Player Features and Ideas Discussion

CCP has reduced the training time significantly on training T2 large guns. CCP has not done any major work on changing training times on missiles. I propose that CCP mirrors the training requirements that missiles have for guns.

Currently when you train large projectile turrets, you have the ability to use either Autocannons or Artillery. Furthermore once you train that skill to 5, you can train both Autocannon and Artillery Specialization skills allowing you to use both long and short range weapons with a very short training time. Missiles do not allow this awesome training setup.

Large Turret: 1,280,000 SP
Large Autocannon Specialization: 2,048,000 SP
Large Artillery Specialization: 2,048,000 SP
Total: 5,376,000 SP

Torpedoes: 1,280,000 SP
Cruise Missile: 1,280,000 SP
Torpedo Specialization: 2,048,000 SP
Cruise Missile Specialization: 2,048,000 SP
Total: 6,656,000 SP

Difference: 1,280,000 SP

This difference is present at every level of missile tier.
Capital: 1,792,000 SP
Large: 1,280,000 SP
Medium: 768,000 SP
Small: 256,000 SP
Total Difference: 4,096,000 SP

I propose that we combine missiles into the following skillbooks.

Small Missiles 1x (Formerly Rockets and Light Missiles)
Medium Missiles 3x (Formerly Heavy Assault and Heavy Missiles)
Large Missiles 5x (Formerly Torpedoes and Cruise Missiles)
Capital Missiles 7x (Formerly Citadel Torpedoes and Citadel Cruise Missiles)

With these changes, we would also have to add some new prerequisites

Torpedo Spec: Target Navigation 5
Heavy Assault Missile Spec: Target Navigation 4
Rocket Spec: Target Navigation 3

Cruise Missile Spec: Missile Bombardment 5
Heavy Missile Spec: Missile Bombardment 4
Light Missile Spec: Missile Bombardment 3

This would help bring missiles from being a second class weapon system when compared to turret based systems in terms of training time.

New character training Large AC spec V, standard map, no implants - 95 days.
New character training Cruise Missile spec V, standard map, no implants - 84 days.

I think he means total weapon spec V at one specific weapon size.

Confirming that Spec V is usually "doing it wrong".

But why should someone be tied down to either short range or long range weapon system for their raven when they are first skilling up, while when their are skillling up for a maelstrom or an abaddon, their can swap out long or short range guns at will?

EDIT: Also the training time with T2 guns has some of the support skills wrapped up into them which you really need to maximize the T2 weapon system anyways, which you would have to train regardless for your T2 missiles.

Torpedoes are not racially exclusive, they are found on every race of stealthbomber.
The typhoon also has bonuses to large missiles.
Also hybrid weapons are found on both caldari and gallente ships.

Missiles
2% damage/level rank 5
3% ROF/level rank 2


Guns
3% damage/level rank 4
4% ROF/level rank 2

:(

Yeah, when you look at the breakdown of support skills between missiles and turrets you have a total of 18 ranks for turrets and 21 for missiles.

Turrets
Rate of Fire: Rank 3
Tracking: Rank 2
Optimal: Rank 2
Falloff: Rank 5
Capacitor: Rank 2
Damage: Rank 4
Total: Rank 18

Missiles
Rate of Fire: Rank 3
Tracking: Rank 7
Optimal: Rank 4
Falloff: Rank 2
Capacitor: N/A
Damage: Rank 5
Total: Rank 21

So there are some other imbalances in the turret vs missile skill structure that could still be worked on. I would like to see both the support skills balanced in the number of ranks, but one thing at a time.

You forgot some things:

Missile Launcher Operation - Rank 1 - 2% ROF per skill level

Gunnery - Rank 1 - 2% ROF per skill level

Also that T2 spec skills for missiles add even more ROF bonuses, which are generally the more powerful of the two, while gunnery spec skills add damage.