Player Features and Ideas Discussion

Well, I've promoted this myself, but I would not make the tightest target signature large weapon tighter than the largest signature medium calibre weapon. A quad light beam laser should have a signature radius closer to the signature of a destroyer, but still larger than it. The smallest cruiser signatures are found on logistics cruisers, and they're about 75m, which compares with the average for destroyers, rather than 125m which is closer to the norm for cruisers.

The other issue is fitting requirements. I would argue that anti-support setups don't usually need tons of hitpoints, so having low fitting requirements isn't really all that logical. Instead, bring them upwards, but boost optimal ranges on these systems to compensate. Because they will be missing fewer shots against all targets, their damage multiplier or RoF can be kept below their middle signature counterpart.

The other question is what to do with the larger target sig weapon variant. These are for ships that are "shooting up" so to speak. I would put target sig of medium neutron blasters closer to that of battlecruisers, which I believe are north of 200m or so. In this context, we do tend to need extra hp options, so it would be reasonable to suppress fitting reqs slightly, but compensate by reducing optimal. Part of me wonders if there shouldn't be a reversing swing between CPU and PG fitting reqs, but it would be complicated and tedious to ensure that every hull worked well enough under such a regime.

The current model, by which tracking is differentiated by a mere 15% or so, is simply not enough to really clarify the different roles ships can be fit to fly. The proposed model would have wide effect. Battlecruisers, including tier 3 variants and anti-support battleships would all have improved efficacy against cruisers, including HACs and T3s. More battleships would be specialty fit for going up against other battleships, or capital class vessels. Meanwhile, anti-support cruisers would have extended spheres of efficacy, causing headaches for the CPAs of bomber pilots everywhere.

The smallest small cannons would actually be good for survival tackle fits, those which prioritize drones, so they would not be left in the cold. They might also be good vs the tiny sigs of shuttles, pods and interceptors. The largest small cannons would need to punch up from the <50m normal of typical frigates, probably closer to that of destroyers. However, we do need a sig gap between light neutrons and heavy electron blasters, or there will be a tendency of cruiser pilots preferring the former if they lack turret damage bonuses.