This isn't so much a suggestion but more a request for comment. Does anyone else think that flares need a bit of nerfing, either by lessening the blast radius or slowing them down? Or is everyone pretty happy with the way they work?

Comments?

They dont need to be nerfed. Besides, i think they have already been nerfed before, they got their ammo reduced.

I think they're good as they are. When weilded by any but the few flare masters, they are pretty easy to anticipate and avoid so long as you are alert.

Stop flying into them.

There you go. There's your lesson in how to nerf the flares.

lol Martin beat me to it :P

Sunflares should be like starflares, starflares like iceflares, iceflares like...crap

It might be interesting to see a rocket which relied more on speed, than proximity detonation. I also think it'd be cool if rockets exploded if a shot came within its proximity, but that would make current flares pretty useless. Ought they be nerfed? Nah. Ought they be changed? Possibly.

Iceflares are already (unless something's changed about them since I sent both Lecter and Trakus into hibernation) crap, Smittens.

My point is that everything should be bumped down a level. Maybe just get rid of iceflares.

I'm sure you (and others) will disagree, but from my experience a pilot that is GOOD with flares is better than a pilot that is GOOD (or even GREAT) with energy. If you know how to use flares and are willing to be patient, suns can always get you a win. However starflares are more of a complementary weapon, and with skill can still give you an advantage (as long as you are a good shot with energy), but they are still easily managed.

Two sunflares in a direct hit against an Orion Cent is about 50% damage. A graze can be anywhere from 10-20. That doesn't seem quite balanced to me...

jesus christ....not the damn BALANCE thing again!
Ok then....
NERF EVERYTHING until its all balanced with gov issued weapons, yeah...Because a pilot who is good with gauss mk2 can beat the shit out of a pilot who is good with bus guns.
Make the frontal profile of the vulture 2X wider, because its friggin hard to hit from the front, make it look like a pancake, so its easier to hit from all sides, like any ship.
Advanced rails...make them move at 250m/s so that I can see them coming, like all other weapons...
Flares, they pwn a lot too, so nerf them, no matter that its a weapon with limited use.
Taur Mk3 supposed to be trade ship, yet it kicks butt, NERF!
Valk be too fast, NERF!
Prom got lotsa armorz, NERF!
Superlight, got OMGWTFPWNED by one yesterday, NERF!
Atlas of DOOOOM!!1!, it pwnz a lot for an atlas, NERF!
[Edit] He chainfires!! NERF!

*Huf *huf *huf
Didnt meant to insult you with the above, just the "balance" comments that ive been seeing often recently, anger me.

You're making the mistake of only considering a 1v1 engagement for the sake of engaging, Smitty.

Flares require you to depart the field of play to keep fighting, and in a melee, good use of energy trumps good use of flares. See, e.g., many nation war scraps.

I guess the problem is that most PvP today is made up of 1v1 fights. I'm really hoping for and looking forward to more group-oriented PvP action. This might happen when capital ships are pilotable, mannable objects rather than moving docks out of our control.

Shadoen -- you forgot "he chainfires. NERF!"

Even without capships, Tosh, we should be thinking in terms of war, not space quake. War is not a series of duels happening simultaneously.

Actually, THAT would be cool... a group dueling challenge?

Lecter, I agree with you. But I think lack of group control is what causes the lack of group combat. If there were UI elements that allow the group leader to designate targets and perceive the general situation more easily, it's possible that group combat would occur more often, or even become the norm (a man can dream, can't he?).