Just wanted to add a few thoughts to all this… I read over the patch notes today while deleting the steam version and re-downloading the game via the website due to the fact Steam was again not version synced… I was happy to read about the changes as it appeared many issues would be addressed. I was determined to be open minded.
So I managed to log in this afternoon. I was presented with quite a shock… Bear in mind I play solo PvP and random PvE. The experience I present is from that perspective, and I expect that organized teams will have MUCH more success with ships and their roles. Keep in mind that for the solo player organization is as random as the people you play with.
It appears that they have fixed the issue with ships having bonuses to modules they could not use… good work! However it appears the solution was to completely alter the focus and abilities of ships in very radical ways for many. I understand the intention, but I was not very happy with the implementation. In effect, they have invalidated all the work I have invested in both time, credits, and gold to aquire, equip, and refine my playstyle. All the ships I had barring my Hawk have been so completely altered as to now fall completely outside any sort of playstyle I was even remotely interested in. My jericho frigs are… the complete opposite of their former roles, barring the Templar, which is now rather lack luster in overall performance ability. My jericho fighters (machete, machete S) have also been altered in their roles an ability.
Having played several games under the current patch to get a feel for things… I’m already seeing a very large proliferation of fed frigs as people realize that having large numbers of ships that now heal for even more is having a very large effect on matches, and that sniper ships are even more non contributing then they ever were.
The only ships I have that did not change drastically from their playstyle was oddly the Fed frigates and the Hawk interceptor. The alligator M is still what it was if you fitted for team heals an fire support. However the removal of it’s inherent anti-missile ability, the main reason I took it at all, is the same as many ships… restrictive, thereby placing outside the reason I would have ever bothered to make the expenditure at all.
I was hoping that the changes were perhaps going to be a re-organization of the current modules, and perhaps the addition of some for those ships with bonuses for non existant mods, or at the least an alteration of lower tier ship bonuses with no access to mods. Instead I find the ships I worked for altered into things I would never have purchased. A shifting of ships I had into tier brackets that have altered their former balance, some ships are now lower or higher… I even had one (templar S) completely taken away from me after having worked hard to aquire… While I understand the intentions behind this, it’s effects have simply fustrated me to put it mildly. I’ll say again, there were other ways to achieve a move toward role definition and balance. I’ve been involved in software development and game beta testing for the better part of two decades… this was, in my oppinion, poorly implemented.
A good but minor example… the removal of weapon turrets from some ships… The jericho frigs looks positively silly with a single turret on one side an three on another. There some reason behind not moving a turret over, or leaving the ship lopsided? I feels like a hasty change made last minute. I’m rather curious to know the reasoning behind the way it is, if this was an intentional change.
Would have been nice to include a way to let one get rid of all the ships they no longer want. I’m now left with tons of space taken up by ships I would never have touched as their roles and their appearance is nothing that I would desire.
All that said, I applaud the dev teams intention, and I hope they find a way to steer the game toward their vision while still allowing their fan base to find enjoyment.
