Morbad, are you actually arguing for a reason or are you using this as a chance to brag, I honestly can't tell.
I'm arguing because someone has to stand against this endless tirade of ill conceived fixes and largely baseless complaints centered around a mostly non-existent problem.
Even when someone comes up with something that might actually be problematic, chances are that they completely misattribute the source.
What is your single most important reason for defending SCBs?
There is no viable replacement for them and without them shields become mostly pointless on any ship larger than an FDL.
Looks to me like he's got a case of internet badass.
He's all "no really guys SCBs are useless, I'm so pro I don't even notice people using them", but then mentions if they got nerfed he'd have to take them out of his loadout. So if they're so useless, why is he boating them?
That other guy is the same way, "Oh SCBs are useless, I can destroy an SCB boat in one pass", and yet if SCBs got nerfed he claims he'd have to entirely change his playstyle to only picking on ships smaller then him. And how is that different from only picking on ships that have fewer SCBs than him? And again, if they're so useless why did he stuff his own hull with them?
I never began to imply SCBs were useless, nor has anyone else. You've grossly misinterpreted/misrepresented the statements you are referring to.
Just because I don't view SCBs as an insurmountable obstacle doesn't mean I cannot put them to good use.
Your statements make me think you lack either the reading comprehension ability or sufficient experience with the equipment in question to have formed a well-reasoned opinion on the topic.
Armor needs to do more for its weight and price, especially when it comes to modules. As for the power plant personally, I don't feel adding another layer of rng would make things better.
Armor penetration/module damage already has an RNG element.
Armor also helps a lot already in stealth setups as you can prevent any but purely manual targeting of sub systems...which means you will often run out of hull, even on armored, reinforced, ships, before critical subsystems are at risk, unless you are very unlucky.
The Anaconda does have huge thrusters and a relatively exposed PP, but most ships aren't so vulnerable, and an Anaconda that keeps it's nose toward the highest threat opponent is pretty safe as well...except from railguns.
You are right indeed. Armor needs to reduce damage to modules by the same % as it does for hull and Hull Reinforcement should function as overhealth that must be destroyed before internal modules can be hit with anything other than a railgun.
But I find that unlikely to happen till SCBs are gone or restricted. The shield meta overshadows hull and armor too much.
Implementing such hull/armor changes simultaneously with an SCB nerf would result in shields and subsystem targeting disappearing from most combat entirely. You'd lose far more depth and variety than you'd gain.
If anything those in support are the small and vocal minority.
Almost certainly not the case.
Good balancing? HAVE YOU SEEN HOW MISSILE PERFORM!
The exception that proves the rule.
Things were balanced before they added SCBs. If anything their removal will restore balance more than break it. Sure the top level of ships will take a hit but the medium and low tiers will become a lot more interesting and varied.
Before SCBs the largest combat vessel was the Viper and the only ship larger than the Cobra was the Anaconda (oops, forgot the Type-9...not that it matters for this argument)...which only did well because it wasn't fighting anything better than Vipers and because wings didn't exist yet.
The small and medium ships are already pretty varied.
SCBs didn't create the problems you've mentioned. The introduction of the Python, Asp, Clipper, Vulture, FDL, along with Frontier's desire to make combat viable and appealing for those piloting these ships did. Wings further reinforced this. The game's combat has evolved beyond small fighter vs. small fighter action and many CMDR's piloting abilities have evolved beyond aircraft style dogfights. Motivations for combat have evolved as well. Pulling SCBs won't bring back the experience you seem to be longing for.
I loved Beta 1 (the last version before the changes that started to make SCBs an integral part of ED), I could have played Beta 1 forever, but Beta 1 is not coming back.
