I like ships that cross classes or land between classes. Having everything in neat little groups makes for much same-ness. But, these unique ships can unbalance the game toward factions that have access to them if new, powerful tactics are developed around them. So as you said, much testing and care should be taken with 'tweeners.
"To gain a hundred victories in a hundred battles is not the highest excellence;
to subjugate the enemy's army without doing battle is the highest of excellence."
My suggestion for, what Jinx want.
I suggest not a heavy ship. It must be a weak but light and manoeuverable ship. It must be able to dodge capshipfire very easily, able to fire two supernovas at the same time, but will be very vulnarable against other fighters.
For example i have dug out some RL comparable pics and:
I think that is a very interesting idea...I like AoM's modification of it better. Torpedo boat! Sorta like a dive bomber, actually, relying on speed to protect it. =P
Right now many fighters use their torp slots armed with Novas, Mini-razors, Sunslayers, or Infernos for fighter vs fighter combat. Igiss just changed novas' power drain so fighters can't use them, just bombers. I think putting a pair of novas on what is effectively an LF goes directly against the trend of taking those big-hitters off of fighters. Doesn't seem like a good idea to me at all to have a pair of novas or a mix of novas and mini-razors staring at me from a Light Fighter.
"To gain a hundred victories in a hundred battles is not the highest excellence;
to subjugate the enemy's army without doing battle is the highest of excellence."
...you've got a point there. Though without any guns to down shields, they'd be stuck trying to hit you with just the novas, which isn't generally an easy thing to do.
' Wrote:Right now many fighters use their torp slots armed with Novas, Mini-razors, Sunslayers, or Infernos for fighter vs fighter combat. Igiss just changed novas' power drain so fighters can't use them, just bombers. I think putting a pair of novas on what is effectively an LF goes directly against the trend of taking those big-hitters off of fighters. Doesn't seem like a good idea to me at all to have a pair of novas or a mix of novas and mini-razors staring at me from a Light Fighter.
Have to agree wholehearted there, thats up for fighter abuse straight away, without question. Pair of Tizonas
or Adv Debilitators on there, and novas ... Opposition deleted.
Hoodlum
Some say he is a proud member of: "The most paranoid group of people in the Community."
' Wrote:...you've got a point there. Though without any guns to down shields, they'd be stuck trying to hit you with just the novas, which isn't generally an easy thing to do.
Yet a lot of people are doing it every day in the current version. 1 Nova 2 Nova.. you'r dead
I like the agile bomber idea a bit more but there are a few problems:
- It goes the other way than the current bombers
- Ship that maneuverable would be impossible for fighter escorts to counter. Now 2 fighters nave almost no chance to defend a cruiser against two bombers. They deal them some damage yes.. but the cruiser will die much faster. If it got LF agility... no fighter will be able to hit it between the nova shots - aiming and shooting takes just a fraction of a second.
I think 1 torpedo (HyperNova:)) with 150-200k hull damage and :
- either less agile than the current bombers or about the same, bigger shields
- or about as maneuverable as a HF/VHF and lvl 9 shield and 7-8k armour, no guns.
EDIT: Hood and AoM beat me to it
Igiss says: Martin, you give them a finger, they bite off your arm.