Alena Ventrallis
Intara Direct Action
Caldari State
2651
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Posted - 2015.03.12 16:07:00 -
[1] - Quote
Premise
I remember you mentioning somewhere the idea to split logistics into two roles: support and combat. I feel this is a step in the right direction, as logistics have almost nothing going for them. Comparing to assaults, logistics have:
1. less health (as it should be)
2. no weapon bonuses (as it should be)
3. lower speed
4. higher profile
5. less stamina
6. less stamina recovery
7. better shield delays
8. less shield recharge
9. no sidearm (AmLogi excluded)
10. more equipment slots
As you can see, there are a few advantages and a multitude of disadvantages to being a logi over an assault. Now I am not saying that logis should be on par with assaults in terms of slaying; assaults should be better for killing for sure. However, the logi should have more areas in which it shines. Now, there should be two options for logis; you can either go full support and lose a good amount of survivability, or you can go combat and be a little surdier at the cost of some other areas. The specifics are outlined in the spreadsheet.
Logistics Class Changes
I gave them both the slot layout of assaults. This should happen anyway. I can hear the "slayer logi" QQ brewing, but even with the same slot layout as assaults, assaults are still the better choice for killing. Assaults have more base health, and they also have bonuses for their respective weapons. Even my combat logis will always be weaker in a straight up fight than assaults. If an assault and a logi fit exactly the same, the assault comes out on top in terms of fighting ability.
Logistics mk. II: Support
Support logis focus on that: support. They have the most equipment slots, and also come with good EWAR. They can scan out to a pretty good range, and have better precision than their assault counterparts. This allows them to pick up sneaky targets from further than their combat logi brethren. They are also faster than assaults, but not as fast as scouts. The reasoning behind this is that the support logi can quickly reach a comrade to revive, repair, and resupply him as needed. He can also use this speed to escape a troubling situation, much like a scout can.
However, the support logi comes with several drawbacks. For one, he loses his sidearm, meaning he has no backup if his primary fails him. Two, he has less health, meaning a support logi is relatively easy fodder if he is caught or flanked. Three, the profile is higher, since all those built-in electronics would create a lot of electrical activity. Last, they have worse regen than their assault counterparts, since they are focused on support, not survival.
These suits are wonderful to have in a squad or team, because their support and passives make them very useful to their squadmates. However, catching one alone or isolated makes them an easy kill for an opponent. They are best deployed behind the frontlines, moving in to repair/revive/resupply and then quickly getting out of the way, and are well suited to fast moving squads that have to redeploy to a new area at a moment's notice.
Logistics mk. V: Combat
Combat logis on the other hand, trade support sills for more defense. They have increased armor and regen over their support counterparts, and a sidearm to boot. This is a logi that can support their team, albeit not as well as the support logi, while still having some ability to hold their own if they get caught alone or unawares. Their profile is also equal to assaults.
However, they pay for these abilities in several areas. Most obviously, the sidearm comes at the cost of an equipment slot, meaning they cannot deploy as much help to their squadmates. Second, they are slower than even assaults; I set them at current logi speed. This means they cannot quickly redeploy to different areas and struggle to keep up with their assault brethren. They also have less EWAR than support logis, meaning they cannot as effectively scan the area around them and more units can get past them. And even though they have more health than support logis, they do not have near the amount of base health assaults do. This means that no matter how much you brick a combat logi, an assault can always brick better. So using these suits to attack is always less desirable than using an assault suit. They also have less stamina than an assault.
These logis can be in the thick of it, reviving/resupplying/repairing their comrades while being able to take and dish out some damage of their own. They are best deployed where the fighting will be thickest, their increased survivability allowing them to take the hits and keep on rolling, and are great for supporting a stationary team, say some heavies guarding a point.
Conclusion
Now we have two logis that can perform different roles depending on the situation. We have the support logi, which allows for rapid deployment of lots of equipment in a short time while being very vulnerable to attack, and combat logis that can get in the thick of it and come out alive, while not being as good at supporting the team. Both have their places on the battlefield, and they allow better flexibility when creating logistics loadouts. I did not try to calculate PG/CPU for these two logi suits, as I have no idea how CCP determines it so I'll leave that decision in their capable hands. If anyone has suggestions I will modify the proposal spreadsheet as needed.
Spreadsheet
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ndc1mX-2I8D60vLVq4-WMFC2ver7RpYDPgIkroT-rds/edit?usp=sharing
Listen to my muscle memory
Contemplate what I've been clinging to
Forty-six and two ahead of me
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