Corvettes are too effective for their cost.

Why?

They are so fast.

Because corvette spam allows you to very quickly turn your early game feed into front lines combat, ensuring that having even a slight economic advantage turns into a huge advantage over time. Since this advantage is random based upon map randomization, the game is more determined by slight economic advantage then ever before.

Illuminators are even more of a worthless ship when compared to the speedy, micro heavy corvettes, and they die quickly to opposing corvettes...

Corvettes quickly fill the void if there are no defenses present and give economy players the ability to defend themselves effectively for almost no real military buildup. 

I highly recommend reducing the HP/armor/shields of all corvettes so that they become a riskier strategy and are more vulnerable to flak fire should they choose to assault ships defended by flak.  They don't need a large reduction, just a little less and fine tune the balance.

Also, make them cost a little bit more.

 

7,633 views 14 replies
Reply #1 Top

I haven't looked at the numbers exactly, but my experience has been that they can't do much on their own. It's the weapon effects that make them effective, but to exploit that you need other ships.

Now, I know that any idiot wouldn't have a fleet of only corvettes, however, after a certain point, I'd think that additional corvettes are pointless. And that's alright, because either I'm not adding more corvettes, I'm diversifying my fleet (good), or I'm wasting my money on more corvettes that won't have a significant impact.

They are supposed to be a harassment force, and so, if they are indeed doing significant damage directly, I could agree to a nerf in weapon damage... but I'd be cautious about a hull and shield drop because then they might not last long enough vs a titan to get their weapon affects off.

Reply #3 Top

They are the only saving grace for Advent players early game...

 

I vote NO NERF.

Reply #4 Top

Quoting SivCorp, reply 3
They are the only saving grace for Advent players early game...

 

I vote NO NERF.

 

Well this is sort of true sadly.

 

While corvettes may need a nerf, I think any nerfs tot he advent corvette need to be handled VERY carefully.  It can't be allowed to get any worse at killing LRFs. 

 

Honestly I wish they'd give it it's own damage type(rather then using composite).  Ideally I'd like to see this new type to be like composite only it deals 110% vs medium(instead of 125%), 75% vs heavy, & 75% vs very heavy(both down from 100%)...maybe drop cap ship damage from 75% to 65% as well if the other changes are not enough.

 

The point is corvettes should stay about the same against LRF, but could use a bit of a nerf to LF & a more substantial nerf to the heavier armor types(after all corvettes are meant for use on cap ships, LRFs, & LF, not against cruisers or flak).

 

Also some love for flak would be nice.

 

Reply #5 Top

I got this tec loyalist 80 corvettee vs hard level a.I Advent titan but they do had starbase, however, i almost lost all of them and they seem not hurt titan or anything at all but in vain, I think corvette is fine as it is, they easy to die.

Personal, I think corvette need more hitpoint and more gunpower, and should had a good attack againt fighter and bomber, too. though I don't mind cost little go up if they buff this corvette more hitpoint, firepower. that's me.

Reply #6 Top

Quoting Humility, reply 5
I got this tec loyalist 80 corvettee vs hard level a.I Advent titan but they do had starbase, however, i almost lost all of them and they seem not hurt titan or anything at all but in vain, I think corvette is fine as it is, they easy to die.

Personal, I think corvette need more hitpoint and more gunpower, and should had a good attack againt fighter and bomber, too. though I don't mind cost little go up if they buff this corvette more hitpoint, firepower. that's me.

 

I think you missed the point, I agree with the OP. I just feel like the Fighters/bombers are unneeded now(and they were hardly viable in the first place.) with the now easier to access corvette.

Reply #7 Top

Corvettes are great in early game. You can finally counter fighters in a gravity well without having to build hangar facilities or carriers and you can finally counter scouts.  I played through a solo game the other day and kept a single AI from scouting my primary worlds for more than two hours by using the corvettes to intercept them.  Their cost made them inexpensive  enough to fortify early game.

They do take heavy casualties if you counter them carefully.  I don't think they should cost more.

Reply #8 Top

Quoting Sinperium, reply 7
Corvettes are great in early game. You can finally counter fighters in a gravity well without having to build hangar facilities or carriers and you can finally counter scouts.  I played through a solo game the other day and kept a single AI from scouting my primary worlds for more than two hours by using the corvettes to intercept them.  Their cost made them inexpensive  enough to fortify early game.

They do take heavy casualties if you counter them carefully.  I don't think they should cost more.

 

What do you recommend is a good early game number for them, I know they do good against LRF's as well. 

Reply #9 Top

Quoting Sinperium, reply 7
Corvettes are great in early game. You can finally counter fighters in a gravity well without having to build hangar facilities or carriers and you can finally counter scouts. I played through a solo game the other day and kept a single AI from scouting my primary worlds for more than two hours by using the corvettes to intercept them.

Well, corvette are somehow glorified fighter/bomber... main advantage is that they can jump from a gravity wheel to a other... if your front line move, you can move the corvette along, very difficult with hangar...

As scout killer, they are very important on huge map with TEC player... once your planet(s) are scouted, it will not last long  before the first "big Berta" gun begin to hit you...

As for the OP, it is funny to see that now, some people think that corvette are too much strong when one month ago, people was thinking of them as useless... well, it is related to balance, something to much early for the actual beta stage... best to way until Vasari is included for begin the 3way balancing job...

Reply #10 Top

Why do they still fly funny? They stop short turn on a dime, hate to see the G ' s  those guys are pulling. Lol

They need to fire as they aproach, pass target loop around and return.

Reply #11 Top

They fire their front weapon upon approach, turn around and fire their back weapon.

Side weapons are strictly Anti SC.

Reply #12 Top

anything that fires at multiple targets (ie capital ships, starbases, and titans) can take out corvettes with amazing ease. With a free capship early game it shouldnt be too much to fight them off early game. I go for no nerf

Reply #13 Top

No nerf: corvettes are effective only early, and they make for very intersting interdiction forces vs rushes. No nerf because that's what they are supposed to be: patrol craft.

Reply #14 Top

Quoting Thoumsin, reply 9



Quoting Sinperium,
reply 7
Corvettes are great in early game. You can finally counter fighters in a gravity well without having to build hangar facilities or carriers and you can finally counter scouts. I played through a solo game the other day and kept a single AI from scouting my primary worlds for more than two hours by using the corvettes to intercept them.


Well, corvette are somehow glorified fighter/bomber... main advantage is that they can jump from a gravity wheel to a other... if your front line move, you can move the corvette along, very difficult with hangar...

As scout killer, they are very important on huge map with TEC player... once your planet(s) are scouted, it will not last long  before the first "big Berta" gun begin to hit you...

As for the OP, it is funny to see that now, some people think that corvette are too much strong when one month ago, people was thinking of them as useless... well, it is related to balance, something to much early for the actual beta stage... best to way until Vasari is included for begin the 3way balancing job...

The advent were introduced, and like I predicted in my posts they were going to have a very strong early game corvette.  This changes everything, DUH.

I agree the vasari need to be added to truly provide corvette balance.  I disagree strongly with how the developers are balancing the game, getting no good data on advent vs. advent matchups by polluting it with TEC data.  This will make it harder for them to continue to balance the game...they are making their job harder then it has to be.  Naturally they take the easiest cost effective road to balance, and it will cost them later on in reduced sales.  Ignorance of those sales is bliss though, so they won't even know.  LOL. 

I change my position because I beta test the game regularly and they improved corvettes, quite obvious to anyone paying attention.  I'm one of those rational individuals, I get new data and formulate my theory about the best course of action based upon this, and new data causes my viewpoint to change, imagine that!  These corvettes need to be tweaked, because their strength determines the nature of a conflict and therefore having 5 more hitpoints then they should, or having .10 more armor then they should really makes all the difference.  This thread addresses a finer hand holding the nerf bat, reduce their effectiveness by a little bit for all races, not a lot.  The balance must be found, its close but not quite there yet. 

I'll be kind to your questions (not your ego) and explain things to you.

They increased corvette speed and hitpoints....it needs to be tweaked.  They are good for countering early carriers, and thank god sova rush has such an easy counter now...this was sorely needed.  Advent need corvettes the most, so let the advent keep them where they are(useful in fleet fights).  The other races corvettes shouldnt' be as good...honestly i think the advent are the only race that actually needs to have corvettes at all..that would make them unique.  TEC having corvettes is just a disaster waiting to happen with balance...early game economy with effective cheap units...um yeah you think the advent rush is bad...Vasari having corvettes ensures that they will be able to spam them more then any other race when they grab up all their neutrals.

As for increasing the cost, you make it harder for players to build a quick defense force so any mistakes the player makes are magnified.  These mistakes SHOULD hurt their ability to win.  Not scouting their opponents SHOULD cost them in having a poorly prepared fleet composition.  Corvettes throw these strategies to the wind by countering everything, and are very difficult to kill because they are so FAST.  Making ships irrelevant isn't a good idea...especially making frigates irrelevant.

the single path to victory is created: spam corvettes to overcome enemy early to win.  The only true counter to this strategy at the moment is: spam corvettes to defend against the opponent, and support with healing structures and turrets.