I've been giving the state of launchers a bit of thought lately, and while I agree the Annihilator is a bit TOO good, I think half the problem is that Grounders/Skeps are a bit useless. Without going to much into it; what if the devs were to switch the range/lock-on distance of the Anni with that of the other two launchers? The Anni will still pose a threat, but not to the same extent (say, balancing it to 200-300m) because of it's extreme versatility. The dedicated launchers get the advantage of long range due to their specialisation. This strikes me as a much fairer balance, and (as someone who uses the Annihilator A LOT) I wouldn't mind the trade-off, or having to select my launcher for the task at hand. I'd also like to see the Annihilator do somewhat less damage against tanks, seeing as they struggle to avoid the missile. I agree with most tankies that massed Anni fire hits them far harder than aircraft (whose flares and AB gives them a good chance to hightail it). Perhaps the SKEP could have a slower projectile to offset the damage potential (and allow tankers to find cover/run). I freely admit I don't know how I'd change the Grounder. Input is welcome. Lastly, I'd increase the velocity (or decrease the drop) of dumbfire rockets. People are always saying "give the infantry skill-based weapons, not click2win". I think the drop and travel time mean that most players automatically take the lock-on variants because it solves a LOT of the major issues when it comes to countering tank zergs (and don't get me started on air). Guessing range on a moving target is hard enough without adding drop into the equation. By making standard launchers more viable, it'll reduce the lock-on spam that plagues tankers, bring skill back into tank/infantry battles and allow infantry to hit air (providing they're doing something silly, like hoverpodding). I'm all for skill-based weapons, but if the choice is between guessing the range to a distant target or allowing something to guarantee my ability to chase off threats, I'm going to go with door #2 any day of the week. Interested to see what a lot of tankers/pilots think about some kind of compromise system. I mean, if you come across a dedicated anti-you formation, you'll still die horribly. But this encourages people to try to exploit whatever weaknesses this formation has, and I think that results in a better game experience for everyone. Anni nests are just too effective as is. For points of balance, let's assume render is fixed. You're still not going to be able to see the dude shooting you, but you should always see his rocket exhaust/tracer. It'll give you an idea of where he's hitting you from and will allow you to formulate a plan to wipe them out. Hopefully this'll clip this argument in the bud, because people trashing render as the source of all their woes often miss the point that they still won't be able to see the infantry at extreme range. (A note on forum etiquette; if you're going to claim that a lock-on nest is OP because it'll still blow your ESF/MBT away quickly, remember you're dealing with a formation of AT LEAST 6 players and should die every time. By all means, bring numbers to the table, but let's keep it at hypothetical squad on squad or something. No 1v12 scenarios, because that line of thinking is pointless and silly)
