These are a mixed bag.
First off, re: Jump Freighters: They get a bonus which decreases the jump delay time, which helps. However, their range has been vastly scaled back along with all other capital ships, meaning you will be making a lot more jumps. IMO, they should have a somewhat increased range or some other way to compensate (Jump Drive range rigs?).
In general I approve of the limitations to rapid jumps as a means to limit force projection. I feel that they also miss another critical point of the current capital dominance, though: The ability to rapidly jump large numbers of ships to a specific location with pinpoint accuracy. There was a suggestion a while back which I still favor that involved having ships come in at an increasingly wide spread as more jumps to a single cyno were performed, making it difficult to coordinate ranges if you are delivering tens if not hundreds of capitals to a single battlefield.
Some of the others make me wonder if CCP has a single solid vision for 0.0. For example, many of these changes are poised to make certain regions of nullsec virtually impossible to hold paths open to from highsec without buddying up to alliances holding empire border regions; yet, at the same time, they have wiped out deathcloning (a tactical choice that I felt had appropriate costs to its benefits) which was a major way new players were directed to reach deep-null stations to join up with their alliances. This seems to run counter to the stated need to break up big coalitions.
On its own I don't have a huge issue with certain "deep-null" regions being cut off, but then they need to make sure the other design changes are in line with that vision.
Other stuff, in sequence:
- Low Sec DDs: Under the proposed system, there would be little to stop the prevalance of "drive-by doomsdaying" - jumping in, firing off a quick doomsday, warping out as soon as the 30s timer is up, and getting clear. It basically forces anyone who is living in low and wants to use a capital to own a heavy interdictor and be friends with someone who can kill a titan. Not sold on this one.
- Caps using gates: Decided meh on my part. I don't think anyone will actually use them to move long distances (seriously, has anyone here flown even a battleship 30 jumps since the warp speed nerfs?) but it's a nice benefit to being able to move them a couple systems without spending isotopes or getting a timer.
- Black Ops nerf: Entirely unnecessary and runs counter to the idea of black ops as a deep-striking but fragile and expensive ship. Needs to be reverted.
- Stealth Bomber changes: Hopefully this will somehow nerf the ISBoxer Bomber fleet. While coordinated bombing runs are awesome, 40 bombers being run by a single player is not.
- Interdictor changes: Except for fixing hobo jamming, I'm not sure what needs to be done here.
- Starbase Weapons rebalance: Awwwwwww yissssss. I've been saying for years that Starbase Gunnery was a good - even fun - role, and mourning its passing. Hopefully CCP will be giving those deathstars some teeth again.
I've some other thoughts on some of the greater mentalities that these changes may run into, but they'll have to wait until later.
