[Suggestion] Anti-Air Mana Turret

Discussion in 'PlanetSide 2 Gameplay Discussion' started by WinchesterLock, Jun 14, 2014.

  1. WinchesterLock

    I couldn't find a suggestion of this elsewhere, but I got to thinking about how there are currently two options regarding mana turrets for the engineer class (the anti-infantry and an anti-vehicle mana turret). This got me to thinking, how could this be expanded in the future. The first idea that came to mind is, what about an anti-air mana turret?

    They would be restricted to targets within the normal viewing range of a normal mana turret, with the exception that these could aim higher but not aim below the baseline (similar to how the ranger turret works). For example, if you are up on a ridge, you couldn't depress your turret any lower but you'd be able to shoot at anything level or above you (as long as it is within the normal rotatable area to your left and right).

    Damage, models, and what-not could be something decided on later, but I just thought I'd throw out this suggestion and see what people thought.
    • Up x 2
  2. Wobulator

    Flak? Lockon? Walker-style? Elaborate.
    • Up x 1
  3. WinchesterLock

    Well, I was thinking something more along the lines of a flak or a walker type of turret.
  4. Wobulator

    I think the pilot rage would kill this(rightfully). Frankly, ESFs are in a very good spot right now, and adding another killer for them would be bad. Libs could use some killing, but it's hard to do that without hurting ESFs.
  5. WinchesterLock

    Well the thing is, since this is a mana turret, you couldn't turn a full 360 degrees, so the ESF could easily loop around behind you and kill you. The ESF would have the advantage of maneuverability while you are locked into a single position (well unless you abandon the turret to reposition, but that takes time).
  6. Wobulator

    Yes, but it's also free, ammo-less, and infinite. Get two, and you have a no fly zone.
  7. Gemenai

    Well good idea but i would have to be an Ranger equivalent ( cause let´s face it this thing is so **** it could never be op)
  8. WinchesterLock

    Well, the same could be said about two or more of a lot of things in Planetside 2. Get 2 skyguards together next to an ammo tower and you have a no fly zone, grab two dual burster MAXes with an ammo pack and you've got a no fly zone, even with a few heavy assaults with anti-air lock ons and an ammo pack, you could have a no fly zone. You have to remember that this is a fixed turret, and it cannot rotate a full 360 degrees like a skyguard, ranger, or walker can, the turret can only depress to a base level (so they could easily dive into a valley if the turret user is on a ridge) and if they were made like AV turrets and had no shield, they'd be easy to pick off with rocket pods or nose guns. ESF's have speed and maneuverability on their side and can quickly turn and attack from an undefended direction. I honestly think you are expecting some sort of an anti-air vulcan or something, but that is far from the case. I was thinking more along the lines of an inaccurate low to medium damage flak cannon like the Ranger. If it were a more accurate Walker type, I'd expect very low damage with it (that was why I left the walker type open as an option earlier). I wouldn't want this to be as OP as the AV turret is and has been thus far.

    Honestly, I was kinda thinking along those lines. The ranger is so inaccurate and weak that it would fit nicely in such a role. Basically I was looking at this as potentially something to run off aircraft rather than destroy them (if that makes sense).
    • Up x 1
  9. MrNature72


    A "bad idea to fly" zone instead of a "no fly" zone.
    • Up x 1
  10. Gemenai

    Well i wouldn´t mind if it isn´t that deadly. Although i like walker for it´s effectiveness and it´s new model, i also like the fire effect and sound of the ranger a lot. Just firing such a turret would be fun all day long.
  11. Wobulator

    For skyguards, you have to have a fairly significant resource and time commitment, and they are pretty bad at everything else. Same for burster MAXes, but they can change class. AA heavies only have 450m range.
  12. JKomm

  13. Frosty The Pyro

    From my completely unnoticed engineer thread, which I kinda need to put in my sig.



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  14. TheKhopesh

    I like the walker idea, but you'd have to have it face upward enough that you couldn't quite hit ground troops at the same level, and capable of turning 360 degrees.
  15. WinchesterLock

    You obviously don't play Skyguard much. I've taken out Magriders in the past pretty easily by just ramming under them and staying under and behind them, not to mention they are pretty decent against non-AP lightnings. Prowlers on the other hand, leave that to the other tanks. It really needs to be more accurate at close range but you can kill infantry with it if you practice. In regards to MAXes, I always find other uses for my MAX after taking out enemy air. Usually I'll switch to my anti-infantry or anti-vehicle weapons and if air comes back I run back and grab my bursters.

    Just because there is a resource investment doesn't mean it is a big deal, just learn to use what you have and use it well.


    Like any other weapon in the game, if you stand in front of it, you'll get hit. This is a mana turret, so the 360 turning isn't an option (it would be limited to the turning radius of the AV and AI turrets) and as somebody that likes to fly from time to time, I wouldn't want it to have 360 turning either.
  16. TheKhopesh


    The issue with that is;
    While you can place a turret, jump on, and hit a ground vehicle (even while moving), air is a LOT tougher.

    Aircraft can fly right up, blast you with easymode pods or dalton rounds, and after burn out all in the time it takes for your turret to complete it's deploy and "construction" animations.

    And that's if you just so happen to know exactly which way he's going to come from.


    Air can change direction so fast, it would be near worthless to have a uni-directional mobile AA turret.

    Only a massive field of them would ever have a chance of getting a kill.
    We'd only ever see kill with these in +48 zergs.
  17. JKomm

    Personally, I'd like to see an AA MANA turret kind of like the AA base defense turrets... just stripped down to the bare bones, no armour plating at all. It would have the full 360 degrees of a... I think they're called the Aspis turret, can't remember which phalanx turret is which at times. Basically the Engineer would sit down in a seat looking at a screen, which would show almost like a reticle of a Skyguard lightning, but... not a skyguard because then it would be worthless to buy this AA turret. It should have the same radius as the Ranger on level ground to make it a weapon only for air, no cheating and using it on infantry!
  18. TheKhopesh

    That's very similar to what I was trying to say.

    Like the MBT walkers, which cannot face low enough to hit ground targets.
    Given most libbies run with an armor killing dalton, as well as ESF's having hornet missiles and LOLpods, I do think these AA turrets should have armoring.

    Not like the AI mana turrets shields though.
    I'm thinking something like the AA phalanx turrets (But much less life to them).

    Just something so that it takes a few shots from a dalton or bulldog tail, or a few reloads from pods or hornets. that way air won't insta-gib the target that cannot move.

    It's going to have to be an actual AA weapon, with effective damage so that air doesn't see it and target it.


    Whenever I'm in a lib, we target the skyguards first.
    That's because with skyguards, as long as it's two or less, we can kill them before they kill us.

    The tank buster in combination with the Dalton (And a bulldog to focus the second lightning during the assault on the first one) can -if done right- wipe out a two man AA lightning group with consistent results before they can kill your lib.
  19. Pikachu

    There is missile mana turret in the files.