So I know battlecruisers in ED are a cross between carriers and combat ships, but I still feel their armament is a bit weak for how big they are. I feel like when one of these ships decides to focus fire even a Type 10, it shouldn't last quite as long as it does now. Maybe give them hardpoint weapons beyond huge that only they can field?
Battlecruisers a bit weak?
- Thread starter Haradrim
- Start date
Well, if they fit them with station like weapons? What is the point?
Even if they fit them with normal ship weapons, what is the point? You wont be able to get anywhere near them and you wont be able to get the heat relays.
They are ok as they are - they're an accessory for High CZ and even with their weak weapons it is not easy to win a High CZ if the enemies pop a Capital Ship, simply because a part of your allies will stop killing enemy ships and focus on the CapShip while being picked up by the enemies.
And if the enemies get SpecOps on top the CapShip, it's kinda game over - you need to bail out and restart the CZ
So, let's say lore wise you might be right (*) - but within the game purpose, they are ok.
*(Sort of right. Let's not forget that DBOBE is a fan of Star Wars and in that galaxy a handful of small ships can take anything from Star Destroyers to Death Stars, simply because big ships are designed to fight other big ships)
Hear me out.
A Sidewinder Cannon.
A cannon
that shoots
Sidewinders.
A Sidewinder Cannon.
A cannon
that shoots
Sidewinders.
They've been largely the same since before launch, and have been possible to solo with unEngineered vessels almost as long. This also makes them comically impotent against any Engineered combat vessel.
I don't even think they launch defensive SLFs any more. Those used to show up in wings of ten or fifteen and could get really annoying.
They should move around in normal space, have competent escorts, and weapons that actually pose a threat.
If they had station weapons, I'd still be able to take out the heat relays, because CMDRs have access to longer range weapons, and ships durable enough to absorb hits from stations. The rough differential in power would be back to what it originally was.
Not that I think reverberating cascade lasers or autocannon should be on anything, even stations, but the weapons on capital ships have been essentially the same since the best combat ship in the game was an unEngineered Viper III with no HRPs.
They were adequate five years ago.
It takes maybe two minutes to drive off a capital ship in the current game, less with support. Having a capital ship on your side almost guarantees a loss if there is human opposition in a CZ because of how much it's worth, and how hard it is to defend.
I don't even think they launch defensive SLFs any more. Those used to show up in wings of ten or fifteen and could get really annoying.
They should move around in normal space, have competent escorts, and weapons that actually pose a threat.
If they had station weapons, I'd still be able to take out the heat relays, because CMDRs have access to longer range weapons, and ships durable enough to absorb hits from stations. The rough differential in power would be back to what it originally was.
Not that I think reverberating cascade lasers or autocannon should be on anything, even stations, but the weapons on capital ships have been essentially the same since the best combat ship in the game was an unEngineered Viper III with no HRPs.
They were adequate five years ago.
It takes maybe two minutes to drive off a capital ship in the current game, less with support. Having a capital ship on your side almost guarantees a loss if there is human opposition in a CZ because of how much it's worth, and how hard it is to defend.
I had a few ideas to spice them up:
forums.frontier.co.uk
Pst bzt bwwwwOOoAAAAARRRRR [CAPITAL SHIP SUGGESTIONS DETECTED]
Capital ships should be awe inspiring beasts and objects of fear and pride. However they are quite frankly useless and a liability (not to mention the Imperial cap ship appears less capable). Improvements: I know cap ships have torpedo tubes- every so often get them to launch a pair of reverb...
Yes, it certainly seems like they're stuck in a time that was balanced more with pre-engineering in mind. Hopefully the devs will be able to make a balance pass on them now
We've got battlecruisers now? Excellent!
I think 2 minutes is a bit on the too low side?
Anyway, let's say we do talk about minutes - those minutes are not spent by killing enemy ships while they do kill yours.
And while the CapShip alone is not really dangerous, if they get SpecOps too... it is suddenly a way lot harder.
As i said, the CapShips are a distraction factor - they attract a portion of the enemies from the actual combat into trying to attack the CapShip.
Within the CZ - they do serve a purpose
But a CZ is not the battle of Endor, it's just a CZ
Not true.
There is constant npc distraction. If the capitals weapons were more dangerous, then at least we had a reason to dispose of them, before targeting the heat relays. It would certainly make the interaction more interesting, with the need to think of every module on that behemoth, not just the weak spot.
Now, the only time it's worth taking the guns out, is when the relays get bugged at -99% integrity, becoming indestructible...
The point of fighting in a CZ is to win the CZ. Fast. Then win the next CZ too. Also Fast. And so on.
CZ are not for heroics
Sure if you are not into BGS you may construct whatever make-believe scenario related to that CZ, but the fact is they are BGS tools.
Yes, that's what I'm saying. Two-minutes for a single CMDR is too low, but that's about what it takes to knock out all the heat relays, on a Farragut, alone.
A captial ship kill is a quarter of the way to victory in a high CZ. Knocking out the capital ship takes less time per victory unit (or whatever) than anything else you can do in a CZ.
A hostile capital ship isn't a distraction, it's a gift.
The purpose they currently serve is to either aid in farming NPC kills (if it's on your side and there is no significant CMDR opposition) or to be almost immediately driven off as a shortcut to victory (if it's only supported by NPCs).
They were way more fun when they felt more like the Battle of Endor.
I consider this a huge problem. It's both a wasted gameplay opportunity and a ludicrous disruption of verisimilitude to be able to cycle entire 'battles' every fifteen minutes ad infinitum with no attrition on either side.
While the CZ system goes way beyond capital ships, I still think it's clear that capital ships cannot fill the role they were originally intended to fill as long as they remain at late-2014 levels of potency. It's a farce.
Large ships and guns in this game would be something no government or military would ever buy because they are designed for gameplay, not actual practicality.
The point of fighting in a CZ is to win the CZ. Fast. Then win the next CZ too. Also Fast. And so on.
CZ are not for heroics
Sure if you are not into BGS you may construct whatever make-believe scenario related to that CZ, but the fact is they are BGS tools.
Well, the win scenario is pretty easy to achieve, even with spec ops focusing you down. The state capitals are in right now is so ridiculous, a well built sidewinder can dispose of them. I'd go as far to say, their existence is completely pointless. Their buff could increase the overall skill ceiling of the game, their removal would spare us the embarrassment that are the capital ships.
I get that efficiency is key in czs, but that's on us, to find the right method, not on Fdev. Hell, they could implement an instant "you win" button for time efficiency's sake. Compelling gameplay is much more welcome.
I think I've wandered back into the World Of Warships forums...
People were complaining about CZ being too hard and paying too less.
Yet you can rout Capitals in a sidewinder. But that's not the point? isn't it? The point is winning the CZ
If you are one of those that can rout the CapShips AND win the CZ in a sidewinder, well - the game is not for you. (but i would enjoy a movie detailing that feat)
Anyway, what i'm trying to say that for the very skilled pilots, the game offers little challenges. So they turn to PVP. Or they make movies showing off Hydra kills in a sidewinder.
If FD tailors the game difficulty for the very skilled ones, everyone else will quit the game.
