Why cloak+SMG=OP? Because lag

When you see an infiltrator suddenly decloaking in front of you, you are already dead on their screen.

If you see him cloaked before he decloaks, you've already killed him.

If you're a HA, MAX, carrying a shotgun, etc, and he's infront of you, you've already killed him.

If a infiltrator decloaks right in front of you, He should be at 1/2 health because you have been pumping rounds into him because he is not invisible

But what if you do not see them when they are cloaked? I know it is impossible since everyone can see invisible cloaks, but what if?

But what if you do not see them when they are cloaked? I know it is impossible since everyone can see invisible cloaks, but what if?

The reality is it's a combination of both network latency and human reaction times.

Edit: Heck. I've killed tunnel-visioned players before they can react with my Beamer. the trick is all in cramming the damage into the small window before most people can twitch, whichever tool you're using.

I'm an Infiltrator most of times but I must tell you personally I don't think that combo is OP. I like to be honest and if there's something in this game that is obviously out of control I'm glad they fix it, but it's not the case of the SMG. In 1vs1 fight, face to face, many weapons are more lethal than SMG at close quarter. SMG + cloaking only works if you can flank your enemies, and still ammo clip size is such that you must reload once you killed the first target. It's good for Killing lonely wolves, otherwise you're likely to die after the fist kill.
The proof is SMG can be used by anyone, but you rarely see them in other classes hands. Infiltrators got instead no other choice at close range (beside heavy pistol that require better aiming).

First the cloak would need to be invisible ...

Of course. Total lag = raw network lag + internal server lag + player derp lag. Still, since TTK are so short with SMG, and it is virtually impossible to see a crouched cloaked infiltrator somewhere in the corner during a night, they get a free jump on you.

But if it is visible, why stupid infiltrators even bother to cloak? Would you explain this paradoxical fact, please?

Because of lag nerf a weapon & class? That's dumb. Bad lag should be corrected by improving the connection to the Internet both client & server side.

The game play, weapons, classes etc should not be altered for all players because some experience bad lag.

Because most people tunnel vision and don't see it. It's harder to see, but still visible at close range

You can see it and hear it. Just most people don't.

I stealth behind people all the time. You can hear that, You know how many people even move before i knife them down??? It's next to 0 because they are not paying attenetion

A) Because in some situations it makes you harder to detect ( Harder to detect does not equal invisible which it isn't on any graphic setting )

B) Prior to the " let's glow " feature it made you some what harder to be recognised as an enemy and could allow for a second or two of indecision. In a fast TTK game every second counts.

Thanks for the explanation. The bottom line is - most people do not see cloaked infiltrators (even though we all agree that a cloaked infiltrator is easier to see than a galaxy next to them). By some divine machina, most people notice infiltrators when they decloak (even though we all agree that a decloaked infiltrator is much harder to spot than a cloaked one). The result is what I already stated above.

Yep, the infiltrator class actually get's a free jump on someone from time to time. Time to nerf them into oblivion.

Really? You admitted that cloaked infiltrators are sometimes harder to detect than decloaked ones? The end of the world is nigh, I reckon.

Better than falsely claiming it makes them " invisible "

I concur that the choice of adjective is poor. "Improbable to detect" is more fitting.

It's up to the game designers to recognize that a certain amount of network lag exists and create mechanics that balance with it. Planetside 2 is obviously not a normal first person shooter as it uses centralized regional servers where most arena shooters rely on local clan servers. The difference is in the average latency, which is why PS2 should, and does, have a higher TTK (barring the OHK shotguns which has no place in this game to begin with). Having a high average latency is not the only network problem PS2 faces, it also has to deal with a large min/man latency range as many people like to play outside of their home region (with ping in excess of 200ms).

I just fail too see how cloak + smg is op with the current amount of invisibility that the cloak offers. I hardly get ever killed by other smg infils, if I do its usually from behind and that can be done with every single class in this game.