The video critiques the current capital ship combat in Star Citizen as slow, unbalanced, and unengaging, with capital ships lacking lethality against swarms of small fighters. It proposes redesigning capital ships to be slower but far more powerful with improved turret defenses, while balancing small ships by reducing their damage and enhancing maneuverability to create more strategic and exciting large-scale battles.
The video discusses the current state of capital ship combat in Star Citizen, highlighting significant issues that make these battles boring and unengaging. The presenter shares personal experiences from nearly a year of owning an Idris capital ship, emphasizing that fights often drag on for excessively long periods without meaningful consequences. Battles can last over an hour, with ships taking damage but easily retreating, repairing, and re-engaging, which diminishes tension and excitement.
A major problem identified is the imbalance between capital ships and smaller fighter ships. The presenter recounts an event where 25 small ships swarmed an Idris, easily disabling its turrets and rendering the crew mostly passive observers. Despite continuous fire, the Idris and its powerful weapons failed to inflict significant damage on the small ships, even when they were exposed to sustained laser fire. This highlights the lack of lethality and impact capital ships currently have, making small ships the dominant meta and undermining the intended power of large vessels.
To address these issues, the presenter proposes a fundamental redesign of capital ship combat. The suggestion is to make capital ships much slower and less maneuverable—akin to real-world tankers—while drastically increasing their firepower and damage potential. This would mean that when capital ships do land hits, the damage should be devastating and have real consequences, creating the intended sense of danger and power portrayed in the game’s trailers and lore.
Furthermore, the presenter advocates for balancing small ships by reducing their damage output while enhancing their maneuverability. Turrets on capital ships should be improved to be more accurate and possibly have some form of auto-aim assistance, making it feasible for large ships to defend themselves effectively against swarms of smaller fighters. This balance would ensure that while small ships can threaten capital ships, they must do so at significant risk, making engagements more strategic and rewarding for all participants.
Finally, the video references other games and Squadron 42 footage where capital ships feel powerful yet slow, with fighters being fragile and vulnerable if caught. The hope is that Star Citizen will adopt similar mechanics to make capital ship combat more thrilling and consequential. The presenter invites viewers to share their thoughts on the current state of the game and whether they support these proposed changes, encouraging community discussion on how to improve large-scale space battles.