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Will Auto Target Heavies get a buff too?

I can kind of get behind rapid light and rapid heavy hull range bonuses not applying. People can still rig/fit range mods to get more range out of them if that is what they want. It makes kity anti tackle cruisers slightly less oppressive. However all this does is create an illusion of choice.

My main objection is that there aren't really any viable alternatives to the rapid light module for caldari cruisers especially. HML and HAM application is poor (Ok, lets be honest, it's not supposed to apply like rapid lights to frigates, but should at least apply to cruisers). The fitting requirement for these modules in relationship to the powergrid on the ship is too high. There will only ever be rapid light caracals because they can't fit HAMs or HMLs and the damage on these weapon systems is too low compared to rapid lights. A math nerd might argue that "but its the damage PER SECOND!". Let's be real though, people want damage that can break through logi/local reps, hell if it takes a minute reload after the burst so be it. So you have less application, less damage (5.6% buff to HML by itself is laughable), and higher fitting cost. Where is the choice? Clearly not between the weapon systems that's for sure.

The illusion is that people will be making a choice between what mid, low, or rig slow they want to sacrifice for more range on their rapid lights when the actual choice should ideally be between HAMs (do i want to brawl with high dps and mid-high application?) , HMLs (Do I want long range with pretty good dps and mid application? (Mid application being that it applies to a cruiser just fine) or Rapid Lights (Do I want really good application at the cost of range and some dps? *Hint* this should be lower than HMLs). This would be ideal and can be accomplished by doing a balance pass on the fitting requirements between these 3 weapons systems. Right now rapid lights enjoy the best of everything, they have the best fitting, best application, best damage (due to burst and enjoying the best application, therefore can just load fury), sure they might lose some range, but if the HML/HAM fitting costs stay as they are, even with losing some tank for range mods/rigs you will still have better tanks than trying to cram HML/HAMs on a caracal. It needs a more holistic approach to multiple missile systems, and possibly even the slot layout/fitting of some ships.


TL;DR Rapid Lights will still be the only viable option because of fitting/application/damage reasons. More needs to be done to make each missile system have its own unique flavor (thus actually creating a choice, not the illusion of one). Range nerf makes it less oppressive but not really people will still use it with range mods so nothing major is really going to be accomplished until other cruiser sized missile systems are addressed.

SO WAIT, YOU'RE TELLING ME THIS WASN'T AN APRIL FOOL'S JOKE???

The current cost/performance of the Orthrus and the Barghest seem pretty balanced. You can't really turn them into short-range ships when they have a range bonus to Warp Dispruptors and Scramblers. There's no synergy there.

If Rapid Lights are unbalanced, then nerf them and them alone. Don't pigeon hole a ship into a single weapon system (eg. HMLs). We want choices.

How would you even fit a ship like the Orthrus and still be combat effective with HM or HAMs? I can't find a fit that seems to be very efficient.

So is this change actually coming anytime soon? Would like to know for :reasons:. :)

That would be because the Sac is that terribad.

SFI dodged the bullet! YES!!!!

Having read carefully the proposed changes, yeah it looks OK.

I too have, uh, reasons for wanting to know whether these changes are going to be coming in, say, the next two months.