So from what i've seen and experienced as a MAX, they are currently in a "useless" state. Now I am not calling for any buffs or saying that the MAX is completely useless, I just think it could be better executed. At the moment the MAX suit is a situational CQC fighter and a mediocre mid range fighter with absolutely no effective ranged capabilities outside 50+ meters (NC have it worst with shotgun MAXs being clearly only a CQC MAX). Now if we look at Blacklight Retribution's hardsuits, they mix a good amount of ranged anti infantry and anti armor capabilities. Another good example that isn't from a video game are the Tau battlesuits from Warhammer 40k, they can be outfitted to be anti- infantry, anti- armor, or both with high amounts of maneuverability or tankyness. MAX's are really cool concepts and I really hope for them to become more than something that's just there, so here is what I propose: 1.) Weapon options: ------------------------------- a.) Anti Material rifle: Single shot long range high damage rifle, does moderate damage to vehicles (25%-35% dmg to health), Can also be certed with explosive rounds to make it a infantry deterrent at the cost of vehicle damage.(something to make it feared by infantry in they see a MAX armed with this). This weapon can either be common pool or fitted to each faction's traits (i.e TR have a 2 round magazine instead of 1, Vanu have an overheat system instead of a reload system, etc) b.) Missile pods: A six chamber HE middle pod that can deal AOE splash damage, can be fired all at once or in singles c.) HMG/LMG: HMG weapon is a slow firing heavy damage machine gun that deals light damage to vehicles and heavy damage to infantry, has 50-75 round magazine fires at 550-675 RPM. LMG does no damage to vehicles but can keep sustained fire for extreme times and shred any infantry who decide to "rush", 200 round mag fires at 700-800 RPM. d.) Shield: A shield a MAX can carry around and "plant" onto the ground to provide cover for assaults, or can be used to block incoming shots. The shield also has a damage threshold where it will break, the additional weight of the shield while its equipped slows the MAX down by 10% e.) Close combat weapon: Gives the MAX a dedicated axe, sword, energy weapon, etc. Give it up close and personal viability, swing animations are still the same timing as the normal MAX melee and it takes 2 hits to kill infantry, 3-4 for another max, can also be paired with the shield for maximum effectiveness. 2.) Suit Options: --------------------------- a.) Heavy class armor: The heaviest armor available for the MAX, it gives 50% more health at the reduction of 15% move speed and no sprint. b.) Drifter class armor: A MAX armor that allows it to slowly glide from heights at the reduction of 15% MAX health. (this opens up the ability to use MAX "cliff jumpers" to bring an entirely new situation to the fight. (think the LA drifter jets) c.) Light class armor: MAX armor that allows to the MAX to move 25% faster at the reduction of 20% health loss d.) Drop Pod: The MAX may cert into a drop pod so that it may now drop pod from galaxies or instant action into areas without needing to switch classes, etc. 3.) Abilities: ---------------------- a.) Stomp: The MAX stomps and deals AOE damage around him, impairs aiming and accuracy for 5 seconds b.) Berserk: MAX gains a burst for 30 seconds where it reloads 45% faster, moves 50% faster, an deals 30% more melee damage at the cost of taking 25% more damage from all sources c.) Nanite repair systems: The MAX can regenerate health over time slowly, different cert levels affect how much and how fast health is regenerated Those are my ideas that I had for the moment, suggestions and constructive criticism appreciated!
3 C is already in the game. B would be broken with dual AV/dual AA especially with render distance issues. That would mitigate the downside entirely. 1 E ....why? The current MAX does that damage on infantry already and TTK's are too low atm to make that viable for anti-max (if i'm reading that right it's just anti-max melee) C. For which faction? For VS and TR? Currently our AI's do this already when paired. B Even if these rockets were as effective as the underbarrel grenades it'de still be silly, especially since 6 underbarrels to the rear of an MBT is a kill. A With those current specs, you are really just trying to make a straight upgrade of the current AV weapons. How does this fit into the big picture? As it is that's just a stronger, Longer Rage AV weapon (VS already have this). How would these not take away from the current AV weapon set up and improve the game as a whole? These are the only things that really stuck out, the rest is fine and debatable.
Thanks for bringing those points up, I probably should have emphasized their roles a bit more. With the abilities I wasn't quite sure if the repair system was already in game or was in the works and decided it wouldn't hurt to add it onto the list, the berserk ability however was meant to be paired with the CC weapon combo, changing it it to only move speed and melee bonuses would probably be better. The MAX melee weapon was designed to give him a farther melee range over the stock melee, perhaps making the attack speed quicker would make it more distinct. What I was going for with this idea was either MAX melee charges or "duels". As for the HMG/LMG idea I was thinking a weapon similar to the secondary gunner on the MBTs and Sunderers (bassalik?) as the weapon is arguably one of the most versatile weapons in game, the LMG would be somthing along the lines of the kobalt with high fire rate and clip size to suppress enemies while the main force advances. I realize the current AI weapons are similar to this idea, but what they lack is versatility, the NC MAX AI weapon cannot fire at range and this idea would fix that, the TR would be able to put more bullets down range, etc. The Missile pods are meant for infantry strictly, they are HE AOE rockets that are designed to "carpet" an area to clear out defenders, etc. It is no means designed to fight vehicles (if anything it does light damage at best) As for the anti material rifle, the way it fits into the big picture is that it gives the MAX a ranged AT or AI weapon that does not require the MAX to be close/mid range to engage. For example there are tanks upon a hill raining shells onto a base, HAs usually run out of ammo or die too quickly to be effective at killing them, turrets are usually destroyed early on, but a MAX that could potentially destroy a tank at range without presenting himself as a target at range would help the team effort greatly. It cannot out preform as the current MAX AV weapons can because it fires and reloads much slower than the stock AV, has a smaller clip and ammo pool, and is designed for long ranged AV rather than the general use of the current MAX AV. Think of it as a AT sniper rifle from WWII that could destroy most light vehicles and damage heavy tanks.
I like the suit options, other than drop pod. You can already drop pod in a max, it just doesn't always work. And rather than a suit option, we should just always be able to do it.
I'm weird and will respond with the bottom of te post to top again. I see it as, again, tying into the whole MAX render distance. If you can dumb fire and hit something out of lock-on range, that's fine and dandy, but the lock-on weapons dont lock on outside of infantry render distance. Having something for MAX's and infantry designed for AT would cause the same issues that currently exist with AA. Being able to be killed by something you cannot see or cannot retaliate against. As for the current AV weapons, their engagement ranges on slow targets are easily up to 200+m. PART 2: It's a little frustrating I know, but currently we need to keep render distance in mind. I'de love to long range artillery bomb with my default lightning gun but infantry render distance disables that option for me. It also prevents artillery period (for the moment). Maybe if they sorted all of that out i'de think about having anti-material rifles for the MAX, as well as prevent it from being doubled up. If the _rocket_ pods had a high cone of fire or something maybe? Currently the only grenade that is AI only is what i posted about, the Underbarrel GL. Even then....i don't know. I don't want it to be another ESF rocket pod scenario. The HMG/LMG proposed just sounds better then what is currently there for AI. There's no real anything about that, it's a straight upgrad. 2 stagger fired M20's would have close to the same TTK the AI weapons have exept have range effective up to 200m and reliably Giving the current AI weapons the ability to damage all vehicles would be pretty silly. I know where you are coming from but it really just sounds like you're proposing a better version of what is currently there (Cosmos, Mercies, whatever for NC). As for NC's ability to not shoot out of their range....asymetric balance is always nice I guess? HMG PART 2: Everything on MAX's should be thought with being doubled in mind. Double the rate of fire, double the magazine capacity... Before any new melee anything is added, what is currently there needs to be fixed. The hit detection for melee is shoddy at best. Swinging it too quickly will make it not register and MAX's have trouble with crouching enemies.
Ok so I see what you mean about the render problems. I guess that idea is scrapped until the render problems are fixed. The rocket pods should fire each rocket within 3 second intervals (bang . . . bang . . . bang) sorta thing, this way it doesn't become another ESF carpet bomb but more of a AOE weapon that can support assaults and clear campers. (keep in mind the AoE is still the size of a grenade with roughly half the killing power, certing different types of missiles could also change things up, for example incendiary rounds) I was thinking to balance it out to make it more of a side grade is that the extra weight of the weaponry impairs movement speed by about 10%, smaller ammo pools, perhaps even more CoF and recoil I agree 100% with you about the melee stuff, it was just a cool idea I thought of and wanted to share it, balance and fixes always comes first though.
I didn't mean it as a suit option, I just put it there because it really had no other place. Although I don't agree 100% that MAXs should be able to drop pod, it should still be an option for it.
What is a MAX? A suit that allows its operator greater weight capacity and limb strength than otherwise possible. I propose making them the most universal class, give them the ability to cert into the widest amount of roles, regulatied by the necessity to choose only one of them each time you spawn. Allow some mix-and-match at the cost of efficiency: the more specialized in one role you are, the more effective you would be at that role and that role only; the moment you choose elements from two different roles, your efficiency in both of them is reduced etc. With this in mind I propose more utility options. Drifter jets version sounds good already. Mobile cover for your team with extreme armor at the front but vulnerable from the back and limited weaponry? Slow wall climb? More jumping ability with less falling damage + long-range options vs different armor types with the drawback of much less survivability? ECM MAX to break locks \ mess with q-spot \ muddle up enemy minimap in a certain radius around it when anchored? Bigger, longer version of smoke grenades? Mobile ammo dispenser (while removing that ability from engie - they have enough things to do already)? Ability to anchor + mag harpoon friendly armor + rappel them up to your position to allow them climb hills they could do otherwise?
Mobile cover sounds like a good idea Slow wall climb seems a bit overpowered for what a max can do Jumping ability would be nice, but it seems like a similar function to the drifter jet utility I like the idea of bigger and longer smoke grenades ECM MAX once again seems too imbalanced, but then again, it can be tuned Mobile ammo dispenser would make Engineers useless as MAXs can now resupply The anchor idea was in PS1 if i'm correct? (never played it so I wouldn't know how it would work)
It was TR's MAX special ability, aswell as an over drive mode that increased ROF apparently, kind of like your berserk but TR only. Cite: http://wiki.planetsidesyndicate.com/index.php?title=MAX
Right now you see dual burster MAX, not so much because they are great, but because they are the only remotely effective ground based AA platform. You will of course see dual hacksaw MAX in extremely close quarters combat. And the VS AV MAX is actually useable because of the complete lack of bullet drop. VS/TR AI MAX are terrible, NC AI MAX terrible at not close range. TR/NC MAX terrible at AV. I would argue all AA MAX need an increase in effectiveness. For something that is timered and uses the scarce infantry resource, and requires someone *else* to heal you/give you ammo (unlike vehicles) I think the drawbacks of MAX are many compared to their advantages. They are extremely vulnerable to small arms fire.
Anchor mode as in 'immobilize yourself to gain something in return' - I didn't mean the very same thing that was in PS1, sorry if I was being not clear. The problem with engineers and ammo dispenser is that it doesn't fit the class, IMHO. They have their repair ability which can be used on a variety of targets, they have a turret that will (hopefully) will evolve into some worthwhile deployable system in the future. They are the best with explosives - engineer is de-facto demoman of the classes. Ammo dispenser which seemingly manufactures ammunition in the field is a bit too much.
Engineers would hate the fact that they couldn't farm as much exp now.... if that every happened, alot more people would be playing MAXs and Engineers would go complain on the forums on how they should be able to give out ammo. In my honest opinion, i'd prefer something more Battlefield structure, with the support guy getting the ammo pack instead of the engineer, but the game is already "launched" *achem open beta achem* and most of the core things won't be changed. The anchor idea has the same problem the prowler has at the moment, as soon as you anchor down you are a sitting duck waiting for the rocket spam soon to follow. As of current state the MAX is easily kited, forcing it to be stationary would make it nothing more than a glorified bullet sponge (technically what it is now, outside CQC-mid range)
