Warfare & Tactics

So, I disagree that links should be on-grid.

This is simply because I think the horses were let out of the barn long ago and it was enough of a nerf to prohibit links in a POS.

I hope that CCP is making a ton of money from people paying for link-alts because a majority of that revenue would evaporate if they put links on-grid.

Most of us who have link alts, and I am one, spent a crap ton of time training them for the skills that they have. I don't think it's necessary to compare the exact percent gains that links give vs. implants, etc. The fact is that there are multiple mechanisms by which you can enhance the skills of a character or fleet. Eve is a game that REQUIRES cooperation between multiple persons for success. That's just the way it is. If your two man corp doesn't have the assets to take on larger gangs, join a larger alliance or corp. It's that simple. Unless you are running invention jobs in high-sec, you probably won't do well without numbers.

If I am sitting alone in a system with my main and my alt running links and a 10 man fleet enters system, I am not engaging that... why would I? (ok, so in reality I tend to Leroy a lot of crap, but you get the point) So does that mean that 10 man fleets should be prohibited? You could have the best HG sets, links, officer modules, etc., in your ship and you still can't take out overwhelming numbers. What's the reaction when someone in your fleet notices a Tournament ship on scan? Do you say, "well... let's try to find one ship that is most evenly matched and send it to the Tourney ship for an honorable fight?" Hell no you don't! You gang **** that damn ship as fast and as hard as you can and hope that your buddies two systems away don't get to whore in on the kill mail. So should CCP do away with Tourney ships? Should they disband fleets of more than three people?

So I guess my standpoint is all or nothing with the links. Either keep it the way it is or remove them from the game. If they are nerfed to require on-grid application, that will equate for most to removing them from the game. It is pretty rare that I see FW fleets of command ships roaming around and I don't think most FW guys who are VERY accustomed to losing ships will sink the necessary ISK into hauling command ships around in their fleets given the likely potential for loss.

It is human nature to point to whatever we can to cleanse our failures.

"Those wankers had ECM"
"That scumbag decloaked an Astero"
"There goes Gallente again... bringing cruisers to a frig fight"

Some of us are really good at certain aspects of the game and that is what we like to do. Nobody wants to log-on to FW and spend three hours losing every ship in their hangar and then trying to slide a PLEX purchase past their wife in the bank account... but **** happens.

I have lost many ships while links were active and many more when I had no links but my opponents had links running. Who cares? The golden rule is "don't un-dock what you aren't prepared to lose" in FW. If you guys don't like it out there... spin your ships or go mining in high-sec. FW is a bloody place and you will loose... again and again and again. But when you win.... that **** is sweet. Until damn Burtakus gives you crap in local and takes away your happy time. Then you need to create a forum post about the issue.

:)

Love you guys!

PS: Sean Parisi for CSM!

We have found the best solution to links is to blap the persons link alt with nagas. The tactic has often been used against us as well when we have had a night of heavy drinking.

If voted for CSM king I will ensure all faction warfare players recieve vanilla swirls.

Who rule forun town?

LOLOL!! Now THAT was funny. It must be Sean's British accent in the spelling there :)

Gizznitt touched upon one point that I wanted to make in his post. Arguing that link accounts bring in revenue for CCP is a strawman argument. For every 'leet' player utilizing links there could be:

Three new players who quit the game after dying in a bewildering fashion.
One bitter vet who decides it's P2W and wants no part of it quitting also.
Another bitter vet who dislikes the meta and simply doesn't log in as much.

Here is how you "fix" the link problem. If any character on a killmail received bonuses from an active link module, then the character/ship providing those links shows up on the killmail as well (if no damage was done, then module is one of the link modules and 0 damage). Problem solved...

My point as you very well realize is that Links may cost CCP business.

There isn't universal agreement that there is a links problem.

I see it just as much as an "I don't have" or "I don't want to play that way" problem.

Like many perceived issues with the game, it's really a player limitation rather than a mechanics issue as far as I'm concerned. However clearly not everyone feels the same as I do and if CCP do ever change the links boosting mechanics, hopefully they do it in a way that provides something to benefit the existing links pilots as much as it will benefit those without links.

In any case, I say they are fine as they are and no change is necessary (and I don't use links except when I'm in an Alliance fleet, so personal interest is not the thing here).

Fleet boosting needs to become actual role in pvp depending on piloting skills of the player and not just job for alt that sits in safespot 20au away from fight and despite that he is able to increase efficiency of the fleet by massive amounts.

*edit actually i take my opinion back. YOU CAN'T HAVE IT NOPESIREE