...and replace it with a camera. Right now the Liberator acts as a close support gunship, but still functions as a fighter/bomber hybrid that doesn't really specialize in anything. While it requires 2 people for optimal effectiveness (3 for maximum), there are a number of crutches the liberator currently has: - pilot has no way of looking below him without pointing the nose towards the ground - pilot has no way of looking at what the gunner is looking at - pilot has no way of knowing the fire arc limits of the gunner's weapon so as to effectively position the aircraft to target something - pilot has no way of effectively spotting any targets for the gunner in about a 200 degree arc wrapping around the back of the aircraft and anything 5 degrees or lower beneath the nose in straight and level flight To me the liberator represents a futuristic version of the Longbow Apache gunship. While the pilot has some weapon systems available to him (mainly hydra unguided rockets), his job is to position the aircraft so as to maximize the gunner's effectiveness as well as spotting any threats using optical hardware, specifically this: What will replacing the nose gun with a camera system do? - allow the pilot to get a bird's eye view of the airspace below him - this in turn allows him to keep the aircraft level which also makes it stable for the gunner to fire at targets - he also gets to spot targets, using either zoom or thermal unlocks among the choices already available Further, adding some kind of color shading system to note what area the gunner can traverse his weapon in will greatly improve the response time between finding a target and allowing the gunner to get a bearing on it to fire. Something along the lines of this (pretending that this view is the pilot's camera, without the gun at the top): This camera system would be movable with the mouse. In fact, right clicking in the cockpit would switch to the camera view, and a targeting reticle in the center of the screen would allow the pilot to mark targets and also place waypoints for easier coordination with the gunner. Something like this: All of this, ultimately promotes more cooperation and teamwork between the pilot and the gunner. Removing the nose gun forces the pilot to rely more on his gunner, thus forcing him to work with his gunner in identifying threats and positioning the aircraft in the most effective way for the gunner to eliminate it.
I think this would make a great addition to the nose gun weaps, why does it need to replace anything ? Choice is a good thing!
Right now the Liberator acts as close support but doesn't really specialize. - No, it acts as Spawn Room "Suppression" ;P And it's extremely effective in all areas, against all threats. It specializes in ruining your session in more than 3 very similar ways. It's too effective and too boring and can also take on Air. And with no Comp Armour it can shrug off 1 Lock Down dual Burster MAX combined with an AA turret for way too long. Please DO give it distinct roles, it will limit it. While it requires 2 people for optimal effectiveness.. - No, just 1. Max effect is 2. Extreme Farm Mode is 3. Fix that, then we talk. I don't care what skills you need, seat switching is Arcade Mode YOLOSWAGMLG FPS crap. Pilot has no way of looking below him without pointing the nose towards the ground. - Agreed, Spur should do that. Pilot has no way of looking at what the turrets are looking at. - Experience, spatial and communication. That's all. Pilot has no way of knowing the fire arc limits of the gunner's weapon so as to effectively position. - See above. Pilot has no way of effectively spotting any targets for the gunner in about a 200 degree arc wrapping around the back and anything 5 degrees or lower beneath the nose in straight and level flight. - Spur. Also goes BANG BANG! Improve that, you're gold. Also, see above. To me the Liberator represents the LongBow Apache. - Funny because it definitely could represent a flying Mammoth Tank and we do have ESFs that hover. What will replacing the nose gun with a camera system do? - Nothing an improved Spur won't, less probably. Further, adding some kind of colour shading system. - More crutches for the Crutch Gods. Shade ShotGun coverage too why don't we. Shading should be reserved for Artillery, see "What Prowler Should Have Been(Other alternative being CQC Glass Cannon)". Removing the nose gun forces the pilot to work with his gunner in identifying threats and positioning. - Wait for the Valkyrie, it's what you're describing minus the massive Lib issues. Essentially it's a BALANCED LIBERATOR. As to why the Lib is so good... You got that right from the start, it doesn't specialize. It just reks. PS2 is boring because of this mentality, Wreck or get Wrecked. No roles, no special functions, no support, no logistics. No tactics. Just numbers and InstaGib crutches. You are on the right track though, Libs should be pure Bombers, no hovering. Galaxies should also either not hover or have only AA weapons or none at all. Leave that to ESFs and Valks. Give the Valk pilot an improved Spur or glass bottom or a cam as you said. Job done.
Why i ain't surprised that it is the almighty TR that started this thread like the "nerf c4" threads ... Camping too much with Anchor are you?
1. You're not using the word crutch properly. 2. Unless one faction has complete air control (this includes AA presence), slow-moving or static Liberators are dead Liberators. Not only will this change drastically nerf the firepower of the Lib while not changing the pilot's role at all (really most of the problems you mention are already solved by coordination), it will try to enforce a gameplay style that simply does not work in this game. 3. The TB is fine.
You just forgot which it's PS2, and here your soul can leave your body to see your vehicle for any angle.
The Liberator is NOT a futuristic helicopter gunship!!! The Liberator is more like the bastard love child of a C-130 "gunship" and an A-10 "Warthog"... ...that can hover. When you think of it in those terms, you see how absolutely ridiculous the vehicle is especially when the pop is low. They are decidedly less so when the pop is higher... and the defenders can actually defend themselves. The nose gun is a cool idea though, but I think that the Lib needs more options and the camera is a good one. The thing is, it is my humble opinion that when equiped with the nose gun, the Lib shouldn't be allowed to carry a belly gun. Allow it to be a ground supression gunship OR an anti-tank weapon. It's far too versatile as it is.
*touch* I'd love to see the TB gone, forever, in exchange for a boost to survivability and the secondary and tertiary guns.
Well you're wrong there. I fly with a friend over teamspeak and we already coordinate, and the changes mentioned would drastically improve our effectiveness. This isn't a nerf either. I already mentioned it would be something the player can choose to replace the nose gun, just like switching between HE and HEAT turrets for the tank. I see the lib flown two ways. One is hovering above an area where the gunner does 95% of the shooting and occasionally the pilot gets a chance to use the nose gun. The other way is the lib going on strafing runs using the nose gun as the primary weapon, and the belly gun used sporadically for cleanup as the lib flies over the target at low altitudes. The lib isn't really designed to be an agile aircraft. Flying it using the nose gun as the primary weapon is ONLY viable when you use the specific nose gun you mentioned, the tank buster. If the lib was really designed to be flown this way, then the default nose gun should be just as effective but it doesn't even come close to the TB. I never even mentioned the TB in the OP, but as long as you brought it up...no it really isn't.
