Test is currently broken, but when it comes back, I'm going to upload the latest changes to snipers we've been working on which are the following:

Changed the +1% damage with physical to +3%
Added +2% more tracking to stalking skill
Added +2% more damage to efficiency skill
Added +5% projectile velocity to range skill (this doesn't affect range)
Added +5% inertial dampening from firing to range skill (this exactly counterbalances the added knockback from the increased projectile speeds)
The additions to the range skill are scaled inversely with the speed as most of the existing bonuses in the range skill

In addition, the sniper skill itself has a new attribute which is called "Sniper Analysis". Sniper Analysis is where a sniper keeps one object targeted over time and analyzes its weaknesses. As long as you don't switch targets, the analysis builds up over time as long as you keep your speed less than 40 and can actually detect the target. Switching targets resets the analysis back to 0%.

The analysis builds up gradually over 10 minutes assuming no interruptions from speed or detection, and at 100% analysis, a level 20 sniper will get +50% damage, +100% RoF, and 3x critical hit damage, all stacking with everything else. This is scaled with the percent of analysis complete and the level of the sniper skill.

Since analysis requires you to be still, combat slaves and AI's with the sniper skill have been made to use their brake whenever their target is within their weapon range so that they can stay steady and build up their analysis.

This sounds fantastic, as soon as test is back up I'll eagerly test this with my Sniper .

Good god Jeff.
You made me want a fucking Sniper.

projectile velocity =) damn I want to test that out >.>

Sterile Cannon will, quite literally, go over 9000 and probably crash the server.

Time to make a sniper char I suppose...

Good god this sounds amazing. I had no idea these feature were possible in C1.

Sooooo glad I never changed my sniper an got an absentis for it. Btw Absentis is great, I can't wait to see what people say who called sniper shit when I own them. Thanks

What are you going to do stare them to death?

Lol tbh it would be weird to be able to see them over the net anyway.

If you can fix the two bugs w/ the Absentis tweak at the same time. I'd seriously think about shipping you hookers n blow for the holidays.

To be specific:

Range Bonus is broken on the tweak.

The immovable object meets unstoppable force bug, where if something tries to move you while you are unable to be moved it can randomly kick you -2 million out from anything.

Wow i a mall for making sniper stronger as a Sniper is my main char. I think these proposed changes will get Sniper nerfed in the very near future.

In my opinion the only thing sniper needs is a scope and possibly some sort of spotter. With the new ship you can do a lot of damage with the tweak.

I just hate to see changes made and a rapid call for nerfing after it goes in.

TaekwondoBoy

It will be put on test for testing before going live.

I think this might make it possible for a sniper to do more sustained DPS after 10 minutes than a zerker, but that's a good thing in my opinion. As long as there's not some huge miscalculation that I made, I don't see any of this as being overpowered, just brining the DPS up to where it should be.