Now that I've tried it again, I see no change myself Could've sworn that right after the last patch the smoke trail has changed, but now it is displayed as usual...
The pounders on the TR MAX have been the worst weapons system I've ever used (other than battle rifles) If you want to kill vehicles without using an HA, use an engineer with anti-tank mines. The pounders are borderline unusable at any range beyond which you could run up and drop tank mines anyway. This holds true for any empire by the way: all the MAX AV weapons are complete garbage. The falcon and pounders are basically unusable due to arc issues. The VS AV MAX can at least hit its targets, (if they are standing still!) but is far far worse than an HA at AV work. If you try to kill tanks in a MAX, you are going to have a bad time.
They should just abandon the entire idea of AV max weapons in PS2. It can't ever work, this isn't like fighting planes where you can use buildings to your advantage, tanks can pretty much hit everywhere. Plus their role as MAX killers is overstated, normal guns kill maxes just fine, so there's no reason to carry an AV gun. Turn them into grenade type guns to soften up groups of infantry, not enough damage to outright kill, but enough to weaken them to make it easier to clean them up with an AI gun. Up the splash radius/damage, lower the direct hit damage, significantly increase reload time.
I think they need to stay in so that HA is literally not the only infantry option available for ranged anti-vehicle work.
Why? No one is ever going to pull a max to do AV work simply because it costs resources and is less effective than a FREE HA. What does it matter. But sure, you could even leave the current direct hit damage against vehicles, the weapons could still serve as AI grenade launchers, and they would only lose out on raw DPS against vehicles, which isn't that bad, since the raw dps encourages you to stand there and shoot them instead of taking cover like a HA does. Which in itself is part of the reason they are bad.
Even the Pounder isnt verry effective in direct Combat, i like its strenghts in indirect Fire at long Range. I see them more as a support Weapon, best used with groups of Maxes, from the second Line. I dont want to see the Angle flattend, or completly took out of the Game. I like my Pounders, oki a bit more Dammge would be nice to have.
each pounder has the same DPS vs vehicles as a devistator (333=2000/6). 2 pounders have twice as much (deul pounders rock an evil 666 dps). they have ~10% more dps than than the stock rocket luncher (309=1700/5.5). 2 of course are even better. Of course the max does this via fire rate, which means it needs to be exposed for the whole time. generaly i will pull an AV max when i have high ground, such as at the owers or tech plant or amp station, and use it to rain shoots down. if you sneek up on em you can plow rear armor fiarly impresively though its much harder to sneak with a MAX than it is with a HA or engineer and a tank can shoot a max dead fairly easily.
They're good for scaring off Vehicles and Infantry. I wonder how many NC and VS I pissed off because I was Killing them with it.
Using a dual MAX AV is pretty nice - I do have the impression that they deal about 600 to 800 damage (unguided rocket launcher deals 1700). I've hit a Prowler in the back with both at once and easily took out.. half his health or so? Obviously he was rather scared. Also, I find them much better to use on long range than the (unguided) rocket launcher and they allow for far more sustained fire. Obviously, you are really bad against infantry, especially on shrot range where you won't hit anything with the very small blast radius of the projectiles. A direct hti doesn't kill one instantly either, you need at least two. I find them pretty useful, but you do have to get used to them. At least I had to.
That's because you used dual Falcons. Which actually is a pretty damn effective high DPS AV setup with some limited medium-long range anti-personnel capability if you're good at making direct hits. The TR Pounders on the other hand, is completely worthless.
Can't actually speak for these. I always thought they got somewhat standardized? Think I'm just gonna make a TR character just to see how they actually perform, because I'm really curious now. ... Okay, they DO perform quite a bit different. Trajectory seems to be pretty much the same, though they reload waaay faster. Couldn#t get a hang of the damage right now, but I guess they deal less to compensate for it. At least from the weapon handling I don't see a huge problem in using the Pounders. I can imagine though that the very sustained fire you have to keep up makes them harder to use in that regard. At least it gives a little margin of error, because I know that with the Falcons, I have to make every single shot count.. else, I'll be toast.
I rather like my dual Falcons. They're definitely more a medium to long range support weapon though. You won't be killing any vehicles solo with it, not if they're paying attention. Numbers for anyone interested: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0Amnj8jnZLDIOdEx6azNNdVozRmxLVkI2WnZmS2NqV1E&gid=1
The MAX AV weapons should be buffed until they are more effective than a free HA. Same as how a burster max was buffed.
They already are more effective than HA, though require sustained fire as oposed to the HA rockets burst. DPS in order 1866* vulcan burst 884* Vulcan sustained 666 duel pounder 571 AP Prowler 554 duel falcon 564 duel comet 500 AP vanguard 500 HEAT prowler 476 AP mag 461 Saron HRB 437 HEAT vanguard 428 Enforcer 413 HEAT mag 333 Pounder 333 decimator 309 Stock dumbfire rocket 282 Comet 277 Falcon 272 lockon dumbfire 188 lockon via lockon (I think its actualy less, I assumed a 2.5 lockong time but it may be longer) * the vulcans AV damage may be less, I remember hearing about some standard resistance vehicles have against it.
The fact they require sustained fire (and the trajectories and low velocities and lack of lock on) makes them much much worse than an HA. HA's can pop out from behind a rock with shield on,, unleash a rocket, then vanish behind a rock. They are maneuverable and can move to flank your vehicle unnoticed. AV MAX are huge and slow and have to slowly plink you down over time. When tanks show up everyone scrambles for the HA with lock on launchers. No one scrambles for the AV Max because an AV max can't engage infantry effectively, and is less good at killing tanks than HA, and is larger and less maneuverable.
The Dual Pounder Max have a longer Range, then the Lockon of the HA,and much mure ammunition. With left, left, rigth, rigth klicking, he can uphold the Fire nearly constant, Take some of em and work with your Team, they tell you, where they need some little Barrage or Coverfire. And while operating from the Secondline, he dont need to face Enemy Infantry in one o ones. The HA´s at the Frontline often find it verry helpfully, if the Tanks getting distraced by MAXes who shooting at them from far away. The MAXes causing confusion and the HAs are finishing the Tanks off. The Pounder MAX isnt the Frontlinehero thats true, but with some creative Teamwork, it can make himself paied.
I like the HEG's myself. I don't switch to max just to use them, but I will re-arm at a terminal or sundy from a burster / mercy set up in a pinch. Sprint to the rear of a tank, 4 or 5 shots for the win. It's also worth mentioning when they strike, it really rings the driver's bell if they have audio on and can scare away a vehicle to cover even if the damage is minimal.
