Thread discussing how and why LRFs are currently useless: [http://forum.star-conflict.com/index.php?/topic/19491-long-range-frigate-most-useless-class/](< base_url >/index.php?/topic/19491-long-range-frigate-most-useless-class/)
- Increase speed to match Engineers, allowing LRFs to actually reach tactically advantageous positions while they’re still relelvant.
- Give LRFs access to the Engineer’s Warp Gate module, allowing them to somewhat compensate for their lack of close-range defense by having a one-shot escape tool and letting them get into an initial firing position quickly.
- Give LRFs access to the Recon’s Phase Modulator module or something similar, giving them a short cloak to help with close-range defense, allowing them to lose a pursuing frigate and giving them the opportunity to bring their weapons to bear on an attacking Interceptor or Fighter.
- Change the EM Scattering Field module so that rather than hiding you from radars and making you untargettable for 20 seconds unless you move, it reduces your radar signature by 60-75% as long as the module is active but with a steep energy/sec cost to prevent it from being used in combat (something like 130/sec).
- Remove the giant laser-pointer of Empire LRFs. It makes the EM Scattering Field useless, especially in it’s current form, as your target immediately knows that he’s being targetted and anyone remotely close to where you’re aiming can instantly know your exact position unlike the Jericho torpedo. Keep the “scope flash” effect for anyone looking in your direction, if need be, but massively reduce it. It should be something that people need to search for to spot, rather than a giant glowing beacon that no one can possibly miss.
- Increase the explosion radius of the Jericho LRFs Guided Torpedo from 300m to 500m and give it the ability to destroy minefields (enemy and friendly, just to be fair). This would make it an ideal weapon for softening up a beacon before your team captures, as it could destroy all 4 defender drones simultaneously as well as strip the beacon of minefields, and also encourage enemies not to cluster around the beacons in a tight ball. Reduce the torpedo damage slightly, if need be.
- Alternately, give the torpedo a lingering area DoT effect similar to the turret missiles from Phase 3 of Dreadnaught Sabotage.
I think what banes the torpedo is the resistances, which can cut sixty percent of it’s damage off in one go
Meh guided torps should be used as their special module. I mean you can actually bring up allot of module ideas for missiles.
The designator just worked better pre patch as a support tool. Not really a main DPS weapon but more like a poke, debuffer.
However the quality of the Long range frigates are, they can still be useful in some other ways aside from using their disintegrator, and guided torpedo. It still bugs me as to why make a class designed specifically for doing something that minimally contributes to objective team play. The modules even support the fact that the ship should ‘not move’ and stay back and use their special. Any ship can be designed for long range combat but this? This is the result after getting so many complaints from the player base about them? I still think a ‘destroyer’ like concept would be more fitting for them. Large damage output, swift speed, but low survivability. Though a build like that isn’t impossible.
Tell the truth i like long range frigs as they are. At first i thought they are useless also as i almost never used desintegrator/guided missile on frigs, but few days ago i had neat idea to lvl up all the ships - so i started at T1 and moving up. Hell, it takes time, but its fun and educational, as i change different weapons and modules i can find all the ins and outs. I prolly had most fun playing with long range frigs. And i didnt snipe from behind asteroid all the time - no - go along with team. They are epic interceptor poppers when in closer range. Hell, one fight i ended with 25 kills with long range frig. So dont say they contribute to team in minimal way - they are like cars - matters who drives them. Asteroid camper with 0 kills would prolly be even more useless in ceptor - so let him atleast damage your targets so you can kill them more easy. Only thing i would add to long range would be lets say 20% more range on main weapons, as they are long range and maybe +1 missile per slot.
Perhaps changing the Long Range Frigate to a Missile Frigate would work? Give them lots of missiles, give them perks to boost missile damage, and have their special ability be a homing (not remote guided) torpedo with epic pathfinding (ie: it always hits unless you use flares) that they can fire for free once every so often.
This would produce a class that has amazing DPS potential, but it’s a glass cannon - lightly armoured, and once the missiles run dry it’s not got a lot to say for itself.
i dont know - might be a class of itsown - i dont ant to see long range frigs go aay as they are now - fun factor is to damn high with them - but pure missile boat would be epic - tho there would be lots of balance issues again - but still - love the idea
i am all for this kinda of buffing
Okay… I don’t know if I’m going to get bashed for this but:
The Guided Torpedo is a complete b*tch to hit anything with. Either that or I suck at using it/I’m doing it wrong.
I don’t really agree with the OP but he is right on one point : LR Frigs really need more options for active modules. They really have too few when at the same time Engi frigs have so many options. Mobile barrier or Warpgate could be options for LR Frigs to work for the team.
On the other propositions :
Just fyi… the radius for the torpedo used to be 500m. It was lowered in 0.8.0
The Long Range Frigates are useless currently