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I have a question for you. Why can I fit HACs/HICs/Marauders/Ceptors completely T2 but have to use faction mods on AF even if I leave one highslot empty? And I'm not asking to fit 4 damage mods and neutrons or some such.

Why are Gallente AF railboats? It doesn't really get them much because a) they can't fit them and b) they wont be able to stay out of webber range anyways. Even with the proposed boost I wont fly any AF in PvP any time soon. They are a ***** to fit, they ain't damage dealers, they are to slow for tackle, they can't really tank. Beside the Harpy non of them got the range to take out bombers (why can't I shoot bombs anyways?). What are they for?

Did you toy with gang links? That's pretty much the only role I would see in a wolfpack for AF.

Edit: How about a hefty heat bonus? Something like you wont take heat damage until the heatmeter goes beyond 75%? That would make them special. Not sure if it would be that useful tho.

I do not like the changes at all.

The retri should have its rather pointless utility high moved to mid. This makes sense.

Some sort of 4th bonus and/or a role bonus... ok. Role bonus not needed, but I would like to see the 4th bonus.

More slots, MWD sig bonus, messing with base stats-NO.

I fly the wolf almost exclusively, and my target selection (You know, things that will actually stay and fight, not run) includes all faction frigates and destroyers, as well as other AFs, intys, etc.

Boosting AFs this much means they will now be more dominating to faction frigs and dessies than they are now, and atm, a smart flown AF is an uphill fight for a faction frig or destroyer. They will largely refuse to engage with such buffs going live. Youre narrowing our targer selection. What will an AFs role be? To fight other AFs? That's it?

You are adding a fairly purposeless and poorly thought out role bonus; MWD sig reduction? Really? AFs have large mass for a frigate, MWDing around in one, like the falloff/MWD fit wolf, is not easy. It works in certain environments and vs certain targets, but overall, at least from a solo POV, its a bonus Ill just not use. I dont have to fit an MWD, so no real harm done, just.... seems strange.

Yes, i understand that EVE is not about "Solo" play, but there are players who enjoy this. Hell, an entire EVE subculture has evolved around solo frig pilots, many of whom are outstanding PvPers. Is it ok for us to ask that one change not negatively impact solo play? As it sits, Retri aside, AFs are fine. 4th bonus? Yes please, why not, all the other T2s get them. But if its all the same to you, please, keep the 200 base armor and extra lowslot the hell off my Wolf? Thanks.

AFs will still be at the mercy of those things which kill us now; you know, just about all cruisers and BCs? The combination of neuts-drones-webs wont really be overcome by these changes, which, once again, is fine. Nothing about attacking cruisers and BCs is supposed to be "easy" in a frigate. Once again, no harm done... but no real help either.

CCP, what are you doing this for? To make AFs fight other AFs and nothing else, and be pressed into a role as somewhat tankier, although slower, interceptors? I dont get it. This stuff seems like it was just thought up over coffee one morning without much of the above having any real thought devoted to it.

In short? Yeah. I like killing DDs, Dramiels, Thrashers, Catalysts, other AFs, Intys, etc in my Wolf. Please dont take 5/6 of those off my menu simply because theyll refuse to engage? Afs are fun solo "heavy" frigates, especially in brawling configuration. Dont relegate them to pretty much only fighting other AFs please.

Ava, wolf pilot (And yes, feel free to check my KB and/or blog... youll see I have a bit of history with AFs.)

AFs aren't going to infinge on ceptor territory because they're still far too slow and clumsy. Better survivability vs med/large ships is exactly what they need simply because they're unable to dictate range vs other small ships.

Why don't you just turn Assault Frigates into the smaller version of the new Tier 3 Battlecruisers?

Give them bonuses that allow them to fit Medium size guns on a frigate sized platform and toss out the useless MWD bonus (hard to run a MWD with no cap to do it anyways).

I agree with the changes. AF were kind of a joke prior.

But seriously, switch jag to fall off and wolf to optimal.

First of all; I write this from a lowsec background and having spend a lot of time in frigs and assault ships. And I am in a corp that is largely centered around T1/T2 frigate combat.

Reading these changes my first response is; It's to much.

But I think I see what you (CCP) are trying to do. You're trying to make ASF's (more) viable for fleet roles. If you put these changes through the way you have written them down in the OP they'll do something else as well though, namely this;

These changes will either wipe out lowsec frigate solo PvP or make it incredibly stale. T1 frigates will become utterly nonviable. No longer will a month old newbie coming out of trial be able to read Wensley's famous Rifter guide go out and get some kills, because even the most incompetent T2 frigate pilot will swat T1 frigates like flies.

First of all the general role bonus related to the MWD's is a poor choice imho, it invades to much on the role of the Interceptor and does little for the role of ASF's where they are currently used most (lowsec).
I don't think you should give them an AB bonus instead, because creating a class of small sig, 1500m/sec afterburner ships with decent tanks is a really bad balancing idea all of it's own (seriously it would be dead solo (battle)cruisers galore!)

If you insist on giving them a general role bones think up something else please (maybe a 5% level agility bonus or some such, or a vengeance like cap bonus which would be more inline with the heavy tackler role you seem to want to place them in for fleet usage -just brainstorming-)

Things that really jump out to me as "wrong" from my soloist perspective;

Enyo, seriously a web and increased damage after the blaster buff you just put through? This thing will face melt stuff.

Ishkur, It was already amazing, now it's just broken.

Jaguar, thanks for the free nano, my already fast ASF is now even faster with a tracking bonus to boot so now really the only thing you can do is bring 2 webs and sit in falloff to beat this or the Jaguar pilot gets to just disengage whenever.

Hawk, Dual web shield hawks will be scary (p.s. active tanks are fine for PvP there's some very competent hawk and cyclone (solo)pilots out there in new eden).

Wolf, I am never flying any other frig ever again, ever, ever, ever if you put it in like this, currently the only weakness a solo wolf has is its inability to track under 2500m and the fact it's a little sluggish (and maybe the explosive resist hole but that's easily mended).
What have you just done?
* Freed up a rig slot (no need for metastasis anymore) where I can now plug the explosive hole or add even more damage (because 250-300 dps it has now was a little low right...?) Mind you any decent Wolf pilot will be carrying a drop booster already.
*Given me an extra low to mend the speed deficiency or free up fitting space elsewhere via a fitting module.
*Added free armor which is just gravy at this point.

tl;dr you're massively over buffing them, a simple extra role bonus would have been plenty, with the exception of the extra mid on the retri all the other extra slots and bonuses are WAY to much like this they'll obsolete T1 frigs completely and a fair chunk of T1 cruisers too.

I tested the Retribution a bit and my conclusion: it's still bad. It's usable thanks to the second mid but clearly not on the same level as the other AFs.

It can't control range with only two mids (unless it fits an afterburner which voids the role bonus. I only tested MWD fits). Once in close range, even Gatling Pulse Laser II have some difficulty tracking an orbiting frigate, and cruisers and battlecruisers go faster than a webbed Retribution. It's going to be soloed by a competent Dramiel or Interceptor pilot, which is very unlikely to happen to the other AFs. It doesn't even win against either Caldari AFs where the damage types are both working in the Retribution's favor.

As funny as it sounds, the ship needs a 3rd mid (lose the utility high) or some real damage boosts. It's also hard to fit, I found myself needing powergrid hardwirings for pretty normal fits even with AWU V.

No it wont: "To bring Warp Scrambler II online requires 36.00 cpu units, but only 27.75 of the 193.75 units that your computer produces are still available."

You could reach 400dps but then you would have 5 empty slots. If you want to melt you are better of with a Catalyst.

To Kaeda, well said. Wolf will be pretty pwn... and as a solo losec wolf pilot, I say PLEASE, dont do this!

To those screaming "swap the optimal and falloff bonuses on the jag/wolf!!" i say.... NO.

Wolf has no web. It cannot dictate range. It is a terrible artillery platform. It works ok in a vagawolf config, with 200s and MWD, long point, and 2 TE simply because if it gets scrammed, its flimsy but can still fight. A MWDing AF is EASY to land a scram on for an AB/scram frigate. Insanely easy.

If this happens, Jag is insanely OP, wolf is useless, as Arty wolves are a joke. Jag has a web. It can control range, is already the fastest AF, and just scored a free nano. Learn to close range I guess? With, you know, a web, and the fastest AF... I think you can figure it out.

Wolf cannot dictate range. Jaguar can. Which one needs that falloff bonus more? Just because you want a T2 dramiel dosent mean its a good choice. I have to wonder if some of the posters in this thread have ever flown an AF, like the "I cannot fit a scram" Enyo comment above.

Second mid for retri, 4th bonus, call it a day.

The changes are a good start, but if implemented as they are I'm concerned Assault Frigates will be quite significantly overpowered in a solo or small gang environment.

Right now, AFs are already quite effective in this environment, but are of little use in larger fleets due to their lack of a defined role. The MWD role bonus is obviously an attempt to give them one, and I think it's on the right track - it makes the AF competent at chasing down targets under MWD, and the choice between an inty and an AF for this role becomes one of speed vs survivability. The two ship classes would compete, but each offer different advantages over the other. The MWD bonus doesn't really buff them as solo ships, but this is exactly as it should be - they are already very effective in that area.

The other changes are more dangerous - they don't really help AFs in the defined role you've tried to give them above, but do make them significantly more powerful as direct combatants, an area that they already do well in. The bonuses alone would probably be quite reasonable, but the additional slots too are likely a step too far (the retribution is the only one that really needs one, and this can easily be achieved by rearranging its existing slots rather than adding a new one).

Edit: And please, don't as some people suggest change the falloff bonus on the wolf. The jaguar's optimal range bonus is indeed fairly useless (and should maybe be revisited), but it would be equally useless on the wolf.