ESF infantry farming is out of hand

I can't keep track of everyone's opinions now can I!

I don't really agree. If an equal number of air units arrive in unison the tables are turned again. If it takes multiple AA units to kill or deter a one aircraft, then surely 12 ESFs shouldn't be prevented from entering the air above a hex occupied by 12 AA units of whatever variety may be there. The moment the AA isn't all focusing a target it becomes much weaker, and without coordination it might as well be outnumbered anyway. I agree the system needs an overhaul. But then again, who doesn't agree with that?

I think often not everyone is equipped to handle the issue appropriately. A single lighting killing the only sundy is a big issue just like one A2G aircraft, but if one doesn't have the effective counters such as a well-certed vehicle or MAX it's probably better not to even try. Instead, repairing or otherwise attempting to minimize the damage is better than an ineffective attempt at stopping the threat.

The problem about focus-firing on an ESF with small arms is less about the effectiveness per say, and more about the vulnerabilities of doing so. If not enough players all choose to fire on their own, whoever does will draw a lot of attention to themselves while firing low-damage rounds at a distant and relatively small target. Their eyes will be off the ground so they can just be shot in the head with ease and their guns will be draining the magazines quite quickly. The ESF will be taking chip damage from bullets losing damage over range while simultaneously not receiving the majority of rounds unless quite close to the shooter. If everyone all suddenly starts firing at once they'll decimate it, but chances are they're not just alone in the area. There will be other infantry and vehicles and all that crap to contend with at the same time, not to mention the targeted ESF itself.

But worst of all, the odds of killing are quite low against a half-competent pilot. Even just flying away in a straight line will cut the volume of fire received from small arms by a large amount and will take mere seconds to exceed their maximum ranges. It works in theory but not in practice.

It sounds good, but that's without armour or fire suppression in a no-stress environment where accuracy is unrealistically higher against a static target with a ping of 0. If it moved it'd already take way more shots purely because some shots will miss. And then there's the matter of can every man in the squad stop and fire? A Banshee can absolutely wreck one or three of them in no time at all and be gone before everyone's even taken aim if they're too close together.

But even then! One player uses an ESF to get multiple kills and the multiple players all coordinating share a single kill amongst them. That's just not fun.

So the options with small arms fire is to either:

1. Drop everything and potentially die to the target or other enemies to limit the kills the target is able to reap in one instance
2. Ignore and maybe it won't target you
3. Be unable to do anything at all and instead complain on the forums

It's just not a realistic solution.

I mean, it works both ways. If the pilot decides to pull maneuvers then yeah, it will be difficult to hit him with small arms but it will also be difficult for him to fire at the ground with any degree of accuracy.

We can talk about scenarios and what's realistic or not. If, say, you're trying to push into a point building and are exchanging fire with the defenders and some ESF decides to lolpod, then it's over, obviously. My gripe is when you're pushing a point building, meet no resistance outside the building itself, some ESF decides to lolpod and everyone just takes it instead of shooting back.

Like I said, it's not "good" AA but it's more effective than your average planetman gives it credit for.

Also I'd love to see 12 AA vs 12 ESF. I don't agree with your take, I actually think the AA people will be at an advantage. The problem with air is that unlike us ground pounders, they can't really take cover or hide their presence, the AA people will see them coming. And because of how easy AA is to use, it will be able to work a number on the ESF before they get in range to effectively employ their A2G.

Remember the good ol' days of Planetside? Forming a gunline of locked down Burster MAXes outside a warpgate and obliterating any flyer that dared poke their nose out.

we've been over this a milltion times last month, last year, the year before that.

At the end of the day, whether you explain it in one way or another, whether you provide a solution or another, whether it would be balanced if the infantry simply shot at the esf with their guns, whether AA counters them or not, basically, whatever you say, everyone agrees that this is an issue.

Yes?

I mean that's a fact right? Right now, as things stand, and for whatever reason, we got a problem..

Im having a hard time farming with all these ground to air lock on rocket launchers every NC soldier seems to have.

You have to learn to really hug terrain and have a tree or hill close by to break their lock. They have to hold it for a couple seconds and if you drop behind a rock for a quick second they have to start over. Stealth increases their lock time by an additional second. Lock-ons eventually turn in to a complete non-threat. It's Strikers and spawnroom Bursters that will lock you out of a fight.