If you are playing your beloved infantry and you run into an AI-MAX, here is what you should do: run away, because you are paper and the MAX is scissors use a Concussion Grenade if you have one, it is a guaranteed win run around a corner and drop a C4 hoping that the MAX will chase you use a Decimator or any other dumbfire rocket-launcher from distance go to a terminal and pull a MAX yourself (the best matchups require a different topic) Now why am I writing this? It is because so many people simply get punished for bad decisions and blame the guy who is punishing them for it. The AI-MAX is supposed to beat infantry. Despite the fact that infantry can put up some sort of resistance, it is still a fight where the AI-MAX is the clear favorite (that's what the "anti" stands for). It is similar to the myth about the smartness of the fox. In reality a fox isn't an especially smart animal, he is simply dealing with very stupid chicken. In Planetside you should play like a smart chicken. Run away unless you can fight the MAX on your terms, always from distance and at spots where you have a chance to take cover. If you get surprised by a MAX and can't react that's tough luck, but usually you do have a choice. Last but not least, apart from empire specific differences MAXs are technically balanced, because everyone has the option to pull one. If you decide to go for something weaker, don't complain that you are not strong enough.
6. If he is a single MAX. Tell your squad he is in that room, then get out your guns and shoot him. Now wait 4 seconds until your medic has revived the one or two people he managed to actually kill. This goes double if the MAX has ZOE activated or carries AV weapons. On the other hand, disregard this if the MAX is AI-NC.
The problem is that 2/5 of those solutions require you to be a HA, 1/5 that you have "anticipated" by taking C4 (if non-inf) which is a weak option unless you have the appropriate delivery system (jump jets on a LA), 1/5 is not dealing with the problem, and the last one would be more like "change your loadout at terminal" which can then be a LA+C4/HA for either of the previous solutions or a MAX. The advantage for the AI MAX(problem for his opponents) in this situation is that you're essentially screwed with a support (medic especially), can avoid with inf/C4-less LA, and HA is the only one to be able to deal with it with a pretty standard loadout
if you turn the angle as an HA and end up facing a max in a 0 meter distance encounter: If the max is an AI NC, you CAN'T do sh*t, your just dead. dont' even activate overshield or use nades/rockets as you would die anyway and it will just cost you once you get possibily revived. if it is TR/VS, throw a antitank nade that will stick to him and hipfire adadadad spam (good if you have some high capacity LMG, especially good if you have mcg or lasher) or try rocketing launcher him. if you don't have AV nades or you have annhilator/striker as rocket launcher, retreat behind the angle and drop c4. if you dont have c4, just retreat and go fighting something else.
To be honest they may as well remove AI MAXs if Engi, Inflitrator and Medic can reliably solo AI MAXs (C4 does actually make it possible with some of them, of course). HA and LA already have a fighting chance. PS2 is not and should not be balanced 1 vs 1 (across classes) it would be a terrible game if it was.
remember that despite common belief, a VS/TR MAX AI weapon has TERRIBAD dps, comparable to less than HALF one mediocre LMG. they have to dual wield ai weapons in order to have pmuch same dps but they still have fixed CoF that cripples TTK past 10 meters. if maxes could equip beamers they had like 30% more dps than what they have now with those giant gatling cannons and massive plasma laser guns. this does not count for NC maxes btw, which has - for unknow reasons - full damage infantry shotguns as weapons that deal straight 2X damage if dual wielded, and not suffering from fixed CoF since it's how the guns work for infantry too.
I didn't say otherwise, but it's frustrating nonetheless when you're playing said supports, having to watch MAXes or a Harasser almost unpunishable in certain situations, whether they makes mistakes, whether you bring your A game or not. It's mostly a problem in smaller skirmishes and if you're attacking, because you just can't switch loadouts, don't necessarily have the appropriate allies to deal with it, have finite ammo and firing at a bullet sponge that can move on you faster than you can escape with his charge. I avoid crowded fights like the plague since i get bored in there (sleepy even: there's a lot of action globally, but much less action per capita)+ PS2 technical issues, where MAXes aren't much of a problem, so i often find myself in low-mid populated hexes. That's often loads of fun, and can even be fun when there are MAXes. But in a 10-15 skirmish against the same, when a side pulls 2 or 3 MAXes for example, it just means the other side is done for(the attack more often), and the fun with it. 1 MAX in this format can be a good, fun obstacle to deal with. But 2 or 3 are plain overkill.
I think what frustrates most is how they come out of nowhere in some situations. The situation of being on a nice killstreak, when suddenly you hear something stomping around behind you, you turn around and get shot in the face by 2 shotguns/plasma cannons/machine guns probably sounds familiar to us all. It's frustrating, there's nothing you could've done, the other guy won because he picked a max, not because he was more skillful than you. And while pulling a max in the right situation obviously requires thinking, and that you're supposed to be stronger after spending those nanites, it's still annoying. I think making it so that maxes get auto spotted to people within a 20-30m radius would already go a long way. I'm not sure if that would be too much of a disadvantage for maxes, but it sounds like a step in the right direction to me.
If i am playing MAX AI-units (all faction) most deaths from infantry i get with faery C4. C4 of all other classes i can see - like mines - and destroy or avoid (if in need with charge). Depending at pings (low-under 80 ms) i am able to see the hovering faeries even in big battles and then they are dead if they try to C4 me, usually. Second is the HA´s rocket launcher. But not from distance. 10 meters or lesser are deadly, coming from a corner or doorsteps - thats bad for a MAX. Third is every rifle or pistol in concentrated fire mode from midrange. 2-3 or more can kill even a full kinetic MAX is short time. Or damage the suit so much that the poor MAX can´t go further. Equivalent to a ESF that is running an attack but getting to much AA fire.. immidiately retreat. Sticky grenades could be a pest. But in reality - latency and lags, speaking about Miller - not a good option. Most the time sticky grenades are glichting.. and do no harm. Or if the grenade sticks correct - a MAX can run (with charge) having 3 seconds to reach a pulk of enemies.. and who is having a good chance of getting a lot of teamkills? and destroyed perhaps a complete defending line? Sticky grenades can be a poisened weapon. Use with caution Very close fight like 1 meter and running in circles or for and backwards.. no way. Only unexperienced MAXes are having problems with that. As MAX i have only to step back 1-2 meters and turn (jumping and turning is nice) and if in need with a short charge and the little one (even a HA is in this situation a little one) is in my focus and.. dead. Headshoot from 1-2 meters, maybe 3-4 with a short charge. Netherless if NC,VS or TR MAX. But often enough i see a single infiltrator jumping at me to kill my MAX.. for the first time it is funny. After a while it is a shamefull deed to kill the poor lad with 2 single shoots and a MAX punch - tac/left - tac/right - wush - (0,75 seconds ?) Same for single medic and engie. I honor Medics and Engies as the true backbones of PS2 but if they WANT a solo fight against a MAX.. i apologize and salut to the corpse. And don´t curse at MAXes. They are important for every battle excluded the typical 1-12 v 1-12. Here are often different rules, it could be a selected battle of friends with some rules, like a privat party. Don´t mess with it as single outsider MAX. As MAX i have done a lot of life savings for faction mates or rushing a frozen battle to break up the lines (Kamikaze or controled attack with a steady and cool engie at my back/side). After that the battle can move again. Btw.. a repairing Engineer is easily able to take the rifle and shoot some targets whilst staying behind the MAX, using the MAX as obstacle/wall before the repair tool have to work again. With fast weapon/tool switchings that can be a good, fiercy and dangerous teamwork
What happens if you run into a MAX? Laugh about it. There is no reason to feel frustrated for dying to a kid who is so bad at the game that he needs to use a skillsuit.
Yes. Or a tank, a harraser, a Flash, a ESF, a Liberator, a Galaxy, a shielded HA.. all the stuff for bad playing kiddies.
I found it best to "kite" the MAX using corners whenever i can. Attack when its not looking, and run if its coming for you. Take advantage of their weakness.
The problem with MAXs IMO is that they do too much damge, but aren't tough enough. In PS1 AI MAXs were tougher releative to infantry, but did less DPS relatively, and this was a good thing as it allowed them to act as infantry-tanks, but didn't make them absolute death machines in some circumstances. Also, of course, you had to spec into MAXs which meant everyone couldn't just pull them.
I play NC MAX a lot. A room full of guys will still shred the hell out of me before I can kill them all if they actually shoot at me and don't just run around like cockroaches when you turn on a light.
