[Suggestion] Lose Empire Specific Rocket Launchers

Discussion in 'PlanetSide 2 Gameplay Discussion' started by Magma52, Aug 26, 2016.

  1. Magma52

    I'm going to get hate for this, but just give everyone access to the Phoenix, Lancer and Striker.

    As an NC player wanting to do ESF A2G, I am limited in my ability to get kills by how effective the Striker is against ESFs. I see so many TR pilots just dodging NC and VS lock ons all day long and getting enormous kill per hour counts by using the Banshee. I'm not criticising those players because that's exactly what I want to do...but I can't do it against TR ground targets because there are so many Strikers firing into the air...on top of the never ending low NC win rate, it just really makes me wish I chose TR to be honest. Sure, Phoenix causes headaches for tanks, but I don't want to play in a tank...so why not just make these launchers available to all and everyone is happy?

    I know that alternatively I could just make a TR alt...but it feels a little late in the game for me.
    • Up x 1
  2. TheSunlikeOne


    You know that you aren't the only NC player in the world?
  3. Taemien

    You've gotten to BR 108 as NC and do not realize the power of the Phoenix vs ground? As for Air, the Hawk launcher is pretty damn good and doubles as a VERY effective dumbfire if you need it to be used against ground.

    When i'm on my TR I don't even use the Striker, I use the Grounder which is a clone of the Hawk. If I want something as remotely good as the Phoenix I have to pull a harasser for a Vulcan or Gatekeeper and spend nanites. One thing I miss most when playing TR is my Phoenix. Nothing really compares. Surely not the Striker.. and even the Lancer doesn't come close.

    4 NC with Phoenixes can counter entire VS or TR armor zergs. I know, I've done it on several occasions in the past. Its stupidly easy and effective. Just get 3 Heavies and an Engie. First one to fire is the 'leader' the other two follow their missile and hit the same target. You can kill tanks before they can react.

    The only reason this isn't OP is because it takes a little bit of coordination. But its worth it. The only thing that comes close is the Striker/Valkyrie combo. But I prefer not being so exposed.
  4. Dieter Perras

    You've clearly never tried to actually kill something with the striker. I'm pretty sure it fires spitballs honestly.
    • Up x 4
  5. FateJH

    I killed a Vanguard with a Strker once. Driver swore it had to be a mistake.
  6. Ryme_Intrinseca

    Hate to break it to you but the Striker is the worst G2A launcher except maybe the Swarm. It has a niche use in a Valk rumble seat but that's about it.

    The reason you see pilots dodging lock ons is because they have a far longer effective range than the Striker. Any range at which a pilot has time to dodge a Grounder or Annihilator they wouldn't even need to think about a Striker.

    As for 'so many Strikers firing into the air', it only seems like that because you have to fire five (count 'em) rockets to do the same damage as one lock-on rocket. The Striker is spectacular in audio and visual terms, directing air, ground vehicles and infantry to the defenceless rocketeer, but its performance is far from spectacular. It's behind all lock ons (even the similarly useless Swarm) in air kills per hour. This is reflected in the fact it actually has half the usage level of the Nemesis, Hawk and Grounder. http://ps2oraclestats.com/monthlystats/

    Please do make a TR alt so you can find out how much harder it is playing exclusively against 1000 damage per rockets that lock on close to render range, rather than 200 damage rockets that are only semi-reliable within spitting distance.
  7. Problem Officer

    Loving it, very annoying to ESF and deadly in pairs on one Valk side, Engies on the other.
  8. Devrailis

    Strikers are a joke. Flare launchers turn Strikers into a low DPS dumbfire with little to no deterrence capability and their heavies into sad little cert pinatas. At least a proper dumbfire can blow you out of the sky if it connects.

    And if you think TR pilots are making bank with the Banshee, you haven't tried farming with the Airhammer.
  9. Magma52


    The trouble with the Reaver / Air Hammer combo is that we do have to get within spitting distance. That on top of having the largest hitbox makes the Striker a genuine problem.

    Think of a Mosquito taking FLAK damage from a burster MAX. There is also an NC locking on with a Hawk lock on launcher. The Mossie pilot could time his manoeuvre to escape before the NC can fire his rocket and he escapes with 5% health. No problem. Now if you swap those roles around so its a Reaver and the launcher is a Striker, the Striker only needs to land one rocket and the pilot will not escape.
    Sure you could apply this logic to NC MAXes one hit killing a LA before he can trigger the C4 he just dropped at the MAX's feet, or the Phoenix destroying a weakened TR tank that is otherwise out of view of every other launcher in the game...but MAXes and tanks just don't get the high KPH that ESFs do. It seems like a better deal (to me at least) for solo TR players to have an ESF that can do A2G more reliably than the other two factions.
  10. Magma52


    I won't name names, but maybe it's just a Miller thing then ;)
  11. LodeTria

    Giving everyone lancers would be a cancer on the vehicle game.
    No, the archer isn't a lancer regardless of what idiots say.
  12. Ryme_Intrinseca

    You are describing a very special scenario where delivering 200 damage immediately at close range assumes massive importance, and there's no advantage to delivering 1000 instead. This is so rare that it's essentially irrelevant to any discussion about balance.

    In general play a Hawk or Grounder completely dominates a Striker. A Hawk or Grounder has far longer effective range, of course. And even in the Striker's supposed sweet spot of close range you're better off with a Hawk or Grounder as after the 2.5 secs lock you deliver the 1000 damage instantly; the Striker in the same case is delivering 200 damage in installments, giving the pilot ample time to escape before all rockets are fired. In groups of three the Hawk or Grounder is an instagib at short range; three Strikers at the same range give the pilot every chance to escape as the initial volley's damage is only 600, not 3000.

    In short, the Striker LOOKS like it's doing a lot, because it fires lots of rockets. But the reality is those rockets do virtually nothing.
  13. JKomm

    It's like a Lancer except the damage, the rate of fire, the magazine, the accuracy, the velocity... and the available class. So basically they are both weapons, and they deal damage to things. So yeah, don't know why people would even compare the two.
  14. Liewec123

    i'll agree that striker is one of the best AA options (imho), 2 heavies with strikers in their pockets can stop any ESFs from entering the fight.
    BUT phoenix and lancer are also suprisingly good AA options,

    Lancer takes a bit of practice but eventually it becomes quite easy to ward off ESFs (it is also pretty darn good at helping take down libs and gals out to a suprisingly far range)

    Phoenix is a bit trickier, and is best used against ESFs while their in their hovering A2G farm-mode. quick hint, press ctrl+f10 to turn off the hud, this makes steering the missile much easier since you can see the whole screen.

    finally i'll say this, we need MORE faction flavour, not less!
    in a dream game i'd remove ALL of the cross faction stuff and release tons of faction specific stuff to be balanced asymmetrically.
  15. thebigbortishbort

    i will have to say no , i love my striker and do not wish to lose it , i also have to back the argument of the game needing more faction specific flavor not less as to give us reasons to play each faction not to cry about not having each others toys ( this will never happen).
  16. LaughingDead

    Not many people realize how powerful it is to give one faction the ability to act like flak. ESFs in terms of ground to air, die to chip damage, a lot of chip damage. Having all your heavies act like flak turrets makes it incredibly hard to dodge or even operate as an ESF.

    That being said, no I don't think all factions need this. Not all factions need the lancer, not all factions need the phoenix. The idea is that you have different tactics for different factions, to work around the faction's strengths. It's why if you have a vehicle spam within 300 meters of the spawn room in any NC base, phoenixes are viable. Lancers give heavies long range AV that's effective for air and ground as long as you can aim. Strikers make heavies portable flak.

    Along with people wanting more ES gear and weapons I think this thread stims from the fact that not all ES gear is fun. They did a great job with the launchers, each one is interesting, gives different values, tactics, but most of all, they're all EFFECTIVE, which is why not everyone should get all 3 launchers. However, if everyone got a railjack, phaseshift and trap, no one would bat an eye.

    Sidenote aside, no, we should see more ES stuff over NS crap.
    • Up x 1
  17. OldMaster80

    As TR or VS things do not get much better. The fact is aircraft is designed to be brutal against ground, but ground against air is awful.
    As infantry you do not kill aicraft. If you manage then you've just been lucky to deliver the final blow. Air is designed to be vulnerable just to more aircraft, that's how Planetside 2 has been desigend plain and simple. Want to crash ESF? Get a Reaver. All the other options are just poor.
  18. Riksos

    I bought the Stryker because I am a TR fanboy and love MORE DAKKA BRRRRRT

    Turns out this doesn't really work well on the rocket launcher. Your exposure time for releasing all 6 leaves you in danger for longer than a lock on launcher, and the damage is less if you miss even one (which is normal). I mean it's fun pretending I have a handheld viper and shooting at infantry with it on a cliffside every once in awhile but...I'm not looking forward to auraxium'ing the stryker...and this is from a diehard TR player
  19. Taemien


    That is embarassing :D
  20. Daigons

    Hmmm I don't recall any NC being killed by a Empire Specific launcher inside/outside of their spawn room. Get cracking NC on this oversight straight away!

    [Note: Last week just verified the state of the NC player base again. Once the base was taken over and everyone entered the spawn room to resupply, some NC C4ed the room wiping out all the friendlies including 8 MAXs. No place like home?]