I always thought that the Role bonus is applied to a ship when in a Fleet. Unlike the skill based bonus, it turns out it that the Role bonus is applied flatly at all time, how is this a bonus and not just part of the spec? Or am I missing something?
A role is always applied. A ship that is designed for fast tackle always will be fast tackle. A role just defines what that ship is good at. Like in other MMOs healers are good at healing, they don’t need to be part of a group to be good at healing, they just are.
Role bonuses are for bonuses that don’t scale with skills.
There are two types of bonuses your ship can have.
Either bonuses that scale with your skills.
And role bonuses that are flat bonuses that you get regardless of your skill level if you fly the ship.
Often the role bonus is a bonus all ships of that role get.