Player Features and Ideas Discussion

I would really like to see CCP swap the completely asinine missile velocity figure for a missile acceleration figure that would make long range missile use viable and would allow the long range of cruise missiles to be good outside of PVE.

i.e. There is already a missile acceleration, even if it isn't defined, because missiles take a short time to get up to there maximum velocity.
Some very simple math would reveal the acceleration of each missile (pre-implant/skill) and since this acceleration is proven to not hazardous to the missile innards it could replace velocity as a missile attribute. The ideal result would be that, through tweaks to the acceleration, missiles would reach a mid-range target in roughly the same time as they do now, but a long range target would be under fire much quicker.
If you really want to get fancy you could lower the base damage of long range missiles, cruise are less effective within torp range, but counter-balance by adding damage based on the velocity of the missile when it impacts. So a cruise missile would be less effective at 20km than a torpedo, but when the cruise missile has time to accelerate the final damage calculation will include the base damage as well as damage from the sheer kinetic energy of a cruise missile accelerating for 200km. This would effectively give missiles an "optimal" range that would add depth and new playstyles as well as making missiles much more viable at long range. (When are you going to use the 220km+ range of cruise missiles outside of PVE under the current mechanics?)

I would suggest that missile velocity bonuses on hulls, modules, skills, and implants be swapped for acceleration. The replacement within the code should be relatively simple when compared to writing new code. Obviously it probably won't be a direct 1-for-1 switch, but the tweaks should be fairly easy/quick to figure out for the programmers.

This would make missile sniping more viable than it is, would provide an incentive to learn to use different missile types, and would provide an incentive to properly choose your fit. For the pilot going against the missile boat getting inside of the "optimal" would reduce incoming damage, for the missile pilot keeping the enemy at the desired range would increase damage so range control would be part of missile combat.

I would also suggest that another missile module, possibly scripted, be rolled out that allows pilots to affect explosion radius/velocity. This would allow pilots to trade the acceleration and damage boost from a BCS to the explosion radius/velocity bonus of the new module, therefor increasing the effectiveness against smaller targets and targets within the "optimal". The gain from the new module should not make cruise missiles at 10km under my system as effective as they are currently, just better than they would be without the new module.

I think this is something that, if done well, would allow missile pilots and turret pilots to both be happy with the outcome and help to bring missiles out of the dark ages. Thoughts? Concerns?

I see what you mean for server load, and I wouldn't even be mad if they wanted to go model missile salvos as 1 missile while they work it out. You do raise a valid point, but only CCP can say how much server load would increase.

As far as I can tell the missile damage formula only takes into account the target velocity, not the actual missile velocity. Probably because missile velocity is enough of a constant that it doesn't effect damage output.
(Ref. http://wiki.eveuniversity.org/Missile_Damage)
However it probably wouldn't be too hard at all to factor in the difference between target velocity and missile velocity which would result in "cruise missiles doing didly squat up close, and hitting HARD at max range".

since missles are physicaly represented and they cause noticeable server your proposal makes missle calculation stress much more complex how about we go with the easier way and up the base velocity on all missles while lowering the flight time - less flight time = less load and more happy people because no more volley counting

Because then missiles are just faster thanks to another Band-Aid so CCP doesn't have to do any real fixing. That suggestion is, at best, a patch and I am willing to bet that it would get veto'd by the tears of turret pilots.
If easy is what you want, we could just go super-duper easy and make missiles impact instantly just like artillery at 150km+.

Acceleration shouldn't factor into damage application like that. Damage dealt would be one thing but missiles are different from turrets and tracking like that would push them closer together.

the key distinction of missiles atm is that they have a hard max range, and they'll always do the same damage inside that range - having optimals etc is turrets - you want turrets - go train them, I hear rails have a pretty long optimal, as do arties.....

Maybe if missiles acted more like turrets we could actually get a decent weapon system out of them. Missiles and missile boats are gimped, and have a complete lack of range/"tracking" mods outside of rigs or ship bonuses.

Golem & Raven Navy Issue have the exact same dps as tech 1 raven. Granted they can apply it better to smaller ships, but what other Marauder does the same DPS as its tech 1 version? What other weapon system is missing a dedicated Pirate boat?

Because for some reason CCP thinks that missiles are overpowered. They think that the fact missiles always do damage when fired at a target within range(ie, they never miss) means they can't have too much dps and/or too much ability to increase applied dps. If missiles damage could be lowered by pilot skill (such as getting in close, but not getting webbed/scrammed) like you can with turrets, then maybe we can get some missile love and we can actually have high-dps missile boats and support mods that increase velocity or lower explosion radius outside of fitting rigs or implants.

It's not about dps, it is about utility. I would love to use something besides rigors or velocity rigs on my missile boats now and then. "Tracking" computers/enhancers for missiles is all I want, and a pirate boat that deals high missle dps with no stupid split weapons with drones or anyother weapon system.