VS MAXes were never "ABSOLUTELY laughable". SOE swapped blueshift and quasar stats, contradicting the weapon descriptions. The resulting confusion led to many VS tears. Noobs cried, when the VS MAX was actually a carbon copy of the TR MAX. That's right, the VS MAX was never UP. The current ZOE epidemic is far worse than the NC hacksaw/scatmax ever was. We lost control of A point? Lets pull 20 ZOE MAXes and godmode through the defenders. Lets roll double damage, super strafe, and travel mode into an all-in-one package, while TR eats some C4 and rockets in lockdown mode. Playing ZOE MAX is like playing HA on steroids and HGH. As for getting those headshots in, good luck, because that is precisely why the ZOE strafe speed is so powerful. Between two players of equal skill levels, there is no way you are headshotting the ZOE MAX more than he is headshotting you. Factor in crappy netcode, and it'll look like he is zipping back and forth on LSD. Don't forget, if the ZOE MAX misses your head, he hits your shoulders and still does damage. If you miss the ZOE MAX's head, you will hit thin air due to hitboxes. ZOE is broken as hell. At least the old NC MAX was only effective out to 20m, and it was slow enough to get away from. If the ZOE gets the jump on you, you are deader than Elvis. The insane TTK will mow you down before you can react. If you somehow manage to escape, the ZOE MAX will chase you down with its ******** footspeed. If you get the jump on it, it will also get away with its footspeed. The ZOE MAX will happily strafe and dodge away rockets all day long, while lockdown pulls all rockets towards a soon-to-be-dead TR MAX with its immense gravitational field. The ZOE MAX raises the skill ceiling incredibly high. While the TR is stuck with this ******** ability known as lockdown, which destroys your tactical flexibility and leaves you a sitting duck to whoever that notices you. I'll tell you what's laughable: "VS BIOLABS"
How to fix MAX abilities. Base Level: Lockdown activates/deactivates in one second (ish). Aegis covers far more of the MAX. ZOE has a far less significant speed bonus. Advanced Level: Lockdown increases defense while active to compensate for lack of mobility. Aegis allows sprinting (and perhaps melee, depending on effectiveness) while active. ZOE takes less extra damage to compensate for lack of zippy speed. Were this to be implemented, I'm sure far less people would go all the time. But that's just me.
On the contrary, I think the armour debuff should be increased by another 10% and the ability should get a capacitor and a cooldown akin to the Heavy Assault's NMG. Keep mobility as it is. That way the ability gets a real downside and enough situational dependance to keep the user at least a bit on his toes in regards to the use of ZOE.
I want the damage buff gone. The main reason I want that, is because eventually the weapons will be adjusted to the damage that ZOE MAX provides and not the damage that the MAX provides. And while the damage is laughable, some people will still complain about it. Prime example that fellow a few posts above that claims that the damage is double when it's hardly 10% at the best of cases. Once the damage is gone, all it's left is the armor debuff and the mobility. With my suggestion all mobility bar the ability to move forward fast, is gone. No more strafing with infantry speed or backing away from danger fast. You can either move towards a advantageous position as fast as infantry can run or retreat and thus not firing back, again, at the speed of infantry. Under this condition, an armor debuff is harsh and unnecessary. Oh, and I want the biggest downside of all gone, I want glowing removed.
Afaik travel mode is still on the table, which would make your proposed ZOE obsolete. I really don't mind the increased mobility and strafing speed, after all that's the VS trait. I just want some stronger downsides and more thought required to use the ability, because right now it's "Activate ZOE to start shooting/disable ZOE when being shot at".
Travel mode is something different. You'll be able to move with vehicle speed (slower vehicle at 50km/h and it will probably have a deploy and undeploy time, in which you will not be able to use weapons. I'm talking infantry speed for my suggestion, which is a lot slower and still functional despite a potential and eventual travel mode.
I'm a bit concerned of ZOE in competitive play... there is no denying it's a lot better than Lockdown and Aegis.
Aegis should be fine for tight outfit gameplay, but Lockdown certainly needs some extra love. Under the current situation I'd merely suggest charge as default ability for all MAXes.
Did you perchance forget the damage bonus? Or perhaps how a better movement speed stacks with latency and fps to increase the effectiveness of a sudden 'jump from behind the corner' attack?
Damage bonus for infantry weapons makes pretty much zero difference at the distances that specific video took place. As for the sudden out of cover attacks, it is a reasonable complaint, but not really applicable on the specific video. Edit: I'm recounting the kills to see which ones could be affected by the client side hit detection. There is one at 0:37, when he is out moving round the corner back towards the entrance of the building. He has already killed about 10 people at this point. At 1:16 when both him and the other MAX shoot through the door. If the other MAX wasn't there, the people on the doorway would have been affected by client side hit detection. That's about it, at least on that specific video.
I think you downplay the effect of the damage increse against softies. The difference is usually enough to negate a HA an opportunity to whip out their rocket launcher and make a desperate hipfired shot - which is the most frequent cause of the "oops, I suddenly have ~50% less hp!" problem that brings down so many MAXes. Given that VS MAX's steps are silent and with its increased mobility it is practically made for catching its enemies with their pants down, this one itty tidbit raises their survivability tremendously. "But it's a double AI MAX, it's in its job description to shred softies" you may say. "Those medics should've put some C4 on the door when they heard the characteristic sound of a VS MAX firing anyway; you don't need a voicechat coordinated squad to do that" you may add. Yes, this is an undisputable point and yes, it is a very common mistake I and many, many other players commit daily. But, summed up with the above, this means that when the times for a MAX counterattack comes, less NC and TR MAXes make it to the enemy MAXes - and even less in mint condition/support personnel of engineers and medics still alive - when compared with VS MAXes. Which are in no way inferior in MAX-to-MAX combat. With better movement and ambush capabilities to boot. With ammo count and spread for NC MAX shotguns and projectile velocity for the their AV reduced; with Mercy's damage decreased and Pounders having such a piss-poor trajectory and hit detection. Well, you get the picture. ZOE killing squishies without taking nearly as much damage as other MAXes is a problem, yes, but from what I've heard from the other players it is the MAX-to-MAX that frustrates them most. "Where is that 'greatly reduced effective hp' these bloody crabs are supposed to pay with? I'm not feeling it!" is the most common reaction.
From my personal experience, the majority of VS MAXes are being semi useless as MAXes. Aka, they run around with nano-repair, which is great for hit and run tactics, but it makes them fold like toilet paper when faced with a properly specced MAX, especially NC ones. NC have unfortunately discovered that recently on my server and are wiping the floor with those "uber" MAXes. The extra damage is great for medium to long range hits, not so much for close range hits. Just ask your fellow NC players what they think about their LMGs and close quarters. Personally, I would like to have said damage removed completely. Reasoning is simple, for the same reason UBGL was buffed to kill the relatively few nanoweave 5 infantry, the VS MAX weapons may be nerfed so the relatively few top tier ZOE MAXes will do relatively same damage with the rest of the MAXes. Regarding sound, the TR MAX is equally silent. The main distinct feature is the specific sound the weapons make (miniguns and fractures). The MAX that you can really hear coming is the NC one.
The same could be said about other factions' players. 167dmg in the face is very nice, why thank you. The problem is hipfire cof and cof bloom while on the move (the last one is mainly in regards to the Gauss SAW). TR MAXs footsteps are harder to hear than NC ones but still much easier than VS ones. When there are rocketpods going off outside it is all the same though, I agree.
How about we keep things simple and remove ZOE, Lockdown, and Aegis shield? People are and have been pissed off with these sub par quality certifications since their release. ZOE - Overpowered when given to any competent player with either Nanite regen or kinetic armor maxed out. Those who deny this are either trying their best to keep their overpowered toy as long as they can or they just can't play/ are very unlucky playing as a MAX effectively. Lockdown - Or the "Let me stand here for ya and suppress you" cert. No matter how fast you fire you still fire (143 dmg) bullets that are the equivalent of a TR engineers rifle, or a pistol if you're using the onslaught/mercy (125 dmg); and on top of that, you're standing still. USE A MANA INFANTRY TURRET. You'll live so much longer and provide cover for friendlies if you die. Plus it's FREE TO USE. A heavy assault with the Carv is more useful than a fully certed lockdown max as the HA out performs in mobility, firepower (AT Launchers), adaptability, and survivability. Don't try to invest in the lockdown cert unless you like to be an effective stationary AA max. Aegis - The personal "stahp it, save me!" shield. Can't cover friendlies effectively, therefore it will be called the PERSONAL shield. Doesn't have a useful job in a team based perspective other than drawing away fire briefly; only if the attackers are stupid enough. Should have gone with the Vanguard shield for the max. Possibly the least ******** certification of the three. Replacements? ZOE - MAX jetpack, give it 2 modes. Jericho mode "Space marine jetpack" where you look up at an angle and that is the direction the jetpacks will push you with a huge surge of thrust like Warhammer's space marines. Used like MAX Charge. And the 2nd mode will be the lame ol' Light assault jetapack that slowly pushes you upwards :[ (Warning, Any VS Max weapon+jetpack+MAX = Death from above.) Lockdown - Overkill: Literally Lockdown without the planting of the player, instead player moves slower (equivalent to NC MAX Aegis shield holder) with 5 second mode activation cooldown; 6-7 seconds when equipped with AT weapons. 1 minute lifespan after activation, recharges after deactivation. Granted brief HA shield upon activation only when the Overkill gauge is fully charged, drains quickly; Heavy assaults would still out perform by a mile. Aegis Shield - Increase the size of the shield a crapton to where you can hide 1 infantry on each side of the MAX and add side lips that jut at an angle to cover the max from frontal/diagonal attacks. Give a lesser vanguard body shield to the max that mitigates damage from the sides and from C4 only. Takes full damage from top and rear hits. While you're at it, throw in a firing slot for the unused arm to shoot out of with slower reload speed while the shield is activated, wont hurt since he's already slow as crap as he is.
VS maxes need to be bigger, im tired of them blending in with their infantry so well at longer ranges! ZOE needs to be not a better version of what TR got last game, that everyone called OP Aegis needs to be wider, so it will cover team mates, about as wide as it is tall. lockdown needs to be not a worse version of what sucked last game.
zoe is to op for TR and NC but yours striker and vulkan is not, you always want to aggravate the VS. look first at your classes and weapons that cry about others!
VS MAXes are the same height as other MAXes (I used to think they were taller but tested it in VR and they're the same height) And the shoulders are definitely a lot wider than other infantry Plus you can't pick out the pink glow? I can pretty much see it from space in my scythe.
