~ Spitfire Auto-Turret Review in 90 Seconds ~

Discussion in 'Engineer' started by belthazor3457, Dec 20, 2014.

  1. belthazor3457

    The Spitfire Auto-Turret, Reviewed in 90 Seconds.



    While the spitfire certainly has uses, they're not really the uses one might picture when thinking "automatic turret": the spitfire can be useful for softening TTK during area secure, useful as a decoy, and as a spotter / fire director of sorts. However, spotters and decoys die a lot.

    Which brings to light the turret's large size, frailty, and logistical sandbags of no repositioning and no redeploying without a sundy/terminal, which excessively limit the roles in which the spitfire can actually be useful. This causes something of a deliberate headache as a "balancing mechanic" - a bad thing, in my opinion.

    It's inaccurate and confused by partial cover (both for itself and for a target) and will happily kill your teammates if an enemy is behind them, making it potentially a burden in larger fights. As an actual automatic turret, its roles are limited.

    I feel neither good nor bad are truly 100% accurate ratings, so I label the auto turret a misnomer.
    • Up x 11
  2. ZZYZX

    Spot on.

    If they buff it a smidge, it might be more useful. As of now, it's high cost/low reward.
    • Up x 3
  3. Feydakin

    I could almost deal with them being awful if I didn't have to go resupply to redeploy them every time... that was overkill IMO.
    • Up x 5
  4. Cynosure

    I unlocked this last night as I had just started playing an Engineer a couple of weeks back and was really enjoying the change-up from my CQC medic. All-in-all, this turret been somewhat fun.. but mostly annoying.


    My thoughts exactly. Mine kept getting taken down in one hit by random grenades being flung and in order to get it back up I had to run all the way back to a terminal. The thing dies so fast, I've found it isn't worth the run back as I could have gotten 2-3 kills manually in that span of time.

    I also didn't like how anyone can just charge it, run around in circles, and shoot/knife it to death. Players kept charging it like it wasn't even a threat. I'm pretty sure it only killed flying LA's that couldn't look down far enough to defend themselves.

    In addition, while having it deployed, I believe I had more team kills than enemy kills.


    That said, I've found a lot of use for it around my deployed sunderer.. keeps those pesky LA's away and gives me a few more seconds to react to an incoming C4/tank mine attack.
    • Up x 5
  5. Replay

    place it in the corner where grenades wont be thrown, stand slightly off to the side and behind it. As people rush the door, its partial cover, a bullet soak, damage increase and rear guard No, this is not a drop and walk away weapon, its an assistant.
    • Up x 2
  6. MiniSentrygun

    Give it a regen timer. That is all.
    • Up x 4
  7. Maxor

    The turrets themselves should have the ability to at least cripple a heavy that just stands there. I stood in ones fire for a good 10 seconds using my NMG. It kinda tickles.

    Either the turret itself needs to be buffed OR do it the PS1 way and shrink down and allow you to place multiple of them!
    • Up x 5
  8. ZZYZX

    Like so many things, I would prefer the PS1 route.

    It wasn't broken...so why did they "fix it" as the saying goes?!
    • Up x 4
  9. belthazor3457


    Just the other day I did a LA C4 bombing run over a tank while under fire from a turret. I managed to leisurely flutter over from one AMP station defense tower to another, destroy the tank, and only barely had my shields broken.
    • Up x 1
  10. Klinkin

    I agree that the Spitfire needs a buff; I'd say look either to the Spitfires of old (PlanetSide 1) or the sentry guns of Team Fortress 2. I think that leads to two different directions the buff could go in: increased durability and firepower, or decreased size and the ability to deploy multiples. The former is based on the sentry turret of Team Fortress 2; a powerful and somewhat durable, although vulnerable to rockets and grenades, turret that can easily lock down an area from all but a focused attack. Quick TTK, resistant to small-arms fire, and excellent tracking. The latter is based on both the old Spitfire and the Combat Mini-Sentry of Team Fortress 2; they don't have the raw firepower or durability of their larger counterparts, but you can place them down quickly around corners, and old Spitfires came in swarms.

    Regardless of which direction they choose, I'd really like the ability to pick turrets back up to replenish them. While I understand the issues with them being spammable, they're also one of, if not the only, class ability that has an ammo limit that you have to resupply to replenish. Ideally, they would regenerate slowly over time, and you could pick them up to either instantly replenish one or significantly reduce the time needed to regenerate one turret.
    • Up x 1
  11. moriarrr-ceres

    hey,
    i play a lot engineer, and it's maybe my favorite class, even in combat situations. there are thing that i don't like:
    -being killed by a friendly max because i didn't repaired him, you know the same time when you have to fight for your own life.
    -friendly grenade bouncing on my turret....
    -friendly HA rocketing my turret...
    -friendly medic who try to dance in front of my turret.....(you know the same guy who never rez and steal your kill)

    In fact there are already a lot of thing that negate your use of your turret.
    In my opinion we should have both 3 turrets in the same tool and just have to press B to change AI to AV turret. I think it won't be a big deal for balance etc, and it would give more versatility for this class

    For the spitfire, you should have infinite use like the others but you should use only one at time.

    An engineer should have always access to one turret without having to resupply at a terminal.
  12. Ice_

    "Wasted" 1000 certs for this one. Not only is it bugged and start shooting wildly at the terrain sometimes, it's crap at dealing damage and can't take a beating. I have to spend more time running and repairing the turret or running and restocking on a new turret than focusing on the actual gameplay which leads me to not use the turret at all.
    • Up x 3
  13. Nano(zip/zap)

    I think the problem is people think of it as an actual turret like the AI and AV ones but in fact the devs made it a small area denial system like the AI mines are. I've seen them used to their best when used in pairs or in small groups to defend bases that have multiple points but not many defenders.

    For example I was a cloaker with about 10 or so allies trying to take a 3 point base. Most of the allies were holding one point while trying to assault another. There seemed to be only about 5 or 6 enemies in the area and it looked like all of them were defending that one point. So I went to sneak around to the other one and a medic decided to follow me.

    We both entered the room at the same time and while I was cloaked and no turrets target me the medics was hit by 2 streams of tracers and dropped instantly. As I went further into the room I saw another 2 turrets for a total of 4. 2 were in the open parts of the room and covered a lot of area the other 2 were tucked into different corners each with a LOS to the separate pair of doors. I tossed a frag and took out one turret but while I was trying to dodge the other 3 an enemy engie came in an got me from behind having seen the point start to flip.

    So while I agree completely that they are far from great, if used in the right situation and the right way they can be as effective as say 1 or 2 newbie players defending a location.
  14. Brewergamer


    Yea the turret needs a buff, at the VERY LEAST just don't make us have to resupply it every time. But right now it is completely worthless in all regards, even attempting to deploy it as a decoy can get you killed, it's loud beep to "spot" people can also get you killed. It needs a buff of some kind and I hope they realize that.
  15. Azimaith

    The turret takes a few seconds to actually lock, and start firing. Your medic was probably killed by engineers, not the turret. You can literally, run at a turret and kill it before it starts firing.

    I'd take the newbies. They can recap and they don't make beeping noises.
  16. ReconTeemo

    Seriously AI Turret is very squishy, not enough damage, can only deployed once. Enemy can tank it easily. At i'ts best, good for spotting enemies at point defense.

    edit. I suggest maybe make the ai turret deployable like the mana turret. Oh and why not add a specific empire flavor to it. :D
  17. vincent-

    Pretty much this I have yet to die to those and any time I see them I either destroy them without be shot at once or it doesn't hurt me enough to warrant fear of it being deployed.
  18. Problem Officer

    I've been using mine a lot.
    So far it's been useful a few times.
    I'm sure it has.
    I'll notice for myself eventually...
    :confused:

    People keep saying it's for tactical fancy shmancy intelligent positioning but it's not even that good.
  19. Den

    My Spitfire stole my kill once (only kill it's ever gotten), what a jerk!
  20. hostilechild

    They are pretty bad other than finishing someone off. Usually place them by other turrets and around my prox mines. Have over 60kills with it.

    They do need a rate of fire buff or a damage buff and defitely a durability buff. Even as a non heavy i can walk up to one and knife it down and just lose shields.

    They also seem to bug out. Like shoot walls, or even friendlies with no enemies around. (well at least in rener range)