Buff to Rear Tank Armor --> Goodbye ESFs

Discussion in 'PlanetSide 2 Gameplay Discussion' started by PhilDun, May 2, 2013.

  1. PhilDun

    The only way an ESF could kill a semi-competent tank driver was by catching him off-guard, and unloading in his butt. The recent patch contains massive buffs to rear tank armor (from -20 to +30). On the test server, this translated to needing to land every single rocket in a clip.

    I could understand requiring a couple more rockets to land, but requiring the entire clip? That's impossible, unless your target is comatose.

    If you get rocket podded and die, odds are you deserved it - you weren't paying attention. I don't see why we're rewarding players who aren't pay attention.

    After this patch, aircraft have basically become useless against tanks.
    • Up x 7
  2. ABATTLEDONKEY

    Incorrect. Libs got a buff against armor in the sense that their weapons are not really changing in damage despite the MBT buff. They also got a considerable flak armor buff.

    This may come as a HUGE shock to most, but ESF's are NOT MEANT to be the ground attack plane. Libs are. ESF's should NOT be better at killing tanks than libs, but they were before GU08. We will see how good they are now.
    • Up x 47
  3. Ixidron

    Are you ******* kidding me? something you can't see killed you giving you no time to fight back, and it was your fault somehow, hell no, magriders can't see what's behind them, you can't see what's behind you when you are engaging the enemy.
    You did get an indirect nerf, when a hard nerf was needed, you are not supposed to bring down a 2/2 250 resource tank with a 200 resource single manned vehicle that was originally designed as an air interceptor.

    • Up x 16
  4. PhilDun

    So you're telling me that an item called "ROCKET PODS" isn't supposed to be used against tanks? The same "rocket pods" which is very ineffective against infantry since it received a splash radius reduction in a recent GU?
    • Up x 1
  5. ChaosRender

    Rocket pods are meant to be used against ground targets to include tanks. They will get kills on tanks just as easy as before, the only thing that will be different is they wont get the free kills like they did before, just the easy kills.
    • Up x 6
  6. tbot

    yeah the question is for what should we use the rocketpods now :)

    Sundy, Gal and Lib have special resists against them.
    MBT and Lightnings get a massive rear upgrade.
    You cant kill Infantry with flak armor, as the splash radius is very small so your better with your air cannon.
    Turrets got buffed against it, and also a buff against main air cannon with the last patch.
    MAXes flak armor gets another buff in GU08

    So what is left to kill with my rockets?
    ....
    ....
    ... oh the FLASH and the HARASSER are still left !!!!!
    • Up x 2
  7. Purg

    Love all the useless talk. If ESF's decide to stop shooting at tanks, that'll only make me happy. :D

    Serious question, do you feel it's reasonable that an ESF could withstand more rocket pods than the rear of a Vanguard with its shield fully certed and up? Yes/No.
  8. SebDollar

    To bad that there is NO place for a Liberator in any kind of large engagements. Sure flak armor buff is nice. That gives you 1 maybe 2 seconds extra before you go down as a flying wreckage, if a liberator have to engage enemy tanks with the Shredder or Tank buster in a large battle like you suggest. (and god forbid that you are engaging the TR... Srikers galore)

    I'm not saying that the rocketpod nerf was unneeded, I actually agree with it... But at the moment, the liberator is little more than a spawn farming tool. (unless you have a very skilled and dedicated crew)
    • Up x 5
  9. Harriks

    Or you could just dogfight with the other ESFs instead of trying to farm ground troops. I noticed a lot more of them since SOE started to give ground troops a chance to fight back.
  10. XRIST0

    Not in this game , somebody might QQ ..

    This buff to the rear armor wont make a difference , tanks are still going to cop it ..
    • Up x 3
  11. PhilDun

    I agree with you insofar as Liberator is still useless against armor columns, especially TR armor column. Any TR armor will inevitably have a bunch of Striker users alongside it. To get close enough, a Liberator will have to be within lock-on range of those strikers. And it will get torn up.

    I rarely see libs do anything other than counter-ESF.
  12. Locke

    If you cant kill anything with rocket pods without hitting the rear armour you are doing something wrong.
    • Up x 2
  13. PhilDun

    I'm really trying to figure out the role of ESFs after this patch.

    -Killing tanks is next-to-impossible with buff to rear tank armor.
    - Killing infantry is possible with the primary guns, although it is exeedingly difficult given the large # of Striker users / AA flak / other AA weapons.
    -That leaves aircraft.

    So the main reason to pull aircraft after this patch is to... kill aircraft...

    But why bother killing enemy aircraft if it poses a minimal threat to anything except other aircraft?
    • Up x 2
  14. PhilDun

    Why bother killing other ESF though, if those ESF pose little threat to anything?
    • Up x 2
  15. mooman1080

    Um, yes they are, ESF's are designed to fit multiple rolls as needed otherwise rocket pods wouldn't exist in the first place, and we'd only have missle pods and no extended afterburner. As much as you would love to have liberators be the only thing you need to worry about you just can't make something that counters it self and is only effective against it self + one other target.

    Honestly though I don't disagree with rocket pods being unable to insta gib tanks, tanks were extremely fragile and not all to helpful against superior numbers of air or infantry. Rockets pods are still effective at weakening tanks now, it might be hard to believe but you might actually have to combine arms to kill tanks in a combined arms game. Shocking I know.
  16. Rebelgb

    I usually try to stay civil on these forums but My GOD! OP are you ********? Do you play the game even? Ever played a tank as TR or NC?

    If a ESF decides to kill you in a tank there is NO defense. You are dead, your tank is gone. You cant outrun it, you cant outgun it, you cant withstand a couple of passes and repair. You are dead and your 225 resources and the time you put into travel are gone.

    Its total crap and its out of control and im glad they are doing something about it AND THEY SHOULD BE DOING MORE!

    Seriously OP, log off life.
    • Up x 2
  17. HellasVagabond

    You can still kill other ESFs since the engine of the Mossie is almost inaudible......
  18. Crysander

    I'm sure your pet weapon will still be affective against armour, just not as ridiculous. It might *gasp* require working with a co-pilot, or making more than one run, or aiming at the lame and the sick or the 1/2s. As someone stated above, your vehicle is a single manned, 200 resource unit vs a 250 resource, up to 2 man vehicle. You should not be able to rofl stomp them in such a short time with no apparent effort expended.

    With this update they are aiming to further differentiate the AP/HEAT/HE rounds for the MBT cannons - If I was a betting man I'd imagine that you'll be getting more options/tweaks to your weapons/pods in the future. Your vehicle is meant to be Air Superiority and Ground strafing/harassing and the Liberator is meant to be A2G suppression and AT. Stop acting so spoilt and yes, before you ask/look I do occasionally use a tank but mostly as a SG because I find it quite fun, yet I spend more time as Infantry in general.
    • Up x 1
  19. Sebyos

    Look at these easy modes crying about rocket pods nerfs. I can't believe some thought it was balanced to destroy tanks in a second then run away with after burners.

    Libs with Tank Buster and Daltons should now be where they should have always been.
    • Up x 1
  20. tbot

    AA is doing this already - better, cheaper, easier. That dogfight argument can just come from somebody who is not flying. Try to find a dogfight out there. I can tell you, its very seldom. If i can just make points with dogfighting i would make more by repairing turrets.