Rocklet Rifle Discussion

Discussion in 'Light Assault' started by FirePhox, Dec 16, 2016.

  1. FirePhox

    At long last, Light Assualts have been given a tool in the form of the Rocklet Rifle. After an extensive playsession with it yesterday, I feel like it adds to the LA experience but definitely has limitations compared to similar weapons. In this thread we discuss the current strengths as well as shortcomings with the weapon.

    Ammo Types:

    Default:

    I feel like the default ammo type is very weak at the moment. The main purpose of the default type is versatility and anti-air, but the projectiles are just far too slow to be of any use in that capacity. The default ammo has no anti-infantry capabilities, little anti-max capabilities and the damage is low enough to 'tickle' any armoured targets it hits which would be fine if it was good at hitting them. I personally feel that the default needs twice the projectile velocity at least to be any use at hitting aircraft (which tend to move unpredictably, making leading even harder)

    Locklet:

    The range is the biggest issue here, 150m sounds like a decent range but in actual play it's very very small (Prowlers often camp 2-300meters away and it has no hope of targetting aircraft) which basically limits the weapons effective targets to harrassers at close range. The long lock-on time, combined with low DPS and poor range make this a very unnatractive alternative. I feel like the locklets need at least a range buff to be competetive with the other options

    Typhoon:

    The Typhoon seems to be the ammo type that everyone is using at the moment. If you can hit all 6 rocklets, it seems to do damage similar to a deci which makes it a very attractive close range weapon. Compared to the other ammo types, Typhoon has very decent anti-max capabilities, decent anti-vehicle capabilities at close range, as well as anti-infantry capabilities on direct hits, all of which ironically make it more versatile than the default ammo type. I have personally been using the typhoon more than the other ammo types and feel that it lessens the need to carry c4 around, which is definitely a good thing. That said, its ranged performance is pretty bad but it can still be used to pressure immobile targets which is nice.


    Closing thoughts:

    At the moment, the Rocklet Rifle seems to be useful for two things: anti-max and anti-vehicle at close range. (which I suppose is fine given the LA's status as a close range class) It's definitely a nice addition to the class but the lesser ammo types need changes to see any use. As for the weapon itself, a fully auto firing mode would be a big quality of life adjustment, having to click the button for each shot is just a pain in the *** tbh so I find myself using the discharge function probably more than I should be.

    Let me know your thoughts on it.
    • Up x 5
  2. Ven Moonwall

    I have played with it some on live and i find it to be rather useful o: havent messed with the other ammo types yet though.

    I do have a very important question. Now that the LA has the RR as its tool. Will there be a RR objective added to the LA Directive tree? Considering that every other class (with the exception of MAX) has an objective for their tree performed with their specific tool I feel this is something that should honestly have been done when the RR was released. :|
  3. Eternaloptimist

    Taking me a while to resist the reflex to ADS :eek:. Otherwise it looks like its going to be a fun gun :).

    I am more tempted by Typhoon ammo than other types but I've only fired it in anger a few times so far.

    I don't get the impression it is meant to handle MBTs at long range (although a few together would do some harm). More like an anti Max and anti light vehicle thing (maybe Lightnings as well?). So I'm not sure what givnig the Locklet more range would help with.
  4. FirePhox

    Giving the locklet more range won't suddenly turn the world upside down. Try it out on live; the Locklets have a very long lockon time of around 3 seconds, and takes around 2 seconds to empty the magazine. It takes over 4 magazines in the rear to destroy a MBT (3x5 (lock-on) + 2x5 (Firing) + 3.5x4 (Reload) if my math is correct) which is a theoretical TTK in the rear of an MBT of around 39seconds. Keep in mind the LA is also exposed for the majority of that duration and must be closer to the vehicle than any of kind of lock-on. The damage done to the front of an armoured vehicle is almost negligible.

    Given how low the DPS of Locklets is, I find it difficult to imagine a situation where they would be powerful.
  5. Iridar51

    Why, the skyknight air duels, of course!
  6. Demigan

    My first impression:
    They are a nice addition. They aren't game-changing, they aren't mind-blowing, but they are a tool and the LA get's to use it, which is a massive leap forwards.

    Combined with the 'standard' C4 fairying it's a good idea. I have the feeling that many players will be tempted to use a single C4+Rocklet Rifle, which gives the tank users a little time to actually react and makes them feel better about the situation even though the LA as a whole is better at AV.

    As many have already mentioned, the LA is now going to be the premier aircraft pilot. First of all both the Locklet and Flak will give you more than enough time to finish off your opponent after you bail which is going to be the biggest rage-inducing thing that people are going to complain about in the comming days, second of all you'll see more people bailing and the LA will have a chance to beat someone in an jumpjet fight due to the new Carbine COF while flying.

    Also, does anyone want to try a flak-Valkyrie? Or a Locklet Valkyrie? Or just dump Drifter LA's with flak RR's around air-battles? These things are going to be popular I imagine, although in the Valkyries case it might be a justified buff. Still, there will be tears, and I bet the first one's are going to come before Sunday. Anyone want to take me up on that? The loser has to type everything in pink letters for the entirety of Januari :).



    I personally prefer the Locklets. I don't like flak to be honest and I only use it when there's no other choice. I prefer the anti-vehicle capabilities as well as the ability to still deal a lot of damage if you fly passed some aircraft with a few well-aimed shots. I've also been enjoying blowing up Stealth Sunderers so far, although to my surprise there was one stealth Sundy that survived 2 C4 and a full Rocklet attack for some reason. I also want to see how small squads of LA will do against vehicles, it'll be so good to see 3 or 4 LA's blowing up tanks with rear-attacks without having to land on top and drop C4.
    • Up x 1
  7. LaughingDead

    Frankly, locklets shouldve never been a thing, bail assaults were just kinda stupid to begin with, now they have a chance of still killing you when you've won fair and square.

    Beyond that, typhoon doesn't seem bad to most but I've killed and ended several fights by killing sundis solo. Before this I felt like people didn't appreciate the rockets heavy had and now I can kill sundis faster than rocket heavies by magdumping my rocklets.
    "Fair and balanced".

    Lastly why? Just why would you want lights to kill sundis solo now? Wasn't the deployment ring already making it a pain in the *** for the attacker? So now they can be practically instagibbed by lights with c4? They couldn't make it an infantry support weapon?
    I mean I would've loved to be a better flanker than just trying to kill vehicles. This just seems stupid imo.
  8. FirePhox

    Deliberately making a weapon crap for the sake of a single situation is not intelligent design. They could simply lock use of the rocklet rifle for a short time upon leaving an ESF; that would solve the whole bail assault issue and make it possible to increase the weapons capability in other scenarios.
  9. Iridar51

    I'm not saying it's a good idea or their intentions :confused:
  10. willowstyle

    they gave a flake rocket autolock to those unfair tryhard LA flyer?!
    seriously devs die in hell, another so much wrong choice :mad:
  11. Demigan


    Corrected.
    • Up x 1
  12. Wobulator

    Honestly, I think that this has basically broken LA AV.

    Before, if you wanted to kill tanks, you needed 2 C4, and if you wanted to kill sundies, you needed 2 C4, a grenade launcher, and explosive bolts.

    Now, to kill tanks, all you need is 1 C4 and a rocklet rifle burst- even MBTs. To kill sundies, all you need is 2 C4 + a burst.
    You don't even need typhoon ammo for any of these, though it is better against MAXes.

    You have to get a little bit closer, sure, but... you have twice the tank-killing potential and can easily solo sundies.
  13. Demigan

    A grenade launcher...? Did the LA ever have a grenade launcher?

    Now to kill tanks you need 1 C4 and a rocketburst... Which removes almost all the concerns that tank users have always had. "But the C4 fairy can kill me from more than 50m range above me without me ever knowing! I should have time to react!". Well the Rocklet rifle means that LA's will get close to try and use only 1 C4 and give the tank a tiny bit of time to react to the LA. It also means they will try to survive the engagement as they have another C4 ready for the next target. Keep in mind that the rocketburst only works against the back of an MBT, to the front they survive (but barely).

    The fact that LA's now can kill 2 tanks in one life but at a higher risk is simply risk vs reward. You still need to be stealthy about it, and if the vehicle users don't notice the first tank going up in flames it's all on them for not reacting to you.
    • Up x 3
  14. Wobulator

    The underbarrel launcher.

    When dealing with tanks... most of the time, you're running up to them, anyways. Obviously, if you can get above them with a tree or something, that's nice, but most of the time, you're just using your jetpack to get at them from an odd angle, so distance doesn't really matter as much.

    Once you do get that angle(which is basically the same as it's always been), you can use only 1 C4 instead of 2 with basically the same chance for tankers(seriously, they can't even turn their guns fast enough).

    It's slightly riskier, sure, but there's so much more reward.
  15. Demigan

    Spoken like a true non-drifter. Like you say, it doesnt change much to normal or Icarus jumpjet users, however the problem as tank users have always put it was that LA's could approach and bomb a tank without ever getting within radar or Spitfire range.

    You get double the reward at maximum. However the lower range as well as the requirement of firing at the rear mean you run a higher risk. Its not phenomenally higher on the usual "see no evil hear no evil" tankers but on any vehicle users with half a brain this is a pretty big extra risk.
    • Up x 1
  16. Daigons


    I've seen this happen countless times while driving a tank that there are times that I ceased choosing Proximity Radar.

    So far I've only seen limited use of the Rocklet Rifle by opposing forces. The few times that I saw some surprised me by the lack of their positioning to hit the rear armor, no followup attack, and timing by attacking an undamaged vehicle.

    As a Light Assault, it's truly nice having a medium ranged anti-vehicle weapon so I can take advantage of situations with seeing an opposing Sunderer that's being attacked. I've settled with the Typhoon ammo. It's nice not having to waste a C4 charge on a damaged vehicle while it's retreating back to safety.
  17. Demigan

    I see it rarely at all. I even have trouble finding C4 fairies. That may be part of my playstyle, where I move around a lot in vehicles rather than trading shots. But that only indicates that yes, there are ways to avoid them. Even so, when I do ride with vehicle columns I ever so rarely see a C4 fairy, and the times I get blown up by them it's part of a risk I took getting close somewhere I knew I might get a present on my roof. Since I'm a C4 fairy myself I would expect to see fellow C4 fairies doing their job... But the last time I saw a fellow C4 fairy was several playsessions ago, despite the Rocklet Rifle. And like me, he didn't attack from more than 20m height.

    That said, I see no reason not to upgrade proxy radar. The first level should be 40m or so, and the last level 100m range. If necessary you could even change proxy radar to a column, so that you scan all the way up to the sky ceiling, if only to get rid of the complaints and give vehicles (yet again) a better way to deal with LA.

    Additionally we can immediately give HE and HEAT something to set themselves apart from AP. We know that AP is the most used, taking easily 90% of the primaries picked. Both weapons could get an elevation range, giving them better abilities to spot and kill LA but also deal with infantry up high. Additionally HE could receive a top-mounted AI gun that the driver can switch to, and HEAT would receive a top-mounted light AA gun (no flak, small magazine).
    That way these weapons are better at dealing with infantry, especially LA. The relatively low loss of DPS against enemy tanks make them good choices. And yes, the DPS loss is relatively low, I've been using a 1/2 HE Vanguard to kill enemy MBT's, which takes some effort but isn't that much different compared to using an AP Lightning against 2/2 MBT's.
  18. Eternaloptimist

    I see a fair few guys launching flying attacks with C4...........they usually die and fall to the ground before they achieve anything. Personally I stalk lone tanks and only take to the air to vault over the last obstacle (they are often popping out from behind a rock to shoot).

    I think the biggest myth is the occasional claim that LAs in Valks are swarming everywhere, carpet bombing tanks from high altitude.

    But enough of this: I got my first rocket rifle kill the other day. Bizarrely this guy stayed inside a spear phalanx turret that was on fire, or he was right behind it trying to repair. One rocket did the job. Other than that, I have killed an empty AA turret and scared off a few harassers and a lightning or two but that is about it so far.

    Kills are best but the pleasing lack of incoming fire and the sight of vehicles rapidly getting smaller is something.
  19. NubCannon


    The LA has a Grenade launcher on the S variant carbines as an underbarrel attachment. in my opinion its a great investment (the gun) its more controllable than the standard at midrange, plus has basically all attachments available, UB shotgun is great for tower skirmishes UB grenade launcher was my go to vehicle finisher, and UB smoke launcher was great for clearing points.

    actually Vangaurd is the only MBT that ive not been able to kill with the rocklet burst to the top, but thats because vangaurd has more health than the other two. I've been liking the rocklet launcher more and more, but i feel like it just feels a niche that the LA already had access to filling.

    before rocklets the LA had access to the UB grenade launcher, and the Explosive tip crossbow. both of which were great for finishing off vehicles. true they didn't do much against air, but honestly nor does the rocklet launcher. (actually the explosive xbow and grenade launcher do a lot of damage to esfs if you can hit them i believe 2 grenades is an esf kill and 4 or 5 crossbow rounds to down an esf) however the releasing of the rocklet launcher allows for LAs to maximize their AV potential without any drawbacks

    It didn't really fill a niche for me, just lets me fill other niches aswell cause now i can carry the blackhand and rocklet launcher so i have midrange capabilities too.

    new loadout
    Jaguar with advanced lazer sight
    blackhand
    rocklet launcher (default)
    icarus jump jets (they're just so fun also great for escaping in cqc)
    c4 (i only have 1 brick unlocked but whatever)
    whatever the default armor slot thing is...

    i got a little bit of something for every situation. its almost as op as HA (i main infiltrator so HA is my sworn enemy)
  20. Keiichi25

    I'm having a hard time seeing where you can get the Rocklet Launcher... Not seeing it in any of the menus, yet seeing people using them.