We have Vehicle shields, we have infantry shields, why not air shields. As a quick fix for the mass air superiority, and to give the masses what they want (infantry focused combat). A simple base redesign could era in a 2 generator system powering an air shield dome. Preventing ESF and Liberators from entering the area or bombing, and also giving a further objective for infantry to destroy/defend/repair. As far as the layers go, it would be one of the last accesible generators to destroy before the SCU. Naturally, armour can penetrate the air shield, but would still need to rely on infantry to compromise the vehicle shield at the perimeter. No need for more maps, no need to nerf air, a simple base redesign to assist defenders and close the gaps would turn these stations into big infantry fights with a reason to hold them - they are one of the few places that can be held by infantry only. What do you blokes reckon?
What would the air shields cover exactly? You're not using the grav lift near the landing pads are you? Because if you are you deserve to be Zephered to hell.
It's not a bad idea. Adds more depth to capturing the main structures than what we currently have. At least if the ground vehicle shields went down, the defenders would still have a chance, since infantry can at least fight tanks.
Bio labs seem to be well built all around, it's really one true facility that you could exercise all units be it infantry, ground vehicles, or air for both defending and attacking. I don't think further changes are ncessary in bio labs. It's defensible, which is a switch in this game. But it's also able to be conquered by playing your strategy right. Amp station has it done right with shields and generators, plus the facility is built with many spots not accessible by vehicles. I wouldn't mind seeing an anti air shield dome, and have it drop once the generators are down like the tank shields. So if denders want to keep air out, they gotta protect the generators. If they don't, they deserve to get bombed. The new tech plant right now is a 50/50 thing, I've been in good fights where lots of ground fights occur outside where the generators are. But I've also been in miserable fights where air bombed the living crap out of the defenders running out. I'm not sure if anything further should be done to the tech plants. I liked it before, but I'm adapting to the new tech plants. If SOE would just make sure AA and turrets work better, then a shield is definitely not needed.
Right now the phalanx (AA) turret is next to useless, and also shows why no one uses them. If they had better range or accuracy then the problem would be fixed, as it is, the Libs can just hover at the ceiling around 900m and not get touched.
I made this suggestion a few times before. Currently the bigger bases have an vehicle shield/door at the main gate that must be disabled before the armor/vehicles can get into the courtyard of the base. Air is unaffected by it because they can easily fly over the walls and camp the courtyard. In reality it should be a case of vehicles, whether air or ground, being held by the same rules. If there is a shield that holds tanks, sundys, flashes, at bay until disabled.. there should be the same mechanic for all vehicles. Something akin to a dome shield to enforce the same rules on vehicles of the air. You could literally tie it to the same generator the gate shields use.
I made this suggestion in another thread: Give more bases a shield dome enemy air units can't shoot through (maybe ground units can't, too). But they should be able to fly (drive) through. This way you would reduce the distance you have to the enemy aircraft and you can shoot them more easy. So it's impossible for enemy liberators flying at 1km altitude to bomb the base and if they want to they risk of getting shot by infantry. Plus maybe a mobile shield generator so tank or infantry columns can travel easier. But at least the mobile generators should be able to be destroyed by shooting on the shield.
If you made them the same as the gate shields, infantry could still go through them. Which would still allow for galaxy hot dropped squads.
I think the people complain less about the few galaxy dropps people make as about the liberators and rocket pods. But maybe massive MAX dropps would be the new problem...
This is an interesting idea I'll admit I thought about this as well. I would think it should be only an umbrella shield though just covering the top of the base and not a bubble shield like the impenetrable shields. That way great pilots can try and strafe at high speeds and close range and still be effective but they'd be close enough where bursters can destroy them. I would say this shield should one of the earliest to get compromised. However I agree with this person also:
I always thought air shields were an awesome feature in PS1. Gave incentive to put defenders on the shield so air couldn't bomb or spam the bleep out of it ^^
I think the tech plants are fine without it, the flak turrets are close to the main part of the base instead of on the outer rim, and all the flak turrets when manned can throw up a good wall of flak. As for amp stations, it could prove interesting. Unfortunately they aren't circles, so they would have to mess with the shape of the shield, or make the shield connect between large towers.
I think it has a lot to do with base design. The vanu tech plant on indar, for example, does not have aa turrets at its satellites (except for the air pad to the sw). This makes it really hard to mount any effective AA for defenders at the gate and attackers in general since the closest ground AA they have is the west checkpoint. Just about every other tech plant I've seen you get a couple AA turrets at the satellite bases so I'm not sure why this one is so drastically different.
Arent they surrounded by AA and ground cannons on the walls? That and your own factions are the airshield. If you put too much more in you cant even airdrop in to get behind the walls to drop the shields. No way over the wall means that the controlling faction can spawn their own tanks inside and then just spam the holes that the infantry can run through.
