Flying aircraft in PS2 is suicidal

Discussion in 'PlanetSide 2 Gameplay Discussion' started by omega4, Apr 2, 2013.

  1. omega4

    This is what flying in PS2 is reduced to: being destroyed by an army of MAX AA units camped outside your warp gate (home base). Enemy AA ground forces do NOT show up on your mini map. You CANNOT see enemy ground forces from the air until it's too late to avoid them. Consequently, aircraft are VERY easy to destroy in PS2. They are not feared as they are in other major best-selling games like BF3.

    I suppose that's why BF3 is more popular than PS2 ever will be.

    • Up x 5
  2. FreelancePanic

    I don't know about you, but if there's a small army dedicated to shooting you down, you need to go down.

    Plus I could clearly see the tracers coming from that ridge. You have access to tanks yes? Use them to take out MAX units.
    • Up x 14
  3. Herrick

    You won't find much support since ESFs in planetside were pretty crazy themselves, so one of the few ways to reliably kill them has to be fairly insane in comparison (especially since the game gives you next to no rewards for just making a player leave, it is an all or nothing venture).

    Until ESFs either have their speed reduced to make it harder for them to bug out instantly or have their anti-ground abilities neutered so they aren't better at the gunship role than actual gunships you're not going to see a nerf to the only countermeasure that works.
    • Up x 8
  4. Veri

    If you have AA MAXes waiting for ESF outside the warpgate and you are without any ground support and few other ESF of liberators, then yes you are going to get killed.
    • Up x 4
  5. Kubor

    Maybe if you spent some protracted time in ground vehicles, you'd see it's pretty much the same for Tanks and Lighnings too.

    The only difference is we have to cope with ESF's that come out of nowhere that kill us before we can even react.

    That's on top of all the AV Mana Turrets that don't render, that fire invisible projectiles from the fourth dimension that you never ever see. The AT mines that are invisible no matter how carefully you look. The LA's that jump off cliffs and plant C4 on your turret to instagib your heavy tank. The Phoenix missiles from who knows where. The lock-on AV weapons that you don't ever know which direction they're coming from.

    And lets not forget the Liberator rounds that mysteriously start raining down on your tank without warning.

    I don't think this game is for you.
    • Up x 7
  6. FateJH

    Protip: don't fly when there is sufficient AA in an area.

    I counted about four or five MAXes based on the tracers. That'll be a pretty tough pass if their support crew each has an AV turret.
  7. Cinnamon

    I took my prowler out of the warpgate and was killed by a single reaver. I couldn't do anything since I don't aimbot or anything. Nerf ESF etc.
    • Up x 1
  8. FreelancePanic

    Then the opposing force is doing it right. A well organised force dedicated to shooting down mozzies and tanks pouring out from the WG should decimate solo players. Organisation should be required to counter such a threat.
    • Up x 5
  9. S1eB

    You asked for it, as soon as you start getting hit, use your afterburners and turn in the opposite direction.
    You just hovered there, making your self an easy target. Also, do you have composite Armour? Because if you don't, you will die really quick to AA.
    • Up x 1
  10. jdono67894

    An ESF is not some invincible death machine that can decimate platoons of infantry on a whim any longer.
    They once were, and that is why there are so many people who enjoy the unrewarding experience of being AA, spite.
    • Up x 7
  11. BalogDerStout

    Welcome to the joys of the SE warpgate! Enjoy your stay!
  12. jm20

    You could've:
    a) hugged the terrain
    b) not wasted your afterburners needlessly
    c) looked at the map to identify potential bursters near your warpgate
    d) not flown in a straight line

    I can see why you think flying in this game is a horrible chore :D
    • Up x 10
  13. CrispyHaze

    Problem is, you decided to fly perfectly straight to give them a nice and easy kill after they started shooting at you.
    • Up x 4
  14. Zaik

    I was going to ask if you were one of the mosquitos I just shot down, but apparently it was VS.

    way to fly straight up btw, makes it much easier for us.
  15. MadRon101

    Flies in a straight line while getting hit by flak.

    Doesn't react.


    Goes to forum and complains.



    Here's a handy hint - the problem is not with game.
    • Up x 7
  16. Purg

    Not sure if you were just making it incredibly easy for the MAX so you could fashion a whinge or you're just a poor pilot. Perhaps a combination of both. You had ample time to avoid or escape quite easily but you chose to make no evasive maneuvers whatsoever and just made yourself a sitting duck.

    As a Burster MAX it's very easy to spot the good pilots from the bad ones - I bet they were laughing at the XP you gifted them.
  17. Lord Mandalore

    Oh no, AA fire! Time to fly in a straight line!
    I DIED?!
    THIS WOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED IN OTHER MAJOR BEST SELLING GAMES LIKE BATTLEFIELD 3™
    • Up x 2
  18. ThundaHawkPS

    Why on earth would you post a thread with video showing everyone how bad you are as a pilot

    You do realize your video invalidates your entire whine, yes yes?
    • Up x 2
  19. Onetoo

    I actually think that AA and ESF have reached a fairly good balance (always room to improve) at this point. Granted I didn't feel this way until I practiced flying A LOT.

    I do however feel bad for players who are new to flying, as I think the skill cap is very high and AA can be extremely unforgiving. It really seems to come down to knowing where you should/shouldn't be and always leaving yourself a way to exit quickly from a fight if things go wrong. Plus, it's never a bad idea to do a quick flyby of a contested area and test the AA before committing yourself to real danger.

    I'm no ace pilot, but I do love to fly ESF and I don't really want to see any majors changes to the way they function at this point.


    ---

    @ Kubor:

    "That's on top of all the AV Mana Turrets that don't render that fire invisible projectiles"
    I haven't had any issues with the turret itself not rendering after the latest patch, but I do think the projectiles should leave a more distinct trail so that ground vehicles know the direction of the threat

    "The AT mines that are invisible no matter how carefully you look."
    I agree, those mines are incredibly small and sometimes even fall into the terrain where they can't be seen at all. I would like them to be slightly larger. I used to try to place them in sneaky areas, but now I just throw them in the middle of an open road because they are almost never spotted.

    "The lock-on AV weapons that you don't ever know which direction they're coming from."
    You bring up a good point and I think that SOE should do the following:
    -Add a directional indicator that gives the vehicle operator an indication of where the lock is coming from
    -Add a HUD notification that indicates how many weapons have 'locked' onto the vehicle
    -Highlight lock-on weapon users on the mini-map to anyone who is currently being targetted
  20. gigastar

    Actually, that particular spot where they were camping is inaccessible to ground vehicles.

    I know this because my outfit like to get our own back on TR lolpodders so every week or so we fly a Gal with 9 AA MAX's, 2 medics and an engie to that spot. The grief only ends when we get bored.