Should lockdown provide an armor bonus?

I think it would be better to just scrap the ability for something new. The main problem I see with Lockdown is that it was never intended to be a CQC anti-infantry ability, like the VS and NC's. But as people don't actually want asymetry between the factions, they jump on TR and try to use it in the same way as the other empires.

I see lockdown as being intended to turn the MAX into a turret to better engage longer range targets. It may suck at that as well, but the main confusion I see in trying to fix it is that different people are arguing for it to be ballanced for different applications.

no, but the lockdown mechanic needs a lot of work, currently you have to be at a full stop, it should activate at low speed then disable the engine. that alone would make lockdown really good as a twich button to press and would offer a nice counter to both Magrider and Vanguard dives.

that's one of the main problems with the prowler. if a vanguard dives on a magrider he can burn out, and if the magrider is the one diving, the vanguard can shield. but the prowler is the only one who has to sit there and take it.

once on lockdown, lets face it, the dps output on a medium range target is obscene, and hardly needs any additional buff.

Hate to say it but lockdown needs a nerf and buff in that regards.

Right now it only buffs the main gun......yet leaves the secondary high and dry. When you magburn you don't auto-eject your gunner and leave him....last time I saw a Vangard turn on its god-shield it didn't kick the gunner out or turn off the secondary.......

Other ES tank utilities do not have such a HUGE tradeoff (aka being still....aka rocket bait). Also, when locked at its best ranges (long) only the halberd really has a use..............TR are hurting for secondary gunner buffs, including a vulcan re-work/buff (which is a different story altogether).

I'd be ok with a nerf to how how much it effects the main guns if Lockdown affects the secondary gunner in some way.:
Example....
Make all machine gun based weapons (including vulcan) belt fed with no reload necessary and a tighter cone.
Make the halberd gain the reload bonus (but not velocity).

There's a reason so many prowlers run 1/2 right now....

There is a reason why the Magrider is the most common tank to run 2/2, without it, it performs worse then the other tanks.

That being said, Perhaps the Problem is more because the Prowlers strength comes too much from it's Main guns, forcing them to have to balance a 1/2 Prowler to a 2/2 MBT for VS or NC. I don't think they can really give Lockdown a Boost to both guns without Heavily changing that, and Odds are against them doing that.

I think people are cunfusing terms here. OP seems to be talking about the TR MAX "lockdown", while others in this thread seem to referring to the prowler ability (called "anchor" I believe? I mix them up sometimes too).

The TR MAX ability is pretty useless as it stands now. I don't know anyone who bothers using that over charge (which is incredibly powerful and versatile and essentially completely negates any supposed mobility penalty that a MAX has - even though they aren't really slow or immobile in the first place compared to other infantry).

I'm not sure if this ability is "fixable". I'd like to see it replaced entirely by some other mechanic. The aegis shield is the only MAX ability that seems to provide a meaningful alternative playstyle seems fairly balanced. ZOE is somewhat superceeded by charge, and nobody bothers with lockdown as it just makes a big target and not nearly as scary as if you are mobile.

-Stigma

If a LA is coming for you with C4, and they actually know what they're doing, your ability to move or not is largely irrelevant.
Look closer at Weapons in general: http://stats.dasanfall.com/ps2/items/weapons *(sort "up" by Users)
Completely blows everything else out of the water on KPH b/c a lotta ppl spam it + there's really no warning / arming time

It's almost exactly like guarding deployed Sundy actually. You need someone with Radar Darts who's only job is to watch for LA's

I originally meant to MAXs. But prowlers also need something.

Lockdown does need a complete revamp.

Instead of locking you in place, it should make all enemy players on the server lockdown, so you can kill them with impunity.

Whoever thought adding lockdown was a wise choice was smoking the crack that was supposed to turn PS2 into Battlefield on Crack.

As an extremely situational Prowler artillery sidegrade, its ... passable. For a somewhat beefy infantry unit (TR max), its an extremely poor choice.

Eh, I could go for a frontal shield for a deployed prowler -- a 20-30% resist shield.. but it HAS TO BE BRIGHT RED.
^ This so I can spot them sooner, rather then AFTER Im already on fire.

Pretty sure you just need some crack dude, it's on your mind.

For maxes... I heard they are planning on making locking and uprooting faster. So that can help. But if anything I'd like to see the damage output of a lockdown max to increase. Buff the fire rates, for god's sakes. Or hell, better yet. When locked down all AI weapons go a damage tier higher. So the 143 standard and mutilator do 167 damage, and Mercy/Onslaught do 143. Do that and given the current boost. You might just see some effect to it.

Max Lock down needs to be scrapped and be replaced with the PS1 TR Max ability Overdrive.

Cons: Lose the ability to run, glow red, and can't turn it off until the duration of the ability is over. If things go bad you probably won't escape and the enemies know you can only walk away.

Pros: 1.5X the ROF.

Prowler Anchormode: Honestly if we're going to keep it it should have the benefit split between the driver and gunner to encourage more 2/2 Prowlers. Also give it the ability to lock down while moving at slower speeds, instead of having to be completely still, and decrease the time it takes to undeploy/mobilize.

mmorpg game mechanics, ugh.

So you mean switch ZOE from VS to TR?

I'd rather have defense buff with lockdown and FFS REAL LOCKDOWN LOOK!

That is why they are doing a balance pass on max abilities. The ZOE as current is completely pointless. The movement buff is so small as to negate any benefit it has, all you do is make yourself more vulnerable for a trade off of slightly more damage that is barely noticeable on any weapon in any situation.

ZOE used to be the best ability, but that was because you could use its mobility to really get into places to flank. Right now the best max ability for VS or TR is charge. You can even argue charge is best for NC maxes as well, but a coordinated shield wall is pretty difficult to break.

Strangely lockdown in ps2 is not nearly as much a death sentence for a TR max as it was i ps1. The lancers where so much more accurate there . (or maybe its because i never see a locked down max when I go to use the lancer).

My feeling is that if you gave tr maxes an accuracy buff with lockdown youd see a lot more locked down tr maxes.

Personally I want my VS jump jets back.

Umm no, Overdrive is the not ZOE. It slows the Max down, not make it more mobile and negate its biggest weakness all while avoiding more damage coming its way.

Btw Overdrive was a second ability given to the TR in PS1 partially because Lock Down was not a liked ability. So the developers realized this and gave the TR Overdrive. They could keep Lock Down, but I would like Overdrive to make a comeback too.

Maybe make it so that in TR max lockdown you get 50% resistance to c4 and rockets.
Make it take 4 decimators to take down a lockdown max
3 c4 to take down a lockdown max

And half the time it takes to lockdown and slightly buff the ROF increase

No more vulnerability to explosives and more damage but you get taken out by small arms fire just as easily.
Lockdown explosive buff does stack with flak armor.

And just fix the shield and buff zoe

I would like an altered overdrive ability that both fits the Terrain Republic's trait of 'mode switching' rather than an ability that needs to be charged and the TR's more dakka feel. The new Overdrive ability would allow normal walking speed but disable the sprint. This ability would have the current lockdown switch time and give the following benefits.

Pros
- Belt fed system: This would effectively turn your entire ammo capacity into your current 'clip'
- Increased RoF: A slight buff to RoF to help dish out the damage

Cons
- Firing delay: The weapons now need a short spin up time before firing.
(Possibly other drawbacks)

This ability is meant to be used proactivly such as before breaching a room but having it on all the time prevents you from engaging enemies in a surprise attack, potentially allowing an unaware enemy to retreat to safety or an aware enemy to land a rocket or plant c4.

Thoughts?

They gave this overdrive because TR MAX was utter crap as AI in PS1. It literally tickled the enemy with horrific ROF and accuracy.

Yet, a single locked down Pounder MAX were able to set BFR running and screaming like a little school girl! AA MAX was as much effective as Skyguard, especially with accuracy buff that comes with lockdown.

But now TR AI MAX is really decent and has variety of weapons for each gamestyle. So there is no need in overdrive. But lockdown is still really nice as AV or AA, yet might use accuracy buff.

So all it needs is slight accuracy buff for AA and AV, and slight defense buff to be useful in AI, maybe as sacrifice of rear armor.

The benefits of AM should extend to the secondary gunner.