' Wrote:Nope, buff transports to 160 thrust. Not enough to really outrun Gbs at 150. nerf cruisers to 140, that 20 difference means cruisers will need a partner to keep transports dead in the water. At that point we have a group dynamic and frankly I don't care after that. Traders will need to start hiring escorts. Reavers, Mando's and the BHG gonna have a second option for their money making schemes
It takes about 10 seconds for a cruiser to take down a transport's shield, give it maybe 30 to get through all the bots. Another 30-40 to get through the hull.
In that time, the transport has only gained 1400m on the cruiser at thrusting speed with the difference of 20, which doesn't matter because cruiser guns have a 4k range.
' Wrote:Bob, you know my take, dump the rule entirely. Little buff to transport speed and we're golden. Couple this with a change in the exemption rules for traders and suddenly we have fun times ahead.
I wouldn't buff speed, but I'd buff shield capacity and lower shield regeneration. Gives it more time to escape the capitals, and still allows VHFs to take them down (VHF's main problem is in countering transport's shield recharge while slowly widdling down a huge HP. Lower recharge and it goes faster, making fighters more effective and capships less.
Better than adding another rule, is to find a way to eliminate it altogether. If modifying ship speeds can make 6.7 a useless rule then I'm all for it.
I can't help but thinking this is a bad idea because of the reasons I've already mentioned.
Though a month trial isn't gonna hurt anyone.
(and I am not biased , I don't fly any transport)
Cruisers are already 139/140, the same as transports.
Faster afterburner speed isn't enough to make a big difference really, since cruisers have weapons that go to 3-4k and large transports are too sluggish to avoid heavy fire. Even if the transport crawls out of CD range, its still in range of a pulse-LM combo. It's no problem for gunboats, since it's possible to pop in and out of cruise.
The biggest potential benefit to it is the increased likelihood of reaching a safe harbor. However if cruisers can engage in their ZOI, and you're being engaged by a cruiser, there probably isn't a safe harbor in the vicinity.
Honestly, I am having a hard time seeing how allowing cruisers to fire on transports is a win for the transports. I think its a good change for overall game balance, but sitting in the transport captain's chair its just another way I'm going to die with no chance of escape. What am I getting in return for this?
edit--ninja'd by Hielor
Honestly I'd be happier if all ships got CMs. There's no in-game reason why they shouldn't all have them. With NOVA tracking and now the potential of cruiser missiles, it's pretty much a necessity anyway. A 'flak' CM would be awesome.
Wait, now I'm confused. You want to remove the rule so RP can remain king. Well the rule is:
6.7 Attacking freighters and transports or demanding cargo or credits from the same is not allowed for cruisers and battleships.
That means to remove that rule you are saying that capital ships can indeed pull over an enemy transport and blast 'em if they want to. Doesn't seem wrong to me? Why should the transport have a free pass to get away? Or is this an issue where it's because having many, many cruisers etc roaming the trade lanes would be a bad idea?
' Wrote:I wouldn't buff speed, but I'd buff shield capacity and lower shield regeneration. Gives it more time to escape the capitals, and still allows VHFs to take them down (VHF's main problem is in countering transport's shield recharge while slowly widdling down a huge HP. Lower recharge and it goes faster, making fighters more effective and capships less.
Do that and drop the rule.
If transports and cruisers stay at the same thrust speed, buffing shields will not give any additional time to escape.
' Wrote:It takes about 10 seconds for a cruiser to take down a transport's shield, give it maybe 30 to get through all the bots. Another 30-40 to get through the hull.
In that time, the transport has only gained 1400m on the cruiser at thrusting speed with the difference of 20, which doesn't matter because cruiser guns have a 4k range.
Effective range is much smaller though. I would worry about torpedoes rather than guns.
' Wrote:I wouldn't buff speed, but I'd buff shield capacity and lower shield regeneration. Gives it more time to escape the capitals, and still allows VHFs to take them down (VHF's main problem is in countering transport's shield recharge while slowly widdling down a huge HP. Lower recharge and it goes faster, making fighters more effective and capships less.
Do that and drop the rule.
Shield doesn't really play that big of a role when shooting transports. A transports shield that can hold off cruiser fire for 2+ minutes would need much higher capacity. I'm fairly positive that fighters/bombers wouldn't be able to crack it in reasonable time.
' Wrote:Nope, buff transports to 160 thrust. Not enough to really outrun Gbs at 150. nerf cruisers to 140, that 20 difference means cruisers will need a partner to keep transports dead in the water. At that point we have a group dynamic and frankly I don't care after that. Traders will need to start hiring escorts. Reavers, Mando's and the BHG gonna have a second option for their money making schemes
Cruisers are at 140 already, for quite some time.
And 4-5k'ers don't have a good turning speed - combined with cruiser's firepower, you can pretty easily kill a transport. I'd just EK - because transport usually has only one direction to run to anyway.
or, if everything else fails - would just go missiling it (but that's sub optimal, I'm pretty sure 3 cerbs would do the job way better).
This definitely has to be tested by balance team
As for escorts, this argument is kinda old, and it still got it's drawback - there're hardly any escorts around.
Even in Dublin times (when we had just one huge activity hub) it wasn't always possible to find escorts.
Imho:
Capitals shooting transports that are being used as combat vessels, by lawful or unlawful parties - yes.
Capitals freely hunting down transports - won't end well or will require too serious changes to balance.
' Wrote:And 4-5k'ers don't have a good turning speed - combined with cruiser's firepower, you can pretty easily kill a transport. I'd just EK - because transport usually has only one direction to run to anyway.
Flying a space brick is optional.
It's a trade off between survivability and cargo capacity. If you want better chances fly something from 2k-4k range.