Hello again,

we are proposing the following changes to reduce the high efficiency of the ADS and promote Normal Dropship viability as well.

In short, the ADS can function as a fast attack vehicle, with rapid redeployment and the NDS can function as a slower troop transport, able to withstand heavier fire while laying down supportive fire with missiles and blasters.

Currently the ADS is able to outrun swarms using afterburners, and return to the same spot within a few moments, fully repaired and fighting capable. We want to give swarms a better fighting chance against them, so proposing the following small changes.

1) A change so that Swarms actually outrun normal ADS speed, right now the speeds are equal, so the ADS just needs to boost away and the swarm will never catch it.

Wrong, the only time an ADS can outrun swarms is when they're right on the max lock on range, then boost out immediately to avoid the swarm. They get hit if they're any closer and slower on the AB every single time.

Swarm speed from 50m/s to 60m/s

2) Another change in that vein, is to increase Swarm accelaration from 10 m/s^2 to 12m/s^2, again to catch up with the ADS Afterburner.

Yes, another way to help the lazy that don't know what teamwork means is to buff AV.

3) To keep things balanced, we will also reduce the turn radius of a swarm missile, so it can't bend around 90 degree corners. This will allow skilled pilots to deftly avoid missiles by taking cover behind buildings and terrain.

[/b]They turn greater than 90 degrees, they go fully around 2 corners of a building.[/b]

4) We will not be changing the lock on timer nor the lock on range at this stage, and see how it goes.

That's actually surprising.

5) We are also increasing the cooldown of Afterburners and Fuel injectors, so that Vehicles that choose to boost out of harms way can either wait out the cooldown period and fly to another engagement on the map, or return back to the prior enagement before it's fully restored and then at a higher risk to itself.

Yes, reward lazy infantry behavior by nerfing vehicles, again.

6) To keep things balanced, we are also proposing an increase to the duration of Afterburners and Fuel Injectors.

7) Finally, a healthy buff to NDS eHP, somewhere close to a full proto swarm dmg (1000 eHP) and an improvement to Small Blasters dmg output detailed here, including a PG/CPU reduction to them.

Let's really try to keep this constructive

I'd like to echo the concerns others have posted about DS's flat sitting outside lock-on range and doing battlefield actions free of risk.

As I said above, there are scenarios in which a pilot is effecting the battle while outside infantry engagement range, and since they are in the sky there's no way to close this range.

So instead, I'll suggest repurposing all those Swarm Launcher variants no one ever uses.
("I can split my missiles between multiple targets? Why would I ever want this?")
Keep their low DPS, substantially increase their range, and we'll have our harrying option, and have found some use for dead items to boot. :)

Ah yes, the awesome power+low cost approach to balance. Also used for 1.7 tanks with great results

I'll ask again: is ISK a balancing factor or not?
If it is, then ADSs should either remain expensive and remain powerful, or be brought down in power in line with an equal ISK reduction.
If ISK is not a balancing factor, then why does price matter to you?

You can increase swarm speed to 60m/s or 600m/s, doesn't change the fact that a small rail dropship can hover at 200m, picking off infantry with impunity from outside swarm range.

Change #1 would put things into a position where since the AB can still allow ADSs to out-run Swarms, any Pilot who's caught by surprise will still be able to evade, despite his failure to be aware of the situation.

In short, that wouldn't solve anything.

Why are you guys so obsessed with the ISK reduction ? While it is a real ISK sink when you train those and learn to fly, a fully prototype dropship is in league with the cost of prototype tanks. And if you reduce the ISK cost, ADS will be cheaper than a prototype tank while being a more tactical asset. This would make no-sense.
Please, do NOT reduce the price of ADS ! This would be completely stupid !

Well, we don't want every pilot caught by surprise to just be dead, this will deter them more and reduce the ADS K/D since they are longer out of engagement.

THIS

Is is possible for normal dropships to have built in CRUS? One's that don't need to activate at a specific altitude? As it is currently, few people fly NDS because they need to take away troops from the ground to do so and an Ads can do just as well why have it's own gun. If NDS had a CRU that was activated no matter the height, it could be it's own bunker at objectives, allowing mercs to fire on the guns and spawn in if there are no uplinks. he increased Hp would encourage AV to try and take it down, in which case a pilot could just get in and fly away.

In the context of Planetary Conquest however, I only use NDS when flying to enemy home point or crash landing someplace because of the added troop capacity.

Loving the other adjustments however, my Commando MK.o feels so sad no being able to kill things sometimes

The proposed changes by CCP Rattati should be enough of a change to swarms to make them viable - I will be getting far more ADS kills. I think the price of the ADS should be lower than what has been proposed - it's going to be raining ADS.

Weapon range means nothing if you can't see the target until you're within 75m or less, well within any AV or turret attack range.

Total bull ****, I have been killed by small rail DS from over 150m on several occasions.

Dude, enough with the K/D bull crap. The only reason we have good K/D is because we don't die a lot. The reason we don't die a lot is because we flee at the first sight of danger. 500k isk isn't worth one kill.

Quick note, the splash from rails is being removed, so anyone who is capable of doing such a thing after this change would need to have near impossible accuracy.

It's perfectly balanced then that you don't die a lot and manage to get massive amounts of kills.