Balancing for 4.0

[Lancefighter]

5% is infinitely better than 0%...... 
(or, 25% better than 4%, 2/3 better than 3%, 250% better than 2%, and 5x better than 1%).

I'm afraid raw numbers only tell a very small portion of balance as it is. . .

[Collic]

I have a minor balancing suggestion - Vampire claws ! These guys seem way too tough at the moment. I had one wander into my system at game start and manage to take out my space dock and two reactors before I could kill it, it took 50 fighters and bombers to slowly whittle it down. I think with the regenerating health they should have a little less armour or hp - i can't imagine how nasty a group of those things could be - let alone higher mark versions

[superking]

fighters have no damage bonus against them because they aren't 'close combat' armour type

speaking of blades, now we have the new system is there any chance minor electric & blade immunities might be revised? cutlasses in particular seem like they should be anti-structure seige units- they are slow moving, heavy and damaging, easy to intercept and avoid with mobile forces.

[orzelek]

Vampires are also uber when they meet mirrors... they can drain so much hp from mirror that full cap ship fleet has problem with them. Also none of the primary triangle ships has bonus against close combat hull which doesn't help. Nothing that few placed flak turrets won't fix tho at least on defense.

[eRe4s3r]

5% is infinitely better than 0%...... 
(or, 25% better than 4%, 2/3 better than 3%, 250% better than 2%, and 5x better than 1%).

I'm afraid raw numbers only tell a very small portion of balance as it is. . .

True, which is why I am eagerly waiting how the balance goes forth until 4.0 hits, i will only actually start commenting on balance "proper" once the game is out, as judging the balance in an always changing system is impossible.

Still 5% is a very harsh counter value. Mhh, basically that number only really affects 1 thing and 1 thing only, the "softness" of ships with high armor vs ships with low armor penetration. ;P If you crowd your whole fleet together, likely you won't see much of this nor see it having any large effect on your game.

[Draco18s]

I have a minor balancing suggestion - Vampire claws ! These guys seem way too tough at the moment. I had one wander into my system at game start and manage to take out my space dock and two reactors before I could kill it, it took 50 fighters and bombers to slowly whittle it down. I think with the regenerating health they should have a little less armour or hp - i can't imagine how nasty a group of those things could be - let alone higher mark versions

You and me both.  I killed a neighboring system and three of them came back through, my entire fleet (armor 1, 2, 3, and fighter 1s, with a few bombers) pounding away at them.

They killed all of my power, spacedock, and then my home command station.

I killed 1.

Fortunately, the recent changes included a reduction in their armor.

[Collic]

Haha glad it wasn't just me then. I'm glad they've seen some love from the nerf stick, too.

[Mánagarmr]

Yeah, had three Mk I vampires completely take me out in a multiplayer game, and I was hitting them with everything I had xD It was rather hilarious.

[keith.lamothe]

Yea, not only did I completely remove the vampire's armor (as in, set to zero), Chris has given lightning turrets a nice bonus against refractive armor.

And all along laser turrets have been rather effective against vampires, you know

[Shelly]

Zenith autobomb seams a bit to powerful at the moment (you can easily clear a mark 3 system whit mark 1 and 2 Zenith autobomb).