When will this game get AA?

Discussion in 'PlanetSide 2 Gameplay Discussion' started by Jingstealer, Feb 16, 2016.

  1. Obstruction

    there's already a load of skill based AA in the game. it's called learning to fly.
  2. Reclaimer77

    It does suck that this game has some of the best shooting mechanics you'll find in any game, yet it's full of so much cheese on wheels and wings. Scream "combined arms" all you want, but dying instantly to some nonsense 400 meters away that can one hit you is just garbage gameplay.

    I guarantee if Battle Islands ever become a thing, and they are done right, the regular maps will be barren except for a bunch of vehicle zergers who can't leave their vehicles.
  3. Hegeteus

    :rolleyes:
    • Up x 1
  4. Thardus

    Hey, if we're getting ground based, Empire Specific AA, the VS want their Starfire Missiles back. Dumbfired, but will home in on any aircraft held in the firer's cross-hairs, kind of like a cross between an ESF's A2A missile, and an Engineer's AV Mana Turret.

    In Planetside 1, TR got Flak MAXs, NC MAXs got Sparrow Missiles, which worked like the current G2A shoulder launchers, and VS MAXs got Starfire Missiles.
    • Up x 1
  5. Nehlis

    Easy AA in 4 simple steps:
    1. Get a trio of skyguard lightnings together
    2. Murder the everloving **** out of anything in the sky
    3. ???
    4. PROFIT!



    (sorry, just had to...)
  6. Jubikus

    This only works if theres only air to deal with your trio of lightnings will get killed even if they only have 1 good harasser for support because skyguards cant defend themselves against much but when you consider outside factors then it just becomes a numbers game. Theres a reason when im tanking with my buddy i dont even refer to skyguards as skyguards i just call them free kills.
  7. Nehlis

    Thats kind of the point. Skyguards are specialized AA and would be OP if they were any good against land armor. You cant have your cake and eat it too.
    Combined arms is kinda a big deal in this game, which people still dont seem to get.
  8. FateJH

    Minus the mid-flight flak explosion, whether controlled or otherwise, this is what using a dumbfire against an aircraft is like, more or less.
  9. Alkaid1

    so why hahahah?
  10. Scr1nRusher


    AA doesn't work well, which leads to Air farming Ground.
  11. Slandebande

    Ah right, the best counter to something that is too strong? Just pull it yourself. The balance argument of a lifetime! I can totally see why it is fair for this to only apply to air vehicles! /s
    • Up x 1
  12. Alkaid1

    dude get an esf and try to farm with ur arhammer...
  13. Pirbi

    There is no reason the class/vehicle you insist on playing needs to be the answer to the class/vehicle that can kill you. It's rock/paper/scissors. The A2G relates air to the ground. It's a force multiplier and good answer to max spam, sunderers, and camped choke points. Either by killing the sunderer, making it a bad spawn choice, killing the max, or killing the max support, or breaking up the spawn camp. A2A is thus relevant by removing the A2G which is handicapped in the fact that it's loadout is geared toward ground. As well as fighting the other factions air which is protecting their infantry and A2G.

    But you need to actually put time in the thing that annoys you. A class or a vehicle. Then you start to comprehend how not to get killed by it and find a new group of things that annoy you when you use it. You aren't forced to play one way.
  14. Reclaimer77

    Frankly the Skyguard sucks. The flak spread is so extreme that even if you have perfect aim and lead the target perfectly, your accuracy is horrible at range. And at close range, it doesn't have the suvivability OR TTK against air to even survive a rocket attack or Tankbuster straffing run.

    A dedicated AA platform like the Skyguard should fire a barrage of lock-on "Fire and Forget" missiles at air.
  15. Obstruction

    it's not a balance argument. it is a direct response to the content of the thread.

    anyone that is sufficiently skilled enough to benefit from supposed "high skill floor" ground weapons is already flying, or is capable of learning, and benefits in their G2A game because of it.

    players who wouldn't benefit are those that can't use powerful, unforgiving weapons consistently or effectively. face it; bads are going to kick rocks in this game, and that's just how it is.

    that's because this is a game about getting good at things by facing rivals who are just as good as you, if not better. the best part of this game is how the better you get at something, the more you cherish those players who still challenge you to stay sharp or force you to develop new tactics.
  16. Nehlis

    I dunno about that. I've found fair success flakking solo against esfs. Rocket barrages don't hurt too bad if they don't hit your back, Tank Busters do, but you shouldn't let a lib get that close to you in the first place, which if you have your eyes in the sky shouldn't happen.
    The point that most people are missing is that AA is used to create an area of denial, centered on the skyguard. At the outer ranges (400-600m) you're going to be doing light deterrence at best. Mid ranges (100-400) you can cause enough damage to send most air game packing and keep them from coming closer, maybe scoring the odd kill. Initiating at close range (100m or less) will more often then not kill ESFs before they can get away, provided you can aim.
    Against liberators you will need more than one dedicated AA. Think of it in terms of unit personnel cost. A 3 crew Gunship should not be solo'd by a single manned AA platform, neither should 3 plus Ground Attacker ESFs. 3 Skyguards focus firing should be able to destroy a lib within kill range, and will definitely prevent it from high alt bombing a ground zerg.

    Ground AA is not meant to snipe planes out of the air. You should have allied ESFs chasing down wounded targets that flee out of reach. It is designed to prevent air units from effecting ground units within proximity, and with enough air units can be overwhelmed, just like any other unit in the game.

    Leading flack shots on fast moving targets takes skill. Unfortunately since VR doesn't have moving targets, the only practice you'll get is in field. Don't give up after a couple deaths, and team up with other ground platforms.
  17. Reclaimer77

    Why is ground AA special?

    Every other dedicated counter in the game is effective at KILLING it's target. Except AA. Why is that the case? Who decided air needs to be treated so special?
    • Up x 1
  18. Nehlis

    AA IS effective at killing its target, so long as you stay within effective range and work with others. You don't try to snipe infiltrators with an SMG at 300 meters, likewise you don't try to flak down air units at the edge of your vision range. Flak guns have a seemingly short effective range due to the relative speed of the airgame. If you want a long range AA use a lock on launcher. If you want kills with a skyguard, lead the ESFs in close before firing, and learn to lead your target. If there's too many air units for you then get a buddy to help.
    And don't try to solo a lib with a single flak plat. It should not work, and it will not work. A 3 man dedicated Anti-Ground bomber should not fall to a 1 man dedicated Anti-Air. That would be a very weak bomber, or a very overpowered AA gun.
  19. Reclaimer77

    Except the Liberator excels at anti-air, anti-ground, AND anti-vehicle all in one. It can only be brought down by focused fire from large numbers of enemies. It's speed and armor are totally overpowered given the damage it outputs.

    The AA users sacrifices ALL utility to specialize against ONE target. And then he's told his job isn't to kill air, it's to "deter" it.
    • Up x 1
  20. Nehlis

    I've already explained that you'll get kills at optimum range. Past that, its just deterrence. You need 2 people to operate a lib effectively, and 3 for its maximum potential. Likewise 2 skyguards can effectively block a lib from bombing, and 3 can kill with focus fire and minimum coordination.

    Flak becomes OP when a solo skyguard can down a lib so easily. Honestly, get 2 other guys in a squad, pull skyguards, and follow some friendly armor.