Instead of implementing Domeshields, can we get an easier access to AA turrets ?

As far as I'm concerned, I'd rather not try to work around domeshields, and wait for some kind of generator to be implemented far deep inside the base so you only bring down the shield after you've capped the point. This is how things will probably turn out, at least for a few weeks/months until it comes to a polished state.


Now, what's the alternative ?

Well I do believe bases have ALREADY HAVE AA PROTECTION.
It's simply called AA turrets. Now why is it so unneficient Higby decides to ignore them and put a dome instead ?

First, look at the AA turret positionning in bases.
The accessibilty of turrets is often a big obstacle to efficient defense. It's not just about the placement, it takes roughly 30 seconds to get from a Tech Plant spawn to the actual AA defense, more than enough for the thing to get destroyed; just like you have to go through a series of elevators and jumpers in AMP stations.

Bases were mostly improved in terms of Turrets lately, but it has always been hard to actually be there in time when you're needed. So what's this thread all about already ?


Turret access




It would not hurt to have remote access to base turrets via terminals.
All the turrets of a Tech Plant, for example, can actually fit into some sort of interface regrouping all 9 turrets as "vehicle slots", switching from turret to turret by using the F1-F12 keys. Of course maintenance and hacking would still have to be manually done on site, but I could definitely two or three of those terminals being accessible from inside the spawn room, or all around the base.

One last thing:
AA turrets on wall turrets could use being put in the back and not in the front where they are exposed to tank fire. Sure you'll lose some firing angle, but live much longer in bigger fights.

Nice idea, should be implemented ASAP, especially now that scatmax is more viable as AA than a burster max.

Why not just given everyone Strikers? That would fix air REAL quick...

What they need to do is implement a teleporter from the spawn room to the top of the tech plant tower

Air is no longer broken at all and the whole domeshield shenanigans is pointless, but I like the ideas about the AA turrets. Easier to get to and in better locations.

The point of the doom shield over strong AA is.

It's lets the planes fight for air control, It lets the soldiers fight for ground control. In certain places

Yes they can add uber ground turrets but then the planes just blow up

While it would be nice (convenience and stuff), it shouldn't be the thing that replaces dome shields (I'm not saying they're good idea). Why? Because it leads to completely different results:
Dome shields protect infantry from aircraft and aircraft from infantry. More AA protects everything from aircraft and aircraft gets screwed.

while aircraft always have a 3D environment to move around in, can move faster than any vehicle, and find cover or completely leave an area before a lock on missile locks.

It is not like air is lacking advantages over ground base units.

The difference being, turrets are destructible.

If your aircraft cannot fight around the Tech plant, send your squad on the tower floor.
Or take down the turret terminals.

Here, more tactics.

So ok, the air fights above the shield and one side emerges victorious. Now what are they supposed to do? There is nothing they can do to affect the ground battle to take the facility because the shields and roofs are covering all the important parts, and there are no objectives to take in the air.

In the end there is no point to having air dominance if air dominance only lets you dominate the air more. It all needs to tie back into the ground battle somehow.

Everything needs to relate back to the ground-game because that's where objectives in the game are. Most of them are already deep inside facilities and beyond the reach of all vehicles, but at least armor and air have been able to support the infantry by for example making it fairly safe to advance sunderers right up to the enemy doorstep while denying the enemy the same opportunity - thus contributing to the battle.

If you completely separate air from the rest of the battle like this you effectively remove any reason for air to ever be at that base.

EDIT: By the way - don't all these large facilities already have tunnels that allows you to completely bypass ALL enemy armor and air? Is 100% mitigation of these units not good enough somehow ? ...

-Stigma

skyguards scare the enemy air away what are they supposed to do now?
or
After you clear the skies of the enemy air you land your ESF and go under the dome as infantry and help to capture the base that way

You can stop back up from coming and setting up outside same thing any vehicle does when the shield up for them. Ground vehicles have ALWAYS had a shield that keeps them out.

Why fight in the air in the first place then? Just get there and play infantry.
There should be some point in air fights above the base, just like there is point in tank fights around the base.

Dome shields aren't inherently bad (more cover is what we wanted) they're just kinda lazy. It's hard do design a base so it's not completely open to air and it's easy to just cover a base with an umbrella. But I would prefer clever design.
Through, to be honest, it's still interesting, how those shields can affect the gameplay and what clever stuff can be done with them...

Well that's exactly my point... Why would I bring my ESF and why would you bring your skyguard to start with if there is no air/air isn't a threat? If the fight is shielded then you will want to go infantry immediately. Perhaps a few tanks and sunderers might play a role, but you'd be removing both the air and AA from that equation. That dosn't seem like a great idea to me. There are already large interiors protected from all vehicles and also tunnels that lead you safely into those interiors unmolested from all enemy vehicles. Do we need to remove them from the exterior base fight too?

-Stigma

Base turrets in their current form will always be useless. They are in horrific positions and you're lucky if they're even operational. Pilots and tankers like to blow up turrets in empty bases for easy points as they pass by. This means by the time a battle actually happens at that base no turret is working. This is a problem compounded by the fact that turrets are one of the slowest things to repair in the entire game. Especially if you have a rank 0 repair tool. You are also sniper and esf bait while you repair it.

And don't even get me started on AT turrets. Those are a joke and a half.

Also turrets should not be hackable while a person is in it. No more of this ******* ******** of being booted out of your turret and having a guy standing there holding an SMG to your head waiting for you.

This. A thousand times this. A hundred thousand times this.

Please stop putting turrets in front of terrain that would make it useless. There's no point for an AV turret that can only look at a wall, and can't even elevate to the ground below it or the hilltop above it.

And, most importantly, fix the horrendous lack of backdoor security to Tech Plants. The "AA nest" just a few small seconds up the elevator that's right next to completely exposed open doors is the bane of everything about that base's core defense, to say nothing of the elevator going up to it being completely exposed and campable, and the tower top itself being nothing more than a liability waiting to be overrun.

You do know that in their current form dome shields have one way fire like spawn room shields. I would love to see air fight for air control, when getting shot down by skyguards sitting pretty behind a protective shield. Dome shields are adding uber ground turrets by doing this.

Domeshields were needed 6months ago, not now.

SOE's slow speed is astonishing.

why would the air battle be above the base?
both side would have aa
if you can shoot out through the shield defensive aa will be positioned there obviously
the attacking forces armour+aa will be outside
anything above the dome would have a very bad day
once the attacking force reaches the base and deploys its armour and aa defences surely the airwing would seek out the incoming air/armour sent to break the seige

Not mentionning the constant drop-pod rain.

I'm not against beacons, but instant action is fairly annoying