Just had a little idea after reading all the new 4.85-related threads. Bombers and caps seem to be a hot topic..
Right, down to business.
Supernova - Change it to a monster shield-bashing cannon. 100k or so pure shield damage, and crappy hull damage. A Super-Inferno perhaps. This eliminates the problem where fighters are getting instakilled by a supernova hit, and it links into the next part of my plan:
Nova Torpedo - Buff the damage to 180k, if not more, since cap mark 8 armor will nerf that all the way down to 45k damage. The specific numbers are not my concern right now but the concept is what I'm putting across:
To kill caps you'd use both torp slots. Fail the shield with the supernova, then bombard it with nova torpedoes. This would also make the Barghest THE pirate bomber, since it'd be the only one to be able to effectively solo caps with dual torp-weapons AND have a CD. It would also encourage teamwork, since bomber pilots would need a fighter wingmate for protection and disabling the target's cruise engines. This eliminates the issue of the bomber being a 'multi-purpose' which it has been criticised for.
Bombers have 2 torp slots, lets use them for their intended purpose. My suggestion requires dedication, credits (for nova torps, no infinite cannon spam) and fighter support if you are to be a bomber pilot.
This, in my opinion, is what a bomber truely should be like. Thanks for reading.
I think the balance team have done a good effort in balancing the different ship types - i want to wait and see how the changes affect the playing field.
It's a decent suggestion, but I think bombers have been balanced against capital ships and fighters already. If not, we still have many beta releases before the final release of 4.85
the suggestion is good..... but i say that as someone that doesn t really like bombers very much ( although i fly them the most )
someone that LIKES bombers might think of it as a nerf... and quite a big one, too. but its a good idea ( if the nova ( ammo based ) was the only hull breaker, i d say - 250.000 is reasonable, too ...
BUT....
now - lets think about ALL the capital ships, not just battleships.
your concept works well vs. battleships, cause you can actually hit them with the nova. - it will be much harder on battlecruisers and cruisers.... hardly possible on some destroyers ( kusari / BHG ) - and ....
surprise.... impossible vs. gunboats.
how do you hit a gunboat with a nova - which MUST have a large blast radius? - you can only hit a gunboat with a nova when you re jousting it, firing the nova right into the approaching ships face. - the downside is .....
while you might hit the gunboat, you will most certainly hit yourself, too. and thats no good feature when you have just recently jousted a gunboat that has most probably taken your shield down.
besides - it doesn t make the barghest THE best pirate bomber.... it makes it one of the best heavy bombers indeed... but for piracy, you need a CD. - or you can only watch all your DPS fly slowly after the laughing trader that has just initiated cruise.
Two different kinds of SN. One, the Super Inferno, does inverse of the SN (shield/hull swapped). That fixes what Jinx said the problem was, but the question comes... is that too super?
And the barghest is already a cap to.
' Wrote:surprise.... impossible vs. gunboats.
how do you hit a gunboat with a nova - which MUST have a large blast radius? - you can only hit a gunboat with a nova when you re jousting it, firing the nova right into the approaching ships face. - the downside is .....
while you might hit the gunboat, you will most certainly hit yourself, too. and thats no good feature when you have just recently jousted a gunboat that has most probably taken your shield down.
besides - it doesn t make the barghest THE best pirate bomber.... it makes it one of the best heavy bombers indeed... but for piracy, you need a CD. - or you can only watch all your DPS fly slowly after the laughing trader that has just initiated cruise.
Well, are you supposed to win against a GB with a bomber? Bombers should be good against large caps but the role of GBs is an anti-fighter one. Bombers as we have/had them are way too good in fighter vs fighter combat. They should be able to defend themselves, be a threat against large caps. BUT...GBs are supposed to be the perfect anti-fighters.
Yes, but trust me when i say this- Gunboats are good enough against bombers as it is now, imagine what it would be like with the updates?
Everyone would go around in packs of gunboats, a mix of anti fighter and anti cap gunboats.
I think gunboats shouldn't be too good against large caps. That's the Bombers job. GBs are BS/Cruiser anti-fighter support. (At least they're supposed to be)
GB well armored Anti-fighter caps (with limited potential against caps)
Bombers well armored (at least for fighters) anti-capital fighters. (With limited potential against fighters)
You shouldn't be able to arm a GB as a total anti-capital ship. That's not their role and it would make bombers rdundant. And vice versa. If bombers are too good against fighters, GBs wouldn't have a real purpose.
Giving the different classes the possibility to be equipped against many different opponents, will only cause balance problems. Restrict Bombers to anti-(large)-cap with limited capabilities against fighters and GBs the other way round.
Give the bombers a high powered fast-tracking mine that can only be used by bombers and that might help the balance.
GB would be suspectible to such a weapon and would keep it's distance.
' Wrote:Yes, but trust me when i say this- Gunboats are good enough against bombers as it is now
Very true, if I can take out bombers in my gunboat, anyone can, I'm still getting to grips with gunboat piloting. And I'm using basic Liberty weapons...