Overview of changes currently on test - 12/10/2013

Anyone that sits in one place too long is bound to be a sitting duck, be it pilot vs tank or infantry vs sniper.

I'm trying to keep an open mind here. I agree with most of the changes and they make sense, both in balance and within the world.

If I may share my ZOE thoughts, bearing in mind I haven't used it in battle on the test server yet. I have tried it out in the test server VR.

I know most of you know these things, it's just my view point of key issues.

Issue 1: The most dangerous weapon in anyone's arsenal is their mind. The cunning mind can take any disadvantage and turn it into an advantage. The cunning mind can also take the enemies' advantage and turn it into their disadvantage.

Currently on live:
-The abilities of all three faction MAX units have an unlimited duration based on time. The choice of when to use any of the abilities is given into the hands of the player to decide depending on the current situation. Implementing a duration on any one of them doesn't seem to fit. It arbitrarily limits the choice of when to use or not use an ability.

-Each factions' MAX ability can be activated or deactivated at will (with minor differences in speed). To implement a cooldown further arbitrarily limits players' choices. Before someone complains about the TR taking so long to switch modes, that's only an issue, imo, if the TR MAX has set up in a bad spot and has no back up.

-Each faction has a different play style MAX abilities play into.

-Each faction MAX has strengths that under the right circumstances make them very dangerous.

-Each faction MAX has limits that under certain circumstances make them very vulnerable. ZOE is very clearly vulnerable from everything. I don't last very long if I try to solo a ZOE MAX. It's only when I have support from my squad that I survive long enough to make a noticeable difference.

It's up to us as players to learn how to use a MAX. When I first started trying out the MAX, I never lasted very long and I was frustrated. But I've learned what circumstances benefit from it, regardless of what abilities you give us...regardless of what class or vehicle we're using at the time.

I for one and fine with how they are now. Maybe my server has better TR and NC players. /shrug I rarely get the chance of chasing someone down. Most of my kills are when someone fires at me without any cover. ANYONE not using cover or strategically superior positioning should expect to die going against ANY MAX, even without any of their faction specific abilities.

THE biggest benefit I find in using ZOE is keeping the squad as a whole more mobile. They don't have to wait for me so much. Granted, I get a thrill out of hunting other MAX units now. Not because it's easy, but because it's possible IF I'm clever and quick and use my mobility to my advantage (which quite as often has landed me in a snake pit).

Changes I do agree with or could support to some degree:
Decreased repair effectiveness while ZOE is active. Perhaps even have the repair speed have the same % impact as the ZOE damage resistance. In this way, a ZOE MAX really MUST turn off ZOE to survive. (I think this would be the best solution.) It has seemed overpowered on occasion when I see how quickly engineers repair MAX units WHILE they're firing with ZOE active. ZOE should be a choice between attack and defense.
Decreased damage boost at longer ranges. I've seen MAX units as primarily a close quarters solution.
Increased damage vulnerability.
MAYBE a slight decrease in speed.

Changes I don't agree with or don't understand why they'd be implemented:
Timed duration with no ability to turn off once it's been activated. (uhh...that's the Vanguard ability and it's pretty much always beneficial)
Cooldown
Static damage boost (though frankly I haven't seen much difference in TTK between rank 1 and 4 and often wonder how much benefit I'm getting)

In short, SOE, we don't need a babysitter. Everyone's going to complain about anything until they figure it out. I remember training newbies complaining about this or that or the other. Well, now they don't complain any more because they've learned how to counter those threats (most of them anyway). We need to learn how to use the tools you've given us wisely. I know balancing is hard, especially with everyone vying for their own pet power. I for one don't think ZOE is so powerful it needs such sweeping changes. It's powerful yes, but also very dangerous to use at the wrong time.

Nerfing the tankbuster vs turrets is bad. Please reconsider this. The tankbuster is arguably the hardest weapon in the game to aim with (it is attached to a slow turning clumbsy aircraft), it has the effective range of a shotgun, and has bullet drop like that of a bulldog. If a pilot takes the risk to get in close to things that are designed to kill it quickly (such as turrets and tanks), it should offer the reward.

Why nerf something that wasn't really a problem?

Because Libs could take out AA turrets by just flying straight at them with the tank buster and kill them with one clip or at least get it so low that a tap from the rear gun when it passes would pop it. To resolve this instead of buffing the AA turret which could have a lot of negative knock on affects they reduced the damage of the tankbuster to Turrets so this tactic is less viable and AA turrets become more of a threat to skilled Lib pilots (AKA the BR 100 guys who pull Libs late at night/in low population areas to farm people without access to decent AA).

But how often does the situation make liberators able to duel flak turrets?

Every single time there's no Aircraft other than the Lib or ESF's allied to the Lib in the sky. Unless theirs a overwhelming amount of AA Liberaitor pilots who know what their doing can take out AA turrets in one clean pass without dipping below half health.

Two guys on the ground can easily say "Hey, lets pull two ESFs".

The idea that a free turret should be able to go toe to toe with a 350 resource vehicle should not even be getting entertained. As it is now - If that one guy in a turret brings a buddy with a dumb fire rocket launcher, or a max suit, or in a second turret - then suddenly that liberator isn't going to have it so easy.

That same BR 100 would destroy them just as badly on the ground. It is NOT that hard to avoid getting owned by a liberator. Just because there are players who don't know better than to try and fight one solo in a turret or with (god bless their souls for trying) a lock on rocket... doesn't mean the vehicle needs a nerfing. The new players need to learn to stop doing that. If there is a lib overhead and you don't have the manpower to take it down, and you aren't interested in pulling air or a skyguard - then don't stick your head out in the open.

You CANNOT design a game around the top 1% of its players. Doing so is futile and just breaks it for the casual players. If a BR 100 ace pilot can't take out a single turret with a liberator - then casual BR 30s may as well just forget about even flying anywhere near that base.

As it should be. A single zero resource cost turret has no business taking more than half a MBT or Liberator in a toe to toe fight. This is why bases come with multiple turrets. One guy in a turret should not be a viable denial to an area to vehicles.

IMO lock on launchers are fine as they are in live. If a tank or aircraft driver is frustrated with the distance and lock on time, then there is cert to break the lock on. Not only that but it takes quit a bit of rockets to damage a tank. Unless shot from behind, but tanks generally stay far enough back that it is near impossible to get behind them (plus smoke screen which breaks lock). Aircraft's mobility is there strength. That and flares. By the time you lock on, fire the first shot, lock on again, they are already gone out of sight or popped flares shot at ya then flew off passed line of sight. Let's not make this game vehicle side 2.

As far as the sniper rifle not one shot head shot. Um.. isn't that the whole reason of a sniper. One shot, one kill, and from great distances. It's not hard to juke out a sniper rifle at all, from any distance.

No, Many Bases only have 1 turret to cover any particular direction with many others lucky to even have one. Turrets Make Bases defensible especially for newer players or Empire's who are on the losing side of a fight and have less resources to spare.
Just Because a player has spent some Resources and Certs on a Aircraft doesn't mean they get to be untouchable to a large chunk of the playerbase or let them neuter their defensive counter in a few passes.

Precisely.

Resources are simply a way to limit the availability of powerful weapons.

Something having a resource cost is not an argument for making non-resource cost items very ineffective against it: if it wasn't powerful, it would not have a resource cost.