Game Updates and the VS Favoritism

Since GU02 I've started noticing nerfs to the NC and TR, and slight buffs/modifications to the VS. The only real "nerf" to the VS I've seen is when they broke the Swagrider, and then had to rebalance it (and yes, it is the best tank. If you can't figure out how to snipe other tanks from 150m+ and not get hit, you're doing it wrong. Easymode sidestrafe doesn't belong in an armor enviro. *end QQ*) making it.. meh, decent at mid range, best at long, worst at close.

A few game updates passed, everything was looking as it should, NC and TR nerfs, VS unchanged. Then ZOE came, and so did the VS 4th factioner pops. ZOE was completely broken, nobody can deny that. It's better now, but as a TR I'm biased and will call it OP for the sake of argument.

Now in this proposed, what, GU12? they're giving the Scythe the fastest velocity, fastest reload, and what's up with these extended mags for the TR? We're sick of it (except maybe on the Vulcan, it needed SOME sort of buff). As sick of it as the VS were when they heard of a charge-up ES Pistol.

So my question for everyone else, Devs in particular, is why are the VS being shown so much love? Are the VS planetside's love child, or do you just enjoy screwing the TR and NC? Discuss, and please keep the flame down.. I could have written this to attract super flame but I'd like to hear from both sides of the fence.

To see a full list of the "TR / NC nerfs" I'm referring to, go back and read every GU.

I think it's probably not completely wrong that VS has probably the best empire advantages but I think that in practice it doesn't make so much of a difference and things such as populations imbalances make more of a difference and what side the player are most skilled.

True, but still I have yet to see any "balanced" anything come out of SOE. From what I see, play with, and read on the forums VS have the best of every world. Now even more so in GU12.

Because the VS cry the loudest.

You hate Sidestrafe? Burn the heretic!

In any case, balancing is like a pendulum or see-saw. Not long ago VS were underpowered, with Magriders being a joke and our weapons very weak. Now, we are basically where we were five or six months ago, and the fourth faction is afflicting the Sovereignty.

Also, keep in mind that the VS is represented in promotions and advertisements much less than the other factions.

Or maybe its because VS had the slowest/worst ESF nosecannon since beta and its now being brought up line with the others.

Cry more TR

The TR forum mob strike(r)s again! Badumptsh.

Very true.. balancing is like that, I understand that. But the pendulum hasn't been swinging for the TR or NC, all I see is it staying in one spot, unmoving. We're not pushing ahead like the VS, we're staying mediocre at best, and losing the pop because of it.

*edit*
Correction, the Pendulum has swung for the TR, giving us the Striker to counter air, but it's being swung back into the motionless position as of next GU. Waiting for 5 projectiles to hit while locked on isn't as beneficial as one. Alright TR, everyone go back to using the ****** Anni.

A few months ago, between February and May, VS was the underdog and the pendulum of balance struck between TR and NC. You may not have noticed that high-point for you, but we did.

You forgot to whine about no bullet drop.

The only thing that ever denied VS a continent were the population imbalances, and even then you did well, perhaps better than the other two. Now that the pops are in your favor on Mattherson in particular, aalll the little secrets are spilling out through the cracks. But yes, I do remember that pendulum swing.

And how the Striker is going to be utterly worthless next GU, but I won't go there.

And, if you ask VS, they say the TR is the one who gets all the buffs.

If you ask NC, they will say someone else receives all the buffs.

Etc. etc. etc.

Seriously it's not that bad.

How can anyone think the devs favor VS?

TR are clearly the favored faction, Hell, TR don't have to pull Skyguards or Burster Maxes ever. Striker and Vulcan do the work.

Funny how everyone complains about a Magrider strafing at 15 klicks meanwhile my Lightning is strafing at 70 LOL

Things like this see-saw. a couple months from now the NC or the TR will be SOE's love child. VS pop will fall, the forums will fill with VS tears, and the new lead faction will have as much sympathy for the VS as the VS currently has for NC/TR.

Like it or not this is how this game works. Maybe a year or two down the road it will balance out, but I doubt it. One faction will always have advantages over the other two. Might as well learn to live with it.

Vulcan never has been, and never will be a decent weapon. And if you'd read I'm not talking about strafing SPEED. I'm talking about strafing in general. The Swagrider has barely any damage dropoff, understandable considering the drop on the weapon, but at long ranges the Swag is extremely hard to hit because it can shift from going left to going right instantly and without any penalty. Give it a Saron with a semi-sober gunner and tahdah, instant tank sniper from any range.

Like many have mentioned, every faction has had OP things. Its cyclical. I think the main difference between VS and TR/NC is that VS typically get an underpowered initial product (lancer, beamer, etc) while TR and especially NC usually get a overpowered initial version that needs to be nerfed down.

Let's not forget the months of OP Prowler HE doubleshots and Biolabs full of Hack MAXes before we say VS gets everything. Then again, if you haven't been playing this game since launch I can I see where you think there is VS favoritism. Also note, ZOE has been nerfed twice in two upadtes. I think MAX balancing is really the only truly imbalanced aspect currently. That and the striker makes me just avoid TR most of the time if I have a vehicle. Of my 30k+ kills, roughly 75% are NC because of the initial overpopulation and the striker.

Because the devs didn't have a solid idea on what to do with VS for a long time, and they're still trying to figure out the direction to take in some areas.

Basically NC and TR were usually at opposite ends of a balance line (hard hitting vs rapid fire, dps vs armor, etc) and VS often just got tossed in the middle of that line as the "well, at least we don't suck hard at anything in particular" option. Now they're trying to make VS a bit more distinct so differences look more like a triangle.

They won't always get it right on the first try, but this is an MMO and balance adjustments are constant (seriously, two major patches a month is crazy ambitious). TR and NC characteristics may become less distinct in some areas over time, but they too can be touched up. They just can't do everything at once.

Troll thread, 2/10. I'll bite anyway.

Hilarious. Lockdown makes the Prowler the best long-range tank. Have fun trying to compensate for the Magrider's absurd drop at long range. Hint: 150m isn't long range for a tank battle.

Yawn.... Mattherson population imbalance wasn't due to ZOE, it was due to a bunch of NC switching to VS. The problem happened well before ZOE was released, and ZOE had no appreciable effect on Waterson population (im)balance, VS is still the lowest by far.

I guess you've never flown any ESF before, since all 3 already have the extended mags. Scythe is currently the weakest ESF for dogfighting since it has the slowest projectile speed for its rotary and has the weakest v-thrust. I won't make any judgement on the ESF updates until they appear on the test server, and you shouldn't either.

Good one, what can the TR complain about? The only thing they got hit with recently was MCG spinup which was actually just a bugfix, and got a huge accuracy buff to go along with it. NC MAXs got "nerfed" and by "nerfed" I mean they still instagib at the same ranges as before and actually some of their weapons got a small buff to min-damage range. The biggest nerf the NC received recently was Enforcer vs Infantry, which everyone agreed was ridiculous, and the Saron was nerfed the same.

I actually don't care about VS' weapons. I am more concerned on the VS populations balanced In Connery. VS typically hold the higher pop by a wide margin. The other night (8pm) Indar, VS had 51%, 16% TR and 21% NC.... yeah not a big deal as it's just a continent you might say (NO ALERT MIND YOU) but they also had a 18% World population lead. TR winning alerts is a thing of the past. Sure we win them once in a while in prime time, but VS typically win them all because of the pop imbalance.