Barrel Rolling for travel -> any other engine component is gimp

[mydogclimbstree]

...The advantage of Barrel Roll is being able to cover ground quickly and gain tactical advantage. This can allow a group of organized pilots (or even just an alert, single pilot) who are dominating one satellite to quickly deny the capture of the adjacent satellite...

 

Well put. I play my scout as a support class to cap/defend contested nodes. Since I like to stay out of pure dogfights, the benefits of BR are huge. Like others have said, the whole point is to pick components that support your playsyle.

[DEATHICIDE]

You're focusing on the direct combat aspects of Barrel Roll vs the others. That is not so much where the advantage is. Barrel Roll is mediocre at best in a dogfight.

 

The advantage of Barrel Roll is being able to cover ground quickly and gain tactical advantage. This can allow a group of organized pilots (or even just an alert, single pilot) who are dominating one satellite to quickly deny the capture of the adjacent satellite. You literally do not have enough time between the first turret blowup and sitting there to cap it before they can reach you and prevent the cap because Barrel Roll can get them there so fast. And not just the Scouts, but the Strikes and Gunships as well.

 

Yes, hence why I said "For these reasons, I would argue against the must have factor for barrel roll or retro thrusters, as the former simply lets you travel faster, and the latter is only useful in close space dogfights/stationary targets."

 

I don't mind being a few seconds behind to a node personally unless playing on my stock scout, but that little bugger is fast enough for me, and does use barrel roll.

However on any other ship, the need to respond faster than a full charge of boost can perform is secondary to air superiority, again, IMO of course.

(Op called this thread any other engine component is gimp, which I am disputing as a non-scout main player)

Edited January 7, 2014 by DEATHICIDE

[Nemarus]

You're focusing on the direct combat aspects of Barrel Roll vs the others. That is not so much where the advantage is. Barrel Roll is mediocre at best in a dogfight.

 

The advantage of Barrel Roll is being able to cover ground quickly and gain tactical advantage. This can allow a group of organized pilots (or even just an alert, single pilot) who are dominating one satellite to quickly deny the capture of the adjacent satellite. You literally do not have enough time between the first turret blowup and sitting there to cap it before they can reach you and prevent the cap because Barrel Roll can get them there so fast. And not just the Scouts, but the Strikes and Gunships as well.

 

And they can do it with minimal engine power cost.

 

Barrel Roll is so engine-efficient that it also reduces the need/viability of other components, particularly on the Scout. Why take Booster Recharge or Shield-to-Engine Transfer if you never come close to running out of Engine energy? Why take Speed Thrusters when Barrel Roll + a little afterburners covers any distance you need to cover?

 

(Though I still take Shield-to-Engine sometimes on my Blackbolt, purely because fully upgraded it yields 125% shield capacity--but I never have need to use its active ability).

[Lymain]

I'll just say that I prefer barrel roll on all of my ships, and I would love it if all of my opponents used something else.