I agree with Beolach. The IBG Cent is a better ship than any of the Valks. The IDF Valk is a good ship, with the same stats as the IBG Cent but with one more gun port. The tradeoff? It's a HUGE target! The actual FORM of the ship is too large - too much area to hit as compared with a Cent or a Vult, adding 5 N of thrust will help the strafing to avoid the flares, but if someone gets in close and knows how to STAY close you are TOAST in a Valk.

I might like the Corvus Vulturius more now that it's drain is a little more reasonable.

We'll see how this works. I patiently await the upgrade.

I agree with Rene. And I think Beolach's view is biased by his preference for energy set-ups.

If you equip flares on an IDF Valk (1, 2 or 3 matter of taste), the ship is largely as good as an IBG with neutron III. In other words the ships are at least balanced.

I can understand the Devs want to make the level-9 Valk something that is worth the effort (as compared with an ideal IBG set up that you can have at level 4), that is something -better- than a centurion in a dogfight.

I would like to add that you get the IBG at level 1 combat if the wiki is correct, level 2 at the most, how anyone can think a level 2 ship can be compared to a level 9 ship is pure insane, i actually think the suggested changes dont sound like they will effect anything that drastically that we all have to rush out and stockpile our favorite ships (something which is pointless, as old stock gets corrected these days too, right?) but until we see this update, we cannot, and shouldnt comment on it :P

Good question, will my stockpile of valks in latos be updated?

Jex, I think Nya was just saying that two even players, one in a prom, one in anything else (or even if the prom is a little worse) the prom will always win.

csgno1: Yes.

@Sun Tzu: Yes, my preference for energy weapons does make it more difficult for me in a Valk w/ energy weapons to kill an IBG, but even when I do load up w/ sunflares, I still can't win against an IBG most of the time. Go ahead & say that's 'cause I don't practice enough w/ flares, but I don't think so.

The big problem the Valk has is its size, like LeberMac says, but that's not the only issue. The other issue is the 3 weapon ports: the Valk doesn't have enough thrust to handle 3 weapons, and still perform comparable to an IBG. Also, if all 3 weapons are energy weapons (my preference, as you mention), it makes energy control that much more important & difficult.

Anyway, while I do think the IBG outclassed the Valk, I don't think it was by a whole lot, so I am very hopeful w/ these balance tweaks.

[edit]
Re: Nya
Valk (itani)> IBG (itani) > Orion Rev C > Vulturius > SVG (serco)

So Itani will own (totaly)the best light ships once again if the valk is upgraded.

IMO, that is pretty much as it should be. The Itani should have the best light ships, and the Serco should have the best heavy ships. Although, I think it should be more like: Valk > IBG > SVG > Vulturius > Rev C.
[/edit]

Yay. Update at approximately 10:00 PM Central Daylight Time.
Now to check my Valkyrie...

unkown,

level does not necessarilly mean better, it might be more specialized. If you put even 1 sunflare on the valk it can eat practically any ibg. Not to mention that a triflare layout is already very efficient, im sure that you and another person have demonstrated that.

While put a sunflare on the ibg and it is no match for any valk. Even 2 sunflares and forget it. It just hasn't got the armour to outlast a valk.

And seeing that the name states heavy, this is exactly what I expect from a valk. to be able to fluently wield a single sunflare or a dual sunflare with some minor discomfort. And not create the all powerfull tri flare builds from before. Some of you might like that... others do not. But buffing up the valk will recreate it. Closing the vicious circle of itani special ship nerf to serco special ship nerf to itani special ship overpowering to serco ship overpowering etc...

beolach,

the reason why you can't win with sunflares in my view has nothing to do with practice or skill. Use the strength of the other ship agaisnt them. I'm sure many people in ibgs got themselves killed because they started dogfighting a valk packing flarez... because they didn't expect to get hit in the uberdogfighter. You might be a master in dogfighting but any mistake you make in it will ge tpunished with rockets, which doesn't happen with the energy weapons or the gausses (due to their disjunction on the autoaim and lack of prox). Which is also the reason why it is so common and successfull to potshot valks packing sunnies, in there a size like it has is a bigger disadvantage hten up close and personal while packing sunnies.

I wouldn't mind seeing a gauss with a 2-5m prox :D and decrease its weight somewhat to compensate. hten drop the gauss to like a weight of 800 and increase the weight of the gauss with 2-5m prox to 1200.

Although if the valk does get adjusted to better wield sunnies, then I would like to see a serious revamp to the rockets in general to make them all usefull, in stead of only one type namely the sunnies. I still hav eno clue why all hte large port rockets are les usefull hten the small ones, not to mention that you are unable to pack less of them (eg: jackhammer + sunflare). At least decrease the number of rockets on sunnies to 8-12, then increase the number of rockets on the previous rockets (iceflare, starflare to respectively 16, 24). Increasing damage, increasing weight, decreasing amount. This will also give faster ships a possibility to use the rockets as a disruptor in stea dof a damagedealer. The second repeat on each makes sure that it is a no spam weapon. Although to counter spammingpotential, the exerted force should be decreasing drastically. aka iceflare, starlfare: 1/8 th exerted concussionforce, 1/4th exerted concussionforce of a sunflare

but im whining and sidetracking again :( sigh...

PS: i might have confused the names iceflare and starflare with each other, but to lazy to check

Does this mean the content additions are going to be postponed? Or have you devs just given up on them? :D It's ok, I still have an eenie weenie bit of faith.

What on earth gave you that idea, Person?

Balance Tweaks is fine.

don't nerf Prom.(licence 9)
serco has only it to compete Itani ships (IBG and Valk)

btw Prom is a decent ship only if you use it as a bomber.
that's mean you must use rockets, missiles & AGT.
w/o this profil you have no chance.

well yea it's true Itani must has the best light ships.
so well i am agree that SVG < IBG.
but do not nerf Prom.

SO a serco player will more such vs itani (same skilled players)until he has licence 9 to use Prometheus.

nya, the svg is actually quite a nice ship. It has taken down many ibgs/rev cs while i was using it. I only switched over to a valk because it had 1 more weaponport. Although in groupbattles... my svg got his ass owned a lot :(

Nya, that's not true, I was using it with Neutrons and jacks, it works fine.

Licenses shouldn't be a balancing factor, or at least not much of one.

The ship is still awesome.

People just resort to AGT because its easy.

EDIT: and yeah, I like the SVG more than the IBG.

Well try using the AGT on something that's not the Prom. Like maybe on an Atlas X.

I should add though, the valk is really nice in a group battle. It runs triflare better than any other ship. And its next to bloody impossible to take on 2 at once.

well, the Atlas X is less scary because it doesn't have the dual flares to back up the AGT

EDIT: sorry for the double post! wasn't thinking

heh it is also a huge target and succeptible to these same flares.

... which makes it a much harder ship to fly?... Wow! You made my point!

Most of the changes where bold. Boldness annoys people, but bold is good. The thing that worries me now is that the Maud is completly pointless. You get the Behemoth before you get a Maud if you go to Corvus (which you'll do anyway to get the FC battery), and fully loaded you might as well fly a Behemoth as a Maud.

The empty weight of a trade ship is rather worthless, as is the designation of the ship. People will use what is effective, and the biggest trader isn't annoying enough to use for it to be avoided even for smaller runs.

You're also a lot safer in a Behemoth than in a Maud while trading.

Some magic needs to be done to the Maud to make it worthwhile again. Apart from that it was pretty neato. The TD is a special ship and a ship that isn't better on everything compared to its rivals. This might be the start of a good separation of roles for ships! That'd be awesome!

Of course, how you're supposed to catch anyone running away now is a bit lost on me, but maybe the devs have some magic there too.