Version 5.0 "Fire and Fortune" - Everything I DISLIKED Part 1 - Balance and Stuff

[Schxer]

I'll put it to you this way, if trying to match your opponent pound-for-pound isn't working so well, why not try something else? Gunboats, for instance, are *exceptionally* good at pulling opposing enemies apart, I've had moments where I'll harass 2 or 3 battlecruisers that will split off and chase me but can't rejoin the wider fight since I can just CD them if they disengage while dodging a lot of their fire. Kiting, as you correctly observe, is kind of just decidedly *not good* in the current meta, be it in duels or in fleets, so don't kite, find a way to fight upfront but on your own terms.

I'd direct you towards this fight between LN and outcasts as an example. A few gunboats and bombers (and I think one cruiser) took out a relatively equal sized force of cruisers and battlecruisers by remaining flexible with their targeting, but remaining relatively coordinated and not getting isolated, while picking on targets that isolated themselves. In your guys' case, this may end up taking the form of using bombers, gunboats and cruisers to punch above your weight when you're outnumbered.

Failing this, you could also honestly just reach out to your opponents to try and figure out more fair fights, It's not fun to get curbstomped again and again facing 1.5x your number.

Right so as you said, just bring smaller ships if you want to fight fleet battles against higher numbers as you just can't kite in the current meta. That's what I was trying to explain. The side at disadvantage receives even more nerfs so that even your skill can't slightly make up for it. Switch to smaller ships or kite and lose.