Why Is There No AA (Anti-Air) Mana Turret?

We got one for dealing with infantry (which is completely useless against armored vehicles, both ground and air). We got one for dealing with armored vehicles. Why not an AA Mana Turret?

Or is my idea not original and SOE has said "Uhh, maybe?"

I believe the game files do contain models for a rocket launcher turret (if memory serves). I suppose this is going to be the AA turret.

It's filename is "Vehicle_Common_EngineerDeployable_Weapon_RocketPod_LOD0.dme". But I wouldn't put too much in a filename, because the Engineer AV turret is called a "howitzer" when clearly it does not function that way.

The model resembles another unused model, called "Vehicle_Common_FacilityTurret_Weapon_MissileLauncher_LOD0.dme". Supposedly this was meant to be a rocket launcher in addition to the real Phalanx defense turrets that are in the game. Not sure what role that one is supposed to play.

So whether it was meant to be a true SAM launcher is unknown. It could be an AT or AI rocket launcher as well.

Since the game was released we have had only 1 real new ground based AA weapon: the Ranger. The Annihilator does the exact same thing as the G2A but also on ground vehicles so it isn't really a true new AA weapon... same with the Striker. Meanwhile ground vehicles have had to deal with the other two ESRLs, a new set of ES MAX AV weapons, the crossbow explosive bolts, and the Mana AV turret.

I think we are due for a new AA weapon.

Because the pilots would kick and scream like upset toddlers over the fact something might actually kill them once every 30 minutes.

And because the whiny pilot children get their way we have the situation where there is very little AA and very few people use it. It's also mind-boggling expensive for what it does because it's neutered by design at the request of Higby that all AA be "deterrents" only. Again, making sure the spoiled children don't actually see something even remotely challenging.

it was the first iteration of a Base AV turret in Alpha

Cuz, you know, one skyguard or one burster max scaring off ESF's isn't a completely legitament form of AA and instead ESF's instantly kill these counters when getting within 6 hexes of them...oh wait, that's not true at all.

People have been asking for one since at least Live and probably earlier.

I'm not really sure why they didn't make one, especially in the earlier days of the extreme power of Air.

Imo, the standard phalanxes should upgrade to the rocket version only if you capture Amp Station.

That would create an incentive to take over the latter. As it stands now it's all about Tech Plants.

I have no interest in "deterring" aircraft. I want to destroy them. Aircraft can destroy ground vehicles and infantry easily, I want to be able to destroy them just as easily.

That actually explains why AV Turret looks like a bulldog rather than guided rocket launcher.

IF SOE wanted to make quick money, well here it is. Everyone has been asking for it for a while now.

It just couldn't be as accurate with as tight a cof as the AI turret. Or you would never see max aa again.

Mount G40-F Ranger on Engineer turret base. Done.

Might as well just stick a squirt gun on it, because it'll be as effective as killing aircraft as the Ranger is.

Since it'd be an Infantry weapon, it has to be balanced around the possibility of a lot of people using it. In that sense, giving them a Walker or Burster would be too effective. A rocket-based flak weapon would be interesting, but I do not want SOE to waste too much time on the weapon, as there already is an abundance of workable AA, contributory AA, or passable-as-AA weaponry.

And at least I am giving players a chance at hitting something. I didn't say the M20 Drake, after all.

Yeah, that's what I would think. A direct-fire AA option that doesn't require resources to bring out would pretty much have to be limited to being a weak deterrent or just supplemental damage. Then again, I had a similar attitude toward the prospects of an AV turret before that came out. I don't think SOE would much care for the idea of bringing out a new toy without it being cool enough to get lots of people to buy it, so they'd probably make something like that way stronger than it should be.

One hurdle to an AA mana turret is probably the fact that the player model animations for the current turrets don't fit a turret that can look straight up. Would be funny if they ended up making the AA one a little swivel chair gun to address this.

Just let me my mana turret have a better upwards angle and I'd be pretty happy, though I certainly wouldn't turn down a proper AA option.

Why would you waste the resource's pulling an AA Max or a Skyguard if you have an engineer? Makes even more sence not to have it when the Resource Revamp is implemented.