To add to my previous post, how about granting many, if not all, LFs dual-CMs? The quickest way to take out an LF in a group fight is for everyone to just lob missiles at them. And since they lack the armor or a greater CM count to counter such a thing, they are (from what I've experienced as an LF pilot) usually quick to die in group snub fights. If LFs had dual-CMs, then they would be likely to survive longer/escape more easily than other ship types. Not to mention - You could retain CM capability while sporting a cloaking device, if that's what you want to go for.
Alternatively, you could even give certain LFs an unlimited-ammo, power core eating CM. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that CMs will not only throw off munitions aimed at your own ship, but they will also throw off munitions aimed at others, too. What better way to support a cap fight than acting as the designated CM spammer? (Yes you can target missiles to CD them, but that's also hard to accomplish when others are actively shooting you). Combine this with special core-draining pulses (Ones that affect power core instead of shields), and you have a support ship that's seriously capable of making an impact in a fleet engagement.
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I'm going to take this opportunity to point out the following:
LFs (8,500 u) currently have a larger power core capacity than HFs (8,000 u).
HFs still regen more quickly (1,200 u/s) than LFs (1,000 u/s).
Are LFs supposed to have a higher power core but lower core regen than HFs? That seems a little wonky to me.
Some VHFs such as the Starblazer (10,400 u) regenerate slower (1,100 u/s) than a HF (1,200). This seems fine, since the VHF has a blaringly larger capacity than the HF (A 2,400 u difference!). The choice between say, a Starblazer and Falcon, is: Do you want more power regen, or a larger capacity? If you throw a Griffin into this mix, you suddenly have a ship with a lower core regen than both vessels, but a slightly larger core capacity than the Falcon.
Taking things a step further: Why the heck do LF guns chew up so much energy? Is it to compensate for the fact that they only have access to four guns, and those four guns are punchier than their (V)HF counterparts?
If we look at this analytically: A LF firing simultaneously 3 Flashpoints and 1 750m/s Deb will eat up 3,201 u/s.
A (V)HF firing simultaneously 4 Flashpoints and 2 750m/s Debs will eat up 3,269 u/s.
A LF will deal 8,646 DPS with this load out.
A (V)HF will deal 9,229 DPS with this load out.
Granted, yes, LFs shouldn't be able to deal as much Damage Per Second as a (V)HF, since part of playing a LF (currently) is to be a more dodgy support craft. So then, knowing this, why does a standard LF chew through only 68 less u/s than a (V)HF? And this doesn't account for anything other than Flashpoints - LF guns as a whole right now consume ludicrous amounts of energy.
Maybe I'm missing something, such as how LFs are (currently) supposed to have less armor and shielding than (V)HFs in exchange for being smaller and faster. I dunno, LFs just feel so darn crumby right now besides niche ones like the Scimitar.
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