Twentieth... ???

Whatcha mean "keep it up"? Am I not alone in believing that cap. Carriers are too weak? (Excitement! )

Koda0 (^)

Correct... Really the only way to fix the problem is to make extra squads researchable in high tiers...  Sure you could make the ship itself researchable, but I don't really like that as it defeats the entire purpose of the Sova...

Hmmm... I guess a Tier 4 Tech. for the extra squads would be OK... but what I would REALLY like to emphasize in my list of "suggestions" is that their abilities affect ALL of the friendly strikecraft in the same Grav. Well, and that they stack.

Koda0 (^)

definitely need to fix Sova, definitely

Well, fine then!

Anyway... all I'm trying to say is that Cap. Carrier abilities are good, yes, but they're kinda useless when your Cap. Carrier only has 6 out of 30-50 squads in your fleet, the bonuses are a little overshadowed by sheer numbers.

Rapid manufacturing should (in addition to instant builds on the sova itself, and 30% build rates for structurs and ships) it should increase strike craft build rate by 30% (so instead of -85% build rate, it would only be -55% build rate) (which, when you consider that that means going from 15% build rate to 45% build rate...  3x is not that bad)

I don't get what you're saying here... that Rapid Manufacturing increases (as in, makes the time to build them longer) the strikecraft build rate, or decreases (as in, makes them build faster) it?

Also, if Heavy SC doesn't have a set range, it just affects the Sova's SC... which I think is a little useless, when compared to the 20 or so other squads you have "flying" around.  I say that it just affects all friendly SC in the same Grav. Well, and that it should stack w/ another Cap. Carriers similar abilities... 

I don't think much else needs to change if this happens right now, Flak, build rate penalty, etc. should balance this.

Koda0 (^)

Oh, ok then .

See, there's the thing, though.  Right now, very few ppl bother w/ carriers. . . most prefer Flak/LRF as of right now. I think that's a little cliche. That, AND most ppl. very rarely bother w/ cap carriers becuz they're so useless.  And, if all you have to defend your fleet from SC is a Halycon or Kol, try investing in Flak or fighters... especially if the fighters are buffed.

Oh, and I guess Stacking those abilities would be a little op... I take that back then.

Koda0 (^)

Kuda0, What i am trying to say... is that currently carriers have a -85% build peneltiy when combat is going on around them... durring the 45 seconds of rapid manfacturing... that build penelity would only be -55% (or, strike craft would build 30% faster if no combat is going on)

I really dont think the sova needs a buff that affects all strike craft... think about it... just as it is right now...

6 sqauds... with 30% more attack, and 15% more survivablity... thats the damage of almost 8 squads, and the survivablity of 7... ok, so thats not really inpressive... but lets just give the sova 9 squads at lv 10...

9 squads... with 30% more attack, and 15% more survivablity... thats the damage of 11.7 squads, and the survivablity of 10.35... it would take 5.85 carriers carry that same worth of strike craft... thats almost 82 fleet supply with of carriers... and those 5.85 carriers are not cheap either... thats 877.5 metal, 790 crystal, and almost 5000 credits!! If you make your sova your second capital ship... that sova only costs (including research) 4200 credits, 400 metal, and 325 crystal... AND your sova has guns (carriers dont), AND missle batteries, AND embargo... Now, of course you have to do some serious foot work to get your sova to level ten, which is why its prolly ok...

 It kinda shows that heavy strike craft does not have to be AOE to be effective... I mean really... for less credits, 1/2 the metal and crystal... you got 82 fleet supply worth of strike craft... for 50 fleet supply... not that bad... and that sova can regenerate those 82 fleet supply of strike craft instantly for 45 seconds every 90 seconds... In a long battle where the squads of both sides have been decimated to 0-1 strike craft from flack and enemy fighters... the ablity to pump out 9 squads could be battle changing.

mmm... I am preety sure my carriers are pumping out strike craft alot slower than only -85% of normal... but a link would be nice.... cause while, yes... it says -43% while under fire... it also can sometimes say only -50% when there... i think it is, no capital ships, and no starbases and you outnumber them?

oh, ok, you win... instead of 85% normal, using rapid mfg would boost it to 115% normal perhaps?

It seems that in Sins, percentage-based penalties are applied in a special manner. The actual penalty is generally found by 1-[1/(1+P)] where P is the penalty (example, a 40% reduction in cooldown rate translates to a 29.6% reduction in cooldown time). This could mean the carrier penalty is really building at 87% of normal (although that's not much of a difference from 85%).

If this weren't the case, things like Demolition Bots by the Hoshiko (which apply a 200% penalty to both speed and acceleration) would provide really weird results. Replusion, however, doesn't seem to follow this as well as it is 1000% penalty to speed and acceleration, yet the ships aren't brought to a total standstill and are still capable of moving if they aren't moving towards the Guardian casting it.

I think each capital carrier has its own unique issues, and they really can't be lumped together in a single category.

The Halcyon is in no way weak or underpowered as a package.  To the contrary; it's one of the game's most powerful.  Its issue is more that it has some very strong skills, and some very weak ones.  Skilled Drone Anima is a piece of shit, as is its ultimate Anima Tempest.  In the same breath, its two other abilities are some of the game's most powerful.  It just needs to be balanced out a bit.

Skirantra is similar to the Halcyon, but not quite as strong.  Its repair cloud ability is one of the game's most powerful.  Aside from that, scramble bombers is absolutely worthless and microphasing aura is situational at best.  Replicate forces is decent.  Its lesser abilities need a buff, but otherwise it's still in great shape due to the powerful repair cloud ability.

Now, the Sova is the only definitively weak carrier capital ship.  Embargo is its only great ability, and even that is difficult to use and situational (though very powerful when used appropriately).  The Sova is a one-trick pony, but it suffers because it's positively useless in combat and costs too much for an auxiliary function.  It's the carrier that needs an all-around buff to make it more competitive.

completely agree with the Sova Comments (poor Sova )

but it can be saved

at Distant Stars we revamped the missile batteries to be more powerful, gave the Sova more SC and made them Elite(being stronger and better than standard) which when combined with Heavy Fighter's buff they are the best around, only the Vasari have better(and only because of phase missiles).

The sova now in our games rocks.

ps and yes the halycon and skirantra got the elite and more sc upgrades