Light Assault- Most self-entitled group of players ever?

Discussion in 'Light Assault' started by FrontTowardEnemy, Aug 5, 2013.

  1. FrontTowardEnemy

    I finally broke down and got over the fact that almost every single Carbine in the game doesn't have a stock (I *hate* that) and started playing LA. In a word, LA is awesome. The freedom of movement and the tactical options that opens up just cannot be overstated. It's that big of an advantage.

    And then I browse the LA class discussion forum to see what they're talking about- new tactics, general class discussion etc. Boy am I surprised. Basically it's "OMG, poor us, we're constantly getting nerfed".

    Now, understand that I haven't played LA very much, if at all, before a few weeks ago, and most definitely without investing any certs into the class, so I don't know what it was like "pre-nerfs". That being said, the LA class as it sits right now is still FREAKING AWESOME.

    In PS1 there was simply no equivalent. LA is new to PS2. The only thing that had jump jets in PS1 was the VS MAX (which I was a huge fan of). I've always been the type of player to flank the enemy, wanting to attack from a different and unexpected direction while the zerg kept the enemy's attention elsewhere. Nothing comes close to LA.

    LA players experience a completely different game than every other infantry class. Even Infils play the game pretty much the same as all the rest of the classes, as they're bound to the same terrain and movement options as the rest. LA just completely ignores terrain features in a conventional sense.

    The most important ground in any battle is the high ground. Period. LA has constant and easy access to the highest of terrain at any given moment in any given battle. There amount of area/terrain that is inaccessible to all other infantry players except LA is massive. Basically, anywhere that you would *want* to be from a tactical standpoint, LA has access to it and 90% of the time only LA has access to it.

    In addition to completely dominating the high ground, through no other reason than it's the only class that can access it, the ease at which LA navigates terrain features and ignores barriers is a massive tactical advantage. The simple act of jetting over a railing or quickly flying up to a balcony or over a wall accomplishes movement that would take a "regular" player an additional 30 seconds to minutes of travel time, just to arrive at the same point on the map.

    And yet LA players think that they're under powered, picked on and ignored as a class. Are you KIDDING me? And don't even get me started on the C4 issue- the combination of C4 as it's currently implemented (due to it's ease of deployment) and LA is just so OP it's hilarious. Thank goodness it takes certs for each individual class to unlock C4. If it was a global unlock like med kits it would be a nightmare.

    The fact that LA get smoke grenades is just an incredible tactical advantage, but nobody seems to appreciate it and/or know how to really use it to good effect. LA players lament that they can't "contribute to team play" because they "don't have the tools to do so". Really? Smoke grenades? Flash bangs? (admittedly, I take issue with some aspects of the flash bang grenades as they currently are).

    Frankly, I think that it's a perception/cultural problem of the LA community as a whole that is the issue. In my opinion, the run and gun (insert non-tactical lamer FPS game here) style players gravitate to the class because they want speed and maneuverability so they can show off their "leet skillz" and expect to be able to fight with 100% effectiveness *while flying* instead of using the jump jets as they should e.g. moving (using jump jets) and fighting separately. Tactically, you should always fight from cover/an improved position. You don't try to fight the enemy while running across open ground from one area of cover to the next. You transition as quickly as possible from hard cover to hard cover and *then* attack. Again, this is optimal, and of course this rarely is the case, but if given the chance, this is what you should do. Instead most players try to initiate contact/attack *while* moving/jetting and die as the result. Of course, this is simply because they're *doing it wrong*.

    Anyway, I'm looking forward to the LA update, I love the new Adv. Shield Capacitor changes (huge synergy with LA's class abilities) and with the introduction of Amerish, the changes to Esamir and the upcoming introduction of Hossin (OMG IT'S GOING TO BE AMAZING!!!!) Light Assault players have MUCH to be happy for. The increased terrain complexity and the simple and inconsiderate design of the Esamir changes have highlighted LA's movement capabilities that much more.

    All too often I find myself in an Infil or HA or Medic hitting the jump key, trying to jet over a small obstacle only to remember that I'm not LA, and then having to take the long way around. Sucky!

    Agree? Disagree? Flame on!
    • Up x 15
  2. Kulantan

    Disagree.

    The problem is that while our class ability is the best, we're the worst in a group. We don't have a good utility role. Engies with smoke launchers are a billion times better than smoke grenades. The only thing we offer is flaking, which is great, but when you need an LA to flank you aren't going to be able to support them with medics, engies or MAXs. This means that when performing our one class role, we have far less synergy with others. This makes us ok rambo, but in 90% of situations if you have a squad of 12 guys you'd be better off with no LAs because you loose so much synergy.

    Sure I love the class and do well with it, but I would like to see some improvement to how well we play we others.
    • Up x 17
  3. maxx

    yes probably very have incredible mobility unbelievable utility and they still think they're underpowered and want more. truly entitlement issues
  4. LowTechKiller

    [IMG]
    • Up x 27
  5. FrontTowardEnemy

    I guess I'm too used to playing with zero support. I constantly find myself forgoing C4 on my LA for med kits just to further sustain myself in the field, along with ammo belt/grenade bandolier, as I'm always constantly running out of ammo (even though I specifically try to conserve it) since I'm doing much more killing and less dying to the meatgrinder that is the HA zerg.

    LA are shock troops, a quick reaction force and the best scout/recon/intel (and infiltration) class in the game. Providing overwatch and calling troop movements is a huge force multiplier. Sure, it doesn't have as much impact in a massive zerg fight where there's almost zero coordination/change of enemy tactics, but it makes a big difference in 12-24 man fights.

    And the UBGL.. you sacrifice a lot in primary weapon performance to get the option to use the UBGL. Small differences do count. I take a Pulsar C or Serpent and dedicated smoke grenades over the Solstice SF and UBGL with smoke every time. I can't stand the lack of performance of the Solstice SF to gain the UBGL capability. But, that's just me.
  6. FrontTowardEnemy



    Working as intended ;)
  7. theholeyone

    Yeh LA is a pretty fun solo class, you can flank extremely well and get a lot of killing done. But in a teamwork environment its a suicide class, fine on defense or if there is a sundy nearby, but even then it's doing a solo job, for the team. Which is not to understate its usefullness as a well dropped C4 can help a troop advance a lot, it's just very situational. Also LAs can put them beacons way up where nobody else can...

    Forumside however, is filled with self entitled people, so I wouldn't read into it too much. Personally, i think its fine in its niche, to add more to it I think would upset the balance. If anything the game just needs more interactables for it, jump that wall and overload a gen etc...
  8. Xae

    Light Assault is the best class. I'm not even sure how people can claim they are somehow bad.

    The LA gameplay is amazing and fun. The ability to flank is amazing in small fights. The ability to destroy key objectives is amazing in large fights.
    • Up x 4
  9. AMARDA

    There's one thing that the LA class need to make it a team player. Scaling Rope/Ladders...

    Yeah, just imagine what the would do for squads and platoons! Otherwise LA is AWESOME!
    • Up x 4
  10. gunfox

    Light Assault is my most played class and gets about 80-90% of playtime, and this does not even happen to me. You seem to have some issues, which would explain this thread.
    Also, where did all those "muh tacticool FPS gameplay!" people come from? Planetside 2 is as much Arcade as it is a Simulation, maybe you should play ARMA if you enjoy sitting behind rocks so much.

    And I disagree. I love my LA but fact is that it IS the second least scoring and the least played class. Many platoons don't even allow LAs in their ranks, because the class effectively brings nothing to the table.
    • Up x 2
  11. FrontTowardEnemy


    I play both Arma (1, 2 and now 3) and Planetside (1 and 2) and appreciate both for their differences.
    • Up x 1
  12. Hoki

    Is this just a long winded C4 whine?
    • Up x 4
  13. SenEvason

    For solo play, LA is great, but it's rather lacking compared to other classes when it comes to teamplay.
    • Up x 4
  14. itzCujo666

    LA had a whole continent designed for them. Wallamir is virtually unplayable for any class except LA. Unless you're a LA, you spend the whole battle running around the outside walls. By the time you find a door in, the LAs have had all the fun.
    • Up x 3
  15. ViXeN

    My HA eats LAs for breakfast with orange juice and a nice blue berry muffin. :D It is pretty awesome to be able to get to places that my HA can't though. The jetpack is one of the most useful things in the game.
  16. Luighseach



    I disagree about the light assault not being a good team class.

    I use my engineer a lot and because of this I have some good weapons on my LA as well. In battles (where I get good FPS) I will fly on ledges or good areas where I can Flash Bang an entrance or corridor and allow my squad to flood in and clear the area solely because of Flash Bangs. Usually windows are really good for this.

    I also use the LA as a squad leader to put my spawn beacon on top of towers to help my squad come down behind the enemy or on top of an enemy vehicle(hopefully this second thing gets nerfed).

    I also use my LA to soften up towers and use it mobility to help my squad find where the enemies are at or distract the enmies at the top of stairs while my squad comes up them.

    My outfit mates are even better at doing this last role and will usually catch the enemy off guard and help us clear a tower because he C4ed the group camping the stairs.

    LA has its value in a squad just like Engineers, Medics, and Infiltrators do. The utility of movement allows you to be in places to help your team overcome obstacles.

    Also it is an assault class used to get over obstacles and not a support class. Good light assault play there characters as a hit and run flanking class used to keep the enemies on their toes while the rest of their squad moves up together. Also a good light assault keeps the roofs clear of enemies that drop pod in.

    LA adds a lot to a squad if played with in that squad and not as a lone-wolf. It has its place just like the other classes.
    • Up x 3
  17. Van Dax

    Disagree.
    Coming from a group that puts a strong emphasis on coordination, cover, suppressive fire, and formations, our weakest point is our rigidity. We have a carefully chosen set of classes to go in our main squad (1 infil, 2 engie, 3 medic, 1 lasher(practically a class of its own), 1 max and 4 heavies) while our second squad is entirely composed of light assaults that screen the area, they keep the roofs clear, stop window hopping fairies, and spot enemies so the first squad can prepare accordingly. They are both our cavalry and our skirmish troops, heavy casualties and a whole lot of results. A Platoon/squad leader who has no use for light assaults is no real leader at all.
    • Up x 10
  18. Zerran


    I think this would do a whole lot to fix both LA and Infil to be more team oriented.

    Just a few other ideas to expand this:

    - Forcefields/Doors tied to consoles that can be used to open or close them (by anyone), but can also be hacked by an infil to disallow defenders from using the consoles until they get rehacked.

    - Generators tied to spawn room shields and pain fields. (like destroying an SCU in a biolab, but doesn't stop spawning)

    - Forcefield bridges. Normally can only be walked on/shot through by defenders. A nearby console can turn them off, or they can be hacked by an infil to allow only attackers to use them instead.


    The problem right now that I see with the LA isn't that it's underpowered at all. It is a fantastic class for killing infantry, and C4ing important targets. But that's all it does. There's just so much more potential that a jetpack could be used for, especially in regard to teamwork activity. Currently the only real reason to perform a flanking maneuver/get behind enemy lines is to kill more of the enemy. Which you can do from the front lines too, while working directly with your team.

    Basically a squad NEEDS medics, NEEDS engineers, and NEEDS heavies/maxes, but really doesn't need LA, and needs at most 1 infil (and that's very optional). If being able to get behind enemy lines was made more important, especially via having certain things that can only be done from there, then I think LA and Infils will feel much less like 3rd wheels.
    • Up x 2
  19. theholeyone

    Like I said it has uses for helping a team, but it's not really in the team as much as the other classes. I guess the way I'm thinking of it is, what is the class that is the most often unrevivable due to being to far away from the squad? clearly it's the LA. It's utility is only useful to go where the squad cannot, again, it helps the team but is not working closely with them.
    • Up x 1
  20. Lagavulin

    Don't feed the clueless troll.