Faction MAXes: How is your Faction Specific Ability?

Discussion in 'PlanetSide 2 Gameplay Discussion' started by Nilithium, Jun 18, 2017.

  1. Nilithium

    Hello MAXes of Auraxis! I come from the NC to ask the TR and VS: How are your MAX abilities? It's already conclusive that Emergency Repair and Ammo Storage Container are garbage.

    BUT.

    Each Faction has a specific ability that resembles their battle tank's ability. The TR Prowler and MAX have Lockdown, the NC has the Vanguard Shield and the Riot Shield, and the VS has Magburn and Zealot Overdrive.

    So, I'll start. The Riot Shield is the only saving grace for having shotguns that shoot confetti past 20 meters. It eats C4, tank shells, aircraft missiles, etc. and has saved my bacon more times that I can count. There are only two things that irk me:

    A: You can't reload behind the shield. This sounds reasonable until NC MAXes realized they can push the reload key, and then draw the shield, with the weapons on your arms actively reloading behind the shield. What's up with that?

    B: Despite the fact that the shield is mounted to your arm, you can't shield bash that LA that needs to learn the definition of personal space. A shield bash that would knock light units back would be nice.

    Just QOL changes, mainly. So, how's your Faction ability? Good? Bad? Somewhere in the middle?
  2. FateJH

    Ah, take caution about that. That's the sort of behavior that can lead to a dirty reload, where the client reloads properly on its own but the server doesn't think it ever finishes and continues to think you are in the middle of a reload cycle. It will then proceed to invalidate every shot in your magazine until your next reload.
  3. Morpholine

    For VS, you can equip an ability that makes you glow shoot-me pink, makes you take MORE damage, and boosts your damage output within 5 whole meters.

    Sometimes it's referred to as the suicide button.

    Emergency repair is awesome in comparison.
    • Up x 2
  4. No0T

    A cool ability for a max vvould be this... vvatch minute 2:56... and remmember to breath after.

    Or if you like the cone effect 4:56... Hovv about that for an ability !!

  5. Weylin

    And TR get a button that makes every C4 in a 3km radius fling itself into killing distance of you

    Like, what does it do, make your bullets go a little faster while you beg for 3 archer rounds to the skull?
  6. FateJH

    To the AoE rthing: as an EMP effect, it'd be a bit too useful unless it were an arm weapon and, even then, it'd still be too powerful. The only thing that holds back the grenade from being overdone is a resupply requirement and a nanite cost. The same would be true were it were a concussion effect instead. A simple knockback wouldn't be useful at all. A flash (grenade) effect might be suitable. It occupies a unique position as debilitating but not overwhelming, though it shares the same concerns as the prior two grenade examples.

    I'd feel bad, though, because that's the second of the Light Assault's special grenades given to another class in some form (free smoke grenades are already pretty much everywhere where a UBGL can fit).

    The second thing you highlight really doesn't do anything that the MAX needs to be any more effective. It's already good at demolishing stuff if it knows what it is doing with its tools.
    • Up x 1
  7. Nody

    It actually has it's uses for example when going AA duty or if you're really suicidal and go long range AV with Fractures. Compare that to VS where you literally speaking will not only glow a bright pink light to show everyone you're using your ability you'll also take MORE damage and deal LESS damage beyond 10m. That's right; if you are not hugging range you deal LESS damage while glowing showing everyone to shoot at you.

    That is Wrel's idea of "being possibly OP" as noted when implemented; VS are still waiting almost FOUR FLIPPING YEARS to get an ES ability that is not an outright nerf in every situation.
  8. MasterOhh

    Allmost all NC Maxes I come across have the shield equipped, while you hardly see any max using Lockdown and even less using ZOE. That should answer your question about the usefullness of the ES max abillities.
    • Up x 2
  9. Kristan

    I love Lockdown. Though I never use it for AI purpose, it's certain death. But for AV and AA duty it's amazing.
    • Up x 1
  10. No0T

    I can tell you really have this well thought all what you say is true... Specially that maxes would "not" benefit at all from a knock back effect... Oh and certainly droping an emp around you each 1 minute and a half like autorepair ability would be broken because of the blue cost not paid... Except 450 blues pays for 18 emps. Thanks for the comments and keep up trying to say negative stuff because some selfrepressed animosity convined with the necesity of looking cool wich means calm or stupefact, stupid in a sense , doesnt make you look like a fool AT ALL !!!
  11. No0T

    Yes this is because in an extremist feminist dominated media, if you accept being told what to do by a suposed girl general... Despise the little matter of 75% women failing to climb the wall necesary excersice to even be part of the military, then you get best dps and literally advantages all over all the aspects of the game including looking manly!! Like the only infiltrator that does is the nc one... And all since 1895 in an effort to make salaries go down promoting women to try to take the lead wich in terms of normal peoples life means protagonism in the house... To be the bread winner... To work, so because of the offer and demand economic rule, more people working makes trillions of dollars a year in concept of lower salaries for the already billionaires.
  12. Iridar51

    I love TR lockdown. It feels very epic to use, hammering your feet into the ground and unleashing rain of firestorm on enemies, and it gives a ton of firepower and effective range to all MAX weapons.

    Lockdown has a ton of bad rep from ye olden times, when it was terrible. Nowadays it takes only a second to undeploy, so if you're being smart about it, you're not gonna die in it. I've been pulling a lot of MAXes recently, and I don't think I got C4'd even once.

    Vehicle fire is definetely an issue. If you deploy at full health, you can tank one shot from a tank, and then you have to undeploy and go into cover. Realistically, you can get oneshotted if enemy tank also has a gunner shooting at you. You could probably reduce that with Flak, but I feel like Auto Repair is too good to play without.

    While I've been pleasantly surprised by wilingless of allied engies to follow and repair me, they're not ALWAYS around, and being in lockdown certainly attracts a lot of fire in your direction, and MAXes generally take lots of stray shots, and Auto Repair always comes in handy.

    I feel like thanks to Lockdown, TR MAX exclusively has somewhat decent Bursters, and can make Gorgons more workable against vehicles.
    • Up x 2
  13. LostMyStuff :(

    Nc's and Tr's seem to have at least some utility with Nc probably coming out on top; as for the disco crab suicide button :confused:
  14. Daigons

    VS alien powers are so strong that they boost the DPS of all opponents that are shooting at the VS MAX.
    • Up x 1
  15. FateJH

    Sorry, I couldn't follow more than half of your reply. Can you be more straightforward?

    After thinking about it some, a moderate-charging straight-wave EMP arm weapon sounds interesting (a`la your second video time suggestion) but it would probably have to operate much like a Lasher when it hits to be somewhat useful. Pure projectiles only affect one target at a time and vanish after the strike something, after all. On the other hand, perhaps a quicker-charging pure projectile system would be good since that means it'd only affect one target at a time, keeping it in line with other MAX weapon (in theory). It would also still require aim on the user's part.

    I don't know. Where do you see this proposed "effect" going? It's one thing to show something flashy; but, it's another thing to actually have it also do something practical.
    • Up x 1
  16. MonnyMoony

    I haven't seen a Zoe Max for probably a couple of years.....that tells you all you need to know about how effective that particular ability is.

    The other two factions get usable special abilities - even if they are somewhat situational at times.

    There is no situation where Zoe gives you an advantage. At the range Zoe buffs your weapon's damage output, Max weapons are more than effective anyway. Also you are well within C4 range (which most classes except infil can equip) and you'll likely be taking so much direct fire that you'd last mere seconds even without the increased damage you take by having Zoe active.

    IMO - the range limitation needs removing and the damage buff should apply to all weapons at all ranges - including bursters.
  17. Ziggurat8

    ZOE on PS4 is a weird ability.

    Something that increases your damage taken by 20% while increasing your damage output by 10% shouldn't give you any sort of advantage in a 1v1 fight right?

    Yet I use it any time I go toe 2 toe with an enemy MAX and almost always come out on top even if I'm in a roomful of enemies. I've made the suggestion before that the extra damage ignores MAX resistance but I've never properly tested it. It's anecdotal, but my dual quasar MAX with ZOE murders enemy MAX's with such ease I don't fear scatMAXs or even AV MAXs.

    The extra run speed doesn't hurt for clearing out infantry in a room or chasing a pesky HA playing peak a boo while he reloads either. No one ever expects me to pink run and chase them down. 8P
  18. Caramboul

    VS Max and Zoe. You can use ZOE very well with comets and absolutly with AA Burster. It is not the damage it is the slightly higher firerate and sligthly faster reloading. ZOE comets have a better punch now regardless the distance you fire you cannons. ZOE AA burster are able to disturb pilots damage count and estimation - useful. Useles with all AI loadouts and Vortex. Gorgons i have never used combined with ZOE but also i am pretty sure it is not good.

    TR Max and lockdown. If you dare you can use it very well with both AT weapons. Fracture is good usable from distance but pounders are very dangerous with lockdown. usable but dangerous. AA burster and lockdown can be genius used against slow air like galaxies or even libertators with the wrong loadout. As long the air moves slow AA lockdown works great. Gorgons i have never used combined with lockdown but i guess it is usuable. AI loadouts and lockdown . don´t. Never.
  19. asmodraxus

    NC Shielded whilst reloading = useful
    TR Extra dakka at the cost of mobility, meh except for ranged AA/AV, marginally useful
    VS I feel like respawning after spending 450 nanites on this max unit... ZOE rarer then rocking horse excrement, by anyone over BR50
  20. LostMyStuff :(

    Caramboul Zoe does not add a damage bonus beyond 5m as far as I'm aware. Hence part of it rubbishness