The question on the podcast was did they think that these new destroyers would be able to fit into Small faction warfare complexes. For faction warfare pilots like them and myself, its a very relevant question because it impacts the attack and defense of those plexes very much.
Right now, smalls can be entered by Tech 1, 2, and faction frigates and Tech 1 and 2 destroyers. Since Tech 2 destroyers only have a moderate offensive and defensive advantage over the capable Tech 1 destroyers while having a much higher base cost (not to mention their primary role of firing interdiction probes which does not work in low sec), there is no real incentive to using them to dominate the small plexes. Tech II frigates, notably Assault Frigates, are on par with Tech 1 destroyers for the most part in this battlefield so either choice can work.
However, if Tech 3 destroyers are allowed into the small complexes as well, the power balance could be changed dramatically if these new ships boast offensive and/of defensive capabilities far beyond their Tech 1 cousins and Tech II frigates. It could potentially reach the point where the fleet with the most Tech 3 destroyers owns the small plexes and become required assets for a serious push on a system, thus freezing out smaller groups with less resources to pull upon.
I suspect that CCP will disallow them in the small plexes due to the precedent set for the Tech 3 cruisers. While Tech 1 and 2 cruisers can enter the medium complexes, Tech 3 cruiser cannot; they can only enter large complexes like all other ships.
In the end I suspect that the Tactical Destroyers will only be allowed in medium complexes where they compete for supremacy with cruisers, and that begs the question... how good will these things be in their three different configurations? Its not hard to imagine a ships with base Tech II stats but sports frigate speed in speed configuration, cruiser DPS in damage mode, and cruiser tank in defensive mode.
And that has some interesting possibilities.
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It is very much on my mind.
ReplyDeleteDon't care about FW....please give the Amarr tactical destroyer missile hardpoints!
ReplyDeleteSeems like these give a pretty obvious unfair advantage in solo fights. What's the point of paper rock scissors if you get to play your hand after the other guy?
ReplyDelete"Its not hard to imagine a ships with base Tech II stats but sports frigate speed in speed configuration, cruiser DPS in damage mode, and cruiser tank in defensive mode."
ReplyDeleteIt's not hard to imagine that the world is flat, and the epicenter of the universe around which the sun revolves, or that anywhere that hasn't been mapped contains dragons, trolls, and were-folk. Doesn't make any of those things true.
The fact that the modes are "Speed", "Sniper" (NOT "damage"!), and "Defensive", would indicate that cruiser DPS in "Sniper" mode is not at all likely, and given that "Defensive" mode means more resists and a smaller sig radius... again "cruiser tank" is not likely either.
Maybe before we go off the handle with wild speculation, we should wait for some hard stats from CCP before going Hyperbolic Speed on the fear-mongering.
Besides, playing on people's fears and insecurities is my schtick -- shhhtop shhhhtealing it, shhhays Shhhhean Connery. ;-)