Following on from a suggestion made by another poster in the "auto repair" thread - what do people think about this idea? Max units get a third shoulder mounted hard point which allows them to mount a secondary AI or AV weapon (think of what War Machine from the MCU looks like) This hard point would have the following characteristics: 1. Lower ammo pool compared to the primaries. 2. Somewhat less effective than the Max primaries - perhaps on par with low tier HA or LA primaries, but with less ammo and/or smaller mags. 3. Cooldown on swapping from primaries to secondary and vice versa - to prevent spamming i.e. it takes a second or two to deploy or stow the secondary during which time the Max is weaponless and therefore vulnerable 4. Has access to limited optics (perhaps up to 2x) This would IMO make AA max game play much more engaging - allowing AA maxes at least a modicum of defensive capability if caught in the open by infantry or vehicles. I would also add an extra dimension to dedicated AV or AI maxes - giving them flexibility in mixed fights. Thoughts?
Hmm, no. Not in my opinion. They don't need the firepower and/or versatility another weapon brings, of which they have plenty of already.
Personally I find that their suppression abilities aren't quite up to par as they should be. I think people would simply say no just because it's a max but another weapon, in the utility slot like a rocket would be pretty badass....also tactical. Imagine a max having a grenade, being able to breach a point room slightly more effectively. As of late maxes are getting more and more gimped, they don't have a defined role because people want to bastardize the max because it was just thrown in. Personally I kill maxes rather...easily wouldn't be the right word, I simply don't think it's worth 450 nanites anymore. It dies to two heavies in less than a second, the weapons firepower is on par with mediocre infantry weapons that only shoot from hip, they are confined to only building fighting, can only engage in what the specify in, have next to no support skills and simply lack all the versatility any of the classes have. I could have C4 on a medic, being able to keep everyone up and AV at close, light assault got the rocklets so they can av and be mobile, heavies have some of the best range sustain and av, infils stealth and recon etc. What exactly does max bring to the table except a bigger HP pool. Now that lights have rocklets and maxes lost charge I think reassessing the maxes role and buffing it accordingly would be a good move for the game.
Just out of interest, which button would be used to fire it? Please don't say it would be fired automatically like a spitfire turret or something. I don't play Max but then I don't have anything against them either. I realise they have been made a lot more vulnerable and I sympathise with Max players (a bit). On the other hand I don't much like the idea of introducing war machines, super tanks, or stuff like that.
F ofcourse, it's the ability after all, and F is easier to reach. I think the OP got the idea from me. The shoulder-mounted weapon could work like with a big rocket or something. A weapon of last resort since the MAX has become more vulnerable. So it would probably be best if it was short-ranged, or tough to use at long-range. You could have a short-burst chaingun on top that needs to cooldown afterwards. Or you could put a small grenade launcher on there that launches a few grenades in the area, perhaps a special grenade launcher like smoke/Flash/concussion but with lower effects since you'll be saturating an area with it. That gives the MAX abilities to breach or defend, which people currently complain about having lost.
You would swap to it - just as a HA has to swap between their LMG and Rocket Launcher. Once equipped - it would fire exaclty as current max weapons do from LMB (but with the ability to scope if one is fitted using RMB).
I really want 2 charges of claymore mounted on my MAX shoulder even if it would take up ability slot and requires resources to use.
The way I was thinking about it is that it wouldn't be like an ability - it would be a swappable weapon, just like weapons for every other class are. It would therefore work off the mouse wheel or number keys. This would prevent it being spammed as you would not be able to use your primaries and the shoulder mounted secondary at the same time. It would also allow the max to retain it's current "F" triggered abilities.
AA maxes would really benefit. They are completely defenceless against vehicles and their AI capability is severely limited by the poor accuracy of busters. It would at least give AA maxes a fighting chance. In terms of overall firepower - it wouldn't really add much. If the weapon was swappable - it couldn't be spammed with the primaries. At most it would amount to a small increase in ammo with a less effective weapon than their primaries. I guess the way to think of it would be a bit like the Max equivalent of a sidearm (with a bit extra). Not to be used for primary engagements - but good to get you out of a sticky situation or to add options.
AA MAXes are typically near a spawnroom or are supported by allies, otherwise they're just killed by whatever Dick Jane happens by. Like every other form of dedicated AA. MAXes are typically meant to be used with allied support. We already see more than enough solo MAX players that think they should be all end all just because they spent resources. As far as I'm concerned the last thing we need is for them to be even more independent.
There isn't any other form of AA as dedicated as Max AA. Sundies can pack another weapon as well as the AA unit - and the AA options can be effective against infantry. A sky-guard lightning can eat vehicles and infantry quite effectively, and a HA packing an AA launcher still has his primary to rely on. An AA Max has nothing to fall back on - and whilst you are correct that they mostly operate close to spawn rooms, they can also get caught out in the open if their sundy is destroyed, derezes or moves unexpectedly. Would this change not mix things up a little and give them a bit more to do in fights - rather than sitting close to a spawn room hoping the air doesn't just piss off as soon as they open fire. One of the criticisms of anti-air (especially Max AA) is that it can be unrewarding - this change could help remedy that a little and at least give AA maxes a defensive capability, or the ability to make some contribution to the fight whilst they look for a terminal.
it'd be awesome if the shoulder weapon worked like a mini spitfire turret, looking around independant of you and alerting you of enemies and shooting at them (kinda like how war machine's minigun seems to have a mind of its own!)
Yes please. Something as simple as a mini gorgon or chain gun would really help AA maxes, AV maxes, and NC maxes with range.
I'd argue that Skyguards are a little worse off, as they only have one gun and can't change it at a terminal, so they're kinda stuck with it. They are also quite weak and inaccurate and have to be quite close to be an actual threat to infantry. If an AA MAX is left abandoned by a sunndy that's not really on them, and even an AV or AI MAX would struggle to survive for long. This is more of a problem with AA in general as opposed to a MAX problem. At least if all the air leaves they can still swap out their guns. AA is indeed very unrewarding, in my opinion. But giving AA MAXes an additional weapon doesn't change the AA at all, it just makes them at little more versatile.
