Support ships should be more viable in Combat Zones

[CMDR Astraea Astralis]

Ever wish you could play as a "healer" in a combat zone, dishing out repair limpets, and blasting your teammates with Regeneration Sequence beam lasers, only to find out that it's a lot better to just not because you're potentially missing out on a lot of combat bonds?

I'd really like it if playing as a support role, focusing primarily or entirely on healing teammates, was viable in combat zones, especially so in the AX combat zones and for community goals.
So what I'm proposing is, if you're regenerating someones shields with your beam lasers, and/or using support limpets on them, you are also rewarded with the same combat bonds they get from eliminating their target. This assumes of course you are pledged to the same faction in that combat zone.

If rewarding 100% of the bonds for assisting someone is too much, 75% or even 50% could work too. I would still enjoy playing as a healer ship with those rates.

Side note, it would also be really great if regeneration sequence beams also healed ships pledged to the same faction, and not just teammates!

What do you think?

 

[varonica]

Ever wish you could play as a "healer" in a combat zone, dishing out repair limpets, and blasting your teammates with Regeneration Sequence beam lasers, only to find out that it's a lot better to just not because you're potentially missing out on a lot of combat bonds?

I'd really like it if playing as a support role, focusing primarily or entirely on healing teammates, was viable in combat zones, especially so in the AX combat zones and for community goals.
So what I'm proposing is, if you're regenerating someones shields with your beam lasers, and/or using support limpets on them, you are also rewarded with the same combat bonds they get from eliminating their target. This assumes of course you are pledged to the same faction in that combat zone.

If rewarding 100% of the bonds for assisting someone is too much, 75% or even 50% could work too. I would still enjoy playing as a healer ship with those rates.

Side note, it would also be really great if regeneration sequence beams also healed ships pledged to the same faction, and not just teammates!

What do you think?

Well it's like this, any ship seen regenerating and healing combat ships becomes target number 1, just like in PvP MMO's, so you become the frst target to be eliminated, in any combat you first target the support infrastructure then the combat units, because taking out the support infrastructure reduces the effectiveness of the combat units. At least that's the way I would play it. You can't really play support in an active combat arena unless your ships are so tanky they are virtually indestructible.

 

[Dox Paradox]

Aren't the combat bonds shared between members of a wing? If not, they should be, I think. Teamwork!

 

[CMDR Astraea Astralis]

Aren't the combat bonds shared between members of a wing? If not, they should be, I think. Teamwork!

If they are, that's my mistake. I feel like they aren't always but I'm relatively fresh to this. However I'm also thinking of a scope beyond the regular team / wing, where you support allies who have pledged to the same faction as you have (in a combat zone).

Well it's like this, any ship seen regenerating and healing combat ships becomes target number 1, just like in PvP MMO's, so you become the frst target to be eliminated, in any combat you first target the support infrastructure then the combat units, because taking out the support infrastructure reduces the effectiveness of the combat units. At least that's the way I would play it. You can't really play support in an active combat arena unless your ships are so tanky they are virtually indestructible.

Very true! I'm an avid player of certain MMORPGs (Final Fantasy 11), so I took some inspiration from the Tank / Healer / Damage Dealer trinity. It would be quite risky and as you mention, come with its own difficulties especially in Elite. Would be fun if it could work out!

 

[zikolach]

Well it's like this, any ship seen regenerating and healing combat ships becomes target number 1, just like in PvP MMO's, so you become the frst target to be eliminated, in any combat you first target the support infrastructure then the combat units, because taking out the support infrastructure reduces the effectiveness of the combat units. At least that's the way I would play it. You can't really play support in an active combat arena unless your ships are so tanky they are virtually indestructible.

It would make imo more sense if support ships could resist total destruction - so instead of being blown up they can be temporarily disabled and therefore require some time to recover (use AFMU, reboot or even do some manual repair).

 

[Ian Doncaster]

Aren't the combat bonds shared between members of a wing? If not, they should be,

Combat bonds are copied to all wing members who recently hit the target ... but not to people who happen to be in the same wing a long way from the action.

A bunch of cheap fire-at-will pulse turrets on the support ship is a partial workaround if it has hardpoints to spare

 

[rootsrat]

Combat bonds are copied to all wing members who recently hit the target ... but not to people who happen to be in the same wing a long way from the action.

A bunch of cheap fire-at-will pulse turrets on the support ship is a partial workaround if it has hardpoints to spare

I was going to suggest that. Or just hit the team member's target with your healing laser once it's close to destruction.

 

[zikolach]

I was going to suggest that. Or just hit the team member's target with your healing laser once it's close to destruction.

It should be counted towards any damage - so ramming team member's target should be possible as well

 

[CMDR Astraea Astralis]

It would make imo more sense if support ships could resist total destruction

This could actually be a good way to introduce some interesting new ship launched fighters; albeit, ones that aren't even fighters at all. Deploy it from a safe distance and aid your teammates.

 

[V'larr]

Ever wish you could play as a "healer" in a combat zone, dishing out repair limpets, and blasting your teammates with Regeneration Sequence beam lasers, only to find out that it's a lot better to just not because you're potentially missing out on a lot of combat bonds?

I'd really like it if playing as a support role, focusing primarily or entirely on healing teammates, was viable in combat zones, especially so in the AX combat zones and for community goals.
So what I'm proposing is, if you're regenerating someones shields with your beam lasers, and/or using support limpets on them, you are also rewarded with the same combat bonds they get from eliminating their target. This assumes of course you are pledged to the same faction in that combat zone.

If rewarding 100% of the bonds for assisting someone is too much, 75% or even 50% could work too. I would still enjoy playing as a healer ship with those rates.

Side note, it would also be really great if regeneration sequence beams also healed ships pledged to the same faction, and not just teammates!

What do you think?

They would have to start by removing the splitting - as in reduction - of combat gains (particularly XP) just for being in a wing or being in a crew (including with NPCs). Which they haven't altered for...how old is the link in my signature, 4? 5 years now? Since getting fractional support credit for what is already a fraction of a gain is really not worth consideration.

Personally I'm not a fan of trending towards the MMORPG/Moba trope of "tank, DPS, healer" mechanics - in my ideal Engineer revamp world, I would remove 'healing lasers' altogether - but in terms of combat rewards it certainly makes sense to have ways of rewarding cooperation and support.

 

[CMDR Astraea Astralis]

They would have to start by removing the splitting - as in reduction - of combat gains (particularly XP) just for being in a wing or being in a crew (including with NPCs). Which they haven't altered for...how old is the link in my signature, 4? 5 years now? Since getting fractional support credit for what is already a fraction of a gain is really not worth consideration.

Personally I'm not a fan of trending towards the MMORPG/Moba trope of "tank, DPS, healer" mechanics - in my ideal Engineer revamp world, I would remove 'healing lasers' altogether - but in terms of combat rewards it certainly makes sense to have ways of rewarding cooperation and support.

Good points! As for splitting rewards, I had no idea that was a thing In the AX combat zones I get 60 million for killing a Hydra with allies + my team, is that a reduced rate? If so, wow