Apparently the heavies want certable scopes on top of the buff of removed CoF for the Lancer. Furthermore, as an infiltrator, I have no right to object. *grumbles* Here's some important facts: The Parallax shoots at 650 m/s, but the lancer goes up to 800 m/s. Don't talk to me about charge levels here, as a BAR has to rechamber after every round and that more than makes up for the lancer's charge time. The lancer is moderately effective against all unit types, but the parallax is only effective against infantry. I heard you about to say "OHK" but let me remind you that a moderate investment in nanoweave 3 negates all headshots from greater than 100 meters, and who snipes at less than that range, honestly? The lancer has no bullet drop, the parallax does. The long reload on the parallax is 6s, but on the lancer it is 5s. Oh and let's not forget the most important: The lancer (not to mention a variety of rifles and slug shotguns used by other classes for sniping) have no scope sway. Why do heavies get to be snipers all of a sudden?
As someone who mains VS infiltrator and bought and played around with the Lancer some last night, you are wrong on too many obvious levels for me to put in the effort of enumerating them. Basically, any argument you've made goes triple for scopes on the VS shotguns using slugs, but they have said scopes.
The Lancer also only have 1 scope, Can't possible OHK no matter where he hits, and have to charge up between every shot, where as the Parallax can follow up with a shot within a second. The Parallax can be equipped with silencer and carries 40 bullets. The Lancer leaves a long and visible trail when fired, can't use silencer and only carries enough ammo to kill, what, 5 guys? Sure, you can sniper with the Lancer, but the Parallax is still 10x better as a sniper than the Lancer.
The OP said that HAs are asking for more scopes. Suppressor is not a factor in the long range sniping that the Lancer could (with potential "balance" tweaks/buffs) allow HAs to do. Ammo is not a factor in zerg sniping clusters where the HA is likely to be found. Likewise, trail visibility is not a factor in these clusters either. SOOO... we end up with a potential ability overlap between VS Infiltrators and VS HAs. Definitely something to keep an eye on.
What they ask for and what they get are two very different things. No, but the Supressor is a factor in that it allows a much larger versatility for the Infiltrator. The same goes for Ammo and trail. The Lancer is an unreliable sniper, at best. It cannot be adapted in any way, and have a very low Fire rate with no possibility to OHK. The Parallax can be outfitted for a large amount of different scenarios and playstyles, with the possibility to OHK. Just because you can shoot accurately with one weapon, does not mean that the Heavy Assault suddenly becomes a viable Sniper. I COULD play like a Heavy Assault with my Semi-Automatic Infiltrator and cahrge in through the front door, guns blazing. That won't mean that i will succeed with it. Most likely i will get ***** and die constantly. A Heavy Assault COULD go Anti-infantry sniping with the Lancer. That doesn't mean he won't suck at it.
I don't necessarily thing the lancer needs a magnified scope (although it would not hurt). What it really needs is for a more distinct centre dot. The grey one tends to disappear at night. Combined with the large surround, it is tricky to judge where the centre is when this happens. The surround glowing bright purple under charge makes this worse. A red dot would be ideal (VS teal is horrible, not that colour please).
They got the CoF removal they asked for... Also, how is the ability to turn the same sniper bazooka towards the nearest tank or ESF not versatile?
Yep. But that still doesn't mean that they get any scope improvement. It's not as if because SOE buffed the Lancer in one thing, they are going to start showering the Lancer with everything it could possibly ever want. Sure it is versatile. In that it can target several different kinds of enemies. But it is pretty much restricted to one kind of use. The Sniper can be manually adapted to a number of different scenarios. You can't sneak in behind the enemy lines with a Lancer and pick off targets undetected. Nor can you reliable hit infantry far away, due to the poor scoping. Really, if a Heavy Assault is a better sniper than you as an Infiltrator, you are a horribly bad player. Like, ridiculously terrible. Like i said, just because you CAN snipe with the Heavy Assault, doesn't mean that it is a viable strategy. Just like i CAN rambo with the infiltrator, but it doesn't mean that i will be successful with it. When the Infiltrator got the SMG, we didn't suddenly replace the Heavy Assault as a CQC class. And the Heavy Assault won't replace the Infiltrator as a Sniper class, just because they get one slow-firing accurate weapon. This whole thread is ridiculous. The Lancer can never replace a sniper, and if you get outsniped by a Lancer, then i suggest you just change class because that is outrageously bad and you should be ashamed of yourself.
I've actually used the Lancer and I can assure you that it doesn't even come close to threatening the Parallax's position as our faction's ultimate long-range weapon. Even with a proper scope that doesn't leave me counting pixels, we're still talking about the most obvious laser in the world pointing straight at my firing position, a charge up time which forces me into a specific window to shoot (hold breath activates way faster), and a drastically lengthened refire rate which is completely mandatory since it can't one-shot infantry. Not to mention that on top of all this, massive ammo concerns compared to the 40 bullet sniper rifle and no cloak for the one circumstance where it actually works like it should.
The OP just said it was something to be alert to IF the HAs get the scopes they want. If they don't, and the weapon is unusable as an anti-Infantry Sniper weapon, then there's nothing to worry about. How often does a combat group NEED an Infiltrator to "sneak behind enemy lines and pick off targets undetected"? That seems more like a solo player's thing. Most the time a combat group needs a Sniper to clear off entrenched defenders, break a frontline Infantry traffic jam, or knock out enemy troops advancing over exposed range. If a HA could do that (even at a reduced efficiency over an Infiltrator), then it might make sense just to not use Infiltrators in the combat group, cause HAs could do the job well enough plus they have a lot more benefits in other areas. There's doing the job "good" and doing it "good enough". Again, it's about filling needs with workable pieces. If you MUST have an Infiltrator, then so be it. But it we end up in a situation where the HA can fill in "good enough" for the Infiltrator in the specific desired key roles for a combat group, then cutting the Infiltrator from the roster starts looking pretty good. MMOs have a LONG history of classes finding themselves not making the cut for groups/raids. Sometimes it's someone can do it better, sometimes is there is a limit of how many are useful, sometimes it's that you aren't usable in certain encounters, and sometimes it's just someone can do your role well enough and they're better to have around in other situations. As a class that doesn't get much attention from SOE, it is not advisable to take the Infiltrators ongoing playability and demand-in-large-group-combat for granted. It's much safer to be proactive in adding buffs to the class that make it more versatile, than it is to stick to the narrow strengths and then find out one day we've been replaced/antiquated. Infiltrator already struggles on multiple scissor-paper-rock group interactions (vs. vehicles, on some maps, in some engagements, etc.). Which means they avoid those things. This is bad on a design level for group interaction games. You want the various units to be able to interact across more various engagements (even if at a severe disadvantage), otherwise you are incentivizing them NOT to interact with each other. Again, There's doing the job "good" and doing it "good enough". If the Lancer gets to the point where it's a sub-par but efective enough Sniper tool, then it adds to the debate as to whether a combat groups really needs an Infiltrator.
Okay, so what's the problem? It's nowhere near good enough with the current refire rate and overall capacity to kill multiple players in a given timeframe, even under ideal circumstances. Giving it a better scope won't change this - the damage against infantry, reload and charge speeds, and ammo capacity are all holding it back, and none of those are liable to be changed any time soon.
My primary point is that we are trying to consider at what point a HAs Lancer becomes "good enough" to no longer need an Infiltrator for a combat group. In most cases, you don't need to kill enemies to be an effective Sniper in a group engagement. You just need to disrupt them enough. Push them off an entrenched position, break up an infantry log jam, or slow down troop movements over open range. Damage, reload speed, and ammo capacity may not be "deal breakers" when achieving these goals in a combat group. If HAs CANNOT replace an Infiltrator in these roles then great. Nothing to worry about. I'm just saying that with Power Creep it's something to keep an eye on.
The infiltrator is already irrelevant enough that no combat group brings more than one so he can hack a terminal and switch to a more useful class.
Is this real life? Or some elaborate April Fool's Day Joke? HA snipers with an 800m/s, no drop rifle? Are you ******* KIDDING ME?!
Like in Dungeons & Dragons Online where every crawl over level 18 is chock full of monsters immune to backstab. I'm not so sure. The HA forums made a huge stink about the Lancer's CoF and got that dropped to 0. They are now making a similar stink about only having iron sights. However, this concern also applies to things like the pump actions with slugs being good snipers out to 30-40m (which is about as far as anyone gets from each other in many encounters). All I can say is that thank goodness they nerfed the Phoenix, otherwise you'd have no infiltrators among the NC.
