Blackbolt/NovaDrive's unique components could use a buff

[Nemarus]

If you compare the Blackbolt/NovaDrive to the Sting/Flashfire, there are only five components that the former gets access to which the latter does not:

 

* Laser Cannons

* Snap Turn

* Thermite Torpedo

* Sensor Beacon

* Shield-to-Engine Converter

* Sensor Minor Component

 

The irony is that most people who fly Blackbolt/NovaDrive don't even use any of these components, which means they could be flying the same loadout in a Sting/Flashfire, except in the Sting/Flashfire they'd have access to Quad and Burst Laser Cannons (stronger damage potential) and Reactor instead of Sensors (more survivability).

 

It seems to me that the above unique components could use a few buffs. If these were all buffed a little bit, then there would be more likelihood that one or more of them would offer enough benefit for someone to justify flying a Blackbolt/NovaDrive over a Sting/Flashfire. But right now it's just not the case (in my opinion).

 

The one exception is Laser Cannons. I do actually think they are balanced--they do less damage than Quads, but have higher accuracy and less power draw. But they alone are not enough to justify flying a Blackbolt/NovaDrive over a Flashfire/Sting.

 

Now, before anyone says, "But the Blackbolt/NovaDrive is faster, more maneuverable, and harder to hit than the Sting/Flashfire" know that that is simply not true. If you strip all of the components off both types of ships, they have exactly the same stats. Their only differences come from component selection, and since most of their component choices are shared, they can both reach the same heights of speed, maneuverability, and evasion. The above 5 components are the ONLY unique capabilities the Blackbolt/NovaDrive has.

 

Unless your Blackbolt makes heavy use of Snap Turn, Thermite Torpedo (ha!), Sensor Beacon, Shield-to-Engine Converter, and/or slightly-longer-range sensors/comms, then you could fly the same exact ship as a Sting, and you would do just as well if not better. In particular because of the Sting having access to Reactor.

 

(below is another post I made which gives background to the above)

 

------------------------------

 

I was an avid Sting pilot, but once I got it mastered, I decided to go ahead and try using my Blackbolt as a main. Once I figured out a good build for it, I found myself actually doing better in it than my Sting!

 

However, then I realized that the vast majority of components I really liked on my Blackbolt are also available on the Sting. Once I switched my Sting to using those, I did better in it again.

 

Unfortunately, I do think the Blackbolt is inherently less useful than the Sting. First, you have to acknowledge that the Blackbolt and Sting, with no components equipped, are the exact same ship. They have the same base speed, hull, shields, turning rate, etc. The only differences between them are from their choices of components. People like to claim the Blackbolt is inherently faster and more maneuverable, but if considering just the base ship, that is not true.

 

Now let's have a look at the components they can choose and see where the Blackbolt has an advantage or the Sting has an advantage.

 

Primary Weapon: I really do like the Laser Cannons on the Blackbolt, but they are very similar to Quad Cannons (Quads do more damage but have slightly less accuracy and higher power draw). Sting also has access to Burst Laser Cannons, which are very powerful in Domination. If given the choice, I'd probably use Laser Cannons on my Sting, but as it stands I'm fine using Quads.

 

Advantage: If you want to do long range combat, it's a tie. If you want to do short range combat, the Sting wins here because of its access to Burst Laser Cannons.

 

Secondary Weapon: We can all agree the Thermite Torpedo is garbage. Sabotage Probe is okay, but is available to both Scouts so it's a wash. Using my Blackbolt forced me to learn how awesome Rocket Pods really are. They are essentially a second set of lasers you can fire at the same time as your primary lasers. If only the Blackbolt had access to them, I'd choose the Blackbolt every time. But the Sting can use them too--I now load them out instead of Cluster Missiles.

 

Advantage: Tie. And some, who still enjoy Cluster Missiles, would say the Sting has the advantage.

 

Scout System: Both Scouts get Targeting Telemetry, which is good. Both get Booster Recharge, which is also good. The Blackbolt gets Sensor Beacon which is ... meh. The Sting gets Blaster Overcharge, which is very powerful.

 

Advantage: Tie if you like Targeting Telemetry. Sting wins if you like Blaster Overcharge better.

 

Engine: Both ships get the same choices, except that the Sting gets Retro Thrusters instead of Snap Turn. I think we can all agree Retro Thrusters is more useful than Snap Turn.

 

Advantage: Tie most likely, since both will take Barrel Roll. Sting wins if you like Retro Thrusters.

 

Shield: Both ships get Quick Charge. Both ships get Distortion Field. Blackbolt gets Shield-to-Engine Converter, while Sting gets Directional Shield. Now, S-to-E Converter is nice to have, especially if you don't take Booster Recharge as your Scout system, and it can get you up to 125% Shield capacity compared to Directional Shield's 110%. However, Directional Shield's upgrades allow faster regen. And Directional Shield, if used properly, will yield a lot more survivability. Putting shields to front lets you win a lot more jousts against Strikes and Gunships as well.

 

And in the end, most people just use Distortion Field anyway, which both Scouts have.

 

Advantage: Tie if you like Distortion Field. If you like a more shieldy build, then Sting gets the advantage I think.

 

Minor Components:

Both Scouts get Capacitor.

Both Scouts get Armor.

Both Scouts get Thrusters.

 

Blackbolt gets Sensors.

Sting gets Reactor.

 

I don't know about you, but for me, the benefits of Reactor (higher shield capacity or regen) far outweigh the benefits of a few more km of sensor range--especially since the base Scout already has considerable sensor and comm range, well beyond the range of its own weapons and of other ships.

 

Advantage: Strong advantage to Sting.

[Lymain]

The Sensor Beacon isn't bad when spec'd for Target Jamming and Armored Beacon. I've also seen it used as a shield for stationary ships to great effect, but I think that's kinda cheap. I'm not sure if Sensor Jamming can reduce sensor range below 15km (since Sensor Dampening obviously cannot), but I personally could not tell if Sensor Jamming was doing any good or not.

 

Personally, I'd like to see Sensor Beacons be un-targettable. You could still shoot and destroy them if you happened to spot them, but tab wouldn't pick it up (and missiles wouldn't work on them, for whatever that's worth).

[Slivovidze]

Not to mention that sensors are working really... Weird at the current state.

 

Though I kinda hope that at the time stealth class will be introduced, NovaDives and Blackbolts with their sensor components will be the stealth banes.

 

Until then, skilled Blackbolt/ND pilots have psychological advantage: They are flying the probably-farthest-from-FotM ship there is, their enemy will sure underestimate them.

 

Secondly, you can build ND or Blackbolt "the mobile way" without all the offensive perks Flashfire and Sting offer, and you will not gimp yourself. If some Flashfire or Sting pilot uses Booster Overcharge, he will be laughed at. Or Quick Charge shield. Actually, those "fighter-scout" pilots could actually use their Flashfires and Stings for fighting purposes, and switch to their Blackbolts or ND's if a need for scout comes. Like unhandled enemy gunships, or... Can't find anything else atm

 

Third, ND looks better than Flashfire. Even though they are the same ship, the open wings just look better. Blackbolt looks better than Sting without any doubt, too.

[Icebergy]

NovaDive pilot here. Novas do not need buffs. Laser Cannons are the best primary weapon in the game IMO and Rocket Pods are seriously underrated. Edited January 9, 2014 by Icebergy

[Cashal]

NovaDive pilot here. Novas do not need buffs. Laser Cannons are the best primary weapon in the game IMO and Rocket Pods are seriously underrated.

 

Flashfire/sting get rocket pods. . . (Which you realize can be negated by evasion, yes?)

 

And as much as you love your laser cannons, they are equal, if not less in comparison to Burst Cannon.

Edited January 9, 2014 by Cashal

[Icebergy]

Shrug, I'll pit my LCs vs any pilot's BCs any day.

[Lymain]

Shrug, I'll pit my LCs vs any pilot's BCs any day.

 

So what do you do in dogfights? Just joust with people constantly?

[Icebergy]

I don't dogfight, if someone tries to get into a turning match with me I just go kill their friends and let them chase me for a while. Eventually I'll lose them around an asteroid and then kill them from behind.

 

I'm an aerial assassin, not a knight on a horse.

Edited January 9, 2014 by Icebergy

[Slivovidze]

I don't dogfight, if someone tries to get into a turning match with me I just go kill their friends and let them chase me for a while. Eventually I'll lose them around an asteroid and then kill them from behind.

 

I'm an aerial assassin, not a knight on a horse.

 

That's like me on another server haha!

 

No need to argue our point, they will not understand...

[Icebergy]

That's like me on another server haha!

 

No need to argue our point, they will not understand...

 

Seems that way. Cheers to another pilot who has realized the full potential of the Nova!

 

Never dogfight as a Nova. A properly built Nova will burn down almost anything in a single pass, but if the enemy survives the first pass, go kill his friends before he even realizes you aren't turning with him.

Edited January 9, 2014 by Icebergy

[Nemarus]

NovaDive pilot here. Novas do not need buffs. Laser Cannons are the best primary weapon in the game IMO and Rocket Pods are seriously underrated.

 

OP here. I also do not use Bursts on my Sting. Like you, I exploit long range and do most of my killing from a distance, and on average I put up the same numbers Knickers does with his burst cannons. On my Blackbolt I use Laser Cannons to do this. On my Sting I use Quads to do this. I find both to be very similarly effective, such that I don't really count Laser Cannons as a "unique advantage" Blackbolts get.

 

Laser Cannons and Quads have the same range. Quads do more damage, but have a higher power draw and 5% less accuracy at long range. If I could, I'd probably prefer Laser Cannons on my Sting, but since they aren't available, I use Quads and I really don't notice much of a difference. Meanwhile the Sting is giving me Directional Shield and Reactor, which means I can fly straight at another fighter that is also coming for me, and I can shoot them down before they get through my shields. This is key for defending an objective from incoming attackers.

 

Whereas if I try and joust on my Blackbolt, I still win (because of Rockets), but I also often take hull damage.

[mr_sim]

Ok I'll admit to coming half way into the discussion midway, I have not exhaustively read everyones posts but I did skim through them.

 

My second admission is that I am one of the posters leading the charge to potential nerfs applied to the scouts. However in my quest to see scouts brought under control I have developed much knowledge on how each ship should be flown and I will now share the fruits of my knowledge.

 

This discussion seems to be a scout vs scout discussion, where I am know for arguing scout vs strike fighter as a I am a striker pilot.so I will focus on comparing the 2 scout classes.

 

In My Opinion:

 

the Black Bolt is the True Scout it best fills the role the name describes. I interpret the name scout to describe:

 

- Fastest at standard speeds(no boosters)

- Extreme Range, as in able to use boosters to transverse the map better then any class.

- optimized for light assault such as high speed strafing runs(slash attacks)

- powerful sensors

- trades armor shields and large ammo capacity for maneuverability.

 

Of the above points the Blackbolt perfectly fits 4 of 5, with the exception being the last point about armament in that I think both scouts have about 25% too much ammo wise.

 

Next we come to the Sting. I personally do not think of the sting as a scout but rather as The Interceptor . I believe interceptor is best described as:

 

- fast at standard speeds

- high range to allow it to achieve better combat position then it's foes

- optimized to deal high damage in a short period of time, but with short weapons range and exhausts itself very fast.

- trades armor shields and large ammo capacity for maneuverability.

 

again the sting fits the role of interceptor very well, and again i think it's packing too much ammo, and I personally think it too cheaply deals too much burst damage. It also has powerful sensors which i think it got because it is classed as a scout but I don't think it actually needs them, though I don't have an alternative to offer in it's place.

 

I'm focusing here on the role of each scout, so please leave my comments about nerfs alone for now, there are plenty of other thread where they are discussed at length.

 

The important thing is to use your Scout type for the role it's meant for. Objectives are king and you get the most reacquisition in the end for team victory and not for kills or damage dealt or medals. My most recent match I was at the bottom of the charts for every stat save deaths, because I was exclusively playing objectives in the form of blocking captures against control points simply by being there and dodging fire from at one point 4 enemy fighters.

 

So yes the role of the sting is to attack ships that's what it does that's what it should be used for. While it can perform other roles other classes are better designed to fulfill those roles and if possible you should be leaving them to those classes.

 

Conversely the Blackbolt is merely an average ship killer. What it is really good at is responsive tactics like rear area assault and emergency control point reinforcement. It is also good at GS suppression, though it is not the best GS killer as strikers weapons are generally best at that. However a dead GS is less valuable then a retreating GS IMO, as you know where the GS is and the pilot is not switching to a different role.

[Lymain]

The components you use define your optimal role as much or more than the name of the ship you're flying. As Nemarus pointed out, the speed (and other base stats) of the two scouts is the same, and they share access to many of the same components. If you think the scouts are designed for significantly different roles, you should point to the components that emphasize the role of each. For example, you say that the NovaDrive is faster and has 'extreme range,' but the Flashfire is just as fast and can be built to have essentially the same range (Shield-to-Engine converter being the only advantage for the NovaDrive). Edited January 9, 2014 by Lymain

[Brewski]

It would be pretty cool if we saw the sensor slot on BBs/NDs given some sort of anti-bomber capability. For example, a sensor package that exposes/counters mines and drones. They could be come the anti-bomber ship while retaining their scout classification.

[Nemarus]

It would be pretty cool if we saw the sensor slot on BBs/NDs given some sort of anti-bomber capability. For example, a sensor package that exposes/counters mines and drones. They could be come the anti-bomber ship while retaining their scout classification.

 

A drone jammer would be boss.

[Armonddd]

A drone jammer would be boss.

 

A drone jammer has the problem of either being absolutely useless (when there are no enemy bombers) or way too good (when there are any number of enemy bombers and it neutralizes at least one enemy team member without using all of your ship's resources).

 

I've seen this kind of thing before in other games. Counters to a specific class or build are never well designed because they face that sharp curve of usefulness, and it's extremely difficult to make the counter work against anything else without making it too complex.

[Nemarus]

A drone jammer has the problem of either being absolutely useless (when there are no enemy bombers) or way too good (when there are any number of enemy bombers and it neutralizes at least one enemy team member without using all of your ship's resources).

 

I've seen this kind of thing before in other games. Counters to a specific class or build are never well designed because they face that sharp curve of usefulness, and it's extremely difficult to make the counter work against anything else without making it too complex.

 

True.

 

I guess a better component would be a "System Jammer" which prevents use of ANY ship's #1 ability (Drones were #1 for Dronecarrier Bombers). So it would prevent release of drones and "big" mines, it'd prevent use of Blaster Overcharge. It'd prevent Booster Recharge. It'd prevent Strike and Gunship weapon swapping. It could either be an ability which has a duration, or a sensor jammer object which functions until destroyed.