Dogfight Lock-on Flaming

Discussion in 'PlanetSide 2 Gameplay Discussion' started by Kifsator, Jul 28, 2014.

  1. Takoita

    I'm not sure why guided weaponry is such a big problem for some people. This is a sci-fi shooter, not a WWI biplane simulator ffs!

    The way missiles interact with flares and dodging may need some changes, but given how ridiculously agile ESF can be in this game, I think that missiles need to be resistant to 'just shaking it off'.
    • Up x 1
  2. YoMamaLlama

    The correct thing to do is to ignore them. I got *****ed at by two seperate pilots from two separate factions in one night because of my lock-ons, both of whom won those dogfights mind you and didn't seem to have any problem with the pilots they were flying with using them. Meanwhile all day I've been arguing with players on Reddit over the lock-ons.

    The worst thing about it is that it's coming from high BR players, most of whom are skilled enough that they know how to shake a lock. It's shocking how pissy they get that you even had the gall to use something that was put in the game. These players have some twisted holier than thou attitude that ruins the game more than weapons they complain about. If they had their druthers they'll likely do the same to Annihilators and Skyguards because that "ruins the experience for new players."

    I'm fed up with it. Honestly I am.
  3. [NNG]WillTerry

    Honestly, who cares?
  4. FishMcCool

    You disrupted their farm. Therefore, hate tell.
    • Up x 2
  5. TTex11

    Lockons are underwhelming when you use them on your own. People who've mastered flying and shooting at the same time will take you apart without any trouble with their rotary/afterburner loadout unless you really manage to get the drop on them.

    Their real power is in support of a group. Fly as part of an air wing, mix it up with people using afterburners/rotaries as tacklers, and those who use default noseguns/tomcats as support and hanging back. It's a very potent combination that can sweep the skies if it doesn't get countered by a similar force.

    Tomcats are in a good place now, ignore those who rage at you about it. These are the "sky knights" who are outraged that their way of flying is no longer the only method to fight in the air. Use the right tool for the job and prosper.
    • Up x 1
  6. Kifsator

    This. Something as 'analog' as projectile lead actually seems more archaic than the already dated "heat seeking" lock on technology. We are thousands of years ahead in this game, people!
  7. Runegrace

    It's amazing how much that can affect people. I've been jumped by several people at once, and the moment you tag someone with a Coyote salvo they break off, giving you better odds.

    You often just need to use just one salvo on someone for the pacing of the fight to change.
    • Up x 1
  8. WTSherman

    You know, I might actually try this at some point. I've been meaning to at least try some sort of flying for variety's sake, but have been putting it off because PS2's flight model is so broken different from the flight sims I'm used to, and my dogfighting ability has never been top-tier in the first place. Picking off sky knights while they're busy dogfighting someone else sounds like it might be fun though. :D

    If transportation was actually a thing in this game I might have tried my hand at the Gal, but well, redeployside. >_>
    • Up x 1
  9. Xervous

    Though the recent change allowing squad members to deploy in galaxies did give them a purpose, though it's somewhat lackluster in its general application.

    *looks at AFK skybox gal*
  10. skifton



    Honestly it was probably an adult who thinks they're better than everyone else who flies, just because they don't use lock ons.

    Seriously, this game is about SO much more than that.

    I'll admit, I get a *little* annoyed by lockon spammers too, but if you want to open up an air engagement with a lock-on missile, by all means, do it! It's effective and it DOES help newer pilots gain a little confidence and have a little fun in the air.

    My honest advice: Let it go completely, ignore his/her tells *completely*. Not only will it diffuse the situation, but it usually ends up making them even more frustrated. They sent you those tells to get under your skin, if you respond, generally, it lets them know it worked.

    Works for me anyway.
    • Up x 2
  11. Quipster

    This is good advice. Either that, or if you feel you must respond, troll the **** out of them. :D

    The other day I got some hate for playing defensively, never overextending and not letting myself get tunnel visioned. Something about farming and being a ***** or something... My reply was "There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots. But there are no old bold pilots."

    To which I of course got some garbled mess of letters and cursewords, but it made me chuckle, and that's really what matters.
    • Up x 2
  12. skifton


    skifton2 in-game. Add me to friends and we'll fly sometime. I love smart pilots. :)
  13. TTex11

    Find yourself a group of friends or an organized wing that communicates together and your experience will be unlike anything else in the air. Even a small group of 3 or 4 people working in tandem with complimenting loadouts can have a huge impact. Even tough targets like Galaxies and Liberators end up going down pretty fast when they get focus fired by these groups.
  14. Tyrant103

    Lock-on'd and rammed, lmao. I'm sure that would p*ss someone off.
    • Up x 1
  15. Gleerok


    I will upload a new video soon, and there you'll see several examples of total psychological unbalance caused by Coyotes XD.
    • Up x 1
  16. nightbird


    If they all line up face to face maybe, any obstacles including friendly or enemy ESFs will break the lockon process. Once distance is closed, locking on is much harder and the lack of AB will hurt. That been said, I think all lock-ons should be removed from game or have tracking distance nerfed. It's just a boring mechanic.
  17. Predatorv2

    A2A lockons only need to lose their lock faster, when your target gets out of your cross hair or flies behind a obstacle. This mechanic is still too forgiving. Maybe even introduce a small chance, to "evade" tomcats, when you are in a perfect hover duel stance, where you got high vertical speed (reverse thrust) and nearly a 90% angle.

    Coyotes are pretty much fine as they are. They only need to scale with stealth in some way. Maybe reduce the auto lockon range (currently around 5m) by 33-50% when enemy ESF got stealth equipped.
  18. Obstruction

    the only thing they really need to change with tomcats and coyotes is that ESF secondaries continue to reload while you're firing the primary.

    they'd still do their job for lower skill players, and not be nearly as abused by high skill players and gank-squads if you had to stay on the secondary for the reload cycle to complete.

    even rocket primary heavies have to stay on the rocket launcher for the whole reload cycle. just saying.
    • Up x 1
  19. Riku

    What better reason is there to keep using a weapon than it making your enemy rage and basically admit they just got owned by a noob?

    Sincerely,
    a noob
  20. Flag

    As we're soon-to-be server buddies, here's why:
    Because then the good pilots will use them too. And then what little chance the newbies had in the air evaporates.

    That's why.