Have lv 1 flares be auto acquired like the extra afterburners. That way everyone has SOME defense. Lower the cost for upgrading in the lower levels by about 50 certs, and the high level ones by 100 or so. The only balance problem I see is air superiority. I have AA rockets on my scythe, and if the enemy has no flares, I win. That is, if I stay far enough away, that he's not going to pursue me. A skilled pilot, however, can outshoot, outmaneuver, and outkill better, no matter what weapons are on the ESF. Flares do need to be easier to get though
This is a better idea. Those players that cert specific weapons for Air Superiority role shouldn't be nerfed to uselessness. Maybe pilots should actually play strategically in enemy airspace and use the terrain to block A2A tracking weapons? I do enjoy dogfights, but when I cert into all air Superiority weapons and equipments, I should be able to fill that role completely. I see no problem making flares free from beginning and allow certing the cooldown to a shorter time not a problem. New players shouldn't be thrown into combat without going through a better explanation of the gameplay content. SOE needed to make a VR training mission system like PS1, even a sanctuary, but apparently explaining the combat to new players in more depth not important to the dev team by any measure. We do get a bunch of UI elements that explain the UI, though it would be far better if we have a sanctuary/VR Training and the mission system like in PS1. Just look at how the new players start... Let me repeat this again because sometime people don't read things too through, Starting free decoy flares to new pilots is GOOD and could be upgraded to reduce cooldown is also good. Also making the stealth armor permanently reduce enemy lock on range for weapons that can target it is also a good idea. Please make stealth vehicles have a permanent (F222 Raptor) armor ability to reduce the range enemy G2A/A2A weapon platforms can lock on to the pilots air vehicle, but maybe reduce the total health of the plane? I don't really want to see any more nerfs for A2A weapons to the point of uselessness, but that does not mean I see no reason for other armor/vehicles to have better permanent balanced counter to hostile tracking weapons at a disadvantage in another regard. For people that want to dogfight please allow them to do so with permanent armor that makes hostile tracking weapon platforms range shorter, with a disadvantage in another area/role. Then increase the range of A2A to much larger to compensate for the role of the vehicle. Also make permanent stealth armor that is free to cert but can be increase to reduce hostile tracking weapon platforms to a small range. If we are going to use fictional gameplay elements that act in similar ways to modern way (in gameplay elements, EG don't know how the NC guns fire their ammunition), we should at least use the counters available in modern warfare in PS2 with its fictional gameplay elements. New players should have at least some counter (Decoy Flares/Permanent Stealth armor)to A2A/G2A weapons that can be further certed to take much more advantage in it and lose the advantage in other areas.
Wait we have Lock-On timers for vehicle stealth and the flares decoy system, maybe just make the decoy flares available from the start? I don't understand the OPs point about A2A weapons being over-powered... I realize now making permanent vehicle stealth is a Bad idea. So please ignore it. Aircraft would sit just outside lockout range and spam rockets in the same location...In fact it would be better if A2A lockon range was increased to stop players that spam and hover rockets like a apache gunship...rambo A2A is fine if level 1 certed BASIC decoy flares were free from beginning, just play strategically pilots...
A2A missiles are for special players only. Nobody with any shred of decency (or skill for that matter) would be caught dead using them. Now that I've cleared my chest of all nerdrage, I think the easiest solution is to lower the cooldown on flares. 40 seconds at level one is waaaay too long, especially when you have 2 derpwads, I mean "pilots" tracking you with them. At some point you shoud be able to negate them entirely with enough cert points spent in flares and stealth...doesn't matter if we're talking in the thousands.
This is why I think that they need to change the way A2A missiles work. There is a place for them in this game.....it's just to insanely easy to lock on and fire and move on to your next target. It takes any enjoyment/skill out of dogfighting. I agree....we should get flares from the start. I'm sick of the whole "oh you didn't kill me with ur nosegun...you're lame" whine....A2A needs to have some form of value (i.e. how the Wasp worked in PS1) of skill and be a challenge to use so that there is some merit behind getting a kill with them.
Yes, blame your own lack on ability on the special players that take advantage of it and kill you. Brilliant job chap.
They are used for aircraft against aircraft like Liberators and Galaxies that have a good amount of turrets covering each avenue of attack from fighter pilots (exception, liberator has no side turrets), since the devs seem to be constrantly lowering reavers, scythes and mossys health. They are also good again players that fly in high altitudes thinking they are the only fighter aircraft in the sky. They are very easy to dodge/avoid in certain areas of the mountainous part of the map. Don't see why people find them so difficult to avoid, especially in the case of pilots making full use of decoy flares and stealth armor. Liberators should have a hard time against A2A missles because their role is fire support, so they should be at a severe disadvantage to pilots that cert to fill the CAP role (Close Air Patrol). I can understand making the first tier of Decoy Flares free, as a compromise for new players, playing against people that have/will have partially/fully certed weapons. I am perfectly fine with getting hit by A2A weapons without decoy flares/stealth armor as a pilot because the ways I can escape them and respect the other hostile pilots by playing strategically. AGain adding decoy flares teir 1 free is something I can agree with. Also updating the aircraft UI/cockpit instruments to reflect where the missile lock on is coming from would be very beneficial.
Just letting you know that dog fighting doesn't even exist in today's tech. Most 'Dog fighting' happens before you can see your opponent. Your systems pick them up, you send a guided missile to them, done. Makes sense that this is somewhat how it is in game. At least you have a chance to dodge.
Why do PILOTS always complain that these take no skill when they get shot down by them, and somehow think rocket pods require such great skill to farm every single moving thing in the game. I find it just as easy to shoot someone down with nosegun and often faster than I do using these. They were already nerfed back in beta and the ONLY thing they do is shoot other aircraft. Because Rocket Pod is anti everything it still outnumbers pilots using these by at least 3 to 1. People can try to argue but the farmers br's say it all. Rocket pod is the ultimate farmer weapon and the people who are using them dont want to be bothered by anything while farming. Hence they hate AA and think it should only harass them and scare them off not killing them and A2A missles should not be killing them either, even though that is the only thing you are even able to attempt to do with that weapon. If you can hold a recticle over someone to lock on you can probably also hold your crosshairs over them to fire nosegun. Rocket pods take almost 0 skill just like a2a , against most pilots they are actually quite effective at aa and most pilots talk about how skilled they are for using them lol.
I have never dodged and incoming missle, even when i flew inside a building. They seem to completely weave around cliff walls as well. I have been using rocket pods because the best pilots can use them even a2a very very well, but lock on missiles are so easy, and flares only give you 5 sec protection and only 1. Why you can only use flares every 45-30 seconds is beyond me. Should just be a limited number of flares that can be used as needed.
Hahahaha! If you use A2A missiles, ever, it's a cop-out because you suck at flying. You can lock on an A2A missile moving your mouse with your feet. You can lock on an A2A missile 90 degrees off your direction of travel using mouse-look. It is literally not possible to lose an A2A encounter if you have A2A missiles. The easiest gun to use in the game, hands down. (including repair tool.
Bump up the A2A missiles speed and drastically reduce its maneuverability, what do you get? A A2A missile that is only really effective against stationary aircraft or hit if you predict their movement correctly. A2A missiles should be really good against aircraft that are hovering, flying in a straight line, or, if the user is skilled enough and shoot ahead of the target correctly, it has to be dodged. The HA-G2A rocket can be treated the same, it would be hard to hit a moving target, but still can if the user can predict the movement, which is hard.
Which is why I'd like to find a way for the DEVs to make using A2A more challenging (i.e. how this thread started in the first place)
Couple this with having to keep the target in the center of your HUD in order to keep missile lock and it would be perfect! I hate the "fire and forget"....we should have to hold Line of Sight in order to keep the lock!
Although there are some good ideas to make air gameplay more challanging, I would like to see no more threads started about changing this game anymore. Planetside 2 is not in beta anymore (well i believe that this is paid open beta) for one, and two the devs, Higby has access to more data on how ALL types of styles of gameplay work, let them determine what needs to be change based upon their DATA not just players opinions that cater to the PLAYERS personal game style. For me I use the reaver with whatever kills the best and fastest based upon the current enemy situation. And if the devs decide to change that i will change with it.
Seriously though, outruning or using terrain to dodge a missile is nearly impossible. I have never been able to dodge a missile and i even once flew through an garage of a base.
