[Suggestion] TR Lockdown should either be a passive ability or be shielded.

Discussion in 'PlanetSide 2 Gameplay Discussion' started by Wreckcenter, Mar 29, 2015.

  1. Wreckcenter

    One of the most important things during combat is to remain mobile, you don't want to stay still otherwise it makes you an easy target. This is doubly true given one-hit wonders like C-4 or Vanu's particle weapons with near infinite range & accuracy. TR's "special ability" is not moving. It is unbelievably counter productive. Pot shots from rockets and Light Infantry C-4 will make quick work of anything sedentary.

    Not moving isn't a special ability. It offers zero advantage regardless of rate of fire or damage. The only time Lockdown is useful is during a siege, and even then, is extremely situational.

    My suggestion is to either make Lockdown a passive ability that can be upgraded and used in addition to any armor, nanite regeneration, etc., or, add something similar to the Sunderer shielding technology while only in Lockdown mode.
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  2. Breadsticks

    Agreed, which is why I never pull TR MAXes
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  3. 00000000000000000000

    You aren't using it right. Its a team weapon meant to be used with backup.

    A lockdown AI max facing a doorway (at an angle to avoid cheap long potshots) turns that doorway into a bullet hell for anything trying to jump in, oh and he should have an engineer nearby to supply ammo and repair from the little rocketeers.

    This lockdown max can defend the door better than two regular maxes, but it REQUIRES TEAMWORK. If you don't have a squad watching the other doorways its pointless as you will be C4'd. Oh and for "When will I ever defend a door?" Most points are inside of buildings, which have doors, which can be defended.

    Look at the aegis shield, its the opposite, but still requires teamwork. Instead of defending a hardpoint it lets you push through a hardpoint. But requires people following you in or you will just be overwhelmed anyways.

    Both are situational, if you want an "all around" ability that is useful in both offense and defense roles then just use charge, nothing is better than it.
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  4. DashRendar


    Hey TR MAXes can do some work. Only Mercies, Mutilators, and Pounders are worth anything, but aside from poor weapon choice TR MAX is enjoyable.

    Lockdown is not a balanced ability, it needs something, but anything I can think of doesn't make sense. Like double your defense slot effect when locked, cool idea, but doesn't make sense why it would cause that. How about extra resistance to small arms and explosives, can now survive two direct hit rockets, third one kills? Again, good balancing, but doesn't make sense. I guess more velocity and faster reloads doesn't make sense either though... Best thing I can come up with is that the MAX could get a layer of overshield when deployed that is equal to half the MAXes total health and regenerates in a similar fashion as infantry shields, charges slowly from nothing after deploying so as not to instantly boost survivability.
  5. DashRendar


    It's not that good of an ability, too many downsides for what is gained. You could watch that door just as well if you were strafing around just like all other faction MAXes do when guarding a door.
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  6. Pikachu

    It's annoying that the time reduction was put on activation rather than deactivation. It's getting out of danger that is the main issue, not getting in time for shooting.
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  7. VexXenon

    [Suggestion] Please deploy your "not moving" vehicle or max into proper position where they are harder to get hit before additional QQing.
  8. LodeTria

    For the MAX yeah sure.
    For the prowler, absolutely not.
  9. wrenched

    Also limits turning so you are especially vulnerable from behind.

    TBH the only time I have found it to be any good is raining down pounders on INDAR from top of cliff above base and only then because there was a sunderer parked close by so could swap it out again quickly.
  10. Wreckcenter

    Zeros, as you've pointed out, it's extremely situational. Both VS and NC get great all-around benefits for their factions. For VS it's unlimited range and accuracy, as well as additional movement for their heavy armor. For NC it's shields high damage weaponry that can be used in any situation, with their shielded heavy armor quite handily taking on any other armor one-on-one. Not only do TR get not moving as their faction perk, it also only applies to their MAX and heavy armor... and it isn't a perk. It's useless. Actually, it's worse than useless, it's severely detrimental.

    TR heavy armor are sitting ducks when in lockdown. I would never, ever, ever use lockdown with a TR heavy armor. Not even during a siege. Any airborn attack, C-4, rocket... well, quite simply anything and everything fired at you will hit you, especially if it's fired from VS. The single, dumbest thing you can do with your heavy armor is to sit still.

    ---

    DashRender, my suggestion was to have a temporary shield ability similar to the Sunderer, but only while in Lockdown mode. It'd help negate the first couple C-4 or rockets, perhaps give you a few precious seconds to get out of Lockdown and move to a more strategic location.
  11. CursoryRaptor

    MAX lockdown is an ability that's pretty situational in its usefulness. If you want to deny access to an area -- ANY area -- you can't do much better than a half squad of lockdown MAXes.

    With a couple of engineers to rep and supply ammo, I and four other MAXes once held the gate to the landing pad of a biolab during primetime pretty much by ourselves by laying down a never ending wall of bullets. Heavies with overshields on would pop on to hipfire rockets, but most of them didn't survive long enough to pull the trigger. It was that effective. ZOE MAXes didn't fare much better, and this was before the ZOE nerf.
    Oh, and it's great if you're using it with Bursters.

    Is it as powerful as Lockdown on a Prowler? No. Not even close. But it can be useful from time to time.
  12. Wreckcenter

    LodeTria, if you can't kill a Prowler in lockdown, you're in serious trouble, my friend. Doubly so if you're playing with the VS faction. It'd be difficult to not hit a stationary object with VS weaponry.
  13. CursoryRaptor

    You would after seeing what I can do with a Prowler. :D
  14. Wreckcenter


    That's part of my problem with it. It can be useful, but only from time to time, and only during specific situations. Both VS and NC's respective abilities are useful all the time.
  15. Wreckcenter


    It's fun for about 20 seconds until you get blown up by a stealthed Light Infantry with C-4.
  16. Wreckcenter

    How about replacing the MAX lockdown with a jet pack? Same cooldown as charge.

    Flying upward while spamming dual M3 Pounder HEGs like napalm would be aawwwweesoooomeee!
  17. CursoryRaptor

    Bro... I got a 133 killstreak in less than an hour with a lockdown AP Prowler. If you die in 20 seconds with a Prowler, you either ran over a tankmine just around the corner from the vehicle pad, or you're doing something wrong. Lockdown is fine as long as you remember to select a good position, keep your distance, and don't go it alone.
  18. DashRendar


    Ahh, I guess you had the same idea, or similar enough anyway. I actually think it's solid. Turret MAX gets a rechargable overshield.
  19. BlueSkies

    So it offers zero advantage as long as you ignore the advantages?
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  20. Chewy102

    Id say turning Mutilators into Onslaughts is a rather big advantage. Lockdown at an angle with letting your support or randoms be a decoy and you can keep spitting a wall of bullets for as long as damn well wish.

    Lockdown, the shield (can never remember the damned names spelling), and ZOE are NOT solo fitted abilities! Stop using them as such already. Use then in a team environment and they will to wonders for you. Plus at least Lockdown is the least likely to ruin your day. ZOE makes you overextend leading to death and the shield bugs out leading to a useless MAX with no ******* ammo.

    I maxed out that shield the day it came out almost and loved the thing. Eating 3 bricks of C4, walking up to any enemy held door I wished, and face tanking TANKS all damn day. LOVED that shield! But it isn't its lost ability to block splash damage that made me give it up nor was it from the shield making me often to slow to enter shotgun ranges and it certainly isn't client side hit detection letting small arms bypass it either. It was that damned bug! Many times have I lost up to 10 shells at a time per arm thanks to that bug. One fight I lost over HALF of my total ammo pool in under 10 minutes! That fight I was firing blanks left and right and ever since the shield has been tossed in a bin to rot but for AA details. At least in AA Im always near a terminal to fix the bug when it pops up as Im defending a sunderer or hard spawn.


    In my opinion Lockdown is the most skillful MAX ability. Learn to use it and it should never fail to do its job leading to you becoming something to be truly feared.
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