Lock-on Launcher gives hell to ESF

Discussion in 'Test Server: Discussion' started by fulanckyce, Apr 26, 2017.

  1. fulanckyce

    With shortened Lock-on time, now lock-on launchers can quickly put any ESF out of commission. I suggest lower the G2A lock-on's damage by a little bit.
  2. BrbImAFK

    Rubbish. I spent quite a bit of time with AA Lockons during the playtest, and found that:
    a) I'm not sure the shorter lockon time actually works, because I'm pretty sure most of my locks were over 1.5s; and
    b) even if the shorter lockon times are a thing, the decreased range at which you can lock means that the majority of air combat even in the same base is outside your lock range.

    I was in the big fight at The Auger (at least, before the idiot NC locked the continent and we got banished to the south!) and, while standing near the ammo tower, I frequently couldn't get locks to activate on aircraft buzzing around the base or, when I could start a lock, they'd usually end up out of range before the lock locked!

    As for the A2G lockons, they're now even more useless than they were before! When we moved on NC Arsenal, and had a sundy in the south garage, even while standing in the hills well south of the garage, I couldn't lock vehicles that were on the road from the Auger and shelling the sundy!

    The lockon range nerf is ridiculous!
    • Up x 3
  3. SoljVS

    A nerf to range was needed and welcomed. Its ridiculous to be nowhere near a fight and being locked on by invisible guys trolling in the hills. But now you are in a better position to defend yourself from people who are actually actively engaging in A2G as it should be.
  4. LordKrelas

    Welcomed by ATG pilots doing fly-bys with rocket pods.

    How exactly? Aren't ATG weapons capable of firing well beyond the lock-on range & killing well before the lock-on time?
    - That's an actual question.

    As generally ESFs can kill any target they see within seconds, beyond aircraft.
  5. SoljVS


    With the past nerf to thermals an ESF has to be pretty dam close to see an infantryman. At what range do infantry even render can't remember? Meaning an aware lock on user can easily catch them on their approach. Also other than infantry ESFs can't kill anything else within seconds, so I'm assuming you meant infantry.
  6. LordKrelas

    That Lock-on user has to manage to be facing the right direction for one of the fastest & most agile killing machine in PS2.
    Rocket-pods, Hornets, and the Nose-gun can kill vehicles only slightly slower than infantry targets.

    As well, given you didn't confirm or deny, then yes, any ESF can kill the lock-on user whom must have clear-line-of-sight to the aircraft, before the lock finishes - which doesn't account for any ESF movements, terrain, or counter-measures being used at all during the lock-on period, the projectile's travel time and if it takes more than a single shot to destroy the ESF.

    A Sundy doesn't take long.
    MBTs can be shredded rapidly, unless VS whom might be able to escape.
    Harrassers can semi-escape.

    Beyond Lock-ons, most weapons have the ESF to determine if it dies or lives to the weapon, and even Lock-ons have it in the ESF's favor.
    Outrun it, ram it into terrain, activate perfect flares, use terrain or other aircraft to block lock-on, kill the source, use fire-suppression to render it pointless.
    Not to mention the agility of the ESF to easily dodge weapons fire.
  7. SoljVS



    Have you flown an ESF before? They mostly certainly can not kill vehicles within seconds. Hornets are a complete joke after the nerf. Rocket pods take about 3-4 volleys to take down a tank.
    • Up x 2
  8. LordKrelas

    Yeah I have. I ain't no where near good at it.

    I know, but they do work still, and I was around when they were damn lethal.

    Rocket Pods, yeah and how fast are those volleys fired?

    I may have oversold the time, but it's still one of the fastest TTKs, on the most agile aircraft.
    And you didn't mention sunderers.
    Nor did you disagree or comment about Lock-ons.

    Does that mean I am correct or wrong about the lock-ons?
    - That's the main thing I care about here.
  9. IcEzEbRa

    Currently lock-on range is 450m, infantry don't even render till 300m, and pilot has no idea where coming from till it's away. Full stealth gives one additional precious second before lock is established, then u see the glowy red ball/s on mini-map of the rockets progress. Often you have to guess, and hope to determine whether the 3-6 rockets on you are swarm, or annihilator, while in a dogfight trying to deal w/enemy air, within 450m of any tubes...lol. I even got killed by default launcher at that range before. When thermals showed infantry@280m, at least esf pilot had a chance to find source if was close, maybe even tell if was 5 heavies or one, pointing tubes at him. Render range for vehicles is more than twice what is for infantry, but vehicles and infantry kinda go together.
  10. Problem Officer

    Another issue is how easy it is to switch from any class to HA with a lockon and back based on ESF presence, then safely cross both pairs of fingers while waiting for the rocket's results AKA finding out whether or not the ESF has Flares.
    Grabbing a launcher after an A2G appears is faster and less risky than grabbing an A2A or armor.
    Making ESF winbutton, flee or bail is too quick, cheap and simple.

    Lockon being usable from inside a spawnroom is overshadowed by not even needing to, as the target can't legit find a lockon source until the missile is en route and the HA reloads while untouchable, or wastes their time and vehicle finding out the HA is not even a viable target.

    There's only one counter and Flares is perfect, making it a broken game of RPS.
    Flares need a rework, something like increasing their effect duration and having it simply decrease lockon range for the vehicle.
    Or, maybe a flat increase of lockon time, added in front of the HA's elapsed time.
    Maybe a mix of both, just not this magic chaff nonsense.
    Then, require HA to maintain a lock manually by keeping the target in range and in the reticle.
    That nerfs spawnrooms.

    The ESF can try to shoot the revealed HA, likely taking a hit from the rocket.
    The HA is now likely to be outside of a spawnroom if they want that hit. Approaching the HA wastes effect of Flares.

    Overall skill floor and ceiling for the encounter is raised, best speed and positioning wins.
    Not "oh no HA in the spawnroom, time to burn around the walls", "HA in the open? [flares button]" or "my rocket flew up, run!"

    Summary, ESF are forced to choose between attack and defense, similar effect for the HA though spawnroom still OP.
    IMO this is what the lockon launcher damage and other stats should have been based on.
    Not MAGIC MISSILE that can constantly U-turns and can come to a complete standtill midair while its launcher fires another one.

    PS Also the full loss of lockon progress when target is behind 1 leaf or something? Needs to go, it's complete BS. Pretty sure it can be coded to halt+retain the progress on the last target.
    • Up x 2
  11. SoljVS



    A Sundy lol are you kiddinig me? Hornets don't even begin to tickle them. After the nerf what does it take maybe 30-40 hornets to kill one? And the rocket pod volleys hahaahaha. To fire a full volley and reposition reload 3-4+ times will easily take you over a minute or so in optimal conditions. Now lets add the fact that everything in the game will shoot you once you appear in their render range and you tell me how long it should take. Go try it yourself I bet you won't be able to down a Sundy or any kind of tank and survive the encounter in a typical combat situation.

    Lock Ons are a completely skill less fire and forget tool and needs to be limited vs things that actually require some semblance of brain function to use effectively point blank period. Alot of the people who cry about ESFs can't even make it out of the WG without face planting yet we are supposed to listen to their whining about balance when they are completely incapable.

    This range nerf is heading towards the right direction. Also the fact that now comp armor will defend against lock on damage.
  12. BrbImAFK


    Before you start mouthing off about how "some idiot infantryman who can't fly" is talking about lockons....... how about you take a good hard look at yourself and realise that you're just an air****ter. With a pretty massive bias as well.

    I checked your stats.... All you do is fly ESF's, and a substantial amount of that is farming infantry, given that the majority of your kills come from Banshee, LPPA, rocket pods etc. You've got zero skill at infantry (or vehicles, for that matter), and even as a confirmed bad I can say without doubt that I know more about infantry and vehicle gameplay than you do. According to your stats, you don't even OWN a lock-on launcher on ANY of your characters or, if you do, you've never recorded a single kill with them.

    So before you open your massive yap and start talking about how lock-ons should, or should not work, I suggest you actually get some experience with them before some cheeky git like me comes and points out that you're talking our your ****!
    • Up x 1
  13. Cornbane

    What I noticed a lot during the playtest's was a lot of ESFs were simply out-flying the lock-on's lifespans. Keep in mind those lifespan's have been nearly halved. So you'll only be getting torn apart if you come in too close and stick around too long. This is a measure to ensure that aircraft don't just sit around lolpod infantry all day and to give AA Flare's a distinct use over Fire Suppression. You can use the Flare time to take out a key target and then fly away with fewer lock-on's successfully firing off and you have a higher chance of out-flying the one's that do.
  14. SoljVS



    Hmm couldn't have looked at the killboard on this char because if you look at my stats for today clearly I spent a good bit of time slumming it on foot. Its not hard at all. You literally have little children playing ground combat lol, lets not trump it up into something special. I was nailing headshots left and right as infil, and played some other classes too between libbing.

    And I've used a lock on before. All I had to do was right click and look through scope, left click. Continue what I was doing. SO HARDDDD.
  15. BrbImAFK

    OMG! He spent a whole day playing infantry! Obviously that makes him an expert! Bow before his superior wisdom and knowledge!

    On a completely unrelated note.... how, exactly, do you know what my accuracy is in order to compare it to your own, without knowing my character's names? Oh wait.... talking out your **** again. What a surprise.

    Face it, dude. You have no idea what you're talking about, and you're not even smart enough to shut your mouth when somebody calls you on it!

    [edit] Just went and checked your infantry stats, since you're so proud of them.... your average accuracy is 23%, which is obviously better than my 27% - and I know I'm a bad..... not to mention your infantry KDR - which varies between barely breaking 1.0 on your best character and 0.4 and 0.3 on your other two. Tell me again how you're a much better infantryman than I am.....
    • Up x 1
  16. SoljVS


    I'm being sarcastic. I could careless about infantry play. Get your panties more in a wad lol. The only thing that matters is air dueling hahah.
  17. BrbImAFK

    And this is why your "opinion" is utterly worthless. Narrow minded people, with narrow minded interests never make for decent discussions or decent balance.

    I also note that you repeatedly go back and edit your posts to try to look less silly. Just a note.... it isn't working.
    • Up x 2