Player Features and Ideas Discussion

Fire control link are a new electronic warfare support being introduced by the yards.
Though ships may be able to equip the systems to further thier fellow pilots it is more cost effective by number of pilots to use the ship designed to use the devices.

FCLs behave as though they're weapon upgrades increasing ROF, and/or damage of a ships weapon systems. They can also effect drones as well with these remotes. They're CPU intensive though but they can effectively boost another ships performance.

With max training, and ship bonuses a single fire control link would outperform a weapon upgrade module significantly on either ROF or Damage but not both as it will be a scripted module to choose between the two.

I am not sure if the remote weapon links need to be racial or non racial but that would be something to discuss though.

With that said hulls are bing laid and being constructed to support the new ships.

To assist in thier combat ablities all of these ships are heavy drone users as an offensive weapon system so they sport far heavier drone bays than other ships of thier class. They have at least 1 weapon system but are more dependent on using links to enhance other ships fireing abilities.

Becuase of thier expanded drone bays and bonuses, they are better suited to eat up the role as the tech 1 minelayer ship which solves the problem of not having to create two hulls for semi similar jobs.

Fire Control Frigates lock apox. 50% faster than standard frigates this allows them to target thier own drones faster to boost thier preformance.

Mines are a new type of drone that follows all drone rules (ie they go inactive if you leave grid they require bandwidth.) Thier defeses and navigation have been sacrificed for more room for the warhead aboard. The amount of damage they deal is rather significant, but FOF missiles, defender missiles, and smart bombs will offer protection from the mines. Mines are also typically slower than the average combat drone so close range deployment is recommnded, and unlike bombs or missiles or ammo, drones are easily exhaustable. When they attack though they kill themselves in the processes. Mines are restricted from being deployed by carriers. Also unlike drones they do not auto follow their mothership so where they are dropped is where they'll stay until a target of criteria comes into range. Mines from regular ships are very weak, while mines deployed by minelayers have a slightly better chance at surviving to hit thier targets.

T1 "Designator" Frigates
These frigate will be top heavy and lightweight on the bottom similar to an interceptor, the top slots layout would support multiple links and one weapon system.

Tradewind - Minmatar - New Hull
Drone attack + speed bonus
Weapon Link Bonus

Weaver - Caldari - New Hull
Drone attack + shield bonus
Weapon Link Bonus

Fevor - Amarr - New Hull
Drone attack + armor bonus
Weapon Link Bonus

Actaeon - Gallente - New Hull
Drone attack + tracking bonus
Weapon Link Bonus

T2 Type A - Minelayer Frigate
These frigates will be armor level heavy with not much more room for top rack and off tank racks. However will sport multiple weapon systems.
Drops the weapon link bonuses for additional drone bonus and bay, very useful for the use in the use of suicide drones. Has longer mine deployability over a battleship using small mines.

Ocelot - Minmatar - Tradewind Hull
Drone attrack + Speed bonus + Drone Bay
Self Tank Bonus

Salamander - Caldari - Weaver Hull
Drone attack + Shield Bonus + Drone Bay
Self Tank Bonus

Baptiser - Amarr - Fevor Hull
Drone attack + Armor Bonus + Drone Bay
Self Tank Bonus

Ajax - Gallente - Actaeon Hull
Drone attack + armor bonus + drone bay
Self tank bonus

T2 Type B - Uplink Frigate
These frigates will be top heavy to support a large rack of weapon link modules. They also sport additional EWAR support roles their tank isnt competitive with some combat ships but its decently better and more reliant on reistances.

Tiger - Minmatar - Tradewind Hull
Weapon Link Bonus
Target Painter Bonus

Nightengale - Caldari - Weaver Hull
Weapon Link Bonus
Remote Sensor Booster Bonus

Ashram - Amarr - Fevor Hull
Weapon Link Bonus
Remote Tracking Link Bonus

Boreas - Gallente - Actaeon Hull
Weapon Link Bonus
Remote ECCM Bonus.

Not to be alone in its entire tier I thought it would be nice if there where larger ships with similar roles.
The R2 Battlecrusiers came to mind

R2 - T2 Type A - Munitions Ship
These battlecruisers are specifically modified to store hordes of drones to launch, making them the perfect heavy duty combat minelayer constantly able to restock the heavy damage dealing drones.

Tsunami - Minmitar - Hurricane hull
+Drone attrack + Speed bonus + Drone Bay

Ryu - Caldari - Drake hull
+Drone attack + Shield Bonus + Drone bay

Apostle - Amarr - Harbinger hull
+Drone attack + Armor Bonus + Drone bay

Hoplite - Gallente - Myrmidon Hull
+Drone attack + Tracking Bonus + Drone bay

R2 - T2 Type B - Firecontrol Ships

Fire control ships swap out command links for Fire control links enhancing the firepoweress of any ship they slave fire control onto. While sporting a decent enough tank to remain on site as good as any warfare linking command ship.

Windsheer - Minmatar - Hurricane Hull
Weapon Link Bonus
Enhanced Target Painter Bonus

Kiyo - Caldari - Drake Hull
Weapon Link Bonus
Enahnced Remote Sensor Booster Bonus

Scion - Amarr - Fevor Hull
Weapon Link Bonus
Enhanced Remote Tracking Link Bonus

Aquilo - Gallente - Actaeon Hull
Weapon Link Bonus
Enhanced Remote ECCM Bonus.

The next step up from these is the tech 3 Flag ship however its support role is vastly different and requires a thread of its own.