I want to share an idea I’ve been thinking about for a while: EVE could really benefit from more hybrid ships like the Caiman, and even more, a whole new class of capital ships that sits between Battleships and traditional Capitals.
Here’s the vision:
Ships like the Caiman are exciting because they combine versatility, firepower, and unique mechanics — capable of deploying fighters while still packing heavy offensive power. They’re not pure carriers, not pure dreadnoughts, but something in between. Right now, such ships are extremely rare and almost impossible to access, which limits the experience to a handful of players.
Now imagine a new ship class positioned between Battleships and Capitals. Ships in this class would:
Offer more strategic variety than standard Capitals without being overwhelming
Serve as a stepping stone for newer capital pilots, making high-end gameplay more accessible
Introduce unique mechanics, like partial fighter deployment, specialized weapon systems, or hybrid defensive/offensive roles
Encourage creative fleet compositions that feel fresh and unpredictable
In short, the combination of:
More Caiman-style hybrid ships
A new capital tier bridging Battleships and Capitals
…could transform capital warfare in New Eden. It would create more meaningful goals for players, more diverse engagement possibilities, and more memorable moments in both PvP and PvE.
EVE thrives on ambition, experimentation, and unique experiences. Let’s give players more opportunities to fly unusual, high-identity ships — not just spreadsheets with bigger numbers.
Fly smart, innovate, and let’s push EVE toward more variety, creativity, and strategic depth.
The Caiman of your example is a rare expensive pirate-faction dreadnought.
If you wish to have an accessible ship at a level of either battleships or capital ships I recommend you stop looking at pirate ships and simply buy a T1, T2 or faction dread or battleship, which are considerably cheaper than these pirate ships.
There is no need to have a ship in between those categories, tell your chatgpt to simply ignore pirate ships for now if you don’t have the wallet for them. I don’t want to spend that much ISK on a ship either like the Caiman.
Problem solved?
Edit: with the context of your other post I now have a better idea about what your goal of this thread seems to be. You think “people could kill my Rattlesnake in low sec, but if I fly a bigger and better ship at least I have a chance!”.
Please learn from those Rattlesnake deaths: big ships aren’t going to save you.
Even if you could afford to fly a Titan people would still catch you and kill you with superior firepower. A bigger ship isn’t going to solve your issues.
Learn to stay alive instead, which is considerably easier in a small agile ship. Go smaller. If staying within the Guristas theme, try a Gila!
I would say the Leshak/Babaroga kind of fit the idea of something between a battleship and a dread. Once that disintegrator spins up you’ll feel well more powerful than in a standard battleship.
Hey, first of all, what did you mean by “tell your ChatGPT”?
Anyway, my main goal is to rat using a ship that’s a mix between a dreadnought and a carrier because I think that would be super fun. I’m already actively flying a carrier, and its mechanics are really exciting, but the idea of ratting both with rockets and fighters (which are stronger than drones) sounded amazing—and then I found out the game doesn’t let you do that. That’s why I opened this thread. I really want to add something to the game; I just don’t get why it’s such a big issue…
I’m currently playing in both hi-sec and null-sec, so it’s not about having bigger ships or tougher PvP—my goal is just to make the fun mechanics more accessible for everyone.
you know the forum has several languages for it right? if your supported language is on the forums, i would use it, lest you have issues with people not understanding you.