Engineers: how often do you use the turret?

I have used the turret in different situations and basically don't find it useful except in rare cases. Outdoors, I find its range is too poor when compared to how it quickly draws vehicles or snipers. Indoors it needs quite a bit of support, basically in large fights it is ok for holding a point. In Small to medium it just seems one is easily flanked or sniped (heck, I routinely scope in and drop players on a turret with just a 3.4x scope). For spawn camping.... well, far too much spawn camping in PS2 due to poor design and I don't consider this a 'strength' since spawn camping is easy on any class.

Basically, I just don't use it. I am better off doing anything else 99.9% of the time. Like repairing maxes or using my gun (which is just better at killing than the turret now that it is decked out).

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=> to me, being headshot is its greatest weakness. I personally feel the shield should just cover all gunfire from the front. If players flank, then they can hit you and I find from firing on them that you don't need to flank much to get some exposed legs.

=> or maybe some certs to improve the gun? (I don't see any anywhere, other than cool down times, which are a waste of certs). That and maybe an ability to activate a temp shield, that blurs your view (so harder to shoot accurately) but allows one to sustain some more damage for a little while. Something.

i use turret. When i hide in a room, i often place a turret in the opposite side where people that enter the room will be able to see it. So, they'll look at it and i can shoot them.

I only use the turret to block a pathway a bit, or like Yeo-Yin said, as a decoy. It's practically worthless. Others have said they use it as a depoyable shield, which i just haven't gotten around to doing. I'm usually dropping ammo and repairing, and since the repair gun sucks at actually repairing, that's a lot of time

Frequently on bio lab defenses (and other areas where jump pads and lifts are used to access important areas).

Occasionally as place-able cover in random locations.

Every time I choose to join the eternal Crown assault, on the west bridge under-girders where I can protect the push from infantry attempting to flank by sliding down the hill, and I'm shielded from most sniper and vehicle fire.

Never out in the open.

Although for full disclosure, I'm rarely playing engineer on foot anymore. I'm usually in other roles, as dictated by what my outfit needs at the moment.

Always for defense.

Turret in the corner of a room placed so it's radius covers either edge of the visible doors.
In defense situations I also use proxy mines at the doors as well.

When defending a sunderer from infs while raiding, it is a good idea to have the turret in a location away from it because there will generally be someone with rocket pods.

I use the turret as a decoy or to "block" a door...

never use it for shooting and it's kinda sad

Once or twice a day... Maybe, depends on what is happening, I do not just plant it everywhere and use it.
If there is a strategic place and time to use it, I use it, else, I just keep it in my pocket.

I think I've used it once. I'm still not clear what the term Mana has to do with the turret.

I've used it MAYBE once. In all honesty, I'd rather the ACE tool deploy an ammo station or something useful than locking me in place like that.

Personal playstyle, but mobility is life to me.

To me the turret is more of a suppression device than a practical mow down your enemies device.

I'll use it defending rooms, and choke points but honestly I don't use it much at all. I'm waiting for that deployable shield they talked about ages ago, or perhaps the AT turret that has also yet to materialize.

Very often, circumstantially. If you don't count vehicle piloting i use it most combat zones I play Engineer in. The trick is to play to its strengths and not its weaknesses. It's actually very good in relatively cramped indoor settings, as long as you are experienced enough to know when to bail out (and when to stay in). Your head is a much smaller target than their entire body, they're hipfiring, you don't even have recoil. Use Claymores to cover rear angles. Do not deploy where every sniper and their mom can see you. Medium-range with a significant height advantage and sniper protection is the best deploy area.

Hit 'B' (your change fire mode button) with your ACE tool: your turret is now another ammo pack (Way more useful to your allies than a silly turret).

You're welcome.

The few times I have encountered a situation where a turret would be useful, one or more friendlies danced around in front of me after I set it up. I've used it a couple times as a decoy or as a shield, but it is mostly a useless ability.

As a medic, I love turrets because they provide a stationary source of XP as I revive the gunner over and over.

Because it blows.. I mean glows

Rarely. Mostly as a makeshift cover or in certain situations(a couple of spots in the biolab or techplants)

And I thought I was the only *** that did this ;D

And by the time they realize its a trap, it's too late..

I do this too. Makes for a good 'Oh crap' delay on their part.

I use it as temporary scaffolding to climb up something sometimes, and other times I use it as "mine camo". So to all tankers out there, if you are driving along a road and see a turret sitting in the middle seemingly out of place.....it's safe to drive over it, I promise!

Same as everyone else here, it seems. I only use it for cover / blocking doorways.