Corvettes as Strike Craft, Again

Okay, so, I've been watching the forums, and corvettes appear to be a pretty big problem. Specifically:

  1. They're easy to deploy, difficult to stop (and consequently low-risk)
  2. They have only two counters, both of which are ineffective
  3. They outmode LRFs, LFs, and even capital ships (I'd be willing to bet that, close positions, a player who went corvettes instead of a capital ship would win over a player with a capital ship, hands down)

Consequently, I recommend the following: make them strike craft (i.e. you build a single corvette like you would a squadron of fighters or bombers) and balance them accordingly, to wit:

  1. 5/8s the combined health of a squadron or less
    • So: if a full squadron has 600 health, a corvette would have 375 total between its health and shields (remember: this may seem like a disadvantage, but corvettes benefit from shield mitigation, significantly increasing their effective health, and they don't lose DPS as they take damage the way squadrons do)
  2. 2/3s the combined DPS of a squadron, divided amongst the corvette's three weapons systems
    • So: if a full squadron did 18 DPS, a corvette would do 12 DPS, divided amongst three weapons systems
  3. Balance their antimatter cost based on the costs of fighters and bombers
    • Consider giving them an antimatter cost when built by capital ships
    • I should note that giving capital ships an antimatter cost for building fighters and bombers, and rebalancing these costs to favor fighters, would have an interesting effect on overall game balance, but that's another thread
  4. If necessary, fiddle with which units can target corvettes and which units the corvette can target with which attacks

Ideally, corvettes would use the following three damage types:

  • Anti-medium (missiles/beams/???)
  • Anti-heavy (lasers/lasers/???)
  • Composite (autocannon/point defense/???)

...as opposed to fighters, which are anti-light, and bombers, which are anti-very heavy.

Consequently, you'd use fighters against light armor; corvettes against medium and heavy armor; and bombers against very heavy armor.

I know this suggestion is not favored by the community, in that it would perhaps signal a return to the strike craft arms race (which could be solved, incidentally, by buffing fighters).

I ask you, though, which is better? Spamming corvettes until you can spam bombers (or spamming fighters to counter both)? Or being forced to choose between spamming corvettes and spamming bombers?

Discuss.

11,354 views 7 replies
Reply #1 Top

I think at this point it is too late to be making significant changes to the corvette class. This idea of yours could work though, if indeed balanced properly. It would look a bit silly if you see a Corvette coming out of a Kols hangar bays...

Anyway, something still has to be done about excessive corvette spam early on. I am up to this moment stil unsure what would be the best solution though...

Reply #2 Top

To be honest I dont have a huge problem with corvettes, they are easily counterred by flak frigates. The problem arises from the cost difference, the corvette is so cheap that unless you start buying flak frigates before the other player builds corvettes the flak player cant catch up. If the price ws increased by 1/2 again or maybe even more would be a far more fair balance.

Reply #3 Top

Maybe increase build time also?

They should take longer to build than scouts............

Reply #4 Top

i support your idea frostflare. maybe add another type of capital ship or frigate ship that are specially made for building corvettes. not only you'll limit corvette spam but you'll also have to research the frigate/capital ship class specifically made to build corvettes. this again will automatically reduce corvette spamage. im not saying nerf their current dps/shield mitigation but it should help give enough time for others to counter without dealing an early spam war. by the time you finish all those research tiers, your opponent would have enough time to had probed you then bring the necessary counter for your corvette. also make them smaller about a little bit bigger than a fighter craft so they wont clutter my screen.

edit: what can also work is to maybe add a corvette build option to existing carrier/capital ship units. just adding few suggestions

Reply #5 Top

@Teun-A-Roonius:

As long as it's still beta, it's not too late.

I'm just waiting for the devs to launch the next phase of the beta. Fingers crossed that they'll say, "We've reevaluated the role of corvettes. They are now strike craft."

WOOT.

Reply #6 Top

I think the addition of corvettes was a mistake. Do we even need another ship class? Strikecraft, Frigates, Cruisers, Capital ships and Titans are enough classes IMHO. I would not protest if Ironclad just removed them.

Arent they the case of addition just for the sake of there being new addition?

Reply #7 Top

Quoting Frostflare, reply 5
I'm just waiting for the devs to launch the next phase of the beta. Fingers crossed that they'll say, "We've reevaluated the role of corvettes. They are now strike craft."

WOOT.
End of Frostflare's quote
One can always hope. :P