I often see Light Assaults complaining about how heavies can just turn around with their shields on and win. However, isn't hit detection and lag more of the issue? The shield may contribute to the frustration, but it is easy to scapegoat it in place of hit detection and lag. In 1-12 or 12-24vs fights, the shield doesn't seem too OP. However, in larger fights, it becomes more of a problem. What do you think? Is the heavy shield actually OP, or does it just more easily show the latency and hit detection issues that Planetside 2 has?
It's more that people don't know where to shoot them from. I was getting killed by heavies all the time until I took to shooting down on them from rooftops or in trees rather than going down to fight them head on. Your shield's not going to do you much good when your opponent controls the engagement and can break off whenever they want to hit you from another angle. The trick is that with most objectives being indoors, you're generally at your most vulnerable as a light assault in the locations where heavy assaults and MAXs are at their strongest, so there's a bit of a learning curve in terms of when and where to get into fights. If I was going to change the heavy shield, I'd consider giving it directional properties where the shield takes more damage/resist shield mitigates less damage if you get shot in the sides or rear, similar to tank armor. I would in return however, make the shields stronger than they are now from the front, and perhaps lower the movement speed penalty when moving forward. It would be a more potent tool for frontal assaults, but would be more vulnerable to flanking and ambush tactics, and generally less reliable for saving your behind when you're attacked from a bad angle. Though honestly, latency issues have been getting kind of weird lately. There's a few times this past week where I get killed by people that I killed myself about a second earlier, something that's never quite happened before. Who can say how much that contributes?
Nah i dont think its down to latencey or hit reg. I think the planned changes will leave the shield as strong as it ever was just as long as you plan its use. It just stops infils and lights from getting beaten when they have outplayed the heavy (say they come up behind the heavy and get half a clip off before he realsies).
Most frustrating when on the death screen and they have only have half a bullet's worth of health left. This is why i think the resist shield should be the default and cost less to upgrade to encourage it's use (buff it slightly even). the mesh is push button to win, but the resist shield needs a degree of skill to use and your vulnerable to unexpected damage.
1) Resist Shield is very usable from Rank 1, and I think rank 1 comes unlock by default these days. 2) NMG is more universal and a better choice for new players.
The issue is not in the shield though. Its the fact that if you got half a clip into an HA he would have died already (had he not realized that is). Is it not also possible that you lose because you miss? Most of the time when I am ambushed as HA and live its because when I started to turn and fight the opponents bullets start missing and hitting things beyond me instead. The problem is not the shield. The problem is peoples in ability to hit a target that changes direction after they initiate an encounter. For some odd reason most people think their target is just going to keep on walking the same direction.
If you put in half a clip of most weapons esp if you come from behind and get atleast a headshot or 2 he will be death OR you missed half off your so 'hitted" half clip and you failed anddeserve to die
To be fair the hit reg at times is beyond nasty and every one his bullets could have/should have hit and just didn't register. Though again that's not the HA or the shields fault when it happens.
It's only part of the issue. The rest is great weapons and being able to use all that while having a rocket launcher to deal with vehicles. overpowered class all around, restrict it to rocket or rifle as primary
I heard that actually might be implemented. It would need some tweaking though. Maybe more ammo for the rocket primary.
Most people while playing LA: - Haha, mr Heavy Assault, I've flanked you, now instead of closing the distance, I shall spray your back with an entire magazine of my excelent VX6-7 across 50 meters. Oh, no why you're not dead and returning fire?! You must be using an OP IWIN Shield! Stop moving you ******
I actually agree with this person, in fights of 48+ people on all 3 factions, there are REDICULOUS lag spikes. Like upwards of 12k Miliseconds latency, This game needs more internet optimisation for large fights before it can go further into getting better.
