No AI max is has reliable long range capability. Only a couple weapon loadouts are viable mid range. Most combat takes place within 30m. People needs to get off this mythical "long range" misinformation being regurgitated over and over. Pure exaggeration.
OK, I'll do the math. TR Max Mutilators or what ever gun has 100 rounds stock, I dont remember. 800/60 = 13.333333333333 13.33 x 143 = 1906.19 TTK = 0.55 seconds roughly Mutilator (or whatever) carries 100 rounds stock. 200 rounds total with dual arms. 7 bullets will do 1001 damage. 200/7 = 28.57 So under PERFECT conditions you can kill 28.57 infantry in 15.71 seconds under 10m before reloading. Long reload time = 3.4s I'm not 100% sure as to the Mutilators ammo pool and I'm too lazy to log on to my TR to find out. 700 I believe it is. 900(total?)/7 = 128.5 dead infantry under perfect conditions before running out of ammo. Lockdown will obviously increase these numbers. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NC MAX is easy to figure out. I don't even really need to do the math on it. 2 shots under perfect conditions and all pellets hit, will kill an infantry. 6 shots per gun stock 6 infantry dead before having to reload. Average long reload speed = 4 seconds. Total ammo = 60 60 dead infantry before running out of ammo. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My math may be wrong, I'm not firing on all cylinders at the moment. Obviously perfect conditions will never be met. TR max will not land all bullets, and not all the pellets from the NC MAX will hit unless you are trying to give the NC max a hug. The further you are from a NC max, the less damage it will do. NC Max without slugs past 10m and you can go through all the ammo in your guns before killing someone. TR Max will be less accurate past 10m, but if you can't kill kill 1 infantry past 10m in a TR Max, then you need to stop playing with a TR max. TR Max and a NC Max standing at a doorway will both mow down infantry that flood in. TR Max has far less downtime and can kill far more without having to reload AND it will even reload faster. You can actually miss with every bullet on one of your arms and STILL kill more infantry then the NC Max. Once enemies stop flooding in a doorway, you can go outside and kill the ones that are running through the field without having to change weapons. The poor NC Max will just be stuck there at the doorway praying that people come in his door of doom because going outside would be suicide and/or contemplating about making the trek to a station to switch to slugs which he had to pay certs for to be somewhat effective outside. They say lockdown is useless? pppffftttt You stand near a choke point or doorway like at a biolabs and it is far from useless. So once again, ALL maxs are badasses in CQC. In my opinion TR/VS maxes are even better at CQC because thy have the potential to mow down a bunch of infantry without having to go, "oh ****... RELOAD! Reload NOW!" every 5 seconds. Plus they can kill at medium range.
the NC "max" is a piece of junk. I basically never see one anyway, except some newb trying one out and getting insta gibbed in 10 seconds. They are so useless, I have better survive ability and more kills in any other class.
Are you seriously suggesting the that NC AI max has comparable effective range to its VS and TR counterparts?
Mmm..... Lockdown (and even non-lockdown) Mercy and Fracture (ok it's not "AI", but actually it IS ) are both very viable past 30m.
I really don't understand how people say the NC Max is terrible. It does operate differently from the other maxes but its incredibly powerful. I think the issue is people don't know how to be creative with it, if your enemy is too far away use rocks and trees and what not to block their line sight while you travel towards them keeps you from getting shot and it forces them into close range if they stay and fight. Or if you want med range get a Raven AT Rocket launcher. It carries 6 per clip, rockets are controlled by the player, 2 direct hits will kill ( 1 if you hit the head) or 4-5 from splash damage, its easy to aim and it has a good rate of fire so infantry don't live very long either way. It also will give you some tank killing power . I use this along with a scatter cannon and it makes my NC max very flexible( Raven is great for shooting campers around corners). Just BE CREATIVE
The thing is "using rocks and trees" (!!! ) doesn't really beat "just killing them" like other faction AI MAXs will do at that range. Now if NC AI MAXs could pick up rocks and trees and throw them.......... maybe....
Yes, this is fun, but not effective. It's essentially a high risk low reward tactic. Let me explain: If you are actually seen, you'll never make it close the infantry line, since you'll be shredded by that time. 1 shotgun on a NC max is weaker then a normal shotgun - and you are facing normally more then 1 infantry - and rockets in open areas are worth next to nothing against them - since they wear flak armor. And 1 raven isn't much of a threat against vehicles - in my experience they only explode when you get someone else adding damage to yours.. otherwise they'll just get repaired. Your setup works in base assaults when you can expect mixed type of enemies - including enemy maxes. The issue is that with the shotgun reload durations, you'll end up punching other to death instead of shooting, but punching is supposed to be an emergency measure.. Also.. I've died of C4 more times as NC max then with the two other factions combined - and I've played them roughly equally the last 2 months (I've actually switched to flak armor permanently despite having the repair and ballistic one also maxed) Funny enough.. in open areas I've had more success with spraying the enemy with dual falcons - champion level at slowness dumb missiles, but at least with a kick. The only reason I'm still using the NC max is 'cos it's a brutal tank destroyer in 50m range (falcons) and zergs failing to push into bases. These 2 things are actually fun
It carries 5 per clip. Easy to aim but difficult to hit anything that's moving with any consistency. From experience, more than 2 hits to kill anything but an infiltrator, I'm convinced it got a stealth nerf. Good luck aiming for headshots - they're scored out of pure luck. 4-5 splash will not kill a full health enemy - I'd doubt it would even take down their shields. Seems like you've not spent that much time with the weapon..? I've got 17 hours with dual Ravens on my main and a few more on my second NC and my experience seems to be completely different to yours. It's not a bad weapon, but to me the least effective AV of all three MAX at AV due to its 300m range. Very nice against clumps of ranged infantry where you'll probably score direct hits due to volume. Very poor at infantry right in front of you that aren't standing still. Very good if they are. Poor at distant moving vehicles. Terrible at moving vehicles close to you unless they've coming right at you or moving directly away from you. Due to the speed of the projectiles, you have to significantly lead a vehicle that's within 75m from you and even if you get that right, the majority of your 5 shots will miss because of it. Being in an open field with an NC AV MAX is usually spent behind reasonable cover, especially if there's TR/VS AV MAX or Lancers around that can reach out and touch you at ranges that you can't retaliate. There's also the humble Harasser who love to leave tread marks on your head. If you're out in the open, a HA is the better and more versatile AV option.
Instead of complaining about the NC Max I actually went and did something about it. Some of you may not like my ideas and that's fine, everyone has their own method and this is mine and it works well for me, I don't use it as much as I play mainly TR but in the short times I continue to use it I'm happy to say that I found a working formula for an NC Max.
Would I say the NC Max is the worst in regular scenarios? Yes. Our steps are loud as hell and everyone knows we're coming. Flanking is a no-go. And our shotguns are crap outside of hugging distance. Would I say the NC Max is the worst in CQC? Noooo. Shotgun arms blast down just about anything short of a ZOE max that's moving in corridor space. I would recommend the NC Max having basilisks or cobalts mounted on each arm. Then we'd probably be fit for longer range fighting.
This... I think atleast 90% of my Infantry kills is melee since the shotgun reload is trash. So run in light up 4 o 5 guys and maybe kill 1 before I run out of ammo and maybe kill 1 possibly two more before I die and they get rezzed. "Oh bring an engi with you" yes bring an engi into hugging range of enemies...
It's not a case of not liking your ideas, more so that they're not particularly effective compared to the alternatives. I can't say the same about both my TR and VS MAX weapons. Another night of being swamped by Harassers which makes me a sitting duck in my MAX suit. Stick me in my VS MAX with Vortex and I send them running quick smart. Not played much of my TR MAX among Harassers (as the close in Harasser tactic seems to be favored by TR). Please share your NC character. I'll whack mine up. Couple of Raven kills among a nest of bunched infantry tonight and a few Harasser deaths thrown in as well. When I had my Ravens, shot almost a full ammo load at a single Harasser that was roaming around the walls of an Amp Station. Didn't score a single hit. Had I equipped Vortex or Fractures, I'd have another 3 on my killboard. https://players.planetside2.com/#!/5428010618025164897/killboard
I definitely agree the TR and VS max sounds need to be much louder like the NC's max foot stomps. Honestly, its so much harder to get NC maxes off of points and objectives than TR. For that reason, I would say TR max is the worst followed closely by the NC bc of lack of versatility. The VS max is still in a class of its own.
TR is good enough with Fractures against them. The shots travel fast enough, so you barely need to lead the targets even at large distances. With NC I've only destroyed 4-5 harassers since they are out on my own.. mostly when I've ambushed them successfully with falcons for some reason - ultra rare. Like you've already mentioned: Ravens may hit them, but not rapidly enough to actually finish the job. Eh whatever.. the designers have decided keeping this max as an ultra close range unit (both AI and AV) and I can't see this changing until the inevitable introduction of NS flamethrower makes NC maxes totally obsolete - I'm having better results lately by spending my resources on C4 instead and just slug shotgun the maxes in case they survive.
i've grown to love the shield, the leak-through damage bug seems to have been fixed now so it reliably blocks damage, just yesterday i had an LA try C4ing me, i quickly pulled up the shield and faced the C4 and BAM 0 dmg (my shield broke but hey, its only rank 3) i'd say TR have the worst ESability atm (though i expect a lockdown buff soon) while NC have the worst weapons. (and continuing to receive nerfs every other patch...) VS are just in heaven atm with arguably the best weapons and indisputably the best ESability. who needs a shield when you can dodge bullets!
My maxed out shield can tank anything. Even tanks, until the try to run me over but then I just jump on top of them and give a few taunts if albe. 3 C4 bricks is what's needed to bust my shield. 2 days ago I thought I could hear the TR tank drivers yelling at me for being able to take HEAT rounds to the face and ask for more. I often just stand still and let them focus fire on me so others can go for their backside. The shield is for a team, not a man.
I am NC , and i love my MAX , I'll melt your face on important objectives , and pull engi or HA everywhere else... Less Forumside and more Planetside !
