To be honest the HA needs more a buff than a nerf, as a Combat Medic who never played HA, HA is a very easy victim for me, they are easy to hit and sometimes even dont hit me before they are dead. Only 1 in 10 HA make they point against my Assault Rifle in close combat, and in mid and long range combat? Well, Only 1 in 20 have the skill to be a danger. So, there are possible a lot of HA noobs, but the Class is far away from beeing to strong, many play them because it has some multi purpsoe aspects. But i think all classes are balanced right now. They only class who could realy need a little buff is the LA, but I coulnd say how to buff him.
Heavy is perfectly fine as-is. If you run in, head on, with all guns blazing verses a HA, you're going to die. Guess what? That's because they're a heavy assault. They're meant to carve up other classes in that situation. However, as many people have insinuated, HA is "combat easy mode". You wade in, you pop your shield the second you start having shots thrown at you, and you mow down enemies. That's good; that's the job of an HA. Claiming that they're OP because of this is just short sighted. They can be killed by any other class. Hell, I regularly take HA's as a CQC Infiltrator for pity's sake. Catch them unawares, three Nyx shots to the body. Bam, dead. Of course, if you go in head on you're going to die. So don't, that's the simple answer. Play smart, play to your class' strengths, and you'll be just fine. Now, less QQ, more PewPew. It is a game, after all.
Heavies should be over powered, it's a war we're fighting and they are the quintessential soldier. Should we have Medics and Engineers in their place instead? This game might be a lot like Battlefield but it isn't Battlefield. Not every class is going to be balanced at killing ****.
HA have an advantage over infiltrator in medium and ranged combat. I can take HAs on my infiltrator too, hell, I had moments when I killed like 3-4 of them in the open field, that was 3-7 bullets per person (due to the shield), but it doesn't characterize the class, enemies was just bad. When I started playing a HA I understood that there are two scenarios in which you can be killed - you're jumped on (and it still won't guarantee your death, I've head moments then I was jumped by two people and just turned around and killed them thanks to the shield, as an infiltrator or a LA I died 7 times out of 10 even when jumped on by a single guy.), or if your opponent is has a much-much better aim\luck. If you run into an infiltrator who will headshot you asap with his bolt action - you can't do much.
Okay first off: when you say ''requiring almost zero skill to do well with'' I'd like to say your full of bullsh*t. Why? Because you're mostly facing enemy Heavies to begin with in infantry combat so if you're doing really well you either rock or the enemies suck badly. There is no ''no skill required to own'' with infantry classes. Just like people saying ''CoD is too easy, no skill required'' yeah right. Play a match against me and I'll show them they do need skill even though there's no bullet drop etc. The one with the fastest reflexes >> all. Second of all: The heavies are supposed to be the strongest infantry units... They can't repair, heal, jetpack, hack or snipe so they have to do something right? And if someone can't finish you off if they get the jump on you they suck, badly. If I get the jump on you with my Orion (<3) you will not have the chance to put up your shield you'll simply die too fast. In things like biolabs heavies get destroyed by light assault units who know how to play, from long distances they get destroyed by infiltrators who know how to play and out in the open they get destroyed by rocket pods and tanks mainly. So unless you're in their ''optimal'' situation or really good there's nothing wrong with a heavy at all. What IS wrong is the huge TTK difference between the factions' heavy rifles.
I find heavies to be a very bad solo class. They are slow and have no real specials to keep them efficient. They do shine in teamplay as they can lay down HUGE amounts of fire and seriously kill armor. A squad should always have a few heavies for support. Only a few classes are good solo in this game (mostly Infil and LA).
There is "skill required to own" for example if you play an infiltrator you need to lead every bullet and if you're shot at you need to compensate for a huge scope jump on every hit you get, as a HA you just point and click. You don't care about ammo, accuracy or whatever most of the time. And no, they're not supposed to be the strongest infantry units. Or this would mean this game have no balance and, therefore, its **** by default. And yes, HA can't heal or whatever, but if I can say that medic and engineer are support classes, the sole purposes of LA and Infiltrator are to kill. No more no less. If you can't kill - you're useless. And "snipe" is not a special ability, I can do it with a shotgun avaliable for every class. Jetpack is useless. Of course it's fun to play with a jetpack, but that's it. And no, if someone jumps on you you still can survive. If you're standing still or your enemy got perfect aim you're going down, but if it's your above-average player you have alot more chances to survive this jump as a HA solely because of this fancy shield. And if you get "destroyed" from light assaults you're not a good player, everyone get destroyed by infiltrators from long ranges if they're dumb enough to change shots with a damn sniper on long range, and in the open you die to rocket pods and tanks just like any other infantry unit. One of the skill indicators is how player uses his class. If you're playing a HA - stay within the range that suits you. As a HA it's very easy, because all points are mid-close range engagements. Infact the only way you can get "in the open" is if you decide to run somewhere long distance with your feet. As an infiltrator the only way to put yourself in an advantage is to make people go in the open space which is easily avoidable. Or to perform surprise attacks. Surprise attacks are not different from any other classes' because cloaking is easily seen and is seen perfectly with IRNV scopes. The only advantage you have left is hacking. You can hack terminals and spawn a sunderer then deploy it, or you can get more ammo, etc. But they're easily hacked back (it's much more safe to hack back, then to hack offensively), and when you are hacking a terminal you're absolutely defenseless. I'll repeat myself one more time that LA and infiltrator's purposes are to kill, and HA is better at this. And I'll notice that this post comes from a guy who plays HA, LA and an infiltrator.
I can't speak to other factions, but for NC HA, if you just "point and click" you will die. A lot. You need accuracy and trigger discipline with the high recoil of the weapons, and with the long reload times of the weapons, you have to be smart about your ammo, too. HA is straightforward but it's not just 'point and click', no more than sniping is. Also, the infiltrator's job is not just to kill. They have some great utility in hacking, decoy grenades, and recon abilities. If you just snipe, then you're not playing the class to its fullest potential. It's like a HA never shooting at vehicles or an engineer never giving ammo. You have those abilities for a reason, and those abilities can be a huge boon. In fact I wish more infiltrators would hack; it seems a lot don't even realize they can do that and it's an extraordinarily useful ability in a base.
Well, The HA is probably the best overall class in this game, but its easily defeated by any other class. That shield is an aid, not an end all be all. Ive died all the same, with or without the deployment of my shield. It has meant the difference between life and death, but it has not kept me from getting like a 6.5K/D because no one can kill me. The HA is an OP class if you are an idiot who just stands in one spot and lets the HA pump you full of Anti-Stupid Pills. However, Dcrd, you wanna know how an LA kills a HA? Well, its simple really. you know your special ability? Use it, simply jump up and shoot the guy from the sky. I know i have a hellva time tracking those pesky LAs. Just lastnight I had a horrid run in with some LAs that seemed to know their class. And to be totally honest, I think LAs and Snipers kill me more often then anything else in this game. An LA comes from somewhere behind or above me and BAM! I'm Toast. Or a Sniper with an OP Bolt Driver smokes me as I come out of a building or sit still for a second to scan for targets. Snipers are more OP then anything else...especially the BOlt Action rifles...they are one shot kills...period.....
just lol dude, u play heavy assault so you can assault. It's every squads basic element.. and you get more xp with engi/medic for sure. I can kill any heavy assault with another class easily.. not my problem if u get jumped from behind, or run out in the open or straight to a HA close up fighting. Only thing what's OP in this game are those terran weapons... I'll even live with the rocket pods now that they'r changing the blast radius.
ROcketlaunchers killing infantry? You know how you instantly fix that? Make the Rocket an ARMOR PIERCING Rocket and give it like 0 blast radius. I think atm the Rockets are like HEAT rounds or something. Then, with the OPness of rockets killing infantry left and right no longer a threat, SoE could then go ahead and increase the Velocity of rockets so that they are more effective vs vehicles. So using HA AVRs on MAX's becomes harder, sniping a lone infantry with rockets becomes harder, and it would limit the use of rockets, to primarily anti tank use, as they should be. I have always found it annoying how games make Rockets just universal easy buttons. BFBC2 being the absolute WORST about it....a rocket lands on the map and it kills 5 people......(ok not that bad, but its stupid.)
Nerf the shield a bit and then see what happens. Currently that sheild is a "I win" button and is stupidly OP. Deny it all you want but when I play; 80% players I encounter is always a HA. And why would you not play HA? You get 2x sheilds, best infantry guns in game, and a rocket launcher that can one shot infantry and 2-4 shot any vehicle....STOCK, no certs or money spent. It get's even better when you invest certs and or cash into it. Right now, if my CQC infltrator gets a HA kill I actually scream in joy. This rarely if ever happens, btw. Any HA that dies to a non-HA should hang their heads in shame; this should never ever EVER happen.
Honestly you probably need to practice aiming if you find killing HAs difficult with other classes. I have no problem killing HA players as light assault, infiltrator, and MAX. I usually get more kills as light assault than anything else if it's the right base. Any time you get an advantage by being on top of a structure that can't be accessed any other way, the jetpacks trump the shield every time. Those carbines kick *** too. As an infiltrator I either sneak up behind and shoot them in the head, or make some distance and get a headshot with my sniper rifle. The NYX, when certed and used properly, can be an awesome medium range "sniper" rifle as well, but I usually prefer to play light or heavy assault in those circumstances. I'm not saying the heavy isn't good, it's awesome and I love my orion, but it's far from OP. HAs are supposed to be on the front line and take damage, while the other classes (besides MAXs) are supposed to avoid it with other abilities. In a 1 on 1 fight where equally skilled players run into each other and the outcome depends purely on numbers, the HA should win every time because that's what they're designed for. The game is hardly designed around 2 people standing still and shooting at each other.
Spoken like a guy in denial that enjoys the OPness known as the Heavy Assault: you dominate in all aspects in this game along with having the most survival on top of that. Slap a scope on your LMG and you can out snipe infiltrators. Win win. Personally, I'd like to see more class diversity other than nothing but HAs for frags and engies for max cert farming. Seriously, I am almost always the only infiltrator around, that's really tellin imo. W/e, nerf that sheild a small amount and see what happens. I am fine with you dominating all areas but that SHEILD is totally and utterly OP. No other class gets something remotely as powerful.
