[Suggestion] Your wishlist about MAXes

If you were a dev and had the possibility to change things about MAX, what would you do about them and why ?

As I've mentioned long ago I want to see return of faction specific long range AA weaponry from Planetside 1.

Oh no, don´t start this one.

More interesting is what the reall devs think and do. Probably nothing! Only adding a new probably 1000 certs counter...

The list for a well balancing, and that is beyond only focusing ZOE and shotguns, is probably to long for getting much attention. After adding counter after counter and Gorgon, only ignore since years.

Multiple weapon systems, enough health to actually be tanky, melee weapons. Shoulder-mounted missile racks.

Can you develop your idea on the shoulder mounted missile-rack, and the melee weapons ?

About the enough health to be tanky, MAX are already really tanky, their problem is the instant gib from vehicles ram, C4 and AV mines. What I mean is MAX don't need more health, they need more resistance to these 3 things.

More defensive less offensive. Higher resistance to MAX killers like explosives but less lethality. Make it more of a breaching tool rather than a killstreak you can pull from a terminal.

Not going to touch NC shotguns as I assume shotguns as a whole need a rebalance (more versatility, less listening to whiners who complain that a weapon is good at its intended purpose).

MAX's need a travel mode for long distances.
MAX abilities need to be more diverse, both NS and ES, so that theres more of a choice.
Each MAX needs an ES AI arsenal for CQC and Mid range.
A light MAX could be introduced, focusing more on normal movement speed&capabilities and less on heavy armor and weapons.
A heavy MAX needs to be introduced. Where the MAX is more infantry than vehicle the HMAX would be more vehicle than infantry. Still using infantry movement, it would fulfill a primarily AI role in extremely rough terrain but with low speeds (40km/h for example) and something close but lower than Harasser health and armor

As everyone else said: make them more defensive instead of all-around biolab farming machines (looking at you, 24/7 MAX-using scrubs).

Baseline adjustments for all 3 factions

• Flat out 50% increased health pool

• Left-hand anti-infantry weapons only deal 25% damage when a right-hand anti-infantry weapon is also equipped

• Anti-infantry weapons require a 1-second spin-up or charge-up, the spin-up mechanic is loud and obvious to all enemies around the MAX to know when to run

• Reduce ammo pool by 50% and increase CoF size by 30% for every single anti-infantry weapon

Additional VS adjustments

• Ability slot: like Neo in the Matrix, raise your left hand to project a force-field that reduces small-arms damage taken from the front (90 degrees cone) by 50%, but disables the left weapon for the duration and increases CoF on the right weapon by 50% (this is replacement for Zealot Overdrive)

Additional TR adjustments

• Ability slot: after 2 seconds of activating, Lockdown creates a HEX-shield around the MAX, which absorbs 600 damage, and regenerates over 5 seconds after not taking damage for 5 seconds

Additional NC adjustments

• Does not get the 30% CoF penalty

• Mag-size of anti-infantry weapons increased by 2

• Damage of anti-infantry weapons reduced by 30%

That's a fair point.

What I mean is MAX are absurdly limited in what they're allowed to do. It's AI OR AV OR AA with absolutely no crossover allowed as mix and matching weapons just makes you suck at everything as the weapons are balanced to use doubles.

I propose an additional weapon or set of weapons that would bridge the gap, functioning as a MAX secondary that would let them flex a little, being able to take AI primary weapons and a secondary AV or AA set with reduced DPS for example.

Melee is self-explanatory, a set of CQC weapons so they can rip and tear. This would have been a lot better before they removed charge.

^this

MAX needs "Charge". Current AA MAX is almost bait.

That in collisions they acted like a vehicle, so they would take damage still, but not be instantly killed by a flash (which would now bounce off, and also take collision damage!).

I'd forget about the MAX's travel mode. What do you think about allowing the MAX to use vehicle terminal but only to pull a special one-place flash so the MAX can transport himself to other destination ?
I don't think your heavy-MAX idea is a good idea : MAX are already see as "kill-streak suit", there is no need to prove them they're right with a small target moving at 40kph while having a high firepower.
For your AI CQC / mid-range option for every faction, it already exist. Mercy and Blueshift are mid-range weapons, any other weapons are CQC weapons. But i do think NC should be given a mid-range option that isn't a shotgun. (mattock are somewhat mid-range, but they're still shotgun).

Melee can be simply increase the MAX punch damage to 1050 and say it's cool now. But I agree seen MAX wielding sword/hammer & shield might be cool.

So basically your proposition for crossover weapon are the gorgons ?
Why not create "weapon set". Basically you choose 2 weapon from 2 difference roles (AI&AV, AI&AA or AV&AA) and these weapon are bulled by 50-75%.
For example, the default MAX weapon set for TR could be M1 heavy Cycler+M3 Pounder, both with 50% more RoF, ammo per magazine and ammo pool.

Are you sure MAX need that much HP ? Isn't simpler to reduce their vulnerability against vehicle ramming damage, C4 and AV mines ?

For your other changes, can you explain a bit ?
For example, doesn't a 1sec spin-up will kill all NC MAXes ?

For VS Zealot shield, I suppose it's a damage reduction variant of the NC aegis shield ? Or does it is also large enough to protect several infantry behind the MAX ?

What CMDante said.

Do something to make them worth 450 nanites.

Give me radar depending on what weapons I have equipped.

Anti-air 1000M range
Anti-infantry 50M range
Anti-vehicle 500 range

I'm still waiting for the TR anchor spikes animation when the Max locks down.....

Ambusher style jump jets with a longer cool down timer or limited number of uses between reloading at an infantry terminal.

Maxes can be vehicle fodder for road kills due to their speed. This would give them a chance to get out of the way at least once a life.

I'd make it so they can't be pulled if the hex pop is lower than 12 v 12. So many good small fights ruined by scrubs bringing a max (or 2) against 4 or 5 players capping a point.

In fact I'd be happy for them to be removed from the game completely, although that would never happen.

So now reading some of the other posts.

I think that vehicles should take damage when they run into a max - the smaller the vehicle, the more damage they should take.

I definitely think a Max punch should do damage to vehicles.
Shouldn't take more than a punch or two to take out a flash.
Manage to get of 3-4 punches on a harasser, then it deserves to be destroyed.
6-10 on an MBT or Sunder (of course, more if it has a deploy shield or barricade armor), isn't too out of hand is it?

I mean you have to get all the way up to the vehicle or have the vehicle roll-up on you before you can punch with it.
Risk versus reward, right?

Make Maxes equal for all factions is my first change hope.

Maxes should not be used to attack from "9999999999" meters to destroy and push back masses, Tanks and Aircraft is made for that. Right now Max unit is just something random, 70% of players don't even use.
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1. Give Max a shield like in " Overwatch, big radius shield so it can engage in big infantry battles "
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2. Max should have 3 "weapons:
* Big metal Knuckles (when equipped movement speed is also increased to compensate firearms)

* Shield and Sword * Shield has a 2 meter radius " can even protect a sunder if stays in front of it, shield can only be recharged back slowly by engineers or with (shield energy capsule from marketplace)". Sword should have a charge skill on right click "1,2,3 GO! ", like a rush skill through enemies.

* Self Destruct " You are the last man standing, yet you have no chance to survive against 96+ enemies, this skill allows you to die with honor, you self destruct which destroy the max and everything around it with a power of 4 C4 ARX. When self destruct is activated it will take 3 seconds to take effect, also it will make a sound " imagine predator self destruct " , this way some may have a chance to avoid max self destruct skill.

All factions should have the same weapons, the only difference will be in the look of the 3d model and texture.

4. excuse my english as is not my main language

Definite, universal. Hope you can all agree on:
Give Charge back.

Give a travel mode. Suggested: 2 second Engage/disengage time. Weapons disabled from start of enable time to end of disable. Run speed +60%, no strafing.

Less Universal, hope you like:
Give the VS guys something special again. Make it bold. If they regain "best max" title, so be it. (single use retro rocket, to let them jump Planetside 1 style for example)
Give the NC something that will actually work out to say 35m so they can close the gap a bit with TR in medium range. Cert for a Gun modifier perhaps: "Rifled long barrels" for some of the slug shotguns.
Give the TR something that increases CoF and Damage so they can close the gap a bit with NC in short range. Cert for a gun modifier: Smooth bore cannons.

Make a "frontal armor" and buff it (incl explosive resist) by 40%.

Give ES melee weapons for a single arm.