Engineer Directive: I need advice, real bad. (TR Specific)

Discussion in 'Engineer' started by Klondor, Aug 16, 2016.

  1. Klondor

    i've basically given up on the Engineer directive at this point... I'm so close to the auraxium armor, but all i have left are my 3 mana turrets, or sticky grenades. I need some pointers on how to use my (TR) A.I. turret more effectively because frankly i'm sick and tired of placing it down, being ready for a defense, and either-
    1. Being immediately picked off by a sniper after i patiently wait to mount the turret.
      Or
    2. Being charged by a single infantryman who does not fear anything and getting blasted off my turret by their primary, while they're under heavy gunfire. ( a little specific, but it happens pretty darn often.)
    I've looked up a lot of guides on how to use the turret, and they're primarily VS specific, and we all know that their shield shape is easier to absorb incoming fire with, the TR's shield has the largest opening and is easiest to attack. Any TR engineers out there who know how to use this thing and survive longer than 5 seconds? Please i need some help here.
  2. MrMinistry30

    Just go for the grenades. In the right kind of fight and with grenade bandolier it does not take too long to aurax them.

    Apart from that i (personally) have much more fun watching the explosions and panicking infantries running around with grenades attached to them than standing behind the turret, waiting for someone to come by and hoping not to get a headshot.
    • Up x 1
  3. Eternaloptimist

    I've killed more infantry (at nice, safe long range) with my AV turret and it's steerable rocket than with the AI turret.....as well as a few tank crew. I've even shot down an esf or two. The trick is to fire of two or three shots then move and redeploy the thing as tanks, as well as snipers will home in on you when you are in the open.

    Also (and this applies to both turrets I think) placing it up real high means that snipers find it more difficult or even impossible to head shot you from below.

    Personally I find the AI turret very situational and dangerous to use for the reasons OP has given. Best use I've found for the AI turret is to set it up as a shield in front of a window or as a target dummy out in the open.

    There are people who do well with AI turrets and maybe they can give you some constructive advice if you are determined to aurax it but my advice would be to go with the 'nade or the AV turret.
    • Up x 1
  4. Targanwolf

    Players that stand still are walking dead in this game. Players who still play the game look for those that have to, or choose to not jump around like a spastic bug on a hot skillet.
    Standing outside a building with a turret has less than a 5 second life expectancy.
    My advice...play the game and do what is fun ....for you. Frustration is far too easy to acquire with out conforming to poor design decisions and the frustration that may follow.
    • Up x 1
  5. DoucheSlayer

    There's only one logical way to prevent #1 from happening:
    Use AI turret in close-ish quarter bases (biolab, or other buildings for point defense or even offense to stop people from advancing further into the room)
    As for #2 don't really do it alone..with a lot of people they can watch your back and you kill too fast for them to really get the kills.
    I'm only 440/1160 but I only started trying about a week ago and even then I don't even use engi much past week.

    I'm considering taking flak armor for when I KNOW I'm going to be in a good spot in a building for AI turret use to guard a doorway because people love throwing grenades in doorways (who doesn't?) and more likely than not you'll have to get off turret, run away a sec to dodge it, get back on several times
  6. Klondor

    I've been bashing my head against this directive for a while now, and i'm finally at 892 kills, I've learned where i can and can't use the turret for maximum effect, but still i am let down by a lot of the turret's design flaws as well. Those being projectile velocity, and cone of fire bloom. Bursting helps, but it's often unreliable for targets that are seeking cover.

    I'm still more aggravated at people who know that the turret itself is mostly garbage, and will openly challenge it as long as they have expendable health. Hell, even today (about a few hours ago) i was laying down some heavy fire, and this medic casually just walks into the doorway, and (get this) actually stands still while i'm gunning him down, what pisses me off is that he actually killed me... Nevermind the countless other times someone's casually walked into my stream of bullets and taken me out like it wasnt even a problem for them, and i wish i was exaggerating. People literally just walk into the room, and will take a certain approach to my turret.
    • Strafing left and right while peppering my face (most common and understandable)
    • Charging straight at me hoping to get past me, and due to the turret's low damage per bullet, sometimes make it past me.
    Or my all time favorite.
    • Entering my line of fire, and standing perfectly still while i tear them to ribbons, and casually blast my head clean off it's shoulders while shrugging off the damage i put out.
    I've even tested something a buddy of mine calls "Shield flicking", where you move your turret shield quickly in one direction far enough to cover your head, but only enough for the enemy to stop shooting, then quickly return your aim to continue firing. I've found that aiming up as far as you can helps because your character will squat with the turret shield up, but this increases the risk of your turret being destroyed because you expose the stand of your turret to incoming fire. There are more severe problems with this tactic though: Your POV and where your shield actually covers your head aren't exactly in line with each other. Since the camera is centered in your chest, you have to make extreme movements in order to actually protect your head, even if you lightly turn the shield to either side (left or right), you have to do it enough to where you can actually lose sight of your target, giving them the advantage to push you. Egh, i've gone on long enough about it, sorry about the word-wall.

    TL;DR
    - Getting better with the turret, Killing the mans but i personally think that in order to make it a real threat that you should use caution when approaching. the turret needs improvements to either it's RoF, Damage model, or increase the shield coverage on the edges so you can have better defensive protection when turning the turret.
    • Up x 1
  7. DoucheSlayer

    I agree that there is a reason why not many engis use the turret.
    I like the AV turret more, cheesy one-shot kills ftw

    They should have upgrade options on the AI turret:
    - Slightly increased shield protection on face (can still hit you, just not as easily)
    - More coverage to the sides, just to cover a bit more degrees, not too much
    - Proximity Radar that works just for the one on the turret
    - Increased explosion resistance (srsly any heavy can just turn the corner, shoot a rocket, turn away from any distance)
    Literally anything added to it that doesn't make it overused, or underused (except by low BR who die immiediately)
    • Up x 1
  8. Klondor

    I like your ideas, i would prefer the idea that this turret can only be countered by snipers, explosives and anti-vehicular weapons.

    Personally, i believe the shields should be shaped similar to the NC MAX's Aegis shield, except the slit for vision would be large enough for sniper rounds to pass through, and maybe if someone is really skilled - automatic weapons, but nothing like just spraying the turret with as many rounds as possible to kill the engineer, it should take skill to remove an engineer from the turret, not just waltzing in and blasting their face because there is literally 0 protection.

    Example for a frontal turret upgrade (Shield upgrade 1):
    1st person view.
    https://gyazo.com/ec7a26aad313f29b22befa147032f924

    3rd person view.
    https://gyazo.com/74ce2948f90dd2c89294e524b21b9e54
    What do you think?
  9. DoucheSlayer

    Maybe too much coverage because it has to be veeery carefully balanced.
    It cannot:
    Have too many engis using the turret for too much power
    One engi having too much influence wherever he wants (the slit would be kinda hard at quite longer ranges to get sniped on, and you could make the turret as a shield for your own infil)
    Just a bunch of things that can potentially make the turret used in the unintended way, a supporting stand-ground.
  10. Klondor

    I guess you're right. I've been getting a lot better with it, i even got the auraxium medal about an hour ago. I'm finding the turret is pretty good where it's at, like Wrel said in a discussion we had a while back. Though i still cant help but feel that the turret could benefit from a few changes, namely rate of fire, or cone of fire bloom.

    The turret could also use a new sound profile for it's gunfire. It uses the same sound profile that the M12 Kobalt, and it doesnt even sound like a machine gun, it sounds like someone violently shaking an aluminum trash can full of large rocks. Instead of that sound, it should have a sound that helps the user and enemy understand how fast it actually fires. Given the turret has a rate of fire of 550 rounds per minute, you can find out how much that is by listening to NC firearms, or even the HC1 Cougar.

    Here's an excellent example of what the AI mana turret COULD and probably SHOULD sound like.

  11. DoucheSlayer

    Thatd be cool, it does sound like a weird tool currently.
    One odd throught I had was to reduce the AoE of grenades and rockets thrown and shot at you while on turret.
    They'd still 1 hit KO given their max damage range, but it falls off more as range goes further out.
    I'm tired of having to leave the turret because a BR 2 blindly threw a nade that landed quite a bit far from me but will do enough damage to make sure i die in one bullet, or a heavy just spamming at feet (a tool thats used for everything) to counter a tool used specifically for one thing very carefully.
    Grenades should have to land closer to do significant damage and rockets should be direct, or closer than before to do significant damage. That'll give it a little boost it needs for the closeish range stuff without snipers involved.

    If it's unusuable at longer ranges bc snipers, it shouldn't be a chore for short-med range.
  12. LegendarySalmonSnake

    Didn't read all replies so this might have been said already. In large fights throwing grenades into corners preemptively using the minimap can get you some nice multikills when the enemy tries to take cover from your nade next to friendlies. MAX es are really good since you usually get an engineer or two and sometimes the MAX if lucky. With the AI mama turret I recommend bursts of 2 or 3 straight to the from all ranges. One excellent spot for this is on the biolab landing pad stalemates. Climb on top of the thin wall covering the ramps outside, place turret and headshot the team camping inside. The occasional medic bubble/q-span and smoke combo makes this pretty safe and efficient. I'd suggest not actively go looking for these stalemates but to just remember this when you find yourself in one of those. Otherwise you just get burned out faster.
  13. Ryo313

    you haven't tried to auraxium the striker x'D that my friend is real pain x'D
  14. NubCannon


    I suggest that unlike a lot of engineers who place their turrets directly in front of doorways, place it at an extreme angle so you can shoot people who run in, but snipers cant shoot at you without running into fire.

    see wrel's video of the NSX naginata for what i mean At 3 minutes in is about the angle im talking about a little more extreme so you cant see out.

  15. Klondor

    Thanks. I appreciate the response, but i should inform you that i have completed the Directive, with the turret Auraxium as well.
    Here's the video: