Live Love Hate Links

Links

A lot of people will probably hate me for this or try to call me out for being a hypocrite or some shit because they think I am one of the biggest abusers of links. The truth is that I don't even have a link alt anymore. I've never even liked the link mechanic as it provides way to much of a hidden advantage. I feel like they provide a unnecessary barrier of entry for many players who are looking into pvping in certain parts of space.

I think that it is creating a unhealthy system where people feel like they must have a link alt in order to compete. The whole practice of using links have become more and more risk free and we already see 100mn mwd claymores/sleipnirs as link platforms providing strong boosts while moving at 7k m/s.

Another thing I don't like with links is how they made ranges shorter in eve. By increasing the speed of every single ship and web ranges they helped put medium autocannons in a really bad spot because they can't really do damage without being in linked heated web range.

Stats

This is what the different links provide. Percentage bonuses (t3/command ship)

Armor links
Faster local and remote repair cycles (24.75% / 25.875%)
More armor resistance (24.75% / 25.875%)
Less cap need for local and remote armor repairs (24.75% / 25.875%)

Skirmish links
Less signature radius 33%  / 34.5%
More speed 28.875% / 30.188%
Longer point and web range 33% / 34.5%

Info links
Makes pretty much every ewar more powerful
More range on ewar modules
More lockrange and Eccm strength

Shield links
Faster local and remote shield repair cycles (24.75% / 25.875%)
More shield resistance (24.75% / 25.875%)
Less cap for Local and remote shield repairs (24.75% / 25.875%)

fc what shall we do?

There are many solutions to the abusing of links suggested from many people. Let's go over some of the more commonly suggested ones.

1. Make links easier to probe down, Give links aggro timer and stop eccm from helping with the unprobability and lock them down while linking

This will kind of keep links as they are right now. Giving links a aggro timer is something I think ccp should have done a long time ago. There is simply no way you are killing a command ship linking from a station. However this won't fix most of the problems I have with links such as the fact that they are hidden until the fight starts. Locking links down could be a interesting choice. Derth Ramir suggested that activating links should launch a bubble around you and you need to stay within to apply your link bonuses. This could be pretty awesome if we do something about needing to have virtues to even probe them down.

2. Remove links refund sp accept this horrible misstake

I don't really like removing content thats heavily (ab)used. While ccp has shown that they can and will remove stuff that's not used I am not convinced that this is the right way with links. I'd rather not remove something that could add great depth to battles and is actually a decent force multiplier.

3. Put links on grid

This is the final and most suggested thing and the one I support the most with some modifications. The general cries from anyone doing solo/small gang pvp is that blobs will only be able to have links instead of both sides. This is kind of true at the moment since links often require a dedicated ship to provide links from that can not really participate in actual pvp. On the other hand this is one of the problem with the min / maxers of eve that they must have a perfect 6 link tengu with a mind link because nothing else is good enough. The problem here is how eve handles grids and they might split up randomly or your link alt might just go off grid especially in bigger fights.

In order to put links on grid I really feel like we would need more ships to be able to provide links on grid. A T2 destroyer for links for example would be really cool. I also feel like you shouldn't be so reliant on the mindlink implants and I wouldn't mind removing those and I can not understand why ccp decided to add faction versions.

Some other suggestions I have read was moving the point range link to info links instead of skirmish. I feel like this could be a bit interesting but like I said it wouldn't be nearly as effective with the faction mindlinks.

I feel like many smaller gang corps have grown dependent on links and feel like they deserve to be able to beat fleets 5 times their size. I know for a fact that these groups wont attack a bigger fleet that can use its numbers and a actual fleet comp to 100% hardcounter you. No matter how good you are at piloting numbers should always be one of the things ccp looks at for balancing. One pilot = one ship. And this is a MMO after all.

In an ideal world I think that those of us who chooses to go solo or super small gang pvp (<5 ppl) does it for the rush for doing something that's harder where every single mistake or fuck up could mean that your entire fleet is dead. Not having a helping hand letting your ship stay at a spot where you are safe from the enemy fleet.