Because every knows that EVERYONE is using the annihilator. I mean, why not streamline the store and just remove all unused, completely worthless, launchers because the dual purpose annihilator is the defacto launcher to get. period. Sure it may be 'weaker" but since most scenarios against tanks involve more then one HA(because on most base assualts or defenses, 90% of the infantry are all HA) so that slightly weaker is not noticed. However, the ability to shoot both tanks AND air with a lock on missile, safe in knowing you have a very good chance you will not even render to them, thus they will get no indication of where they are shot from, makes up for an slightly weaker rounds. I don't think I have died to any launcher that was not the annihilator since its release. SOE, be a good company and remove the worthless launchers before people spend their certs/station cash on them not realizing they just got ripped off.
If you're dying to annihilators that's YOUR FAULT. The Annihilator only fires when you have a lock. With the Hawk you can lock-on to air, do more damage and you can also point fire unguided and do decent damage against ground. You can kill air with the default RL as well. I've hit both ESFs and Liberators with it (non-stationary ones, actually moving and flying) The Devastator is also really good against ground due to it's increased damage and great for taking out enemy Sundies and punk-*** tanks camping spawnrooms. They get scared when they get hit by a Devastator.
"I never died to any launchers before! Now the annihilatior is killing me! Remove WA WA WA" QQ is all I hear
Let me just spend 3 seconds locking on with my Annihilator on the tank 20 meters away which I have a rear shot on. Psst: It's not the best in all situations.
I'll tell you what happened to an annihilator team I was part of. The tanks just ran over us, charged right through the middle of our group. Once they got among us there was little we could do as friendlies or terrain would break our lock. So that's how you can beat the annihilator.
I actually understood what the guy ment, he said that people dont use other launchers anymore, and there is no variety, not "qq"
I have an intense hatred of weapons like this. To the individual user: not that great. To the target of multiple un-rendered locks: ******* ridiculous. I much prefer when 'combined arms' implies combining more than one kind.
The amount of vehicle spam and its effectiveness against infantry is what's ridiculous. That the Annihilator gives infantry a way to defend themselves and be as effective as their vehicle spamming rivals, through co-operation and teamwork no less, is a godsend.
Attacking from beyond render distance isn't defending you from anything, you're already both invisible and invulnerable. When you come across vehicles at a range where they're dangerous to you, lock-on launchers are trash.
I believe that in the two cases we made an annihilator squad yesterday that we were able to see infantry close to vehicles and so we were within render distance. Though I do understand that frustration when unrendered foes kill you. This however is fault of the optimization which will hopefully be improved.
The specialized AV and AA launchers are better than the other lock on option. I got both with the AA package (because they goofed that up) so I just switch on the fly and it works fine.
I wouldn't touch the Annihilator with a 10 foot pole tbh. I mean, a lock-on only launcher with the damage of an underbarrel grenade launcher? Really? I'll just learn to aim and stick to the Shrike.
On foot or from a vehicle? I'm not sure exactly what the distance varies by, but I've seen people suddenly decide to render when I left a vehicle to repair before. I assume it's something like the different render distances infantry have on the ground or in a plane, but less extreme. And you did mention that one of those squads kinda failed at that range, so...
Just wait until the Lancer and the Phoenix come out and you'll die instantly without any lock-on warnings and will be back here crying some more.
Instead, they should allow attachments for the shrike (default launchers) e.g. a scope, but not necessarily with lock on capability.
Annihilator is a piece of garbage compared to other lock-ons. I didn't cert it and doubt I'll ever do that. The question is why do faction-specific launchers are all carbon copies of each other? If there are some launcher-equivalent weapons to be added for the tool slot later, then why not make some empire-specific cert options for already existing ones? So that they would perform the same stock, but would have meaningful differences when customized?
