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Talk about poking a hornet's nest. The last post about Warp Core Stabilizers brought out the armies of commenters in a way we haven't seen in awhile. Which is weird since I've been calling for a WCS BAN for almost two years now. But I thought I'd take another post to address some of the concerns my readers brought to my attention.
Believe it or not I have zippo powers when it comes to changing anything about Eve. So me calling for a total removal of WCS from the game is not going to make that happen. Sadly. What I do have, and what I've worked very hard at achieving, is a soap box from which I preach the truth. The truth as I see it. I try to do this in an entertaining, humorous, thoughtful, and attention-getting manner each and every time I put finger to keyboard. This often generates conversation which echoes throughout the Eve community. And sometimes leads to changes all the way up the ladder.
Do I really want WCS removed from Eve? On the one hand yes. I think if they disappeared this morning that Eve would be a better game because of it. Do I believe this will happen? Not at all. Do I believe this should happen? Not really. WCS are not really the problem, the problem is FW mechanics that allow WCS to be a viable fitting option that achieves a combat goal. That is the core issue. Banning WCS is only a loss-leader idea that garners attention for positive change. I can write all the impassioned and detail oriented posts about FW mechanics I want (and I have btw) and no one will read them.
I can tell you straight up, those FW Mechanic posts get about 1,400 readers. That last post about Boosters on Killmails and Banning WCS got just slightly less than 14,000 readers.
I have news for you, you do not need Warp Core Stabilizers. You think you do. You've gotten lazy using them, but you do not need them. They could disappear tomorrow and you'd be no worse off than you already are. There is not a single play-style that would change drastically because of them being gone. Again, they aren't going anywhere. But if they did, you'd be fine. Trust me.
I am not bitter about WCS. You can check my killboard and you'll find plenty of ships on there that mistakenly fitted one or seven or more WCS on their ships. We (me) explode plenty of targets with WCS on them. Trying to use that argument against me is also lazy, untrue and it makes you seem small. Try a little harder please.
My goal is to start a conversation. To get you thinking. To challenge what you believe. And why you believe it. That has been my goal since I started writing this blog. I have other goals, but that is one of them.
Faction Warfare. It has the word "warfare" in it.
Warp Core Stabilizers are anti-warfare. No one can argue that point.
If you are using WCS to escape capture, to move assets, to ensure safety, then more power to you. I have a ship on my Alt account that has WCS fitted, I use that ship to transport extremely valuable faction loot, implants, drugs and other expensive items. It has never been caught. That is a viable use of the module.
One can argue about certain Smart-Bombing fits, or Stealth-Bomber fits, and one can make a legitimate argument about those. That is not the point. The point is that the essential foundation of achieving a combat goal should not be possible in complete safety. And while no number of these modules ensure perfect safety, they certainly do in practice to an extremely high percentage. And they should not.
That is the core issue.
And until such time as that changes I will continue to beat the drum.
Plus it's fun.
Comments
Check this one out: https://zkillboard.com/kill/43959785/
WCS are Ewar modules… and Ewar or EW are abbreviations for Electronic WARFARE… Oh, my… that also has the word warfare in it? How weird… I assume it is because Electronic Warfare is defined as,
“…any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults via the spectrum. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponent the advantage of, and ensure friendly unimpeded access to, the EM spectrum. EW can be applied from air, sea, land, and space by manned and unmanned systems, and can target humans, communications, radar, or other assets.
… well, imagine that huh? Ewar modules are a warfare tactic not an anti-war tactic.
Ther is one thing Rixx will not answer to… that Warp Disruptors (long points), Warp Scramblers (short points) and Stasis Webifiers are ALL also Ewar, Electronic Warfare modules that also ”… use the electromagnetic spectrum or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy…” No, he will not agree that WCS are a viable counter to modules he feels are absolutely fine. No, he feels if you are in space in a ship he defines as anything other than in Industrial or non-combat ship… and you are attacked you should have no other option but to turn and fight… no matter what. I mean it’s aPvP centric game right? Everyone should be fighting all the time right? No.
EVE is a sandbox with open world PvP… NOT a ‘PvP game’ with some crafting and other waste-of-time shitty PvE content thrown in for the lulz. It’s a sandbox Rixx… an open world sandbox game… just ask CCP… you know, the people who created it.
And sorry Rixx, but you definitively shot yourself in the foot here…
(1) ”…while no number of these modules ensure perfect safety, they certainly do in practice to an extremely high percentage. and here…
(2) “…check my killboard and you'll find plenty of ships on there that mistakenly fitted one or seven or more WCS on their ships. We (me) explode plenty of targets with WCS on them.”
The percentage that get away because of WCS is obviously not the point, by your own admission you’ve killed many… No, as long as WCS do not offer perfect protection, 100% protection, then they are ‘working as intended’…
My last point… guess what? If you don’t have any WCS fitted, you beloved Ewar… your scrams and long points and webs are 100% effective every time… every damn time, period.
I get that you don't like WCS. I don't like high-sec suicide ganking. But as much as I don't like it, if forced to it, I will grudgingly admit it's a valid part of the game.
I've spent time in FW, too. FW itself isn't broken (though it would be nice to have extra mechanics that affect control besides plexing and DUST); all EVE warfare is broken (sort of). You see, this is a naval game. It is impossible to force someone to fight if they don't want to. The only way to force a fight is to threaten an asset the other party cannot afford to lose. And even then, well, it's still impossible unless the other guy is forced against the beach (i.e. bubbled, etc).
If you want WCS removed, then the interceptor bubble immunity must be removed, as must the T3 interdiction nullifier mod.
I'm well aware that you believe that WCS should be limited to certain situations; I have a feeling most of the other commentors do too. But you believe it so strongly that it is an article of faith with you and an argument can never be made when one side (or both sides) believe in something so strongly.
You're not merely posting to get creative juices flowing, in my opinion. If you were, you wouldn't be using a tone that basically says your way is correct and all of us must agree or be considered idiots. Don't water down your stand by using the cop-out of 'I was just trying to be provocative'. I'd still vehemently disagree with your position on WCS, but at least I'd still be able to respect your stance if you hadn't pulled 'provocative' card after receiving all that criticism.
I also don't like hig-sec suicide ganking and gate camps and a few other things about Eve that I could be going on and on about. And I'm the last person that wants to force anyone to do anything. I don't believe that, should we wake up tomorrow without WCS, that anyone would suddenly be forced to do anything. And perhaps that is the difference between us. Since I don't rely on WCS as a crutch now, I wouldn't miss them. Eve wouldn't change much in my opinion, people would still run away from me more often than not.
As for WCS, I rely on them to give my hauler a fighting chance to get past those gate camps I need to get past on my way to and from Anoikis. And also to give me a fighting chance to get my battleship/shiny/whatever past those same gates. I just don't see WCS as the huge problem you do. I still die when WCS fit.
s I vastly prefer PvP to PvE and almost anything else in the game... but even after 4 years I SUCK at PvP... I sit in amazement at players like SardCaid do AMAZING things with a hull tanked Brutix Navy Issue... calmly controlling his ship, his modules and the engagement... I respect the FC's I have flown with and fly with today for their abilities to not only fly and fight their own ships, but some dual box WHILE thinking about everything going on in the whole battle space... knowing the abilities of not only the ships under their command but of the people flying them...
"I don't believe that, should we wake up tomorrow without WCS, that anyone would suddenly be forced to do anything." Really? What exactly do you think points do except FORCE players to get into PvP whether they want to or not? That is what those EWAR modules are FOR FFS...
There... happy? What rolling of the dice do you mean? So you would be happier or prouder killing some derp or noob who has not mastered the fine art of "turn on on your defensive mods" hmmm?