Is the AR the answer?

Discussion in 'Light Assault' started by Eternaloptimist, Sep 17, 2014.

  1. Iridar51

    No, I was young and stupid. An FPS game should not have classes more effective at the FPS part of the game.
    Yes, killing a MAX with a pistol is also perfectly doable, just need stars to be aligned. Determination and distance trump the stupidly overpowered health pool more often that not.
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  2. Lord_Avatar


    Choosing a class is no different than choosing a weapon adapted to the current situation. If you get caught in CQC with a SASR you're screwed, yet both HA and Infiltrators are adept at shooting; they excel in different scenarios.
  3. Iridar51

    Choosing a weapon is more about the style of the engagement. You tune your playstyle to get more out of a weapon.
    Sniper rifle and submachine do the same thing: kill infantry. They just do it differently. That's what class choice SHOULD be all about.
    Class selection should affect "how you play", not "what can you play".
  4. Lord_Avatar


    It is all about "how you play". There is nothing stopping a cloaker from taking his BASR into extreme CQC and setting up shot+knife combos... Risky - yes, doable - certainly. The overshield is the only thing a HA has going for him since I do not find "rocket primaries" that much of an issue.

    Good gunplay aside, the LA has access to weapons that can trump the overshield with sheer dps (at least at close range, which just so happens to be where LAs tend to excel).
  5. Iridar51

    That's why I'm saying shield should be redesigned, not nerfed.
  6. Lord_Avatar


    Fair enough. Any ideas then?
  7. Iridar51

    Yeah, my go-to idea is an ability that creates a frontal shield, that moves with HA (possibly with reduced speed). Shield is about waist-chest high, meaning that HA can hip fire and ADS fire over it while standing. HA can crouch and become completely protected by the shield. He can reload, use med kits, and do every other normal action while crouching behind the shield.
    Shield itself can have different properties, acting as balancing factors or as different varieties of the ability:
    absorb all, or just part of the damage, have or not have energy, expend energy on damage or time, etc.
    Shield could also have sort of roof / walls. A specific shield variety can remain stationary after placing, usable by both HA and his allies.

    The basic idea is that HA remains vulnerable from the back, and he can't both shoot and be completely protected from damage, skilled shooter will just aim for the head / upper body, but the shield will still provide adequate protection in ranged combat, and somewhat protect against hip fire spray weapons when storming buildings.
  8. Lord_Avatar


    That could work, yes. Though it would bear much similiarity to the NC Aegis.
  9. ATRA_Wampa-One

    The problem with this idea is that while it would be decent for TR/NC since that have about four AR's I would strongly consider using on LA when I play my alts on those factions (Cycler,TVR,TORQ,SABR for TR, Gauss-S, Reaper, Tross, Carnage for NC) the only VS AR I would use would be the Terminus.

    So it would be great for TR/NC LA's... but VS LA's would see no benefit what so ever from this change.
  10. TomDRV

    NO.


    Doesn't suit the LA role, carbines do. LA's are the close and mid range storm troopers. They should be fighting at longer ranges.
  11. Iridar51

    For a close range storm trooper LA laughably lacks in tools to perform that role, like a CQC weapon that's more effective than what other classes can use. Carbine is a gimped AR, when it should be a CQC powerhouse version of AR - if "close range storm trooper" is indeed LA's intended role.
  12. Saool

    I would love to see LA given the AR. LA is a class I keep trying to play but often with poor results. I play HA most of all and wondered 'are you just used to having a shield'? After some time looking at how I played both classes I concluded it had nothing to do with that. In fact I would define my HA play style as Heavy Light Assault. I love to flank and attack from unconventional angles. On paper, the LA should be the class that best fits my play style. So why does it not?

    Carbines.

    They just seem anaemic in comparison with everything else. And it's not just there poor stopping power or range. They just seem more inaccurate. That may be because I have so much more experience with LMGs. Vanu Carbines in particular just seem to be feather weight water pistols. After watching videos by Iridar and Matti I am now trying the Pulsar C, which seems better than the Solstice SF and Serpent I have been trying to use.

    So giving the LA the AR would be excellent from my point of view. I would be able to exploit attacking from good angles at the sorts of ranges I prefer to fight at.
  13. Kirthalion

    Adding the AR to the LA arsenal would effectively result in the nerf of those weapons. They are really great weapons, powerful too, and I enjoy using them when I play medic, but the abilities that LA's have access to would in the end highlight the gap between the carbines and ARs leading to nerfs.

    ARs are exceptionally good weapons and I think the reason behind it is because it is restricted to the medic class. An engineer has offensive tools which explains why they don't have access to ARs. LAs have great abilities to re-position and disrupt which again is why they don't have ARs. Medics are welcome on the battlefield and one way to spice up their game play is their unique weapon choices. The argument can be made for HAs have unique weapons as well but I think the killing power of the ARs is a cut above.

    I main LA and I would love to see carbines pick up some improvements but I don't know in what way or how much. I don't think AR access is the answer though.
  14. Germaux

    No, if u do that you're just taking away the power of the combat medic. But a extra type of gun would be nice, somthing for longer ranges ( no snipers ore battlerifles ).
  15. pnkdth

    LA's have carbines for the same reason Infiltrators have 100 less shield.

    Both classes are able to get the drop on opponents in ways other classes can't. Tower fights is the most obvious example for why LA's shine. Most LAs are, however, painfully predictable in how they use verticality. C4 is much more effective in the hands of a LA than any other class. It is also easier to land frag grenades where they will do the most damage.

    The jetpack is a force multiplier, and if you're not using properly, ie, find yourself trying to go head to head with a heavy assault you're doing it wrong. Might as well start playing as an infiltrator and refuse to use the cloak, then come here complaining about how you can't take a HA in a 1v1.

    Pulsar C, Cougar, or Razor are good weapons for longer ranges as well. For those who are able to lead really well and get a lot of headshots, the T5 AMC, Solstice SF(comp, grip, HVA), or AC-X11 are good choices, since when kitted out they're very accurate weapons.

    If you think LAs should be able to beat a HA in a straight up fight, don't bother replying, because you're wrong(or possibly just bad). Bit narrow-minded, perhaps, but if you're not using your class abilities and think the class should be buffed to the point where you can beat a class using its ability in the manner it is supposed to be used, there really isn't any point in having a discussion. If your reply contain something that isn't just a straight up buff, for instance, giving LAs a new ability or something, it is a different story.

    For instance, I've always wanted a F ability which allows me to do a quick dash in the direction I'm looking. This could be used to avoid damage, launch you into the air, or close the gap using CQC weapons. So rather than straight up buffing carbines we'd get more tools to outmaneuver our opponents.
  16. Iridar51

    Comparison with infiltrator is not really valid. Top tier infiltrators usually agree that cloak is incredibly bad, and the actual main feature of the class is radar detection.
  17. pnkdth

    I'd say if you haven't figured out the cloak by now you have no right to call yourself a "top tier infiltrator."
  18. Iridar51

    I wasn't talking about myself.
  19. pnkdth

    Neither was I. I meant, you, in the general sense, ie, those who call themselves top tier infiltators.