Proposed Stealth Bomber Remake

[D0INK]

We are also taking an opportunity to look at stealth bombers in light of the changes over the past years and seeing if we can make them more useful overall. We would like your feedback on this idea and thoughts on this new approach.

It's all about torpedoes!


The main way we are looking at changing the stealth bombers is switching them to fit siege launchers and use torpedoes focusing on a anti-battleship role. Each bomber would gain a damage bonus to its racial damage torpedo of 10% per level) in addition to being able to fit 3 siege launchers as now.

The result of this is much higher damage to larger targets such as battleships but at the cost of range as you have to get much closer to your target. This has pros and cons such as much shorter duration before your torpedo hits and being able to cloak or get away faster after firing but also increases the danger as you have to be extremely close to your targets.

Increased cloaked velocity


To help with the manoeuvring into range, we are looking at increasing the cloaked velocity substantially (so the bomber could have a velocity between 750-1200 m/s). This way the bomber could better keep up and get into range faster with targets for a strike.

These changes would come in addition to some powergrid/cpu and velocity tweaks.

Feedback on this idea is welcome! Very Happy

So... opinions? I'm kinda mixed on the idea. Sounds kinda cool, but I love that whole long-range frig killer role.

[Blade Blackmoor]

i like them for small ships ops, they deal out the DPS from range while others tackle. This will add more dps but increase the chance of getting the sb killed. I think it will be interesting to watch this unfold

[D0INK]

I was personally hoping for a positive change for bombs. Currently they're near useless for well... just about everything except last second stuff like "I'm going down in style"

[BS87]

I was personally hoping for a positive change for bombs. Currently they're near useless for well... just about everything except costing entirely to much isk

fixed

[Jan'z Kolna]

it would make more sense if they give bonus to torpedo range for stealth bombers, i.e flight time/velocity/both
generally i'd prefer SB capable of firing both cruises and torpedoes - maybe separate shiptype for each weapon

as for chances of getting killed - i like every change penalizing long range cloakers
long range+cloak=pussyboat , anything beyond 100km needs big nerf :)

besides, nerf caldari

[Jan Blackoak]

i like bombers..... they are lolz, sure there is prolly a more useful ship to do everything the bomber does... but its so easy to not die that its really nice for noobs.

and besides you learn how to be 10 ninjas if you are fighting a nano gang in one

[Deadi9]

Nerf caldari?? ooo my dear Jan'z how can you say that? (ok ok falcons need to be nerfed) But other than falcons how much more gimped can we get? :P

I agree with you d0ink, i was hoping it would be a positive change for bombs, but I guess those will continue to remain useless.

[D0INK]

Updatin dis thread:

# Stealth Bombers have had their role refocused to be anti-battleship role. They now equip siege missile launchers and use torpedoes instead of cruise missiles which allow them to inflict large volley damage against big targets and gain the ability to equip a covert ops cloak so can warp around whilst cloaked. In addition bombs have been made cheaper and the bomb launcher can now be equipped in any of the bombers high slots along with other changes to aid them.
# Stealth Bombers now gain a bonus to fitting siege missile launchers instead of cruise missile launchers.
# Stealth Bombers can fit and use a covert ops cloak allowing them to warp whilst cloaked.
# Stealth Bombers now have a 15% bonus to damage for racial torpedoes per covert ops skill.
# Stealth Bombers now have a flight time and velocity bonus to torpedoes. The power grid and cpu fitting attributes have been adjusted for all Stealth Bombers.
# The base velocity of Stealth Bombers has been increased.
# Bomb launchers can now be fitted to any high slot on the bomber.

* The batch size of bombs has been increased to from 3 to 20 meaning new manufacturing jobs will be cheaper per unit bomb cost.
* Bomb velocity has been increased from 1250 to 2000 m/s.

Those are patch notes for the patch hitting tomorrow (related to the stealth bombers at least).

Here's from the thread:
Continuing on from the previous thread, we would like to start fresh with feedback on the ideas below which will be put onto sisi for further playtesting and feedback in the days and weeks ahead.

We are looking into improving and focusing bombers to be more bomber like with a more focused target group and bonuses which compliment this role much better.

The role of a stealthy glass cannon is to ambush and deliver a large amount of firepower through volleys of torpedoes onto large targets. To facilitate this new role better, the bonuses and some of the attributes are being changed appropriately.

So what are we looking at changing exactly?

1. Bombers will be able to fit covert ops cloak

However they will have a 15 second cloak reactivation delay. This means they can warp in cloaked and better surprise their targets in a true ambush. However once they are committed to the fight, they will not be able to recloak quickly as a drawback so choosing the right time to strike is essential.

2. Bombers will be able to fit and use siege launchers and fire torpedoes.

This allows them to inflict a high amount of alpha damage on larger targets and be serious threat to them. In gangs with other ships and available strategies will add significant damage to the fleet. They will no longer be able to fit cruise launchers as a result.

3. Bombers will gain bonuses to torpedoes

Each racial bomber will gain a damage bonus to their racial damage torpedoes (EM = amarr, Explosive = minmatar, Kinetic = caldari, thermal = gallente) and a torpedo explosion velocity bonus so they can better hit large targets which are moving in addition to a torpedo velocity bonus increasing the range and speed of the attack.

4. They will still use bombs

Bombs will be getting cheaper and their velocity will be increased to 2,000 m/sec.


So an example Nemesis bonus description will be like this:

Quote:
Gallente Frigate Skill Bonus:
10% bonus to torpedo explosion velocity and flight time per level
20% bonus to torpedo velocity per level

Covert Ops Skill Bonus:
5% bonus to bomb thermal damage per level
15% bonus to torpedo thermal damage per level

Role Bonus:
-99.75% reduction in Siege Missile Launcher powergrid needs
-100% targeting delay after decloaking

Note: can fit covert cynosural field generators, covert ops cloaks and bomb launchers



As ever, everything is subject to change and feedback is welcome on these ideas :)

[D0INK]

I played around with these on the test server.... and they're pretty win. But the big emphasis is that these ships are glass cannons by nature. You're EHP is lower than your volley damage...

[Kirex]

Bombs should be useable in low sec. :/

Some of our stealth bomber pilots should train up for bombs and bust up a 0.0 gatecamp. I think it takes 4 bombs to destroy an unfitted Maelstrom, so I think if we have 8 bombers we could get battleships to structure and finish them off with torpedos? Everything small than a BS should be killed.

[Bloopgun Mk2]

I don't know about the torpedo switch, but the use of covert ops cloak with the 15 second delay is full of win. Now if it's implemented correctly i can see 3-4 bomber wolfpacks hunting lone bs's and rapeing them since the drone/weapon tracking adjustments to bs. Heck, even bc's will evaporate if someone paints them. 12 frikken torpedo's at once can seriously ruin a larger ships day. It's knida moved the way I thought stealth bombers were originally. A few more good changes like that and I might reactivate my account.

[Jan Blackoak]

win... on the other hand i just finished my leet pimp super purifier fit.....

damnit

[D0INK]

Actually, i think it's a 30 second recloaking delay. The thread says otherwise, but I'm pretty sure I remember not being able to cloak right away after and it said something along 20 seconds left on reactivation.

[Tori Storm]

i like it....specially the cov ops cloak part. Also if training started today, i can get bomb launcher lvl 4 in 7 days or so.

[BattleWhack]

Actually, i think it's a 30 second recloaking delay. The thread says otherwise, but I'm pretty sure I remember not being able to cloak right away after and it said something along 20 seconds left on reactivation.

skills mebbe?

[D0INK]

Possible, but I have cloaking 4, which is what a normal person would have :P