I've asked on the "gameplay" sub-forum what class to play for a player that like to play dirty tricks on players, win more by asserting correctly the situation than using row power, and most people advised me to play infiltrator, a few LA. I've tested infiltrator a few weeks, struggling with it in frustration rather than pleasure... and only had a more close look on LA this week-end. Damn, this class is so much better for the way I like to play that I feel like I wasted the last weeks entierly!!!! So, too bad for all the time and cert lost, I'm switching to LA but I have some questions to ask. Jetpacks: I do understand that drifter allow you to do more things than standard jetpacks, but I struggle to make it climb on heights. It feels slow, vulnerable, not reactive enough in most situation. Am I truly wrong if I stick with standard jetpacks that I succeed to use very well in order to make death rain on people? Is it just a matter of training? Grenades: I have few experience with both smoke and flash grenade, so I cannot figure which are the ones that are the most suited in tricking and ambushing people. Any advice? Primary Weapon: I aim to primaly shoot targets down a building when I'm still on the roof, using ADS and not moving. Very important: I want my weapon to be suppressed. What should I go for? I'm playing in VS. Secondary Weapon: I would like to try to use the secondary weapon slot as a tool, using QCX crossbow with recon bolts instead of a true weapon. Does someone playing LA has already tested this and can give me his feeling on it?
Drift jetpacks are nearly USELESS (to me). they only work to smooth your falling, not to climb. On grenades i'd say it's personal preference. I still go with frag grenades, 'cause i love to blow things. But if i had to switch i'd go for flash. Throw a grenade through a door and enter the room through a window (fun as hell) About weapons, i can't say. I usually go with carabines that are able to be effective at close and still kill people at 40-50m. But the VS CQC carabines are the Serpent and VX6-7. Check them out in VR. On secondary weapon, if you use the crossbow, check Iridar's LA guide. He explained how to solokill an enemy sunderer with C4 and crossbow. Tho i still prefer a pistol to keep me alive when i run out of bullets with my main weapon.
Don't feel like the certs you spent on infiltrator were wasted. It's not like you're forced to choose a class and play it exclusively. Different classes are better for different situations, and you may find you like playing infiltrator better when you come back to it. Regarding your questions, well, I'm no LA expert, but here are some thoughts: I'd go with the standard jetpack for getting on roofs. That's really what it's for, after all. Fancy tricks with the drifter jets (most of which I'm sure I'm not privy to) can wait. As for grenades, frags are probably better for your intended playstyle of sitting on rooftops. Flash grenades inhibit the target's ability to fight back, but if you're picking people off from above, that's not the biggest concern. I see flash grenades as more of a room-breaching tool. I'm not sure about VS weapons, but you definitely want some sort of carbine (helpful, I know). I'd stick with the default for a while. Better to spend the certs on c4 for now, and later on, you'll have a little more experience and you'll have a better idea of what you want out of a gun. I'd be very careful about not moving while on rooftops (or anywhere), if I were you. As an infiltrator, I love picking off people who do that. Easy kills.
Just a question Moonheart. Do you prefer hipfiring or you like to use you use your weapon sights? Because LA means "mobility", and you MUST keep moving, even if it's just some ADADAD dance. Because most carabines will make you move at 0.5 when aiming, unless you go with the Zenith (for VS, of course. other factions have other carabines with that trait) or with the NS-11c (available to all factions). These 2 carabines let you move at 0.75 when aiming, which is absolutely lovely.
With regards to your primary weapon, are you sure you want it to be suppressed? Most of the time, the negatives of the suppressor(lower bullet velocity, lower damage ranges) are too much for the benefits(firing doesn't make you show up on minimap, quiet). However, if you are bent on using a suppressor, the Pulsar C would be a good choice, as the High Velocity ammo counteracts the detriments of the suppressor. Also, the Pulsar C's fast reload allows you to use your Hunter QCX with recon darts, as you wanted. As for grenades, I would stick with regular frags. Flash grenades are viable, but the radius on them is too small. Smoke grenades make life hard for allies that aren't using HSNV sights.
Drifters don't allow to do "more things", they allow to do less things, but stay in the air longer, which is generally a bad idea, as LA is vulnerable while flying. Use standard Jump Jets. Both our class-specific grenades are underwhelming at best. Use standard frags, unless you really want to tryhard roleplay. Then smokes would be preferred, but you'll need to use HS/NV scope to be able to see through smoke, and ADSing in close quarters is not always the best tactic. In that case you might want to use a weapon with 75% ADS speed, like Zenith or one of the SMGs. Hey, do you know what they call a Light Assault sitting immobile on the roof and ADSing? "Sniper bait". The best VS weapon for that would Pulsar C, but you really must stay on the move until you learn when you can afford to be stationary. I haven't tried it, but Sandpants did, you can try PMing him if he's still around. Normally, it's better to play in an organized squad and rely on Infiltrator's radar coverage, but if you want to be truly independent that might be a good idea. VS carbines do have very fast reload speed, so having a combat-ready sidearm is not as crucial for them, and LA needs to know where his enemy is, so he can drop behind back and gut him. Check out my Light Assault guide, it's total mess right now, some links, navigation and text formatting might be broken, but the information itself is solid.
Neither of the jets allow you to do any more or fewer things, in my experience. Jump jets can do stuff drifters cant, drifters can do stuff jump jets can't. That's about it.
When you make statements like that, you risk sounding elitist and/or close-minded. You must try them before making an accurate assessment of drifters. However, I do agree with you, and I haven't used drifters all that often. From what I have seen, regular jets offer far more utility than drifters.
Maybe I can't make an accurate assessment, but that's not what I was trying to do anyway. In this case I'm fine with being close minded. Drifters are just not my style.
If you weren't trying to make an accurate assessment, then you didn't do a very good job of pointing out it's just your opinion. Good we got that cleared up Looking at the rest of your post #6, how should one go about determining which parts are accurate assessments and which parts are just "close minded" opinions? Are class specific grenades underwhelming because you haven't really used them much?
I didn't say anything resembling an opinion... like "drifters are bad" or something. They allow you to fewer things than Jump Jets. You can glide and gain height with Jump Jets, you can't gain height with drifters, not unless you're doing a wall climb trick. That's it. Those are facts, not opinions.
Leave drifters alone. Maybe one day when they will release the LA revamp drfiters will have a new use... the on-ground skating seems interesting but it's not fast enough to give an advantage, drifters should be something like 40-50% faster. And the accuracy penalty while flying makes the 100% useless for combat purpose. Grenades: the smoke grenades are cool but if your enemies have the NV optics (and if you are on Hossin probably they do!) smoke doesn't help. Flashbangs are nice, but no one know why they have a such a big delay before to explode. This makes them very hard to use as you have no idea if you actually manged to blind someone. I would stick to the standard grenades...
No, those are not facts. These are facts (not a conclusive list): Drifter jets can gain height against sloped surfaces at speed depending on the angle maintain height for a long period of time glide for long distances thanks to the ability to maintain height sweep areas quickly thanks to the ability to maintain height and glide long distances reach height advantaged positions by gliding from other similar height locations maintain faster movement speed than sprinting recharge very quickly, which provides their use with low downtime avoid accidental falls (to death or otherwise) thanks to the ability to maintain height and recharge quickly safely and accurately reach almost any location below when jumping from great heights travel very long distances with the use of jump pads gain vertical boosts from gravity lifts even though the jets themselves do not travel vertically Jump jets can: gain height any time, anywhere avoid vertical obstacles to reduce travel time thanks to the ability to gain height any time, anywhere maintain height for a short period of time glide for short distances move faster than sprinting in short bursts recharge at moderate speed, not as fast as drifter jets reach some locations when jumping from great heights travel moderately long distances with the use of jump pads What isn't a fact is which jets can do more things. Even if I count all the things above and sum them up, I can't say which does "more things". That assessment depends on how you define "one thing", what context you're defining it in, and your personal experience-based opinion on versatility. Your assessment is an opinion that oversimplifies the comparison between the jets.
i would be arguing if cruczi didn't because i believe drifters are useful. it doesn't really matter who is on the other side of that argument.
God ******* damn it. No, it's not an opinion. Yes, it matters in the context. I've provided you with the context. Opinions have nothing to do with it. A car can ride roads. A hovercraft can ride roads and swim. Hovercraft can do more things. That's all I said. I haven't said that hovercraft is better or more versatile, since hovercraft may be bulky, and use much more fuel. Or not. That's not the point. I hate myself.