Possible addition of unmanned hoverings for large aircraft

Discussion in 'PlanetSide 2 Gameplay Discussion' started by OPA6(AS), Nov 21, 2018.

  1. OPA6(AS)

    You don't need a pilot when you're still in the air.
    Not moving.
    I want to fire alone.
  2. LordKrelas

    You can do this, with practice.
    Though the Liberator's belly-gun isn't exactly seeming to be designed for a Solo-operator to utilize casually.
    It is a 3-man vehicle after all.
  3. OPA6(AS)

    Not as good as a Chinese drone.
  4. LordKrelas

    Also, there's no point in deliberating making your text dark grey.

    But yeah, it's a 3-man Vehicle.
    It's not kinda intended to be A sololist using it as a massively potent Sky-to-ground death-gun so casually.
    Just stick it in hover, and switch time from time.

    Or have a buddy or just keeps it still.
    • Up x 1
  5. OPA6(AS)

    我曾经是一名飞行员。我很无聊,就像一个机器人。
  6. FateJH

    "I used to be a pilot. I am bored, like a robot."
  7. adamts01

    I'd be down for this as well. Maybe it could be a new airframe. It sucks being the guy who has to hover the gal above fights. Plus, those aircraft would be easy as hell to shoot down. That's why I never understood the hate for small squads that would use a bot for Valk spawns.
  8. Pelojian

    because if you are gonna have a lib or gal at flight ceiling above an enemy base where ground AA can't get an angle due to gimbal lock then you should actually have someone flying the aircraft.

    ground players get annoyed when there is a gal at flight ceiling and no way for the to shoot it down, automating hover would only make the tactic more common.

    as for using auto hover to seat swap to use a lib or gal gun, it's clearly not intended gameplay for a solo user to use a gal or lib in that way, that's why there is no auto hover, if a ground vehicle user swaps seats from the driver position they lose control of the vehicle's motion just like air does.

    air does not need special treatment, if you want an effective lib then get another person to gun for you. libs are not designed as sky lightnings.
    • Up x 2
  9. adamts01

    I run a solo radar Kobalt ant all the time. I also run a solo MBT with a Ranger on top. Solo Harassers are pretty good for farming bases. Armor doesn't "lose control" the same way air does. Either way, the number one rule of air is to not sit still. Also, as far as infantry is concerned, anything they can't hit with a rocket from the ground isn't a direct threat as aircraft don't even render infantry at that range. And if we're talking stationary Libs and such within infantry render range, they're sitting ducks for default launchers. I see this more as a quality of life thing due to the dwindling teamwork in this game. It wouldn't be broken, especially if air gives up a frame or defensive slot for the ability.
  10. Liewec123

    agreed, I haven't read anything beyond the title!

    if people want anything they write to be read, don't make it annoying!

    you aren't going to want to read any more of this are you?
  11. Pelojian

    the only difference between a driver and a pilot swapping seats mid movement or hovering is that the pilot's vehicle will always drop, ground vehicles being still can and does get them killed via C4 and rocket attacks.

    giving people auto hover even if it only worked while in the pilot set would still encourage afk gameplay.

    it's clearly not intended for a vehicle to remain in any way under player control when swapping to another seat without another player swapping into the driver/pilot seat.

    libs, gals harrassers, sunderers and MBTs are teamwork vehicles when it comes to being able to use their full combat effectiveness, we do not need more cheesy gameplay like a 1/3 lib auto hovering over a tank so a low skill player can fire the belly gun at leisure and then fast swap back into the pilot seat if the tanker isn't distracted, not only that but people would make an account just to AFK a gal at flight ceiling at a position where you can't hit them from the ground due to gimbal lock.
  12. Talthos

    Here's an idea as to how it 'might' work, while also being mostly 'fair':

    • Can only be used by Galaxies
    • Takes up a Defensive slot (so no auto-repair or improved health pool)
    • Disables all on-board weapons (you are dependent on allied forces for defense)
    • Can be 'deployed' like a Sunderer, except in the air, provides a spawn point even for non-squad allies (deploys and packs up a bit slower than a Sunderer though, and can't defend itself like a Sunderer can)
    • Deployment causes the Galaxy to remain 'anchored' in mid-air, making it a sitting duck if not at high altitude (and even then, you still have to worry about enemy air attacks, and distant enemy Skyguard Lightnings)
  13. LordKrelas

    Then you allow Galaxies to be basically without-effort at Sky-limit, immune to everything but enemy air, and likely any distant skyguard.
    Which with just the usual drop-abilities, that's a real PITA, and lets them drop a full 12 per Galaxy.
    Add in repair Galaxies, and dear mercy.
    (As no sod is putting that lower, unless they are dominating.)

    Let alone if it has all Sunderer capabilities, as now the Sunderer is inferior.
    As no one can C-4 it, it has more health, No missile nor tank is able to touch it, It doesn't care about terrain walls, is faster, and is capable of reaching any position or escaping anything past an ESF.

    Let alone if it doesn't respect the No-deploy Zones.
    Hell, if it did respect them; You'd still have to manage to touch it, or find it, miles into the sky.
    Which makes it infinitely better than any land-locked Sunderer.
  14. Talthos

    Did you miss the part where I said its weapons would be disabled? And would sacrifice its Defensive slot to be able to deploy?

    Hell, you want to make it a bigger cert pinata? Make it so that Repair Galaxies and Emergency Repair do not work while the hypothetical Air Deploy thing is equipped. So that's no auto-repair, no emergency repair, no Repair Galaxy stacking, no hull guns to solo enemy air, and a slower deploy/pack up speed compared to a Sunderer.

    I'm not going to suggest that you pull an ESF or Liberator of your own to hunt it down, because you strike me as someone who will complain about having to switch weapons to suit a changing battlefield, no matter how gimped the target is.
  15. Pelojian

    you don't get it, having auto hover for aircraft would be like having a multi waypoint autodrive system for ground vehicles, it ain't gonna happen, auto hover is equivalent to AFK play which the devs will not support.

    ether make the sacrifice to keep a gal at flight ceiling for your team or don't hover at flight ceiling, just like other supporting players do, such as players that pull flashes and ANTs with scout radar to support their allies in base fights, unlike an auto hover system players using scout radar can't afk if they want to keep both them and their vehicle alive.

    it's not a quality of life improvement, it's an attempt at getting an afk mechanic that lets them become immune to almost all ground fire to the detriment of purely ground players, 'just because' a pilot thinks they deserve special treatment.
    • Up x 1
  16. LordKrelas

    I don't need guns if 90% of enemy threats can't fire on me, due to being at the Sky ceiling.
    I don't need all that much defensive slot perks, when the only things able to touch me, would kill me regardless of what I equipped.

    The only people who would be able to enjoy the "pinata" are ESF & Liberator Pilots.
    The combatants affected however, are the ground vehicles & infantry, which can only engage the endless infantry pouring out of it.
    Mean while, Sunderers face MBTs, Harassers, Lightings, C-4, Heavy-Assaults, Engineers with Land-mines, and every air vehicle.

    Given that Air is the least reliable threat or risk in an Engagement to regular Sunderers, Voiding all but air-based threats is infinitely superior, to having a Gun.

    Pack-up Speed is nothing, when the entire vehicle is faster, ignores all terrain, and if planted properly in the sky:
    Is immune to 90% of all threats faced by Sunderers.
    Whom are now useless.

    Considering that the only counter to your suggestion, is to be a Pilot, while raining down infinite Infantry, replacing the Sunderer, a Key element in Lattice Capture & Holding..
    I'd say, a "gimped" target that has only a single threat against it, having the weaponry to murder it, would be a Bit Over-kill.

    Like you are immune to all ground-fire, and have the AMS Function; You are less at risk than the Sunderer, and immune to nearly any attack on your Spawn Point, which has a massively larger range of position, needing an ESF to destroy a higher-health Spawn-point.

    Sunderer would be useless compared to a flying AMS, that is not at risk from every single possible anti-vehicle weapon.
  17. Talthos

    And like so many others, you ignore the fact that this is a combined arms game. So-called 'immunity' to ground fire means little, if a single ESF is all that's needed to ruin a weaponless Galaxy's day. And even at flight ceiling, there are more than just a few locations where a Skyguard can still hit a Galaxy.

    But of course, everyone is screaming 'muh Infantryside', these days. Sooner or later, they're just going to remove aircraft and vehicles completely, because of such narrow-minded complaints.

    Personally though, if it were up to me, there would be no more 'new features', until the remaining performance issues had been largely fixed and patched out. New content is meaningless, when this game has such inconsistent performance across the board, even at low settings.
  18. LordKrelas

    Combined arms:
    Galaxy AMS, only approachable by Air.
    Galaxy AMS needs nothing but Air, for protection, for movement, and is only benefit by dropping infantry out.
    That's not combined arms; As that Aircraft only fears Air, can only be defended by Air, and obsoletes everything but Air.
    You don't need armor to protect it, nor is armor able to attack it, You don't need infantry either.
    That is the opposite of combined arms.
    Nor on route , as it can be only defended & attacked by aircraft.

    The few locations where a Skyguard can attack it, it can drop infantry on, Move, avoid, or use allied air to mulch the Skyguard.
    For most cases, Only Air can do anything about it.

    It's akin to an Infantry that respawns all other infantry, and can be attacked by Infantry.
    As then you don't need anything but that.

    As if it completely makes the Sunderer worthless, is only vulnerable to air, whom is the only one who can do anything about it..
    It's not "But muh infantry", its "Where the **** does my tank fit in? in this air game?"

    You're worried about Air being patched out, while wanting Galaxies to be basically the best AMS, and need Air to scratch.
    You, You are Hilarious.
  19. Talthos

    You'll have to give specific examples of Galaxies at flight ceiling, that are supposedly 'untouchable' by ground forces. Because every time I discover one, I can easily flak the crap out of it, right from the ground. Even when they're at an angle that prevents easy flak attacks from the spawn room, it takes less than a minute to either relocate my dual Burster MAX, or less than 30 seconds to move my Skyguard Lightning just enough to fire upon a flight ceiling Galaxy.

    Either they die, or they run away as soon as it becomes apparent that they're being shot at. And there are very few places where a flight ceiling Galaxy is beyond my reach on the ground; if I actually decide to roll ESF, it's usually overkill.

    Hell, I actually play tanks more than air, these days. Flight ceiling Galaxies are not as powerful as you seem to think; they are visible from a significant distance away, even from the ground.

    Edit: The only reason flight ceiling works as much as it does, in my experience, is because people seem to forget to check the skies when there's no ESFs or Liberators shelling the area. Like, seriously; it's incredible how many people will ignore almost anything overhead, as long as it's far away and not shooting in their direction.
  20. LordKrelas

    So 450 nanite Max, that is smashed into oblivion, and a Skyguard, praying no ground force.
    That's flak, requires you not be fired by anything - and makes the easiest to kill.
    Place Galaxy at mountain, or away from spawn; Watch magic of this is a moving thing that needs dedicated AA that is easily massacred by anything.
    So the two possible ground sources are: a 450 nanite max, mulched by the infantry coming after it, when it's not inside an room shielded by invulnerable barriers, or a Tank having to pray to find an Angle in a battle, without being murdered by even an LA.
    This Galaxy is also able to move freely, and is never stuck or delayed, in addition is faster than the Sunderer.
    Practical engagement? Pray a spot allows, or be an ESF.

    Now, picture the Sunderer.
    Every single infantry can blow this up.
    Every single vehicle can engage this.
    Every single aircraft.

    So, Why pull a Sunderer, when the best option.... is air.
    Which also can ram to death or just squish every AA option past a spawn-room max.
    Cuts every single possible corner in travel, and is only vulnerable to: ESF, or the hilarious location AA position.

    Which can be killed by; The Air-Dropped LA's, faster than it kills the Galaxy.

    You'd make the Sunderer worthless as sin, and this Higher-health-Galaxy would be basically at the enemy's doorstep across the entire map, set-up an AMS in a minute, from the allied warpgate.
    That's faster than any armor, or Sunderer.
    And you can't stop it, without an ESF.

    To engage with Flak, you need an angle.. and nothing to kill you.
    The Sunderer; Is reachable by any class, any vehicle, any weapon can hit it.

    Do you not see the problem with this?
    AMS on a vehicle that doesn't actually need a weapon, for most threats vs one that needs 2 guns & dies easily & has the most threats.
    It even bypasses terrain, and doesn't have to care, while giving the best position for LA launching.