Ghost Kaisar
Fatal Absolution
General Tso's Alliance
7617
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Posted - 2014.11.12 06:05:00 -
[1] - Quote
WARNING: WALL OF TEXT INBOUND
Scouts to have a role that isn't killing.
I didn't sign up to be a walking death machine, that kinda just happened. I want a tangible eWAR role for all scouts, and a combat side that they excel in.
For example: Lets say that the new "Motion Detector" equip idea goes through.
Min Scouts would have a bonus to this Detectors Precision, profile dampening, and a NK bonus. This makes them good at detecting targets, staying hidden, and assassination. By using their speed and passive dampening, they can get behind lines, plop down a detector and assassinate targets behind enemy lines, even if they are dampened.
Gal Scouts would have a bonus to this detectors Range, profile dampening, and Codebreakers. This makes them effective at infiltration with dampening and codebreakers to quickly flip enemy munitions and objectives. The range boost helps those links keep targets lit up for the team.
Amarr scouts would have a bonus to detectors Range, scan precision, and Armor Repair. Excellent at point defense due to their higher average HP, a detector has extended range for med frames and good precision for detection of damped units getting close to the objective. Armor repair helps them maintain combat effectiveness, as their large (comparatively) armor tank can take awhile to regen.
Caldari Scouts would have a bonus to detectors precision, scan range, and scan precision. The eWAR specialists, they are best suited to maintaining high fidelity scans all around them, with decent range to boot. However, they are easier to detect when compared to other scouts, and rely on their shielding and eWAR to help them survive.
These aren't concrete examples, but they give you an idea of what I want. Each has a definitive role as you can see: which can be summarized as follows:
NOTE: These roles are defined towards med frames. Scout v Scout combat is still very much a "fight in the dark" if both sides are fitted properly. This is necessary to prevent any one of the scouts from being able to scan and trump the others, like we had way back in Caldari Scout514
Minmatar: Hunters
Gallente: Infiltrators
Amarr: Defenders
Caldari: Detectors
I also tried to throw in some limiting factors.
Gallente and Minmatar are strongest when their equipment is deployed. The Minmatar's and Gallente's equipment precision/range lets them detect their targets and assassinate them. Without it, they are blind essentially, due to lack of eWAR modules and their cloak field. For them to succeed, they need to be able to infiltrate an area and lay down their equipment, and are kinda limited to that area. The Minmatar is confined to a small, but precise area, being able to detect lone enemies when they pass though, or bail if they see a full squad. Or even set up a deadly trap with remote explosives (This is how I've always imagined the Minmatar, but we have terrible eWAR. I've always wanted that changed)
The Gallente has a much larger area to work with, but is susceptible to a scout or heavily damped unit coming into their area. To counter this, the Gallente are also heavily damped, and sport a decent armor tank. They can easily run into a person and win due to their armor and high damage plasma weaponry. Hack mods are use dt
Amarr and Caldari have strong eWAR on their own, and benefit the team when their equipment is deployed. For example: The Cal scout really doesn't even need the equipment himself. His own passive eWAR is strong enough. His strength is by being able to effectively cover two area's at once, since he can plop down his detector and put himself elsewhere. For example, he can put a motion detector into a high traffic area and sit back at range with a RR, lighting people up as they walk in. If someone comes to kill him, he uses his passive eWAR to detect them, cloak and avoid. If they have good precision and keep stalking you, you can slowly pull them toward other team-mates, setting up an ambush.
The Amarr also has high fidelity scans, and has the low slots to fit range extenders. He helps his team by placing himself on the point and his equipment in an area where it can cover the most ground. With his high stamina, defense and hack speed, he is perfect for roaming the city, looking for targets (Such as that pesky minmatar scout or gallente) and then being able to make it back to an objective and counter hack when he gets there (Being able to detect the lone soldier that did it and eliminate him).
Get the picture?
All these stats being said: I also want to get rid of tons of HP on scouts.
I never EVER want to see a scout with more HP than this in their main tank (Shields or Armor)
Minmatar: 270 (2 Complex Shields)
Caldari: 308 (2 Complex Shields)
Gallente: 327 (2 Complex Ferroscales)
Amarr: 377 (2 Complex Ferroscales)
Hopefully with the way the bonuses play out and other mods are encouraged, this will be the ideal amount of health a scout will run with.
Optimal fits I see with the above:
Minmatar: 2x Shields, 1x Precision (or sidearm damage) 2x Damp 1x Speed (2 damps are needed to counter the profile penalty from shields)
Gallente: 1x Shield, 1x Precision 2x Damp (Shield would add profile) 1x Ferro 1x Repair (Decent spread of speed, stealth, and regen, all needed for an infiltrator)
Amarr: 2x Precision, 2x Ferro 1x Repair 1x Damp
Caldari: 2x Shields 2x Precision 1x Damp 1x Range
I tried to separate them into "Offensive oriented scouts" and "Defense oriented scouts", with both having good bonuses for eWAR in both situations and still maintain combat effectiveness. Hell, I even gave away my favorite bonus in the game (Hack Speed) to the Amarr because it just made more sense to me from the new role perspective I gave.
As I said, It's not perfect, and there are probably a few flaws in here, but this is the kind of interaction I want.
I also ran out of room, and hit the character limit. Damn.
Bullet Hell and Duct-Tape? Count me in!
FA recruits get free officer BPO's. Enlist today. Must be a scrub to enter.
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