[Suggestion] Remove all repairs from aircraft

Im being annoyed how i shoot a rocket, see that enemy has left less than half and load another, and getting screwed leaving him at around 1-10 HP just because he has used his fire supression and has a nanite repair system. My bullets wont reach him behind a cliff now. Please remove all ways to repair/auto-reapair your aircraft, you may allow fire to be extugnished but not damed healing itself when flying, allowing to survive 3 rockets and bullet spam.

I totally agree. Aircraft can escape easily.

How about no. The learning curve of airfight in ps2 is still rediciulous high. Imo its way to easy to kill aircrafts. Specially if I fly over organized ppl, I have immediately three lock on rockets behind me.

We cant change the game for every noob that is not yet capable to shoot at burning aircrafts with his rifle.

@OP

HOW BOUT.....devs just make it so you, and just you, can OHK everything with your sidearm.....? Cause from the amount of whining **** posts you have made lately, this may be what you are looking for.....

Ffs man..... stop the insane threadspamming boo-hoo....

How about instead of screwing over aircraft we reinvent the G2A system?

Currently you have a lock-on launcher which barely needs to aim at the opposing aircraft to lock-on, then when you fire you don't even have to look anymore as the missile chases the target. This is extremely low-skill gameplay that's balanced by making sure you can't kill the aircraft without it having the option to escape.

What we need is weapons that have higher skill requirements but pay off. A weapon that, if you are skillful enough, can actually kill aircraft.
Now infantry G2A weapons with that kind of power would have to cost resources, but vehicle G2A weapons wouldn't.

Here's my idea for a new lock-on launcher:
0,5 second lock-on time, but lock needs to be maintained during the missile's flight.
Aim needs to be close to the aircraft hitbox instead of 'somewhere in the are is fine'. This means aircraft can attempt to dodge your aim and prevent/break locks.
Missiles that are in-flight will chase targets you lock-on to, even if you didn't have a lock-on upon firing or if the lock-on was broken in between.
less maneuverable missile, if it passes the target it can't hope to turn around and hit the target.

Resource-costing version of the above lock-on launcher would have a magazine, but only one missile is allowed in the air at a time. This means that a skillful player can fire and hit the enemy aircraft in quick succession and potentially have enough DPS to actually kill it.

Alternative version:
laser-guided Flak missile. Flak detonation range is 2m (as opposed to the 8m flak detonation range normal flak has). The missile will only detonate the moment it'll start gaining distance on the target, allowing the player to fully hit the aircraft for additional damage or if the player misses but the missile was within the 2m flak distance then it'll still detonate and deal damage.

Resource-costing version has a magazine again, or more damage per missile.

Alternate version:
Micro-missile launcher. Fires small missiles designed to pierce aircraft armor and take them apart. The missiles have high velocities (600 to 1000m/s) but require a direct hit. A full magazine can destroy an ESF if every single missile hits.

As pure infantry I know three things:

• If an aircraft targets me I am dead - no escape, no opportunity shoot back and often no chance to react at all
• With a G2A launcher I can hit back, provided I see him first, provided I get a lock, provided he can't outrun the rocket, provided he isn't running that thing that breaks your lock, provided I don't get killed by someone else while I'm waiting for the lock.
• If I hit I will get a kill, provided he is partly damaged already or he isn't running fire suppresion or auto repair, or has an engie pilot with affinity.

Overall I'm quite happy with the balance - I get an aircraft kill about once every dozen or so launches. Not great but reasonable, given the air deterrence and assist xp in between (and the misses due to skilled piloting that you can only admire).

Based on the number of times I see the sky swarming with aircraft for long periods of time on the EU servers I can't think that lock on launchers are such a powerful or OP deterrent. But neither do I think they are UP either, so long as you got your expectations right.

The cost benefit equation must favour the ground attack pilots or why would they bother? Getting targeted by a G2A launcher is a lot less certain death than getting lolpodded, but death is at least an option.

Fire suppression does need a nerf. ESF are arguably the strongest vehicle in the game, who also get free auto repair, and the most powerful fire suppression by far. Not only is it the best of it's kind in the game, it completely overshadows the other utility options.

I heavily disagree with this.

The cost benefit equation for a resource-costing force multiplier should be in favor of the ground attack pilot. However it's a force multiplier, meaning that for the same skill you can accomplish more (overall) compared to a costless weapon. It shouldn't give near immunity to death vs a dedicated weapon designed against it even if it is costless. The costless equivalent (lock-ons in this case) should be able to defeat the aircraft user if the lock-on user uses more skill than his opponent in the fight. Again, "should be able to", it shouldn't be a done deal. However as it is currently the only way to defeat an aircraft user with a lock-on is in highly specific situations, such as you've got help from other dedicated sources, the aircraft was heavily damaged beforehand, the pilot is a potato and just waits around for all missiles to connect etc.

Compare that to the ease with which an ESF can utterly annihilate infantry and even tanks and ESF are far too powerful a force multiplier. Looking at for instance AI Lightnings the ESF beats the crap out of it in each and every way. The ESF can equip two AI weapons simultaneously, the ESF isn't as much hindered by the walls that keep vehicles out, a Lightning would dream of having the ESF's weapons mounted on it.
But when you look the dedicated weapons against each, the ESF wins again. There's far more dedicated AV weapons, both on vehicles and with infantry. These weapons are also more effective. In fact, G2A lock-ons score more vehicle kills than aircraft kills, which is saying something about the survivability that aircraft have in the face of their dedicated counter and how comparatively weak vehicles are if the G2A lock-on scores more vehicle kills. The dedicated weapons that do exist against aircraft are down to the last one deterrents. As in their actual goal isn't to destroy, but to scare off the aircraft. This makes no sense at all. A deterred aircraft will have a shorter attack run, but will always be able to come back and keep attacking. A deterred aircraft can also move to another area in search for less resistance. Neither situation is an enjoyable outcome when you are using a full on dedicated weapon.
It even makes no sense from a design standpoint. If G2A is used enough to be effective, aircraft cannot function at all, they wouldn't be capable of really fighting in any battle. But if G2A isn't used enough to be effective then they can keep coming back ad infinitum or keep rotating to other battles.

Everyone is using G40 Ranger on Connery.

Removing forms of Repair will lead ESFs (which cost 350 Nanites) to be extremely vulnerable to sustained AA damage from dedicated AA weapons like G40 Ranger, G30 Walker, Skyguard, AA Turrets, and constructibles AA Turrets.

No - but one thing that is ridiculous that I saw for the first time yesterday.

A pair of repair gals hovering above a base (out of lockon range) raining fire and people down upon it. No matter what was thrown at them in terms of AA fire - damage couldn't be caused quick enough to even make a dent. They were....in effect....invulnerable.

Perhaps repair gals (and sundies for that matter) should have a heat mechanism - so they cannot repair an infinite amount of damage for an infinite amount of time.......uninterrupted.

Here is a hint to anyone who wants to make another annoyed post on how to best tackle the air issue.


Before you post, take 5 minutes and try to transfer your solution to another aspect of the game.
If the result sounds completly and utterly nuts ... well chances are what you have might get some angry reactions, but it most likley is not going to work.



For example, let's remvoe all repair abilities and the ability to jump out and repair instantly from tanks.
Why?

Because clearly a single heavy shooting at an mbt (heck in a lightning it's even easier) with a ground lockon launcher can't kill it before it hides behind cover and repairs.


And voila we are in crazy town ... great stuff for forum pvp but not realy well thought out nor in any way practical or unbiased.



Hope it helps.

Is this guy a troll or what? Lmao dude either you're just yanking us with your cry baby posts or you're just bad and no amount of "nerfs" will satisfy your inherent lack or talent.

I would like a defense slot that gives your vehicle x3 more hp but you can't repair (can still repair from FS but that is it). You can get a strong vehicle but no more ducking behind a hill for a few seconds and coming back at full strength.

As I've said before, I am not a fan of this notion. ESFs are weapons with high skill requirements, and most people hate them because either:
a) they are too hard to use
b) they are too effective by those who can use them

I think the best way to do it is:
1) allow low skill higher populations to overwhelm high skill smaller populations, on comparable units (with more overpop needed for greater skill disparity)
2) have counter units/weapons that can be used to get an edge vs. specific unit/role types
3) make counter units/weapons be usable vs. units/roles other than the ones they counter (like the Lockons that can be used Dumbfired, so players have more incentive to carry them around), or have added roles (like ANTs do)
4) make more classes/units be effective vs. more class/units (having HA as the only AA class is silly)
5) have some decent counter units be available to New Players (1 MAX Burster arm is not decent AA)
6) reduce existing overperformance of high skill units, have this skill gap overperformance reduction trickle down to every progressive skill tier vs. the one below it
7) make sure all units are playable skill-wise in the game, at least through some configuration/playstyle
8) better lfg option for multi-crew vehicles
9) better communication tools for non-Squaded/non-Outfitted allies
10) perma Air radar when over uncontested enemy territory

AA is fine really. ESFs are fine too unless the fight is very small. Libs are scary as hell if flown well but good libs are rare enough that it doesn't really matter. Self repairing battle gals are annoying in smaller fights just like ESFs. But unlike an ESF a few libs can burst them down and they take a fair number of people to gun so you don't see them much.

None of your ideas will work as long as there are snipers in game. Maintaining lock will just make HA a sitting duck with huge "SHOOT ME, I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING" sign over their head.
While I do agree that current G2A system is flawed, I can't think of any idea that will improve it without screwing infantry players one way or another. I personally think that default launcher should one shot esf no matter what (hitting esf that is NOT doing ******** A2G lolpod no brain ******** actually takes either luck or skill). One possible solution would be giving A2G weapons a downside of making G2A lock-ons actually work against aircraft, while having AA loadout would make esf immune to G2A launchers lock-on mechanics. (and ffs remove weapons from Sunderers and Gal's - they are transports. Either that, or cut their armour).

Lock-on range is 450m, and infantry appear at 300m. Hits only register if they're hit's on the shooter's client, so if they couldn't render those infantry, there's no way to hit them. If anything, the Gals were at a disadvantage with your proposed numbers. They could have been shooting vehicles, but not with too much effect at that altitude.

I seriously don't understand the forums sometimes. All i see are circlejerks repeating "Air is op, a2g is op, nerf planes, i agree!" but when someone actually comes up with any idea, everyone comes out of the woodwork and screams UR DUM LOL!

Personally as a ground combat player I don't see issues with air. The only issue i see is no one wants to look up and be distracted from their infantry combat/tank slugging

Naahhh

That's a really good point, and I'm definitely leaning towards your way of thinking lately, at least somewhat.

The game already has a few high skill options: AP Tank, Dalton, and ESF noseguns

Imagine the mess we'd have if any of those got buffed against air. The guys who already AP and Dalton ESFs out of the sky would have a field day, and everyone else would cry. One solution I have is to buff the stock Lightning gun velocity a little, give it a little more elevation, and make it a 2 shot kill against ESF. Anything more effective than the Vanguard AP would be a mess, and we need something besides buffed flak. Plus, new players would have access to this current joke of a weapon. Another option is to tighten up the Gorgon spread and buff it against air, that weapon needs some love anyway. Maybe buff the Archer against air a little too. And..... let the free missile launcher one shot air. I feel so bad for those guys who do land a hit on me just to have me fly away, it's just not fair.