Once, the Warthog Territorial Defender had a purpose as a short-ranged interceptor. Its unsurpassed turbo speed was balanced by its equally-unrivaled high power drain, and it was good. However, when turbo speeds were universally capped for server-side reasons, the TD was one of the unfortunate victims caught in the crossfire, and suffered a severe nerf.

Although attempts have been made to reconcile this, the absence of a niche role has plagued the variant. Although the TD is arguably a better craft than its cousin, the MkIV is very nearly capable of doing just about anything the "superior" craft can. With MkIVs available virtually anywhere, and significantly cheaper, it just doesn't seem worthwhile to hightail it back to the nearest UIT barracks every time one goes boom just for a marginal performance increase over what it readily available. For this reason, the TD only really sees much use in the hands of truly discerning pilots, and the rare die-hard fan.

I suggest that the TD get back in touch with its roots as a short-ranged interceptor. Obviously, jacking up its turbo speed isn't feasible, but I have another solution: increase its (already quite favorable) thrust. In fact, double the thrust, giving it one of the best thrust/mass ratios in the game, then compensate for it by once again bequeathing upon it a ridiculously high turbo drain (65, like before? 70? 80?). Make it very fast over short distances, but lack endurance, like some sort of over-clocked evil (good?) twin of the Corvus Greyhound.

Thoughts? Opinions? Pies?

I think the devs are holding off on further ship balancing until the game is more "fixed". That being said, yeah, the TD definitely needs to be looked at. Warthogs in general are usually considered inferior to vultures in combat, boosting the thrust a little bit might not be a bad idea to make them more competitive. But even that minor tweak requires a lot of testing, because if you boost the thrust too much you can run into a lot of unforeseen consequences; such as the megaposi/n3 hog becoming way too deadly.

Yeah, I suppose thats true. I still recall horror stories of pre-nerf TDs with AGT/Sunflare combos ('course, AGTs were a lot lighter back then...)

Forget the chaser role. Make it a combat platform hog. And ghost, that's no big deal. If hogs start behaving like proms, you nerf them back. The game isn't going to break because the TD became a little "too good."

Plus, I love me some UC/Megaposi/Hive posi hog :D

+1 for a combat WTD.

c/p:
Yeah, I'd like to see more WTDs flying the skies. Give it a built-in addon scanner, up armor to 12000, up max non-turbo speed to 70/s, non-turbo thrust to 300 N, turbo thrust to 310 N then Spin torque 8 Nm? How is that?

My vote's for the combat WTD, as well. It would give the UIT an actually combat-worthy special variant.

Aye. The WTD would do well with better acceleration and a built-in addon scanner (though I already fear npc TD's more than any human pilot in the game... heh)

WTD
=====
Armor: 11000
Mass: 5300
Max Speed: 70 m/s
Thrust: 280 N
Spin Torque: 8 Nm
Turbo Thrust: 300 N
Max Turbo Speed: 220
Turbo Energy: 60/s
Integrated Scanner: Addon

Remember that because the UIT Marauder is a trade ship, the WTD should function in the same class as the SCP and X-1. This proposal falls short of that but it closes the gap appreciably.

because the UIT Marauder is a trade ship, the WTD should function in the same class as the SCP and X-1

Logical reasoning fail. Why, pray tell, might the UIT have a trade ship as one of their two special ships? Might it have to do with UIT being less combat capable and more trade-oriented?

I'm not saying it shouldn't be a heads-up combat 'Hog. I'm just saying your justification for giving it a Jenna Jameson level buffing is wanting. I mean seriously, give me one of these - with a heavy battery, an AGT, and some iceflares - and I'll run over anything that's not a prom.

I don't think the WTD should have a nonturbo speed at 70. That should remain the exclusive domain of light fighters. You've got to pay for that large port somehow.

Why, pray tell, can't the UIT have both trade ships and combat ships? If the Maud can't be a combat ships because it is a trade ship then the WTD has to be the combat ship and because PVP balance is sacrosanct the WTD must be Worthy. It is expected that the SCP and X-1 would be better than it. But contrary to what you would like to believe, UIT do have plenty of experience with combat in wars between corporations and skirmishes with pirates. Considering this and that they are familiar with both Serco and Itani technology, UIT should be able to produce a solid combat ship.

You pay for the large port addons with the weight of large port addons.

But I'm not wedded to the stats I proposed.

I chose 70 m/s normal top speed because I have had too many bad experiences of being unable to extract myself from flare spam when flying a hog. 280 N thrust gives it slightly less maneuverability than a corvult when loaded with blasters and significantly less when loaded with anything else. There might not be a need to have both of these together, though...

You pay for the large port addons with the weight of large port addons

Last time I checked the megaposi was one of the lightest weapons around.

Anyway, the advantage of the hog is that it can a) bring considerably more firepower to bear than a vulture and b) take more damage. A ship with large ports shouldn't be trying to dodge every single flare, it should be scoring double touches with them to quickly reduce its opponent to smoldering ruins.

Megaposis are the exception which is why I said that the proposed hog would be slightly less maneuverable than a Corvult when outfitted with blasters. And I want it to be better than a Corvult overall in the same general way as an X-1 is better than a Corvult for the contentious reasons I've stated before.

YEAH I THINK IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO MAKE THE WTD A BETTER SHIP CAUSE THE ONLY PERSON I EVER SEE FLYING THEM IN CRAZYSPENCE MOSTLY BECAUSE HE IS CRAZY

(SORRY FOR THE ALL CAPS THE CAPS LOCK KEY ON MY KEYBOARD IS STUCK ON IM WAITING TO TAKE IT TO APPLE TOMORROW TO GET IT FIXED)

pey: Isn't there an

on-screen keyboard
http://theappleblog.com/2008/09/24/mac-101-get-an-onscreen-keyboard-in-osx/

you could use to turn it off? Just saying.

Oh, and +1 for buffing the WTD. UIT could use a competitive combat ship.

Having a reason to post in all caps is way more fun.

Oh yeah, and SVG needs some love. Next in line after WTD.

Yup yup.

I would like to see the autoaim given the the WTD bots offered to players. That is all the buff the WTD needs.

The valk needs to do 80m/sec normal and 300m/sec turbo infinboost please.

Also, light ships with 2 or fewer ports should not be able to equip rockets.

Finally, I need 10 more kills, growler, please log in tomorrow night.

WTD.2
=====
Armor: 11000
Mass: 5300
Max Speed: 65 m/s
Thrust: 275 N
Spin Torque: 8 Nm
Turbo Thrust: 300 N
Max Turbo Speed: 220
Turbo Energy: 60/s
Integrated Scanner: Addon

Lecter (And Impavid?) still probably think this is too much? What do the rest of you think of these numbers?