Posts: 3,195
Threads: 100
Joined: May 2012
Staff roles: Balance Dev
Alright, here goes. Disclaimer: I'm not much of a Battleship (or caps in general) user, so I might be completely wrong.
I think everyone acknowledges that smaller, nimbler Battleships currently are simply more effective PvP tools than the larger, tank-like Battleships.
Why? Because kiting, as long as it is pulled off well (which isn't that hard if you have a clue what you're doing), will inevitably let you win a fight.
There really is no way besides using "surprise attacks" or things like jumpholes and jumpgates to close the distance and exploit a heavy Battleship's superior firepower and hull.
Here's what I propose to change this:
Increase heavy battleships' impulse speed by a marginal amount, say, 95 or 100 m/s rather than 90 m/s. This way, they can slowly get closer to kiting battleships.
Now, before you scream "But then kiting will be impossible, and heavier battleships will be overpowered!", here's the trade-off:
Heavy battleships would lose substantial amounts of agility. Something like a 30-50% reduction in steering rate.
This way, kiting battleships could maneuver and manage to get away / out of optimal arcs / behind the heavier battleship just before said battleship gets into a position that allows it to unleash all of its firepower.
In other words, skilled light battleship captains will be able to steer their ship in such a way that they can avoid certain death and come out on top. Skilled heavy battleship users on the other hand might find they can anticipate how the lighter battleship is going to move, and prevent it from pulling it off.
Now, for those who really need an "inRP" explanation: larger battleships have large engines and large mass. They can accelerate to a higher speed, but changing directions is more difficult.
There you go.
Now, for this to work (kiting battleships have a chance, as do larger ones) a certain, "optimal" balance would have to be found, of course.
Ideas, hatred and "You're an idiot" may be posted below.