Varoth Drac
The Unholy Legion Of DarkStar
DARKSTAR ARMY
104
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Posted - 2014.05.22 21:59:00 -
[2] - Quote
As Moody says, avoiding scans is essential to being a scout. There is no point playing as a scout if you are scanned.
Lets consider Minmatar scouts.
In order to avoid Caldari scouts with 1 precision mod, scouts with 2 precision mods and Gallente logis using a proto scanner (not a focused one), you will need two profile dampeners. By the way, whilst scanner cooldowns and scanning area was nerfed in 1.8, precision was not. In fact with the Gallente logi bonus, precision was significantly buffed. A Gallente logi can scan you with a flux scanner with a 90 degree arc at 200m and then scan you with a quantum scanner, flagging you for a significant proportion of their cooldown.
In 1.7 you needed 1 dampener to avoid proto scans.
The lack of 360 spin scans and longer cooldowns does mean being scanned is a bit less likely than in 1.7 if you don't damp.
So either you live with being scanned, or you double damp. At least you probably won't be perma scanned, but I think it would be a significant obstacle to scouting.
In a competitive environment, a proto min scout would then have 1 free low slot. If you go with your bonus and try to speed hack you will need a codebreaker. I struggle to do this well with 2 codebreakers, so I think it would be difficult with 1, but probably not impossible.
If you choose to go for standard scouting tactics, i.e., flanking, non-speed hacking, equipment destruction and assassination, you will have only 1 free low slot. Without a range amplifier your passive scan range will be less than an unmodded Cal or Gal scout. Without a Kinetic Catalyser it is difficult to capitalize on your suit's speed advantage.
The way things are at the moment, Caldari and Gallente scouts are superior to Minmatar. Nova knives are fun but not a serious, competitive weapon. Speed hacking is useful in PC but is a very difficult play-style. Much harder than you might imagine, though it is fun, in a masochistic way.
The change to cloak dampening will buff Gallente scouts as it means there are more scans that they can avoid that other scouts can't. It also helps Caldari scouts as it will be easier for them to scan things.
Minmatar scouts will be further marginalized.
Possible solutions for min scouts (do all this together):
Hope that Gallente logi scanning won't be a massive problem, live with being scanned by other scouts, fit precision mods to counter other scouts, give up on dampening.
OR
Increase the effectiveness of dampening mods
Change Gallente and Caldari bonuses so they require fitting the respective modules to get the bonus.
Normalise all scout's passive scan range. I see no reason why Gal and Cal scouts get longer scan ranges than the others.
Buff nova knife damage by 25% and remove the Min bonus, it is stupid.
I don't know about Amarr scouts so I haven't commented. Though I think adding a bonus to cloak duration would be a good idea.
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