ZOE is good, but it isn't amazing, I was using ammo canister so I got out of the habit of using Charge a while ago. The reason I stopped using Charge? C-4, mines and good players I was a sitting duck, so I started learning to simply stay in control of my MAX and stay in cover as much as possible. ZOE is decent but I'd trade it in a minute for my damn jump jets, I miss my jump jets! Honestly I think the biggest advantage to ZOE is that you don't get shot by your own team as much because no one else has a big pink Max.
Agree with this. ZOE is not a instagib wtfbbqpqnmobile, but the other abilities are a bit lacking. I was vastly underwhelmed by them. Shield? Charge allows me to avoid fire by... getting out of the way. Running around a corner negates a LOT of incoming fire. I also lose the ability to sprint into shotgun range (i.e. 10m) which is vital on a NC MAX to avoid getting gunned down easily by squishies. Yeah you can muck around spawn rooms but for me, shield camping got old with MAXes back around GU02.... Lockdown? Taking a few seconds to "lock down" then being an immobile magnet for every HA rocket, concussion/AV grenade, not to mention a hail of gunfire. Useful for AA duties, but that's even more boring than shield camping. If it did DOUBLE dps I'd be interested, but... meh Heck, even if the ZOE game no speed/damage buffs but simply gave you a sparkly pink glow.... it'd still be a more interesting ability...
Zoe and Busters is bit over the top atm, and does add a little more kick to anti armor, but AI it's nothing special. I spent a whole evening of gaming last night just using Charge & Flak with my AI, Buster and Anti armor weapons and what do you know the enemy were still going down pretty quick when they confronted me. I put ZOE away to play fair and lesson the tears of the NC and TR, but the cries still rang out in chat from some on how OP ZOE was and I wasn't even using it. I can still keep my Max alive for good amounts of time and able to move about and dodge etc without the ZOE speed and damage buff. The Vanu Max was far from useless even before the ZOE as some players like to suggest, I was doing OK with Blues even when they were broken. I can do good with charge, even better in CQC with charge than ZOE. I'd really like my jump jets back though , but that's just me being a old PS1 vet.
ZOE is good, yeah, better than others MAX abilities, maybe, annnnnd? First day of ZOE I mowed down a ZOE MAX with a non upgraded NC MAX, he tried to escape pathetically, by strafing and stuff, later I was crushing his skull like I always did. At last they put up a challenge now. Use MAXES where they are supposed to be used, if VS MAXES are good in more situations, why not? C4 will bloom, and life will be hell. As always, that's why it's called life.^^
The problem with ZOE is that it's a direct counter of the other 2 MAX abilities, that isn't ZOE's fault though.
I mean it's easy to go around them, bah, at least the only time I encountered one while in a MAX I just circled around the tower he was in and killed him from behind (that was probably his fault for using the Lockdown in a bad place though), if I find a Lockdown MAX in a place I can't hit him from behind I'll probably just leave him alone.
Some very good points here. I'll admit, I wasn't aware of the pre-ZOE score-per-minute stats. I'm ashamed to say it, but I really did buy into the "VS MAX is bad" message and never really bothered trying it out seriously until now. On a related note, the shift in image has also changed VS tactics. I'm seeing a lot more medics and engineers going out of their way to support their MAXes, where before they would often be ignored. That amplifies the power of the MAX considerably.
Agreed. I have engineers repairing me everywhere since Gu9. Often i even have 2-3 repairing me constantly, and if i die i never have to wait long for a medic.
So true! In the past, it was like VS medics were unaware they could revive MAXes; engineers tended to ignore you. I used to say the only thing "underpowered" about a VS MAX were their engineers. Whereas on NC you'd quickly collect an engineer "buddy" - even random pub guys would follow you about repairing...
Its also worth saying, that while I've been using ZoE more and more TR/NC are starting to lay boobie-traps with C4, which is exactly what I would do to kill ZoE where I fighting against them
Also a lot more people seem to have adjusted to the ZOE strafing speed. I ate a lot more bullets today than before and the armor debuff hurt like hell.
I agree with OP.... It's mostly perceptive since ZOE is probably the most *fun* ability, and everyone on VS is running around glowing purple it really makes it stand out. VS MAX was always good, just was never perceived so until shiny glowy purple disco party ability It's the disco man... we VS loooove the discotech
Thats what i told peopel when they were crying OP after the ZOe had been out for literally like 2 hours. People will learn how to use the abilities, and how to counter them. Sure, when it was fresh i was cutting down TR like weed, seeingas they probably had no idea wtf was going on and thought i was speedhacking. Now that they have learned, i'm seeing much more organized resistance.
I find it amusing that lots of people seem to think that VS MAXes were a rare sight before the patch. Before the patch, all factions had pretty much identical MAX usage. The number of players with at least 1 MAX hour played in the first half of the month was within 1% of each other for the different factions. And average time played wasn't much further apart. (<=5%) In the first 3 days after the patch, VS saw a massive MAX usage increase compared to TR and NC. And I mean it when I say massive, 50% compared to TR and even more compared to NC. VS sph up 16%, with TR sph up 9% and NC sph not up at all.
Nerf please (oh and thank you to those NC for never throwing a Concussion grenade into the room I was in or shooting rockets)
Some of us know its not trash, those that do are using it wrong as the Vanguard is meant to be defensively played. The Vanguard is the best AA tank in game (Screw Skyguard) as if you have AP rounds libs die in 2 shots (quite easy) or ESFs that die in 1 shot. Let enemy armour rush you but don't let them get behind and that is how you win as the Vanguard. If you were to rush you will end up dead since the Vanguard is the slowest tank (Apart from flat ground) leave the rush for lightnings and when they stop get behind and get them support. P.S On Briggs no one plays support (well there is a few (I am one) so you have to choose your loadouts to be prepared for no one to help you. = Nano armour repair for Maxes is a must (at least Lv 1 on a single loadout so you can heal). = Don't rely on Ammo Sundys to give ammo. = Don't think any nearby fighter will help with that Scythe thats hunting your Allies/you.
Everyone who says "zealot isn't OP" saw it only from user perspective. It is nearly impossible now to hit ZOE MAX with dumb rocket launchers: small hitbox + buffed strafe speed makes this MAX very survivable. Pink monster can live much longer than any other MAX (except NC one under the shield, but it don't shoot while defending) Zealot is a berserk ability, there is must be a survivability tradeoff for damage boost! This ability is not balanced and must be tuned down!
