The real reason for this is the fact that anyone can pull a MAX or tank with zero certs invested. Even stock MAXes en masse will tip a battle if used correctly. This was not a problem in PS1 because there was no "do everything soldier". If you certed heavily into MAXes, you couldn't afford to also have MBTs, Aircraft and tons of infantry gear certed. At least, in the beginning. If a character had virtually every infantry weapon available certed, they couldn't afford to have more than 1-2 vehicles or 1 line of utility equipment certed. If I want Anti-vehicle weapons, Heavy weapons, Special weapons (grenade launchers and mini-rockets), as well as Reinforced infantry armor, I could have, at most, 2 vehicles certed. And they would have to be cheap vehicles, like Lightning/Harasser, not MBTs or Aircraft.
This idea that MAXes are "vehicles" is ridiculous. They ride in vehicles and go where only infantry can, strapped into more armor and weapons with a high capacity to kill infantry. This makes them, essentially, infantry-killing cooldowns: death gods. A terrible design. MAXes would be far more interesting if they were pulled not to kill every living thing but for a specific purpose, like why you kill a skyguard, or GSD Sunderer. In the infantry world there is a role still unfilled: the meatshield. My own suggestion: make MAXes into a more tactical tool in the infantry game. This can be accomplished relatively easily with the following: -Increasing resistance to small arms by about 30% (80% to 86%) -Increase resistance to explosives and explosions by enough that it can survive a C4 or two rockets (though perhaps not two decimators). -reduce AI weapon damage by 50%. -Increase magazine size for most weapons to compensate. -Return the ZOE movement speed buffs to values close to pre-nerf. -Give Lockdown additional resistance to explosives. With these changes we will see MAXes used for area denial, flanking, and breaching, which will enrich the entire infantry game. This role change makes the empire specific abilities far more interesting as well, as they play to the strengths of the newly defined roles of the AI MAX.
Yes, more reason to make this game about MAXs and heavy assaults. I've noticed the shortage of MAXs recently. There were only 18 for every engineer, heavy and medic. And heavies? There are not enough heavies on the field. That's because they don't have jetpacks... We SO need more heavies and maxes. MAXs can be gotten once every 5 mins. So no. MAXs shouldn't be terrifying or scary. You are essentially proposing a vehicle which can be ressed. You either make MAXs long cooldown, high durability, stand a deliver which are removed from the field when hitpoints reach 0, or you don't damn touch it.
My own suggestion: make MAXes into a more tactical tool in the infantry game. This can be accomplished relatively easily with the following: -Increasing resistance to small arms by about 30% (80% to 86%) -Increase resistance to explosives and explosions by enough that it can survive a C4 or two rockets (though perhaps not two decimators). -reduce AI weapon damage by 50%. -Increase magazine size for most weapons to compensate. -Return the ZOE movement speed buffs to values close to pre-nerf. -Give Lockdown additional resistance to explosives. BINGO^ Right there I love it thats exactly what it needs although with kinetic armor at rank 5 I already get 87% resistance to small arms fire, it isnt enough. that needs to be the base 87% and then let it rank up to be about 97%
As far as look speed being slowed I don't mean a ton like tank or Phalanx turrets, just enough that you get the same tanky feel and while still feeling like infantry and you can't just instantly turn around to instigib someone behind you.
