So, what's with Harasser Vulcans, huh?

Discussion in 'PlanetSide 2 Gameplay Discussion' started by Pondera, Jun 10, 2015.

  1. Pondera

    INCOMING RAGE IN 3...2....1....

    So, what exactly is the deal with these annoying as nails on a chalk board Harasser jeeps with miniguns running around all over TR these days? It's getting to the point where running a tank is pointless. Because, ONE, there are hardly any Prowlers to fight with it. Just spastic little Harassers doing their best mad max impression, tearing half my tank's armor off in seconds, and two, it's STUPIDLY overpowered. I mean, if you're saying that a Jeep can face a tank in a straight up fight, and out DPS it, and kill it, and calling that balance, I can see why server populations have been having such problems.

    Every time I pull a tank, I'm hoping for a decent tank fight. But after incidents like this morning where I saw nothing but minigun harassers supporting a TR offensive, and just now where I couldn't even get to the fight without being destroyed by one, I'm questioning why this game is remaining on my hard drive.
    • Up x 2
  2. BrbImAFK

    Everyone knows Vulcan Harasser is OP. Even the whiny-TR-forumites, although they won't admit it. They come out of the woodwork to defend their "balanced" weapon faster than they'd appear if we suggested rebuffing VS LMG's, ZOE and PPA all at once.

    Even DBG knows the Vulc-Har is OP. They've got all the stats, and they're not that incompetent, so it should be pretty clear to them. I just don't think they care particularly.

    Just cert up your AV mines and bait them. Most Vulc-Har drivers are... well... "special" is probably the safest description. They will go out of their way to run you over. That's good. It means they run over your mines as well! What's even better is that you can probably do it to the same driver repeatedly before they slowly start catching on! :D
  3. SwornJupiter

    Don't worry, as the dev team has stated, NC/VS are getting a vulcan equivalent, and TR are getting a Saron/Enforcer equivalent. After they release those, then I guess a complaint is understandable.
    But seriously, harassers are reeeaaallly fragile
    • Up x 2
  4. Pondera

    hitting them is the hard part. You miss ONCE, and that minigun will tear through a Vanguard's shields AND its armor faster than it can kill the harasser.

    And really, this DOESN'T fix the problem! Look...there's a reason I never put a single cert into a harasser. I never even pulled one in over 90 VS battle ranks and 40 NC battle ranks. It's because I log into this game for epic tank battles, not jeep wars.

    Oh who am I kidding. This game is dying faster than Kenny in a South Park episode about Jason Vorhees. I might as well go play Borderlands for my FPS headshot fix.
  5. Scr1nRusher

    Tanks need to have some claws again.

    Whens the last time you feared a MBT?
  6. TheDarSin

    Let me guess. Running an 1/2 MBT and/or running a lightning by yourself with no support?
    • Up x 2
  7. SwornJupiter

    Please stop exaggerating your claims. A vulcan CANNOT take down an mbt in his downtime between the first and second shot.
    There's no doubt that a tank can take down a harasser. ZERO doubt. The job becomes twice as hard when you factor in a god-shield or a secondary gunner.
    But seriously, if you miss, it's your fault really. It's no different to missing a shrike shot, or a lancer shot. Harasses have no place in tank engagements. Any experienced harasser driver will tell you it's suicide to try to involve yourself in the fight. That's why we tend to roam the outskirts of fights, looking for weakened or isolated targets that we can single out, and even then, remember that it takes a HUGE amount of communication and coordination between the driver and gunner. Should they not be rewarded for that if they pull it off?
    The fact that you have no experience in a harasser only weakens, rather than strengthens your argument. Please give it a try, and then get back to your complaint.
    • Up x 3
  8. FBVanu

    Well, wait one... oh, no, support is there alright, but by the time most of them even get the idea of what is going on, the V-Harasser has already shredded 1-2 vehicles...

    I do not think that giving the VS and NC a Vulcan similar weapon is going to change anything, it will rather infuriate the whole player base.. as then all harassers will be able to kill anything with in seconds..

    The Vulcan needs to be toned down.. or the resistance to its damage needs to be increased..

    Take down the DPS by 20%, reduce the magazine by 20%, and increase the reload time.. then a lightning or tank might have a chance to reload and hit the Harasser.. just to fight back.. that might give you a chance. But the way they are right now, I'd rather have a Liberator try to get me with their TankBuster.. than a Harasser with a Vulcan.
    • Up x 1
  9. Pondera

    I'm not. In the space of "oh, I'm being hit. Where is it, and what is it?", and actually finding the harasser, I've lost more of my armor than if I'd been shot from an AP tank round. It's NOT fun to deal with, and it's absolutely ridiculous to think that a minigun like this can do anything more than annoy a tank. These are small arms. The fact that you are the only one coming out in support of this is quite telling of the community's stance in general. At least...the ones who are left.

    And no, I do NOT want to get experience with a Harasser. I'm here to play around with tanks. Really, if the light vehicles were removed from the game entirely, and more focus was placed back on making tanks something that infantry FEARED, I think that might be a step forward. A bit extreme, especially for the Harasser fanboys out there, but a step forward nonetheless.

    I mean, not addressing SwornJupiter here, but this thread in general. Have you ever been killed by one of those RIDICULOUS grenade launchers on a Flash that should be launched onto its back from the recoil, and not been mad? How about run over by a jeep, its driver shrieking LOLOLOLOLOROFL!!! It's nothing more than an annoying tactic, and only fun for the one doing it.
  10. prodo123

    While no one denies that missing a shot is the player's mistake, OP's point stems from the fact that the Vulcan is more likely to do more damage than the Saron and Enforcer *should you miss the shot.*

    Correction: it *will* do more damage as its DPS is twice that of the Saron and 4 times that of the Enforcer.
  11. Peebuddy

    Know what I really hate, Sauron harassers. They only do slightly less dps than the vulcan but those things have BURST DMG and long range with controlled fire.

    Every faction has something that particularly annoying to deal with

    But the vulcan is one of the last things the Tr have going for them. Most our other stuff has been nerfed into the ground. H-volcan, pounders, and siege mode is pretty much all we have to work with.

    And NO H-volcans cannot win slug matches against tanks, only time we can do that is to lightnings with out AP rounds. Harassers die to two AP-rounds and have to be in close range to use the vulcan, if you can't hit that then quite frankly you deserve to die.
    • Up x 1
  12. SwornJupiter

    Taking into account it's effective range of 15m...
    • Up x 2
  13. SwornJupiter


    I won't deny that there is a hierarchy in terms of armor, but the game rewards you for skill. Organisation and coordination will always allow you to come out on top even against a better-equipped opponent.

    This has been discussed many times, and shut down many times before. The vulcan is a high-risk, high-reward playstyle. You get in, maybe mop up a tank or two, and get out. Unlike the Saron or Enforcer, we don't have the benefit of range. We cannot sit on top of a hill and snipe the hinds of tanks until we run out of ammo.

    And how is something that fires 20mm rounds considered 'small arms'?
    • Up x 1
  14. Taemien


    You just may have a point there.

    Lightnings have to be dealt with. Ignore them and they will wreck your pushes. Same thing with Sunderers. They just got to be taken out or you get zerged.

    Harassers... meh.. annoying. Dangerous.. not so much. I do love going toe to toe with them in my Heavy in close combat (within 10m) when they mount their AV weapons though. I get 2-3 of them for every time they get me.

    Can't say I have issues with Vulcan Harassers though. I think the Magrider is just ill suited to fight something that maneuverable. VS should just change their approach.
    • Up x 3
  15. Vargs

    I don't drive harassers, but I do tank (primarily with the Vanguard), and they seem fine. Not much of a threat unless they catch you alone in a bad position, and if they do that, they should win. It's a 2man vehicle that costs resources too. It's not just supposed to be a cert pinata that can't kill anything. The NC/VS could do with something that effective up close though. Similarly, the VS/TR AI weapons feel pretty crap compared to the canister.
  16. RedArmy

    go play world of tanks if you want nothing but tank v tank - the harassers are a great addition to the game reguardless of empire - they are making it fair giving all empires this ability to have the "style" of vehicle at some point. the fact is the Pack harasser are one of the easyest and cheapest tactics to do is why these things work so well. a pack of three can get into and and out of combat if just a few short seconds taking out 1-2 vehicles each sweep depending on what they are. these coupled with AV maxes in the rumble seats make them an even more formitable foe when doing these runs. Ask the TR/NC the PPA is just as terrifying in this sence, and the same can be said about the NC's version -
  17. FateJH

    At the very least, I would withdraw those extra 30 rounds it inadvertantly gained when the Prowler Vulcan was last improved. That's the change that threw it over the imaginary line between frustrating and infuriating.
  18. prodo123

    It's harder to hit a fast moving vehicle at 15m than at 50-100m because the slow tank turret needs to turn a lot more. If you're caught off guard the turret needs time to "catch up" to the cursor and target while the Harasser runs circles around you. At medium distances, you hit a sweet spot where the tank turret turns fast enough while you lead the shot only slightly. After that it gets harder to hit because of projectile velocity and leading.

    Sarons can at least sit on top of a hill and snipe away because of no bullet drop. Enforcers can't do anything useful thanks to the nerf a while back.
  19. LodeTria

    3 actually.
    It actually does need a damage nerf though as it is the same strength as the prowler one, whilst the Saron-H, Enforcer-H and Halberd-H are a bit weaker than the MBT version.
  20. Imp C Bravo

    I don't drive Harrassers. I've never put a cert into any armored vehicles. So none of this has anything to do with my playstyle and is merely what I have observed here and there over the last 3 weeks.

    I have jumped into a vehicle to get a ride from 1 spot to the next -- and i have seen Harrassers do insane damage to heavily armored vehicles. Yeah, I sometimes see them get popped with 2 or 3 shots from a MBT -- but that is actually hard. I've jumped IN a harrasser and -- yeah its Hard to miss a tank in general. Should harrassers be able to kill tanks if the drivers and gunners are super good? Sure. But I would say the skill disparity is not right. Only a very very skilled tanker can kill harrassers at will with the main turret. An average or so skilled harrasser can kill tanks fast and -- from my VERY VERY limited experience -- with no where near as much skill.

    That seems off...