I had the same idea as Varonth about how to balance the Empire frigates (sort of). Whenever they go into sniping mode, they lose the shield completely, and get a 50% debuff on hull for however long they’re scoped, and the effect would last like, maybe 8-12 seconds after descoping… The actually numbers might need a tune-in but I think it would be the best way to not kill its current capability and yet still level the playing field. It would come much closer to what sniping should be.
I got in a regular PVP against 2 of those… even with a tanky Jericho frig, I got my xxxx handed to me, despite the fact that I could take a solid dozen shots before the shield was down. Whenever there is some open fields you’re toast, because there is just no way you can take them down, even with 3 or 4 fighters. but if 2-3 missiles could do the deed. that would greatly reduce the camping.
And if the debuffing seems a little too much, maybe even give them a speed+ maneuverability boost for the time of the debut, so as to match a fighter for instance.
I think their damage is just about on point, maybe a tad on the strong side in T1, but it teaches newbies to dodge the dim red laser and not just stare at it. And the range is alright too, I mean, you can’t make them have a shorter range than a main weapon (with implants and maybe synergy thrown in, the long range laser and maybe the stabilized rail-gun have a 5+km range…).
Just my two cents.
Actually at T4, you do jack for damage and you forget that even Inties have huge HP pools.
It takes 5-7 direct hits with the Disi to kill a friken INTY at T4 if they are using their skills correctly. (And good luck hitting them once let alone 5 times.
It takes 20-30 hits to kill a frig.
There are plenty of cover on all maps to provide ample protect from enemy snipers. If you are being hit, you deserve it for being stupid and not paying attention to the laser beam targeting your ship and moving out of the way.
If anything at Higher Tiers (T4 specifically) the Disi and Torp need boosts in damage, not the other way around.
***** Since FIghters and Inties at T4 can shred even a full tanked frig in less then 10 seconds, the extreme firing range of the weapons is MANDATORY. In order for the frig to even have a chance at surviving. (Its why we stay Way the hell back) Because up close we simply get shredded.
Boost Frigs “Survivability” and I will be fine with nerfing the main weapons Range and giving it a damage boost. However if you nerf the main weapon and don’t buff the survival of the frig itself… You WILL make frigs special abilities completely and utterly useless.
At rank 9, the main reason I use my frigates sniper ability is just to get smaller ships to go away. If I see them flying towards our beacon, I snipe them and it
A) Makes them take a longer route, behind cover.
B) Sometimes makes them choose to fly away
C) Tells my teammates “Hey, look at this guy I’m sniping over there!”
It works well. And also, in the right situation, a sniper can kill an enemy carrying a bomb, or kill an enemy chasing your bomb carrier. It works.
There are only 3 things the Jericho guided missile is good at in T2 (And I suspect all higher tiers):
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Slightly weakening an enemy attacker before he reaches you.
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Finishing off a fleeing target with low hull and no shields.
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Killing teammates.
It has a 16 second cooldown, requires the operator’s complete attention while being guided, doesn’t actually do much damage, can be countered easily by flares and anti-missile systems and has relatively poor speed and maneuverability. I kill far more people in my Jericho frigate using the turrets and RMB missiles than I even come close to with the guided missile.
I don’t think it necessarily needs a straight up boost to damage though. What it really needs are customization options for the guided missile. Different damage types, different effects and so on.
Imagine an AoE EMP missile that debuffed everything within its range - scrambling their targeting systems or the like.
Or modifying your guided missile so that it did reduced splash damage, but more damage overall (10-15k thermal on target (Assuming a direct hit), 6000k thermal splash with a range of 100m instead of 450m)
Or changing it so it did Kinetic damage (Explosion is a mess of clusterbomb instead, perfect for anti-fighter work - maybe bonus to damage against interceptors or something), or EM damage if you wanted.
Or how about making a deployable minefield?
AoE buff for allies, instead of damage? Fire a missile into friendlies and it boosts/heals shields by 1000 pts or something.
There is so much that /could/ be done with the guided missile to make them good that doesn’t directly involve making it do more damage. Greater utility goes a long way to making it more effective without making it OP.
I wouldn’t mind if they actually changed them to be more support / “healy” in style. Without thinking really any pros or cons, it could be that jericho restores shields and shield resistance, empire restores hull and hull resistance and then federation would increase all resistances and increase damage done.
Since the above would be quite heavy hit when it comes to frigate range, frigates would get 20% increase as main gun optimal range.
Note: i’m no balance expert, and the above changes could as well be just regular modules 
Actually at T4, you do jack for damage and you forget that even Inties have huge HP pools.
Well, then maybe keep the disintegrator to a damages level that would allow it to kill an Interceptor of the same rank in 4 shots (base damages, i.e. not counting buffs/debuffs).
I haven’t reached T4 yet, but I do get where you’re coming from. I mean, in T1, the Jericho frigate was interesting because of the torpedo, don’t need to lock, can go around things, longish range (is it even better than basic homing missiles?) and decent damage output. Problem is, already in T2, I stopped using it because of the anti missile systems (modules or drones), and because the damage output doesn’t makeup for the time it immobilizes the ship. You’re too exposed for too long, and don’t do jack****.
Anyhow, I do realize that no ONE ship is supposed to be able to take on anything, but the frigates seem as tad useless beyond T2, they’re really just here to stay back, heal/buff, and maybe kill a half dead interceptor, but no more. But that is a topic for another thread.
Still, I think they absolutely need the range, but a debuff somewhere (and not in damage).
And by the way, there are still some maps that don’t offer enough coverage against them, especially in you’re in a frigate (Emp vs Jer, empire will win every time in 1 on 1)
Oh I do get killed by Torpedos and Snipers in T3. But then i get a lot more kills by ENEMY jericho torpedos assisting me (thanks guys, really appreciated you take out the interceptors attacking me).
But when I die to one of you camplords, I load up my frigate with warpgate and rapid fire plasma and warp right behind you.
Oh the good times.
Its so fun when you turn like a brick, fire minefields & pulsar at the same time and panick like chicken.
And just to troll you, I use a Federation frigate for that, because all your whining about having underpowered long-range weapons makes me laugh even more then.