Based on the number of negative NS Swarm comments...

I would really like to hear how Daybreak plans to address the community's concern over the equivalent of a Striker 1.0 being released to all 3 factions? The gist of the concerns are as follows:

1. This will be more effective than an annihilator at destroying air/armor.
2. This will effectively be a pre-nerf Striker for every faction to use.
3. This is a slap in the face of the TR by taking something that you originally labeled as too overpowered for a faction-specific weapon and turning it into an NS weapon.
4. Why are you releasing this weapon when you still haven't dealt with the inadequacies of certain empire-specific anti-armor launchers (Striker in particular).

Anyone else who has anything to add please do so in a respectable manner. This is a detailed look at potential problems with this new weapon.

Haven't the descriptions of this new weapon painted it as something of a slow one? What's the feeling on Striker speed?

Couldn't careless about TR inferiority complex about the Swarm. I think it's a good solid and interesting weapon.

I'm annoyed not because it's bad, but because as a Tanker we have another damn AV weapon in game.

The Striker speed is ok. The issue is the ability to land all of the rockets on target and do respectable damage - its just not there. The slow projectile speed on the Swarm allows the missiles to track better. The Striker is a dumbfire.

I think they should just change the Swarm from an AV weapon into an AI weapon. That's actually not a role that is currently filled with HA rocket launchers. Whereas IRL rocket launchers are very frequently used for AI purposes (more often than AV purposes, actually). You have fun Russian napalm-rocket launchers like the RPO and various thermobaric warheads, all designed to be effective against infantry targets.

Instead of locking on to vehicles, the Swarm should lock on to infantry. It should be able to lock on to three infantry targets at a time. Then the missiles will launch simultaneously, and when they detonate will have a large thermobaric explosive radius.

The "alternative" fire mode will be to have an air-burst dumb-fire option. The shooter can manually designate the rockets to detonate 1m beyond a certain distance. When the launcher fires, all three rockets will fly off at a straight line with a slight spread and then detonate with the same thermobaric power. This is useful for engaging enemy infantry who are behind a wall or beyond a doorway, as you can force the missile to detonate just after passing that obstacle.

PS2 needs more AI rocket launchers, not more AV ones!

Instead of a Striker clone it should be a Lancer clone. That way all the empires have an option to attack AV from beyond infantry render range.

This^

If this next patch degrades the tank game any further, I'll just cancel my subscription.

My main problem with this is aligned with #4.

There is already too much NS stuff in the game, and not enough ES. As you said, the ES RLs need to be balanced better before anything.

Additionally, it annoys me greatly that they're taking something ES and making it NS. Again.

Aahahahahaha!! No. They may not be designed for AI, but that's what they're used for!

If my signature wasn't already larger than I'd like, I'd add this quote to it too.

The Swarm is cool & interesting.



DBG should buff the striker by making its COF much smaller/tighter.

But certainly the current rocket launchers weren't designed for AI work. And that's the point. HAs should have access to a rocket launcher that is incredibly powerful against infantry (but relatively weak against vehicles).

These would be room and ridge clearers. Fire one into an occupied room, and magically it is no longer occupied. Have a problem with snipers or long-range AV hiding behind a ridge? Airburst a line of rockets over their heads, and no more problem!

Although the current AV rocket launchers can be used against infantry, it's to poor effect. Sort of like using an AP cannon against infantry. You can try to do it of course, but the obvious choice would be to use an area-of-effect weapon that does more than just directly smack something.

Remember how they nerfed rocket splash even when evidence showed dying to rocket splash was a rarity?

Well, I argue for logic and reason. If sometimes that means arguing against the position that the Devs have taken, so be it.

Logic & Reason are OP & are scary concepts. /s

For anyone who has not seen the Swarm in action:


Edit: Compared to the Striker v1.0, the turning arc of the rocket seems much more generous.

I disagree with its very existence. There are more than enough AV options (though some are lacking) and almost everything in PS2 obliterates infantry, even if it were not designed for it.

And when one HA can clear out a single room with an NS launcher, something is wrong.

AP cannon users rarely have any problems with hitting infantry, and with current AoE explosives what they are, AP might as well be the only choice, for some anyway.

There are two obvious problems with this idea.

One: If I had a secondary that could easily clear rooms of infantry and just as easily kill snipers I would only ever use my LMG when I was using an anti-armor load out. In effect it would make a whole class of weapons obsolete.

Two: It would be a massive buff to HA a class that isn't hurting for firepower already.

Back on topic if the swarm is anything like the Striker used to be it is going to kill the vehicle game. Back at the height of Striker spam I used to go out of my way to avoid fighting the TR. It's not that big of a deal to me now since I have gotten bored with tanking and mostly have been playing close range sniper recently. It could make tanking a thankless job though.

The only good thing is that is will be available to all factions. At least it removes the problem of faction balance.

If it was a lancer of phoenix clone everyone would cry bloody murder

But it's not. It's TR and nobody cares because they're the game's sacrificial lamb.

The striker is not that effective for the TR anyway! empty your 5/6 rounds lucky if 2 do as designed and lockon then give it to the other factions who are currently overpowered , in my opinion. is just another slap in the face for TR .

If everytime they add a vehicule weapon in game, they also add new av infantry weapon it's sad for vehicule players, i can imagine the game if every ha start using lock-on, better not using tank at this point, should be fun against esf too.