Server Downtime for ESF Update January 16, 2014 6 AM PT (3 PM CET)

I think you're missing the point, it's a patch day. Haven't you got the memo yet?

I literally play for free... not so much marketing as a statement of fact.

Are the updates/downtime going to be a weekly thing? Last patch was a week ago today. If they stick to a rigid schedule I'm kind of okay with that, because then at least I know the servers will probably be down every Thursday.

It's not a problem of how long the servers are done. It's _when_ they are down and _how_ SEO communicate about progress.

Well, going to buy some more booze for the evening, last thing giving me a heartattack would be standing in front of the supermarket door with a sign on it: closed for maintenance...

Yeah, but we all know that we're meant to spend money on this game SOE really is a for-profit organisation.

Guess not

Please get rid of your memberiship... you clearly need the money to buy yourself an attitude adjustment and a reality check.

Wow! SOE still doesn't care about EU after all that time. Patch hours at prime time. So sad, very regrets.

Hehe, alls I know is my skygaurd is gunna be squirting certs with all the esfs in the air trying to float around.

I welcome this update because it shows you listen to people and want to improve the game. However, some of the ESF updates are going to be highly destructive to majority of pilots.
Let me explain how it works right now:
Vast majority of people spawning an aircraft are not career pilots. They want to support their squad/platoon/faction. These pilots are decent and are best at providing air-to-ground support. They have about equal chances against each other in the air.
A small group of people are ESF career pilots and are exceptionally good at air-to-air combat. They have mastered the art of hover fighting with just their nose guns. They can run any loadout, but unless they get ambushed by 3+ regular pilots, they are not concerned about any type of aircraft.

I’m not a career pilot, but I can hold my own against one or two regular pilots. I can fly and fight, but not dog fight to the same degree as the top 5% of pilots on the server (note: pilots, not regular infantry men). Even with tomcats or afterburner tanks, if I happen to stumble upon one of those top pilots – I’m done. They can use flares to lose first lock-on rocket (or even absorb the damage) and after that their nose gun makes quick job of shooting a regular pilot down. Tomcats were broken because they could turn 360 degree and hit behind cover. I’ve even seen Tomcats do figure “8” after previous update (yes, go figure). However, Tomcats lack of requirement of maintaining aim at the target for lock-on to keep working was the only chance most people had against career pilots. If not to kill, then to at least cause an evasive maneuver that would let us regroup or try to find a better attack position. Still, this is often not enough to survive. With you taking that out of the equation – there is no longer a credible threat to career pilots. They can dominate the air completely and their only worry is the burster max or ground lock on rockets.

Right now – career ESF pilots are patrolling the sky of a continent killing any enemy aircraft, racking up points. I can appreciate their dedication, but I feel flying is no longer fun as the skill level required to last longer than a few minutes is too great for most people. Which is not the case with other arms – tanks, libs or even regular firearms. With some of these career pilots, the only way one may have to take them down is to RAM, as they can easily avoid nose gun, can flare incoming rocket and can use afterburners to run circles around regular pilots.
Please fix the crazy unbreakable lock-on on Tomcats, but keep the old lock-on mechanics of not requiring the aim to be maintain for the rocket to follow. Secondly, lock on rockets do not do enough damage to be that much of a threat. They allow to take two shots to armored ESF and still allow to safely land after short escape in order to land and repair. Now combine that with short flare reuse in fully certed ESF and it takes 4 rockets and a nose gun to take an ESF down.

I feel that ESFs are the most unbalanced in the game when compared to anything else – tanks, maxes, rifles/smgs, etc.

I am guessing no news yet?

This would probably be the right time to give the GF some attention... hope the servers are up in 5 mins. though.

It's people like you that make me not want to come here. Congratulations on being an *******

Hope you are done, SOE, I want to murder some Vanu scum over here

Almost 2 hours overdue and still no update?
I cant say im surprised. Its soe afterall.

Maybe if we are lucky they will tell us whats happening on reddit, facebook, twitter, random homepage or something.

There still hasn't been anything done about Reavers and Mossies doing CIRCLES around scythes...

Too bad the other guys is right. This world does not revolve around you.

For anyone wondering the status it helps to (gasp) open up a new tab and see this thread:

https://forums.station.sony.com/ps2...-bit-delayed-16-jan-2014.168011/#post-2413932

Almost as long as I have been flying I have been using and loving radar, because I want to help my team win. Sometimes I have done nothing but sit in a biolab v bay or amp station v bay providing radar, getting no kills or xp, because if I left I would die and radar would die. Seeing the victory was all that mattered to me, but I did take a big experience hit...so detect experience now...a actual reward for willingness to do this....

Wahoooooooooo!!!!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU..........................

This is very welcome change SOE. You are making it so that support is an action that reaps physical rewards now and not just emotional satisfaction. It makes me very happy to know my play style will finally begin gaining more experience. Any step you take that further encourage support roles is a step in the right direction and I take this news very well for the decision to give up flares in exchange for a valuable support tool to my team was not an easy one... So well done.

That is another thing, you making lock-on missiles require skill and aim...well done again.

Also I got tired real quick of using rocket pods so I kept using ab tanks...love that you finally give me option to improve my maneuverability and speed as a result of not liking rocket pods or lock on missiles and preferring to aim with nose gun for all my kills.

Also like the idea of the fire suppression improvement.


All in all this update is a list of very welcome changes...now here is to hoping it is bug free upon launch.