I wanted to post this idea to gauge interest in a Nanite Systems Nosegun for ESFs. I for one think it will add variety to the air game... - Seeing which ESF playstyle it would be best in. - How it differs between ESFs and changes the style. Scythes/mossies rushing with it vs reavers hovering with it. It could also bring about anti infantry capabilities that are easier to balance between factions and perhaps an Anti Armor hard and slow firing HMG for all factions. Not only will this bring more excitement to the flying game but bring more pilot awareness, testing, enthusiasm. It won't totally revive the airgame but would be a nice and much needed boost in air popularity. Let me know your thoughts, feedback. ownasaurus
Interesting. Just a bit disturbed, that you want to consider an Anti-armor Nosegun on an ESF. Given, ESF's don't need additional means to destroy armor, in addition to weapon pods that are incredibly efficient on a 1-man aircraft, the cost of a Lightning-tank, with more weapons.
I don't get why people think it's so easy to take out tanks in an ESF, Hornets were nerfed into the ground, and rocket pods take forever to kill a vehicle. Most of the time if I'm trying to line up a shot on a tank's backside I'll be one-shot by it's main cannon before I get anywhere close to killing it, this is especially the case on lightnings which have a tiny, tiny backside, especially viewed from the air. If I want to take out a tank or a sunderer I'll grab a light assault and kill them in 2 seconds with C4 and rocket gun.
+ LordKrelas Point taken. Here are my thoughts: Any new gun on ESFs sharable between factions would generate interest and excitement to a point.. But if it had some novel gameplay mechanic that doesn't break balance between esf to ground, that would be more sustainable in creating interest/purchases. The strongest/safest compromise is making an NS gun that is a side-grade to the default nose guns. It'll make identifying the faction of esf by audio/projectile color more difficult from a distance. Besides that, it'll be just a side-grade and be considered meh after a while. But I'm sure people will still want to: -use it -try to auraxium it -Test dueling capabilities between different esf's with it A dangerous way to handle this is creating an NS banshee/air-hammer combo that works like one of the new SMG's that came out. It would be important not to make the ES variants obsolete while also not to piss off ground with more ground farming. Scythes would like it most though. One thing I'm considering is some type of unique gun that is in the spirit of NS (NO beams/ rev up chainguns/ shotguns..) Perhaps a mini version of the m20 wyvern that has minor Anti Armor at all ranges, but small magazine and slow bullet velocity. Means you'd have to lead an ungodly distance from long range, and risk being instagibbed at close range. Might be good against gals and libs if leading well, and might suck against a2a noseguns. I think people will still buy it because why the hell not its interesting, changes playstyle up a bit and rewarding if balanced appropriately. What are your thoughts on compromises, balance wise, or other type of novel gun types for NS.
If you be shot by a main cannon on it, you are so low to the ground it is funny. With the array of ESF nosefuns, that might be a challenge. Hopefully Adam pops up, for that. I'd be very wary of anti-armor capabilities on nose-guns for the lightest aircraft - Most vehicles, are unable to escape an ESF. Liberators should be primary anti-ground let alone anti-armor, not ESFs down to their nose-guns. With large targets, at slower speeds: Galaxies & to an extent Liberators might be at risk at that, but the ground is an easier target compared to both. While an A2A nose-gun is likely better at taking down liberators than it as well. With low velocity, pretty good bet an A2A nosegun will erase it. But for creativity, I say focus mostly on what would spice up A2A - with as little impact on the ground as possible. Adam or Demigan, once suggested an ESF nose-gun designed around helping newer pilots hit aircraft targets a bit easier in exchange for DPS - perhaps that is an interesting direction?
Maybe an anti-harasser/flash nose-gun, but I think ESFs should actually have ZERO or very very limited anti-armor capability. I have posted several times that I believe ESFs should be pushed WAY more to anti-air and away from anti-ground. Leave the anti-ground to Liberators, Valks, and Gals. Give ESFs more of the ability to be anti-air in the same sense that a harasser can 2 mag an MBT, an ESF should be able to 2 Mag a Gal or Liberator. Of course I would also reduce an ESF nanite cost to 150 or so like a harasser to compensate for a vastly reduced A2G ability. Alternatively, a new NS anti-air 2 man fighter for 150 nanites.
As someone who adores his Reaver, I actually really like this idea. However, allow me to propose my own solution to the ESF question. Re-adjust the ESF's secondary weapons for anti-air roles. Hornets could work on an RGM system, where rather than following the crosshairs they require the pilot to get a lock on the enemy by keeping them within a certain distance of his crosshairs for the duration of the missile's flight. This would make them nearly worthless against ESFs but give them a role in taking out heavy aircraft such as Libs and Galaxies. Tomcats could get un-nerfed so that they work as well against ESFs as they did when I first started playing. Make them an anti ESF/Valk weapon that also does a respectable amount of damage against Libs and Galaxies but not enough to make them the go-to weapon for pilots. Rocket pods could get a buff to anti-air capabilities and a flak effect similar to a Skyguard. Coyotes could remain as they are, perhaps lower their lock-on range a bit so players actually have to aim the cussed things in order to score hits. Now for the tricky part, nose guns. Buff the damage of all nose weapons against aircraft while nerfing their effectiveness against ground. The VS's PPA and the TR's Banshee would be easy to do this with, but I can see the NC's Airhammer being a little difficult to balance in an air game. Perhaps take away its effect against infantry and give it a very slight buff to light aircraft, as it is a shotgun? All three of these empire-specific weapons could retain their effectiveness against flashes and harassers, but should not be the go-to for taking out infantry or heavy vehicles such as tanks or sunderers. I don't feel that ESFs should be entirely worthless against ground, however. I feel they should keep some of their A2G capability, just not as much. My solution to this, in keeping with my idea here, is to give the ESF bombs as a replacement secondary weapon. These bombs would be dumb-fired, unguided munitions that fall to the ground. Think of it as an ESF grenade. An ESF pilot should have the choice of either dive-bombing a target to ensure that his bombs land exactly where he intends them to at the risk of his fighter being torn to shreds be either ground fire, opposing ESFs, or the ground and buildings and such if he doesn't pull off his dive correctly, or alternatively doing a high-speed flyby and dropping his payload when he thinks their trajectory will take them right into that cluster of infantry his buddies on the ground are fighting or that vehicle he's hoping to plaster.
Lord Krelas clearly doesnt fly dragora, pay no attention to his hyperbole. And why do people still want crap weapons like coyotes and a2a missiles in the game? When that kind of stuff made it to the infantry side of the game in the form of unstable ammunition it immediately got nerfed. What you dont like ammo that auto seeks your head as infantry, but its ok to have to deal with it in your ESF? No, its horrible and its the reason most people dont want to fly. Why bother practicing and getting good at the fun weapons when anyone with coyotes can easily kill you without aiming at all? What you have done with coyotes is take away the air game from those with skill and turned it over to those who have none. You havent increased air participation, just made it utterly skilless which completely takes away replay value. If a weapon does all of the aiming for you, it soon grows very boring. This is what socialists do, they take things away from people who work hard and give them to people who dont work at all. All you have to do with coyotes is fly all crazy when you are reloading, keep pushing and flying past and each pass you fire coyotes. As far as a NS nosegun, im in favor of any new weaponry for the ESF that isnt completely skilless, although i rarely fly ESF anymore for reasons already stated.
So, in order to sidestep the balance vs ground issues for a moment... what about Nanite Systems noseguns that are sidegrades? Should they be A2A rotaries or like default nose guns?
Make them similar to the Kestrel locust line in that they do more damage at range and exchange damage against one target type (esfs in the kestrel locust) for another target type (gals libs and valks for kestrel locust)
