Player Features and Ideas Discussion

So in the midst of all of the sperg in this thread, has anyone actually worked out the purpose of these ships yet? Other than being a BS with pisspoor damage I mean.

there's been several different variations

The different designs have been (all of which are based on an Orca style mobility and size) -

style with 5 fighters and tanking bonuses with some logistics bonuses

• 1 fighter per lvl
• 1 drone control per lvl (no fighters or fighter bombers)
• 1 drone control unit per lvl (no fighters or bombers)
• some suggestions of fitting a triage module to allow for immobile, short range heavy logistics
• Command bonuses
• Bonuses towards racial drones
• ewar drones (which no ship really has, so it would make these drones more useful)

Basically, a small version of an actual carrier, but with less drone capability, less dps, less logistics, less command bonuses, able to use gates, and general fun factor of actually being able to use a REAL drone boat.

I have started working on a revised version. Calling them escort carriers (and using the link for the awesome artwork that guy did on deviant art)

Some issues that need more discussion to be good though:
Fighters? yea or nay and why?
Logistics bonuses? How big? What type?
Triage? Is it a good idea or not?
Drones? allow up to ten or focus on fighters?

The "role" of the escort carrier is to escort BS and below sized fleets with support and DPS. Also to provide a "next step" to dedicated logistics pilots who are eyeing carriers and need A:time to train the skills and B:time to learn some of the strategies of carriers.

Please lets discuss these specific factors.

If you don't like the idea at all, your disagreement is noted, please don't feel the need to extoll yourself by giving us your treatise of why we are too bomb not to biomass, it is assumed if your simple "-1" post. Thank you.

Fighters = nay, leave that for the actuall carriers
Logistics = none, must be some challange involved...
Triage = nay, again... leave it for the ships it was intended for.
Drones = a max of 10, either by DCU's or by ship skill ( last option is by far the best one )
Stargates/acceleration gates usable = YES ( lvl 4 doable )
Drone bay = around the 5m mark should be enough
Corp hanger = if any a very small such
Turrents/launchers = nay

let me get this straight, you want an orca sized ship with no jump capabilities, no corp hanger, no maint bay, no logistics capabilities, no turrets/missile slots and no triage, just fighter drones?

what on earth would be the point in it?

my point is, if you want a carrier it should get similar to carrier bonus's

30% bonus to Capital Energy and Armor(Shield) transfer range per level
99% reduction in CPU need for Warfare Link modules
Can fit Tactical Logistics Reconfiguration modules
100% bonus to Fighter control range
corp hanger and maint bays (similar size to an orca)

with the option to fit capital modules aswell as drone control units and a racial bonus
amarr % armour bonus per level
caldari % shield bonus per level
gallente % drone damage per level
minmatar % agility or speed bonus maybe?

low mass, less hp, higher base resists? (Tech2 or 3) and more agility/speed then regular carriers
the price of 500 to 700m sounds WAY too cheap, i personally think it would be better to have a higher price and make them tech 2 ships, say ball park figure of 3 or 4 billion a pop

intended role, wormhole support carrier
similar could be said of a lighter mass dread, maybe following the same lines of the teir 3 bc's and ofc no jump capabilities

also FIGHTERS CANNOT FOLLOW INTO WARP IN 0.4 AND ABOVE

buy a sin then

Well, it'd be very useful against the old bum rush with 500 frigs trick. I've been caught in that one by BoB and Goonswarm at different points.

As far as why they would have helped: well, the time Goonswarm did it, they swamped us with targets, and the drones automatically engaging when a target goes hostile in range would have been damn useful. If we had ships like this, we probably could have forced them to withdraw, or at least inflicted heavy casualties rather then either run or get curb stomped.

I know this trick is still commonly used by alliances in low and high sec as an inexpensive way to launch harassment attacks or surprise assaults during a war, and occasionally in 0.0, so I see it as a viable option and useful ship for close in defense. Particularly now that tier 1 frigs are getting buffed, it's more likely we'll see this return as a serious 0.0 strategy.

The problem with throwing ships into the game without some sort of desired role/purpose is the unforeseen side effects they may have on the game. Titans are probably the best example of this. Look at how they have been abused since their inception.

This ship and any other ship needs a reason to exist and it needs to fit into the current scheme of ship balancing.

You need to stop getting all damn defensive and assuming its a case of 'OMG HE JUST DOESNT WANT NEW THINGS IN THE GAME.' I'm all for new ships being added to the game, as long as they have a purpose and any potential imbalancing is accounted for (i.e. the ship has trade offs).

Tier 3 bcs are a great example of this actually. They can use battleship weapons and move fairly quickly, but they are paper thin. There is a trade off for their awesomeness and thus they fit well into the current scheme of ship balancing.

Where and how does this ship fit in?

wormhole combat support?

Rep amount bonus is fine. I never asked for a bonus to rep range. I was up in the air about fighters.

A small corp hanger would be ok I suppose.

What about a bonus to all drones in fleet? perhaps a warfare link module set for drone bonuses?