The Problem: Currently we have the "feast or famine" scenario with the Ground vs. Air situation. Either there are too many Aircraft to deal with or, more often than not, there is too much AA for Aircraft to deal with; And I mean that in the sense that there is tons of AA everywhere, no matter where you go. Simple buffing and nerfing of damage values doesn't solve anything, it only skews the balance one way or another. What we need is a mechanical change that is drastic and solves the issue of "overload" when it comes to high population fights involving many forms of AA and many forms of Aircraft. In my personal opinion, A2A fights should be isolated from ground interference and the same should apply to G2G fights. If there is going to be a Ground vs. Air fight, it should have even footing in the sense that both sides can fight back and there is a high risk element for both sides. Currently, Air takes all risks vs. Ground as there is 101 different ways they can get 1-shotted if they're an ESF or mowed down if they're a Liberator. The Solution: For Ground, Remove or rework every mobile AA platform (yes including MAXes), except for Skyguards so their maximum effective range from the Ground is 300-400 meters tops, using things like extreme damage drop off or limited lifetime projectiles. In this way, the only AA platforms that would provide AA countermeasures for extreme long range, would be Skyguards, Base Turrets and Player-made Base turrets. This would solve the issue of "overload" where there is too many AA sources for Aircraft to even operate for things like dogfights or Airdrops. As a side effect, Skyguards, Base Turrets, and Player-made Base turrets would have their damage buffed by having them deal increased damage for each consecutive shot they land on Air, meaning if they're a good shot they'll wreck aircraft. Those other sources of AA would still exist but would be built for fighting in A2G scenarios when air decides bomb and shell ground targets. However, just like with Ground, there will be changes to Air to balance the situation. For Air, All air weapons designed to be highly effective vs. Ground targets would receive a range nerf, where their max range, whether through damage drop off or otherwise, vs. Ground would be 300-400 meters tops. In order for Air to fight Ground they would have to get in range the bulk of Ground's AA capabilities which introduces the risk that I am talking about. A2A weapons would not be effected here as Air should primarily be fighting other Air. At the end of these changes, what I envision is Air has a "safe space" to engage in dogfights in the upper atmosphere, free of AA and lockons, and Ground won't be bothered Air unless they fly in range range for it which also puts them in range of Ground's AA options.
What you've described is very much the same as the current system. Ground-based AA almost exclusively has less than 300 meters of effective range in a circle around them. AA Phalanx turrets have also been nerf'd recently, and as such their range is laughable -- ESF noseguns can out-range the flak's detonation range. Air to ground has also recently had a tiny bit of their range reduced. Currently air has roughly 600 meters worth of "safespace" to dogfight in. Most never use it though, preferring ground-pounding range more.
If you want a "safe space," why doesn't the collective pilot community for a given server select a distant part of map (depending on where other forces are making progress, i.e., the front lines) and dogfight out there with each other in relative quiet and without (reason for) interruption?
How many bloody AA sources does it take for a Liberator to be mowed down? Hell, how many Liberators mowing down tanks, did you think it took to get that much AA? Air takes the all the risks? Air can appear and escape from anywhere on the map; Vehicles can not. A ground vehicle gets spotted by aircraft, can't escape, and rarely has options to fight back. Aircraft gets spotted, and can escape or destroy the target. To engage aircraft with a prayer, you need dedicated AA weapons which are useless against ground targets in general. And you can not chase down aircraft, you are now reactive & defensive. As the moment you leave the group of AA, you die to either aircraft or any ground unit. A single aircraft needs multiple AA units. A single AA unit dies to aircraft or ground units easily. The largest dedicated AA ground unit, the skyguard needs 3+ to challenge a solo liberator charging into it. Which can stay well outside of AA range, and still blast ground targets, or do a fly-by exposing itself shortly without accuracy loss.
All that can basically be translated as "WHAAAA! AA TOO OP I CAN'T FARM NERF THEM!". Here is an idea for a real fix. Let aircraft keep their damage. At the price of a 50% to 75% reduction in health. Viola, situation fixed - now any sky knight stupid enough to hang around an area with lots of AA dies very quickly. Just like any MBT that ventures too close to areas with lots of AV weapons. The smart ones will quickly grasp that if an area has lots of AA then they need to wait for armor and infantry to move in or find an area that isn't well protected. Its called combined arms *******. Don't like that the large numbers of the most specialized weapons can put an end to your easy-mode farming, then start working with your own ground pounders to clear them out.
Aircraft's role should be stay away from fights and just wander around the map looking for ANTs gathering cortium to kill. Sounds boring? Well so does sitting around with an AA weapon waiting for aircraft to appear... equal.
Dedicated anti-air role should have disappeared from games ages ago along with identify scrolls. There are simply slow firing vehicle weapons and fast firing vehicle weapons. The later happens to be useful against aircraft. Vehicles built for primary AA purpose can do pretty good against thin armor. Double 40mm autocannon. Stuff starts happening at 2:15. Now it's time to sleep.
The problem: G2A weapons are the least used weapons category in the game. When infantry goes to a base, they know they will meet anti-infantry weapons. When tanks go to a fight, they know they will meet AV weapons. But G2A? G2A isn't necessary present. And G2A is so niche and incapable of dealing with anything else than aircraft that no one pulls them before aircraft arrive. The "but there's G2A everywhere!" idea is a massive confirmation bias. And the fact that you complain when G2A is just present shows how ludicrous the entire system is. But on to more interesting things. You say "oh dear god, aircraft have to risk themselves all the time". In the meantime any vehicle or infantry that isn't carrying dedicated G2A weapons can be mercilessly murdered at any point in time without any chance to defend themselves whenever an aircraft comes along. And even the dedicated G2A weapons that are used run a massive risk only attracting attention and being killed by the very aircraft they are supposed to destroy. Also the aircraft control 90% of the engagement: They can pick where they attack, when they attack, what direction they attack in, how and where they can escape, and if it looks too dicey they can simply move to another base. A luxury that ground troops rarely have due to the speed difference and the likelyhood... Of an aircraft mercilessly murdering them. In the meantime the aircraft target can at best turn it's chassis in the right direction, or hope they aren't a vehicle and have a building to hide in after which they can't do anything, and then pray that enough friendlies have dedicated weapons to force it away before it can kill you. So no matter how you twist or turn, the system doesn't work for either side, and it's more in favor of the aircraft than the ground vehicles. What you are proposing is actually going to protect aircraft tremendously. While it gives aircraft a "safe space" to fly in, it doesn't protect ground vehicles. In fact even if G2A was buffed in damage it would still mean that the aircraft have an easier time picking non-G2A targets that are outside G2A range and murdering them without contest. A better solution: Remove the ridiculous deterrence system and introduce actual killing G2A weapons. Think of the Viper or Saron, but geared to take down aircraft. Tiny to non-existant COF, no shell drop, short magazines, add long reloads, perhaps a tiny flak detonation range like 1m instead of the ridiculous 8m detonation range we have now. These weapons can simultaneously function as light anti-infantry weapons so they have a purpose outside of G2A combat. Give them the power to blow up ESF. Give HE and HEAT a higher elevation range so they can perform as anti-large aircraft, since these weapons can't OHK ESF (Vanguard HEAT needs a slight damage reduction) they wouldn't have the range or firepower to deal with ESF's unless you can get a second hit after the reload.
I think OP needs to spend some time on the ground, preferably in either a Skyguard Lighting or Ranger/Walker MBT. They might start to realize: A: How few players actually use anti-air platforms. B: How ineffective most anti-air platforms actually are.
I only tend to pull G2A (and only see others pull G2A en-mass) when skynights are farming ground units with impunity - hovering over bases lolpodding or skillztang AHing infantry. I bet if skyknights stopped farming ground units and concentrated on air units, 90%+ of their G2A woes would go away. To this end - how about we remove all air units infantry farming tools - problem solved.
That moment when opposing ESFs ignore each other to pound infantry. "After you sir." "Thank you sir, don't mind if I do!" Own worst enemy!
A small detonation. We don't need more of the ludicrous 8m detonation range. Just for comparison, if an aircraft hitbox was 1 pixel wide, then you would still be able to hit it almost a full Sunderer length away from that point as any flak that gets within that distance will detonate and deal damage. And since aircraft hitboxes are more than a pixel wide you get the ludicrous hitboxes we have now when using flak.
I think aa should shred aircraft but it would need acutual skill to use unlike skyguard i get clipped by tank ap way too much and there are many battles where both teams have aircraft that just kill each other and not help their team at all.
