Why not just let the squad commanders get the OBs as they are now and whomever calls it in first gets it to encourage full squads to form in support of FW? Right now, we rarely see a full cohesive squad from the same alliance much less corp form on the opposing lines.

The problem with FW battles at this point is there isnt enough reward to encourage corps to really get involved and build up full squads consistently. Our FW ground teams rarely have issues getting OB support from FW pilots as we work specifically with our FW allies to coordinate with them and make it happen.

If your corp is struggling to get OB support in FW join VTS Pub channel and ask for a diplo and we will help you find FW corps to coordinate with even if they are on the opposing side.

In the mean time working some mathematical formula for something which is already suffering from a lack of manpower only puts a mechanic in place for the sympton and isnt the answer for what the root problem is. If anything it will further discourage cohesive team play. Make FW rewards for fighting in the battles more interesting and you will see more full squads and fight the wars.

I think the following chat sums up my opinion on the matter succinctly

I wouldn't trust an EVE player with my planetary conquest orbitals, where they are 10x more important anyway.

I wouldn't trust an EVE player with an overheated laser rifle...

Orbital Strikes need to have multiple ammo types and affects. While the warbage should be capable of giving operable support such as electronic warfare and the like.

Each space craft should be able to use any one of their weapons to drop a strike, however to make sure its not overpowered only spacecraft of a specific size or lower should be able to connect to the satilite. This adds the idea of going for a smaller ship for quicker weaker strike, or put in something a little bigger.

Laser weapons are all about prescion and range, so a laser strike will have a very small area of effect but carry a lethal total damage capable of destroying any vehicle or installation, but serves very little purpose against infantry. While plasma strike will be purely infantry based, even llav have chance to survive, the guy inside nit so much.

As for contracts for providibg support a faction should be capable of issue merc contracts which means for the length of the contract the affected parties will be shown as allies, information should be given via communications once the contract is accepted. Mercs should be able to take out these contracts even if they intend to awox later on!!

Well, we already have multiple ammo types for EVE-delivered orbitals, and I actually addressed the size concern in an earlier post of mine.

Say that a frigate takes the same amount of time on the "beacon" to get a strike as it did in the FanFest tournament, so around 30 seconds.

For every size up, it takes longer.

60 for a cruiser.
90 for a Battleship.
120 for a Dreadnaught.

Like that. So you can wait for a bigger strike, but the enemy might use the delay to push up and wreck you. You have to take a calculate risk on larger assets.

Well yeah but if you say it takes 120 for a dreadnaught but your getting attacked you could rush an attack for lesser accuracy

So you mean get that same attack, but it has less of a chance to land where you want if the timer's not up?

The issue is that if they go with the precedent set by Templar One, "danger close" would be 900 meters. I don't think a reduction in accuracy would stop you from pasting whatever you aimed that kind of firepower at.

1: Yep remove warbarge strikes form FW/PC, or cut the WP needed for Orbitals. Either is fine by me.


So onto some thoughts and ideas for Orbitals and Eve-Dust Link in general.

1: Make orbitals more substantial. Currently it doesn't FEEL any better than a Warbarge strike. Hard to convince people to use the Orbital if they don't see the point.
2: Damage patterns. Allow the Capsuleer to set how the orbital strike lands, such as a line, a spread or all in one small cluster.
3: Intel map when connected. Give the Capsuleer a window that has a map with icons on it representing where all the Dust stuff is located. Only has to update with server tick's. GIves the capsuleer something to do while waiting.
4: Orbital repositioning. Nothing sucks more than an orbital that misses everything. Allow the capsuleer to adjust, up to a point, the precise strike location.
5: Allow the Capsuleer to deploy corp assets such as Tanks himself. Offload some of the strategic logistics. All assets dropped this way have to be donated to the Corp from Dust beforehand.
6: Indirect strikes. Split the map up into grids and allow the Capsuleer to bombard a section randomly. NO precision with these, they just drop haphazardly. Could force a certain minimum time bombarding a section, like say 45 seconds. A way to earn WP for a capsuleer.

I'm late to this party and haven't read any of the other replies yet.

1: Yep remove warbarge strikes form FW/PC, or cut the WP needed for Orbitals. Either is fine by me.


So onto some thoughts and ideas for Orbitals and Eve-Dust Link in general.

1: Make orbitals more substantial. Currently it doesn't FEEL any better than a Warbarge strike. Hard to convince people to use the Orbital if they don't see the point.
2: Damage patterns. Allow the Capsuleer to set how the orbital strike lands, such as a line, a spread or all in one small cluster.
3: Intel map when connected. Give the Capsuleer a window that has a map with icons on it representing where all the Dust stuff is located. Only has to update with server tick's. GIves the capsuleer something to do while waiting.
4: Orbital repositioning. Nothing sucks more than an orbital that misses everything. Allow the capsuleer to adjust, up to a point, the precise strike location.
5: Allow the Capsuleer to deploy corp assets such as Tanks himself. Offload some of the strategic logistics. All assets dropped this way have to be donated to the Corp from Dust beforehand.
6: Indirect strikes. Split the map up into grids and allow the Capsuleer to bombard a section randomly. NO precision with these, they just drop haphazardly. Could force a certain minimum time bombarding a section, like say 45 seconds. A way to earn WP for a capsuleer.

For PC at least, I think it's worth keeping the NPC Precision Strikes. Not every PC-capable Corp in DUST is going to have EVE support on call. For now, most do, and in future, most will, but not all, and not forever. I understand (and agree with) encouraging the EVE-DUST link, but this isn't encouraging, it's forcing it. DUST-exclusive Corps need to be capable of functioning - if at a slight disadvantage - without the reliance on EVE players. Corps with limited EVE support need options when their Capsuleers are unreachable.

And on that note, for PC, I think there should be a WP limit on squads calling in Orbitals, AND a limit on EVE players being available for them. So you need to capture the beacon so your team has access to an Orbital Strike, AND the ground forces need to build up their WP to call it in. When a squad has called in their first strike, they need more WP before they can call in another, making it more likely that other squads will have the WP and that top squad won't any more. If it looks like the space battle is turning against you, Precision Strikes are still available. If your team can't capture the beacon and you need urgent support, you can also use a Precision Strike instead of waiting. The EVE support would be more effective/powerful, and ideally you want to wait for that opportunity, but that won't be the only option.

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Faction Warfare is less likely to have these problems. You're automatically being targeted on areas in which there's an active space battle, which means there will usually be ships present fighting for both sides. In this situation, the elimination of Precision Strikes is more reasonable, and helps to make FW feel more like it's empire vs. empire combat rather than the player-owned Corporations or the regular NPC Corps going against one another.

Also for FW, it might work better to have sequential orbital requests. Availability could determined purely by EVE players controlling the beacon, and the highest WP count for a squad would mean they get priority on the strike. If a squad uses the strike, they become ineligible for another strike until all other squads have had a chance. Or they have their accumulated WP total reset for purposes of determining priority on an Orbital. The former option would mean that you guarantee to "cycle" through the squads during the course of the match, with the "best" players getting the first orbital, and the team's lesser-skilled players providing support later in the match. Using the other option would allow a particularly dominant squad to take all the orbital support themselves, but they would have to be performing a LOT better than the rest of the DUST Mercs on that side of the conflict.

I still stand by my original post in the thread, as quoted below. I'd want to edit a few typoes, but I'm half asleep and can't be bothered right now.

imo they should only be earned by controlling a radar station or the like. Right now it's so simple ugh. point A B C

What about defense relays?

Or Radar jammers?

Just have more stuff for us to fight over, for instance, you need to hold the jammer for 2 minutes in order to open a window for an eve strike.

If the jammer is taken out with heavy tank fire , or remote explosives on the console INSIDE then both teams can have orbital support every 2 minutes.

How about OB support cuts into your paycheck that way OBs are an act of necessity instead of opportunity. Of course then there would have to be some benefit to winning other then a minor increase in pay out and a bigger epeen.

1) I agree with removing the warbarge OB from PC.
FW is too casual, it's better to keep the warbarge precision strike, i suggest to raise the number of WP needed for an orbital, with a team of 6 is not that hard to gain one.

2) I have no experience of EVE, i suppose i have nothing against it.

3) You can let all squad leaders set an objective for the OB, then the EVE pilot will choose.