Corvette 2.0

[GoldenBoy]

A post about small ships got me thinking about the dynamics of small ship fights as they stand right now. Specifically, the corvette is frustratingly useless against other veteran plots in any other small ship. The corvette is a sturdy ship, but its low speed and short range weapons means that it wont kill any of the other (faster) small ships unless they royally screw up and let them selves get cough in the corvette's effective range.

Each combat small ship has an obvious intended use:

Wraith: Miner killer and light, fast raider
Corvette: specialized in killing other combat ships (specifically a counter for wraith raids)
Destroyer: A weapon for end game attacks against the BC

Right now wraiths and destroyers do their job well, but corvettes are lacking. For a skilled wraith pilot, a corvette is just an annoyance that it can fly circles around, instead of the major threat that it should be. Something needs to be done to make the corvette a more effective counter.

There are a few ideas that could help even the odds, my favorite is adding the ability for the corvette to carry, and shoot light missiles. This would kill two birds with one stone. Light missiles are obviously a tailored anti-small ship weapon, but don't see any use because a BC has plenty of ability to take care of small ships with lasers or kinetics. Allowing corvettes to fire missiles is a simple change that would get players using all the assets that CC has to offer, and at the same time make corvettes a ship that wraiths should avoid, instead of a ship that they target as an easy kill.

Of course there are other options. An upgrade available at the upgrade console could give Corvettes the option to shoot a longer range, and narrow spread barrage to make fight more even. Or (this one comes from Caladbolg) an upgrade could be made available could give corvettes a weaker version of a tractor beam, that would allow them to temporarily capture other small ships and make the most of their close range barrage.

Any ideas that the community has are welcome of course, but I think it is clear that something needs to be done to make the corvette more of a danger to other skilled small ship pilots.

[Caladbolg]

we could also give it a mass EMP (area of effect, about the same as its weapon range) all around the corvette. every ss in the perimeter (allied or enemy) would get their engines turned off. This would also include the activating corvette, shutting its engine. The use of this would be to paralyze miners/wraiths in the corvette's attack.

Not sure if this is a buff or a nerf but I'd like to see that skill on some ship xD

[GoldenBoy]

Its an interesting idea Cala, but I don't think it would fix the root of the issue.

Right not a fight between a wraith and a corvette is (as Tempest described it to me) a fight between a slow shotgun, and a quick sniper rifle. The wraith can dance around the corvette without ever getting in its range. To fix this we either need to use something to increase the corvette's effective range (that's what missiles or a longer range barrage would do), or some scheme that would allow the corvette to get the wraith within its smaller range (like your lasso idea).

An EMP that turned off both engines wouldn't do much good because a wraith has quicker acceleration. So it would be fun, but wouldn't change the dynamics of the fight.

[Caladbolg]

then again, I believe that if used right, stopping both ship acceleration could give the vette an edge. it would also be a counter to the Wraiths EMP (you emp me, I emp you!)

I believe that stopping both would still allow the corvette to atleast land 2-4 additional hits.



Still, for the problem of the wraith not ever coming into range, it wouldn't solve the problem.

[Tempest]

don't call me biased because im a wraith pilot but i disagree with your posts for these reasons

Corvettes are energy consuming slow moving defenders, with thrusters upgraded and the other upgrades it does a great amount of damage but still at a low speed, its mobility suggests it should protect miners or chompers or with its new and fixed shield it can even scout. I have been killed by corvettes before, its not impossible it just takes patience and intelligence, the wraith gains nothing by letting you heal your energy, and thats exactly what you want to do when out of attack range is park, that also suggests hug your miners and defend, let the danger come to you then mess it up. People like to use it as an attacking ship when it shouldn't be unless it has the thruster advantage it needs to perform. Lightbringer was playing against me today against my wraith which was shielded, but without upgrades other than ss energy. hes not a 200 rep player but hes smart. He hugged his miners and didnt chase me like most corvettes would, when i came to circle around and hit his miners he would be there full thrusters waiting, and land a few hits on me before i could boost out. This is how a corvette should be played, if your chasing an enemy player your not supposed to catch them or be able to pull them in, out smart them and be where they don't want you to, the wraith is the hunter, he corvette is the stocky protector.

In all fairness i can see the corvette needing one thing, a forward boost in speed that is controllable but very short and temporary. that is needed to close onto a miner before it boosts out, against a wraith if timed correctly it would land the hits needed to give an edge in combat. maybe a 10m/s boost, however this will add to the corvettes already demanding energy consumption. better land those shots o.o... it would also provide the mobility a corvette needs to scout the enemy bc and survive within its 10 second shielding window.

idk if you realize this but when a wraith comes to a full stop in direction and tries to turn, it halves its effective flying speed and must regain it. the corvette isnt the target that takes too long :o make him come to you and make him turn around or waste energy dashing out

[Caladbolg]

I still like the lasso idea. make it have no effect, it would just look cool.

[Tempest]

this is cruiser command not space cowboys :p leave the lassoing to the professionals.

[Caladbolg]

this is cruiser command not space cowboys :p leave the lassoing to the professionals.

you haven't seen my bedroom play then xD

woops! off-topic

[Red-Rocket]

I like missiles on corvettes, and the idea of a narrower spread isnt what we should be going for, im going for 'add more lazers to each volley' instead of your? 5? 6? up to 8 same spread range, more damage

[Tempest]

their issue isnt their damage output, its the ability to put it into effect, they need a short boost in speed skill its the perfect solution in my eyes. a forward thruster with a cooldown similar to engine boost for bc's