Covert Capsuleers,
Get ready for a new era of clandestine warfare with an update to covert gameplay in the Enter the Portal update. Each of the empires’ Black Ops battleships are receiving new bonuses and a damage buff alongside improvements to their travel capabilities both on-grid and around New Eden. Covert Ops exploration ships are also being rebalanced to help them excel in their scouting role and live to cloak another day.
The below changes will be live on Singularity today so head on over to the test server to try them out!
Black Ops Group Jumps
Black Ops battleships are Tech II ships with their own built-in jump drives, allowing them to launch surprise attacks on unsuspecting foes through a Covert Cynosural Field. The current design also allows them to use Covert Jump Portal Generator to bridge covert ops fleet members through instead of jumping themselves. This has had the unfortunate side effect of relegating the ultimate covert battleship to a support and travel tool.
As part of the Enter the Portal update, all Black Ops battleships will have a new ability built into the Jump Portal Generator, enabling them to perform a new Group Jump with their fleet at a much-reduced fuel cost over using a Bridge. This will help these flagships jump onto the front lines faster to join the fleet in a covert ambush.
The Group Jump mechanic will allow ships within jump range of the Black Ops battleship and in the same fleet to act as a “passenger” on the jump, travelling with the battleship. In order to do so, the passengers must fulfil the usual requirements including not being warp disrupted or in a bubble, not cloaked, and clear of Jump Fatigue. Black Ops Group Jump passengers are limited to classes which can fit a Covert Ops Cloak, so no changes to ships that can already bridge through a covert portal.
Black Ops Battleship Rebalancing
As Black Ops ships will now be seeing more action on the front lines, they will be receiving significant buffs to their damage and new bonuses to help them excel in their role. The current cloak speed velocity will be moved to a role bonus with all Black Ops ships receiving a 650% bonus to ship max velocity when using Cloaking Devices.
These changes are being introduced in order to help bring the Black Ops out of the shadows and into the forefront as the top of the line in covert gameplay. With a ship that costs over a billion ISK, it should be something that players are able to use confidently while also putting their ship on the line in exchange for extreme firepower.
The aim is to create more interesting gameplay with these damage buffs and the new fuel-efficient Group Jump while also ensuring that players being dropped on have a chance to fight back and potentially score a kill on an expensive ship.
Covert Ops Rebalancing
Covert Ops exploration ships have long-suffered from having their bonuses split between scanning and scouting, and an off-role combat bonus. To help modernize this class of ships, they will be swapping their combat bonuses for new scouting bonuses, bolstering the foundation of covert operations in EVE.
All Covert Ops exploration ships will receive a reduction in capacitor need to initiate warp, preventing them from finding themselves out of capacitor while mid-warp. The Helios and Cheetah will then be receiving a cloaked velocity bonus. The Anathema and Buzzard will instead excel at scanning with a reduction in scan deviation.
In addition to these scouting buffs, each ship will also gain a low-slot, with the Helios instead gaining a High-Slot to make better use of the Interdiction Nullifier Module introduced during The Great Escape update.
EDENCOM Updates
Bundled in with the Enter the Portal update, EDENCOM vessels will be buffed with an improvement to their Vorton Projector weapon systems. All Vorton Projectors will have their max targets hit increased from 5 to 10, allowing them to reap even greater destruction against a large hostile force.
The following changes from the Singularity test server are subject to alteration based on testing and player feedback before arriving on Tranquility:
Black Ops Battleships
- New Group Jump available for all Black Ops battleships
- 650% bonus to ship max velocity when using Cloaking Devices moved to a Role Bonus.
Redeemer:
- Large Energy Turret rate of fire bonus increased from 5% to 10%
- Added 10% bonus to Energy Nosferatu and Energy Neutralizer drain amount
- Capacitor Capacity increased from 5312 to 5912
Sin:
- Large Hybrid Turret damage bonus increased from 5% to 10%
- Removed 5% ship inertia bonus and increased base Ship Inertia Modifier by 25%
- Added 10% bonus to logistics drone transfer amount
- Added 7.5% bonus to drone tracking and optimal range
Panther:
- Large Projectile Turret damage bonus increased from 5% to 10%
- Removed 5% ship velocity bonus and increased base Ship Max Velocity by 25%
- Added 7.5% bonus to Large Projectile Turret tracking speed
- Added 7.5% bonus to Large Projectile Turret falloff range
Widow:
- Rapid Heavy, Cruise, and Torpedo rate of fire bonus increased from 5% to 7.5%
- ECM Target Jammer strength increased from 30% to 40%
- Added 4% bonus to shield resistances
Marshal:
- Large Hybrid Turret damage bonus increased from 5% to 10%
- Large Projectile Turret damage bonus increased from 5% to 10%
- Large Energy Turret damage bonus increased from 5% to 10%
- Rapid Heavy, Cruise, and Torpedo rate of fire bonus increased from 5% to 10%
Covert Ops Frigates
- All Covert Ops exploration frigate combat bonuses have been removed
- Added -15% capacitor need to initiate warp level
Helios:
- Added 5% bonus to cloaked velocity
- High slots increased by 1
Anathema:
- Added 5% bonus to scan deviation
- Low slots increased by 1
Buzzard:
- Added 5% bonus to scan deviation
- Low slots increased by 1
Cheetah:
- Added 5% bonus to cloaked velocity
- Low slots increased by 1
Vorton Projectors
- All Vorton Projectors now have their max targets hit increased from 5 to 10