrive I

Ion Blaster Cannon II, Caldari Navy Antimatter Charge L
Ion Blaster Cannon II, Caldari Navy Antimatter Charge L
Ion Blaster Cannon II, Caldari Navy Antimatter Charge L
Ion Blaster Cannon II, Caldari Navy Antimatter Charge L
Ion Blaster Cannon II, Caldari Navy Antimatter Charge L
Ion Blaster Cannon II, Caldari Navy Antimatter Charge L

Large Trimark Armor Pump I
Large Trimark Armor Pump I
Large Anti-Explosive Pump I


Bouncer II x5
Garde II x5
Hammerhead II x5
Warrior II x5
Vespa EC-600 x5

Cause Feroxes are for ACs :D

I'd agree with the previous response; in that lasers are more useful for many applications.
Hybrids have the down side of you requiring a lot of ammo, and eventually running out.
More ammo in your bay is less space for loot, running out of ammo means you're dead.
Hybrid guns are also not in favor of most pvp ships. It's all Artillery / Autocannons, Beams / Pulse these days, and Drake missiles.
People may have a personal preference for Gallente ships and hybrid weapons, but they're neither practical nor desirable in fleet pvp warfare.
You should be training Autocannon/Artillery, Missiles, and Laser Beams.
Leave the Hybrids to the neofants.

Regards,

Autos, Pulse Lasers, Artillery, Heavy Missiles, Heavy Assault Missiles, Blasters, Rockets, Railguns, Torps, Beam Lasers, Standard Missiles, Cruise Missiles

That's the order i'd train weapon systems in, given the chance to do it all over.

I would not say that Lasors are Superior to Hybrids, personally i think that Hybrids are now balanced. All the weapons in eve has an area they cover. Hybrids are supposed to be long range weapons with medium damage, Blasters are supposed to be short ranged weapons with extreme high damage.

It wont really make sense to buff hybrids any more. Increase range of blasters? well that will make the game unbalanced because they will creep into an area which projectiles seat. Make Rails have more damage they will also encroach into another turrets area lasers, a weapon type with medium damage and pretty neat damage ( scorch ). playing around with ammo wont really change that much.

as a Hybrid user i very much welcome the change, even more welcome is the incremental changes which are made, rather than the sudden huge changes which were made in the past *Projectiles cough cough*.

You'll want to b keeping an eye on 'my eve' section of this forum in the next couple of weeks m8