The range of market offerings for dumb fired rocket launcher is very small. You can either use the default launcher or this, which probably contributes to the prevalence of lock on rocket launchers. They're simply more reliable and still have an effect even if the rocket doesn't actually land, and the effort:reward ratio is so much higher. Disregarding lock-ons for a moment, let's compare the stock launchers and the Decimator. Shrike/S1/ML7 +92% travel speed +10% reload speed +0.5 hip fire accuracy +1 reserve ammo (not really a big deal) -15% damage The Decimator loses out greatly. Its worst trait by far is the reduced velocity. With a dumb fired launcher, the velocity determines how much the target can move before being hit, and the reduction allows them to move nearly twice as far. The reload speed and hip fire accuracy should be on the Decimator's side in my opinion. Instead of the default launchers being better by 0.5 in both those areas, the Decimator should have improvements in these areas. It fits more with the other NS weapons too, as they all reload quickly and can be fired from the hip better than their competitors. In the end, any change to the Decimator to make it more of a side-grade is good. This weapon shouldn't be inferior in so many areas.
The decimator is actually the best scoring RL per hour in terms of kills and destroyed vehicles: http://ps2-stats.com/weapon/infantrytype/rocket_launcher/all/per-hour
In game i kill most things pretty close with it. Stats are nice but as far as kills i have the most with it.
I believe that is because it is common pool. More people can use it. I truly think that they need to boost the projectile velocity. I always run ML-7 or AA when I play HA.
The Decimator is the weapon of choice when enemy armor is completely surrounding and zerging a spawnroom, who then commence to complaining about how lame it is you all don't make a tactical rush outside the spawn to get insta-gibbed by 20 tanks/ESFs/Libs all at once. Pop your head out, fire some decimators, pop your head back down. The tears about how lame it is that you're "camping" inside your spawnroom while the enemy is camping outside your spawnroom then commence.
Decimator is more of an AI rocket than a AV rocket. I mean, it's good when vehicles are really close as it packs a lil extra punch.,.. but the whole point of the deci is it's splash radius. Use for for firing into congested enemies for maximum effect Only time it's bad is when enemy vehicles are far away... but if they're far away, then just hit the term real quick and grab your long range rocket. They're far away, no immediate danger Good rocket to carry Other good RL to carry is the G2A launcher.
I see a lot of Decimator use in biolabs against MAXes. Also, because it's on a different resistance table from regular rockets, it takes just as many hits to kill a Sunderer with a Deci than with a stock dumbfire. That said, I kind of agree with the original poster that in many scenarios, the Decimator isn't sufficiently enticing to blow 700 SC or 1000 certs. Not on a budget anyway.
