Check out the changes headed this way (new PTS notes)

https://forums.daybreakgames.com/ps2/index.php?threads/pts-update-04-18.245553/

I'm still reading through it, but the first thing I noticed were major nerfs to launchers and also pods.

don't forget the tank cannon changes, though i think it's silly for them to add more velocity to AP given that they normalized AP/HEAT/HE velocity to make it easier for tank users in general having only one drop profile to deal with.

let's not forget the tank reload speed changes that are percentage based rather then a flat increase.

vanguard? seems like it'll be much easier to kill on it's flanks but then again that doesn't factor in the damage changes to tank cannons.

not liking the front/side armor changes though making you take the same damage from the side is dumbing down the game a bit, reducing the skill requirements a bit on using tanks effectively.

i get they want to simplify things but any idiot can protect his rear side, it takes people with a bit more brains to use their tank effectively when they know they'll take more damage from the sides then the front and then weigh their options for engaging the enemy.

Vanguard
Health increased from 4000 to 6000. An increased health pool is now what establishes Vanguard’s toughness compared to other vehicles. Previously, it had higher armor and resist values. In most cases, this means resist values will be identical to other main battle tanks.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAAHAHAHHA gasps HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
Yep, developers are mentally ********.
Sincerely, you are morons.

So much stuff, I'm really liking what I'm seeing, on one hand, I will be sad to see the 'i win button' gone for the vanny, but on the other, it does really need to be changed.

Have you ever driven a vanny?

I do not like the tank primary shell type damage changes at all; watering it all down so it makes little difference.

If you choose HE, then you should not be dueling with tanks. You're an infantry, light armor and secondary anti tank position.

The REAL solution for this issue, which........ /sigh ..many have been asking for, for ages, is:

Give ammo resupply stations the ability to swap vehicle loadouts. This could optionally require a passive cert line that would speed up the process, i.e., lvl 1 takes 20 seconds, lvl 5 takes 7

Give Engy a new passive cert line that allows them to swap out teammate vehicle loadouts in the field. A vehicle would select a new loadout, then press a "request swap" hotkey, and this would place a special symbol over the vehicle that would display for teammates. Engys would then go over and use their repair tool to process the swap.

Speed of the Engy swap would be set by the passive cert line.

THAT, is how you handle bad loadouts in the field. This is something that has sorely needed addressing from day one. We are way overdue for it.

The Vanguard Shield is being changed from a health based over-shield, to an armor bonus now called ‘Forward Vanguard Shield’. When activated, the shield reduces incoming damage to the front and top by 67% and to the sides by 34%. Now lasts 8 seconds and damage taken cannot end the effect early.

Often referred to as the ‘I-win-Button’ the Vanguard shield was frustrating to play against and useful in almost every situation. This change forces more thoughtful decision making on when to use the ability, also resulting in more counter-play.

As I said before, dear devs, you are morons that dont even play your own game.

the only difference it will really make is tank fights will be more drawn out, but more survivable against infantry AV. seems like the changes will make it more important for infantry and vehicles to have each other nearby in support. (and willing to support each other, fat chance of that)

tanks will be more survivable in general, so in tank combat even in smaller numbers the tanker with support close to hand with have more of an edge (when retreating) more health means they can survive longer retreating towards allies and making it more important for tankers in general to have support close by so they can kill retreating enemy vehicles quickly.

still hoping they'll give us a co-axial kobalt for close range defense under driver control.

I'm really not liking much of anything listed there.

Seems like everybody's getting hit with nerfs or unwanted/unnecessary changes.

Good things getting nerf'd, bad things getting nerf'd, not really looking forward to any of this. I guess I'll have to see how it all plays out in practice, but I don't have high hopes.

Again, one feels like these changes are based on developer in-game frustrations.

Being able to change a game in order to suit one's ideal experience doesn't make the changes right.

This game is rapidly making itself potential prey for the next epic MMOFPS.

They literally changed everything. 1k difference in HP with no resistances, compare to prowlers or mags 5k HP, also considering that weapons in general changed, that is far too early to be making scoff.

I concur. The vanguard is still an incredibly slow and far less rounded vehicle than the other two, a sort of I win button was not a good step but it mitigated the bad qualities of just being a vanguard (inb4 hydraulic jokes)

I wouldn't see this as a nerf, they literally changed how armor and resistances work completely.

I definitely sense that with the lolpod changes. They were the primer anti infantry weapon for wings for the ESF, the extra AoE made it stand out over the AI nosegun of each faction. Frankly if they want things to be harder to aim at then thermals would not be a bad reinstatement.

The thing is they barely touched the damage and only touched the AoE, making them more like HE rounds, the thing is that HE is garbage because it has one big (supposedly) lethal payload and a terrible reload right after. Rockets however, have a sustained stream of pain that generally ignores flak with enough shots, but however AGAIN flak makes a 4 shot kill an 8 shot kill for reavers, and more for scythes and mossys, now with direct damage reduced, I don't feel the AoE nerf was necessary because now you can't aim directly for the infantry that can tank 8 rockets. Rather the direct damage could have taken a nerf but the AoE seemed fine.








As for me, I'm still processing this new information. I am glad, confused, annoyed, glad again, etc. Changing an entire system is like taking a kid who played mario all his life and showing him metal gear, hard for most people to process right off the bat.

LUCKILY, vehicles in the limited ratio aspect are the easiest to test in PTS due to you not encountering many vehicles on live in the first place, however this will really come down to testing a large scale for infantry fights.

Mostly these changes seem to be making the system more simpler for future changes and iterations, much like lowering the amount of rules for dodgeball, you can make clearer calls and make changes to the current rules far more easily than just changing one thing and watching the entire system crash down on it. I HOPE that this means that they will be watching this more intently, they have touched a TON of weapons, vehicles, how armor works and etc, before we make judgement calls, we really ought to test this.

EDIT:
Missed the small little detail that this is an overview. Not actually on PTS, my bad.
I am concerned on the better reload speeds with heavy rocket launchers and vehicle interaction. Heavies getting more than enough ammo to kill a lot of stuff.

Also concerned about AI weaponry, I get that they want topguns to be more versatile but every single aspect of versatile brings it away from staving off infantry. With the HE or whatever hesh they want to call it, being used in regular tank combat, I think they expect us to use it in tank/infantry combat. The thing however is that the AoE or even just the kill circle, the reload, its all just bleh, it wasn't good for AI in the first place. I don't need a cannister or maurader or even PPA to be able to fight tanks, thats why I picked it, to fight infantry.
I really hope we get a coax gun for infantry if this is the case.

I thought they'd nerf the halberds 1hko on infantry.
Making me more and more glad I stopped subbing at the start of the year.

MRW reading patchnotes, especially about Gatekeeper.

Throw "Forward Station" away. KIWF

Ok, so with the dmg nerf on harassers and buffed health, doing harasser sneak attacks (one of its roles)is a thing of the past as TTK goes up so much, you will basically be wasted by the target ir by other surrounding vehicles, as the harassers health is unchanged... gg

But, am i seeing a buff to the magrider? Holy crap, i dont even...
Wait, increased velocity... great, even less chance of dodging incoming shots due to the ***** inertia nerf a while back....

What Mag buff? AP projectile velocity (small) buff and faster reload is pointless when AP is becoming a niche option. If anything Mags will have much harder time against any tank. It doesn't matter that Mag will be able to fire more shots in the same time if its TTK is 2x less than Prowler.

To anyone freaking out over the massive damage reductions of everything... It's because vehicles are gonna lose their flat damage resistance (to simplify player-facing math and info), so things that hurt vehicles need to be adjusted accordingly.

I read it all the way through and I'm not happy. ANOTHER Fury nerf? I bought dual furys for my battle bus with (then called) Station Cash. It already got a splash nerf, thermal nerf and now a massive reduction in its damage.

And my favourite secondary the Halberd also hit with the nerf hammer. In fact pretty much everything is nerfed.

I get the resistance thing too but surely this is too much to change in one go?

Also why is the Vanguard getting a health pool that is 1000 more than other MBTs?

probably because it lost it's armor resist advantage from the front, gatekeeper didn't need changes and halberd doesn't need to be nerfed.

halberd to hit an infantryman takes skill and is punishing if you miss and it requires a direct hit, infantry are small targets that can evade quite well if they want to, if they get hit by a halberd it should kill them just like tank shells.

No one seems to have mentioned aircraft remaining the same (for now) whilst infantry anti vehicle weapons will be nerfed. There goes infantry G2A it seems..........

Whilst I cannot assess the impact on vehicle vs vehicle combat, the impact on the ever-popular vehicle vs infantry explosive spam game appears rather drastic (and not in favour of the infantry)......or am I misreading it all?