We all know how the thing SHOULD be and work. All are crying after swarms of bombers to take out the caps. But where do you get numbers, eh?
In deep down FL is still a single player experience and everything is designed so that any single individual can enjoy the game his or her own way.
If we would make, say a minimum requirement to have, 3 bombers to take down a cruiser and 4 to BC and 5 to BS. Just to have a chance statistically to bring down the shield it would make the game really intolerable. All but factions can come up with the numbers like that. And it really would make cap usage go through the roof. Most of the caps now are owned by private citizens who want to play with the cap.
It's very fine by me if you want to fly your cap. Please do. But one of the problems I see is that caps are hardest ships to RP properly. What are caps for? I mean really, what are they for? For military operations. Keeping the home systems secure etc. Mostly patrolling and keeping things safe. But who is willing to have a cap and just sit in front of planet all day? So instead of doing that they want to go and start some sh1t (like most of the players so nothing new here). That's what the caps are used for now.
Don't you get me wrong. I have nothing against single people owning caps. It's just the idea of that money could buy a single person operated uber-ship of untouchableness and use it like overwhelming majority of caps are used now, to pawn people, that irks me.
I've flown a bomber for quite the while and every fight except one or two against caps have been hard work. In those easy fights both of the caps were piloted very badly. But in every other case I've been very hard pressed even to get to hull. Just the sheer volume of fire coming your way makes the thing very hard. So I agree with all those said that if a single bomber is a problem to you, you are not flying the ship right.
If there were 2 or 3 bombers against a lone cap the end result was pretty straightforward.
So I would not call single bombers overpowered if the cap driver knows anything at all. And if you are a lone bomber you either have an Inferno mounted, in which case you can have a slim chance if the cap if flown badly and it does not enter cruise when the bomber starts to get to her hull. Or if you have a Train CD in which case evasive maneuvering in cap is harder but the trade off is that bomber really does have very, very hard time to get through your shield (if it even can). And if you miss even once, you are very quickly back at square one with some of the bats and bots used since inevitably, unless you are TEH-EVADER incarnate, you are bound to take hits.
Besides even multiple bombers are not too overpowering if the cap driver knows his business. Personally I think it takes more skill to be an effective cap driver than an effective bomber. Mainly because at some point everyone has flown VHFs and Bombers and fought in them, but not many have fought in bigger ships effectively. If a cap owner has put hours in trading to aqcuiring the ship they should be willing to put some hours into mastering them too and not expect to be untouchable. If there are no deterrants to any single ship then it will lead to terrible abuse. If the deterrant would be that 3 or more ships is needed to bring down one then I think we all can see where it would lead.
While flying in my bomber I certainly don't feel the power coursing my veins. Every single ship class provides a threat to me. From LFs, VHFs, caps to certain tradeships. Since virtually any ship can take on a bomber it usually comes down to a one very big free for all meaning I'm pummeled by player cap(s), VHFs, LFs AND Traders who suddenly feel the need to get the kill. Not to mention NPCs adding their bit to the volume of fire. So the longer the situation takes the worse the conditions get. And they get pretty bad very quickly. While flying my VHF I can handle the situation because I can dodge most of the fire, but in a bomber this is not the case. And because of this tendency that people feel that it's a free-for-all if they see a bomber that someone else has already engaged AND because the bomber usually has, how should I say it nicely, multiple enemy contacts in his list, I've been countlessly sucker-punched by those who think it's nice to jump in the party. And usually they do not even take the courtesy of announcing their presence let alone making sure that their presence is noted by the bomber pilot before engaging. Usually the first time I notice an unwelcome addition to the fiesta is the point I suddenly see the I've lost 2/3 of a hull and the little shield I had left in couple of seconds. Whoopy-doo. At that point I feel very over-powering with my SNAC, because that's tehe only weapon left really anymore at that point.
And at the same time I should be RPing flawlessly with the next cap who has had the presence of mind to make hold his fire but is making demands at the same time or something along those lines.
Funnily enough when there are two bomber already engaged there is no such problem. But in a single bomber odds are stacking against you very quickly usually.
It's very rarely that I get to concentrate on one enemy in my bomber while a cap driver usually can give me his undivided attention.
I think all the bomber pilots have been in a situation I have described here. Maybe it's a rant, but that's how I see the issue.
To SNAC topic. In light of this I think SNAC (or bomber) is not overpowered. I think cap drivers just need to fly their ships better. They certainly are not in a weak position if they face a bomber. I would say if they learn how to fly they win every 1 on 1 against a bomber. And against multiple bombers; That's what gives the kicks. Taking down multiple targets. It takes skill like it does in any other ship in this game.
Interesting idea: I think it would be worth a bit of tought that maybe remove the SNAC shield damage to almost 0. And double or triple the Inferno like shield buster damage on shields and put the energy usage to SNAC levels. In this way a lone bomber could have both mounted but would not have the Train CD, thus leaving the cap always a way out by cruising.
In any combination of SNAC, Inferno and CD a single bomber could not win against the cap unless he would be stupid enough to see the thing to the end in case of Inferno + SNAC. It would take minimum of two bombers to bring down any cap.
This would probably make cap drivers cringe because they would have to flee and leave the system for 4 hours, so a single bomber could drive the camping cap away. In my opinion this would make the situation more fair for all parties. It would give the bomber pilot a fair chance against cruisers and it would give the cruisers a fair chance to disengage (in case of SN + Inferno loadout).
