I think it’s about time for some more modular ships in the battleship category. They could be configured how the player wants and provide some bonuses over traditional battleships.
Also faction subsystems for these new and existing ships would be appreciated.
Technically adding new T3s means giving wh space another lucrative content. As far as I can tell CCP dont like wh space so I doubt it will ever happen.
I find it a bit boring to just copy over the mechanics of the T3C to the battleship class instead of coming up with something new like T3D fight modes.
If cruisers are modular while fitting and destroyers can switch modes while in flight, isn’t there something new and unique to add fir battleships instead?
That aside, which kinds of subsystems were you thinking about for battleships?
What I love for cruisers is the support offensive subsystem but I fear this one is very problematic for the game on battleship level.
To have logistics ships with battleship EHP can quickly turn the game into a slog and enforces a lower limit to the size of an ‘effective null sec fleet’ to be the size that your fleet can alpha a battleship off the grid.
Cruiser Logi can be one-shot with a medium-sized fleey, while faxes cannot receive remote reps while in siege and are stationary so also have a reasonable limit as to the offensive power you need to bring to deal with it.
Battleship logi on the other hand is problematic. Like cruisers it is mobile, but then has way more EHP. This has massive implications for the fleet meta in null.
Healers in PvP games risk making fights very binary. Either you need to be able to kill the healer or be able to kill whoever they are healing, or else the fight is unwinnable and pointless.
As a fan of logi ships and the role of healers in other games I say a critical mass of battleship-sized logi is going to make the game very boring.
So, let’s assume there won’t be a support subsystem for ‘modular T3 battleships’, what other subsystems are you thinking about that could add new strategies to the game?
We already have Marauders. We could just flesh them out a bit more so they’re not just glass cannons.
I don’t know if it would be boring… piloting a battleship that’s seriously slow, not maneuverable, armed with no weapons and having it suddenly run out of capacitor like all logis do sounds anything but boring.
I think the types of subsystems would take some thought.
There could be subsystems for all sorts of things from adding logistics/drones/guns capabilities to different modes like in t3 destroyers.
I doubt they would ever make a battleship that could warp while cloaked so that’s out.
I’m talking about a different level of the game that will be boring.
Flying a battleship logi ship may not be boring, but the new fleet meta will be.
CCP have constrained themselves to the cruiser, battlecruiser, battleship methodology. I’d think outside the box and add a T4 ship that could modularise between these categories. One fit and its a cruiser, another fit and its a battlecruiser. You’d be able to switch between while in space. The downside is that you’d have to store all the relevant modules on board….so you’d lose them all if you lost the ship.
Battleship Logistics is already possible, it’s just more expensive to bring 10 blingtanked Nestors than 2-3 FAX. In WHs, Nestor-Squads already are the backbone of Fleet Remote Reps in the tougher battles. Especially if you simply can’t bring Capital RRs through the target system.
That being said, I don’t think that T3 Battleships are a good idea right now. A “propulsion mode” isn’t good, since BS have so much power that they simply need a lack in mobility to stay balanced. Same goes for a “covert” option. I have yet to see good ideas for modes that a) would be benefitial to the gameplay, b) would not be redundant with other roles already covered by BlackOps, Support BS or Marauders or c) wouldn’t be gamebreaking overpowered.
I personally would like to see a T2 “Assault Variant” of the Abaddon, Hyperion, Rokh and Maelstrom first. A frontline ship that has the tanking power of staying alive even in big fleet fights even against an overwhelming amount of alpha strike damage. Something with a bonus to Assault Damage Control Duration and Reactivation Delay or a Role Bonus that limits incoming strikes to X damage, so only high-volley damage is affected (artillery, torpedo strikes, XL-weapons), but rapid-firing brawl weaponry (Pulse Lasers, Blasters, ACs etc…) aren’t. Needs some research to keep it balanced, obviously.
On the downside it has no higher damage, range or application boni than the T1 variants, but comes at much higher costs.
How about a ‘modular battleship’ that is formed by combining four or five independent frigates together?
In one configiration you’re flying a roaming frigate fleet, but when you face a big opponent you combine into one big battleship!
Like voltron, woohoo!
In wormholes this is indeed possible, but it’s not a valid strategy in larger fleets in null sec yet.
What stops you? Surely can’t be “money”?
Like the Prometheus?
