Even though I think the lancer is the superior weapon of accuracy, I still recognize there are situations where it is not the best choice. First being when dumb fires are near 100% accurate. Second being its low splash damage/ anti infantry damage. Third being immediate firing. You Lawn Gnome are a person with high accuracy with a decimator (60% is awesome); someone who needs their rocket to fire now, not in 3 seconds; and the lancer lacks any splash damage to blow up your c4. You are the definition of someone who shouldn't use a lancer. The lancer has only two advantage when compared to dumb fire launchers. It has higher accuracy( as long as that 3 second charge doesn't mess you up). And it has a crazy amount of ammo, twice as much as the decimator which means you carry 50% more damage in your pockets. The lancer loses against dumb fire in damage/rate of fire. The lancer does 1500 damage a rocket and shoots an average of 1 rocket every 5.5 seconds. The default dumb fire does 1700 damage, and shoots a rocket once every 5.2 seconds. The decimator does 2000 damage and shoots every 5.7 seconds. Lancer does very well compared to lock on (as long as you can aim) The lock on takes less time to lock (lock on time depends on rocket and distance, if you want the exact numbers http://planetside.wikia.com/wiki/Performance_Update_Number_2) than the lancer's three second charge The lancer requires you to aim, lock on rockets only need you to aim with the rectangle. The lancer hits first when target when target is further than 172.5meters (lock on ground), 200meters(lock on air), 150meters (annihilator). This part shows that the shorter lock time verses the charge doesn't mean much since the lancer still hits first after certain ranges. Lancer has a faster fate of fire than lock on rockets. Lancer-5.5 seconds. Lock on ground 6.7 seconds with in 100 meter, 7.2 seconds at 300meters. Lock on air 6.2 seconds with in 100 meters, 7.4 after 300 meters. Annihilator 6.2 seconds with in 100 meters, 7.2 after 300 meters. Lancer is unaffected by vehicle stealth (max rank makes lock on take one second longer to lock), flares/smoke, and giving target warning of lock. Lancer can hit targets beyond lock on rockets. Ground lock, max range being 300 meters. Air lock max range being 450 meters. Lancer does 1500 damage with in 400 meters, it probably does min damage at 500 meters, I don't know the min damage of charge 3 lancer. Lock on rockets do 1500 damage all ranges. Lancer has far more ammo than lock on rocket. It carries two shy of doubling the lock on launchers. Munitions pouch also give the lancer twice as many rounds than munitions pouch gives other rockets. The Lancer would need a nerf if people used it more. I guess I can't complain about some thing with all of those advantages if people don't use it. Best rocket launcher in game for accuracy where dumb fires aren't accurate (Lawn Gnome is an exception). Other lock on rockets don't fire as quick as lancer. They carry less ammo. They give warning, and they can be countered with customizations. They have a minimum range to lock on. If I was given the ability to change the Lancer right now. I would lower the amount of ammo in gets munitions pouch in half (You can't defend that ammo). Since people don't use it I guess I shouldn't balance it out with the lock on rockets. I would upgrade the projectile speed to 750meters per second at charge two, and 900 meters per second at charge three, reason for this - I don't think the lancer should have a max projectile speed that is lower than the rail jack. I don't think that anyone would notice the faster projectile speed so it isn't really a buff. I would also greatly increase the time before it auto shoots, since I hear that as the biggest complaint about the lancer and it doesn't really make it more powerful. Now there is one problem with removing the auto fire, that comes from people using it more. So consider this-- If the auto fire on the lancer was removed then people would start using it. When more people start using it then they will use it to its strengths (which are many). If more people use it and use it correctly then it would get more kills than any other rocket launcher. If it is killing everything then people will say it is overpowered (because it is). If people say it is overpowered and the stats show it is overpowered then, boom nerf. I just hope SOE learned its mistake from nerfing thing to hard otherwise removing the auto fire just might end up giving you something worse than the current TR striker. So ask your self this, do you want to remove the auto fire, the biggest complaint about the lancer.
I love the Lancer. The only thing I want to have changed is a reduction to how long that bright blue tracer hangs around that gives away my exact position each time I pull the trigger.
lancer is easily the best HA launcher in the game for AV work, though it takes some practice to hit moving ESFs with consitancy. at full charge it puts out more damage than a lock on launcher, and puts out more rounds over time (thus more dps), it has longer range, and assuming its user is even vaugly competent better accuracy (due to no ir smoke/flares), gives no warning, and has the largest damage pool. The dumbfire only launchers (stock and decimator) will do more dps but have much slower projectiles, heavy drop, and those horrid iron sites (thought that may just be me, but I hate rocket iron sites, once you adjust for drop you cant see your target anymore cus the gun is in the way). the other launchers (except the anhilator, phoenix, and striker) do better at AI of course, but that's what your primary and pistol are for.
I agree with all most everything you said "Frosty The Pyro". Only one thing you said was incorrect and that was the "full charge lancer puts out more damage than a lock on" The full charge lancer does the same damage as the lock on launchers. The lancer does 750 damage that goes through a -100 resist (does 100% more damage) that gives it 1500 damage. The Lock on launchers go through a -50% resist (50% more damage) that also gives it 1500 damage. Both the lock on rockets and the lancer do 1500 damage. ESF have 3000 health but take 15% less damage from lancer and lock on. ESF take 75% more damage to the dumb fire rockets.
I still don't know why they didn't implemented tank-like range finder sight for dumb fire you could buy for 100 certs. It would be great. Same magnification. Or just even a ladder Iron sight... Not like it's new tech....
If 1 person uses it = useless if a squad uses it = Most powerful anti vehicle weapon Teamwork with lancer is amazing problem is no one ever does that...
errr... not true... and now that you know the secret... get your own lancer team together and go disprove yourself. It's fun... it's easy, the certs are good... and grandpa Vanu approves. What else do you want a flying chocolate monkey?
The most effective team work moment I've ever had was when a platoon lead called for everyone to bust out RLs and engineers. We spammed the heck out of a choke point and repelled an entire armor column. Now 80% of those missiles missed, so I can only imagine what would happen when you get a platoon with easy mode RLs. Point n' click vehicle destruction.
Good VS outfits will drop on an elevated position and Lancer everything in sight. There is almost no defense against this (and the only defense pretty much requires heavy air, so if the column is tanks only then so sorry). Every vehicle that exists out to render range is dead if it doesn't flee until it isn't visible anymore. And the Lancer is still pretty useful in field fights, so it's not completely worthless solo. It's a very good weapon and probably doesn't need any changes (buffs would make it OP, nerfs would kill its niche). If the Phoenix and Striker were as effective and fun everything would be hunky-dory.
I try to but no one has a lancer. The lancer is great in a team, but it is hard to find a good lancer squad
All of the rocket launchers are useless other than a deterrent when used by only one person . Unless you hit the enemy from behind but that makes all of the launcher useful. Lancer doesn't need an squad to outperform the other rocket launchers. It is the only launcher that has enough ammo to kill a tank from the front without using munitions pouch. Lancer also is the rocket that gets the biggest advantage from munitions pouch. Lancer does the same damage as lock on rocket and can fire an average of one rocket every 5.5 seconds. The other lock on rocket can only fire one rocket every 6.2 seconds ( within 100 meters) and 7.2 seconds (after 300 meters). If you say the lancer is useless when only one person is using it, then you have to say the same thing about the other rocket launchers.
when I said put outs out more damage, I was referring to dps, but then I went and mentioned fire rate and dps, which made that realy confusing, so I apologize. as a note though, ESFs have 1750 hp, but have a specific resistances against lock ons (and the lancer doesn't get its normal 2x damage multiplier against air), so both do 750 to an esf (and all air targets IIRC). At least unless they have changed the system in the past few months, but as vanguard heat still one shots em, I don't think they have. libs have 4k, and I forget gals value (its realy high). MBTs have 4000, lightings 3000, sunderers 3750, harassers 2500, though ground vehicles all have armor values in addition to assorted specific resistances, so those raw values are only useful as the basis of calculations.
according to the wiki ( http://planetside.wikia.com/wiki/Vehicle_armor_and_damage_resistance ) ESF have a -70% weakness to lancer so (i think) 1275 on an ESF hit, liberator has a 10% resistance for 675 damage per hit, and the galaxy has a 40% resistance, so they can generally tell you to F--- off with their 7000 health. so against ESF the individual hits are fairly effective.
If there is anything I might want to see changed it would be the scope. The Lancer is fine! It might not have a fancy lock on or some guidance system and we have to deal with a god awful charge up time, but that isn't stopping me from snipping the tail light of a tank that sticking out from behind the corner and I'm doing that with out a fancy scope improvement already, so scratch that scope idea, I apparently don't need it.
My humble opinion... The Lancer is a team play weapon. As soon as you get three or more of these using coordinated fire it is lethal. Using the Lancer solo is still useful, but like the Lasher, don't expect to be rolling in kills. It is used more to force enemy armour to retreat and repair. It can also bear fruit when used to spam shots into an already heavily damaged vehicle to quickly finish it off. It's also worth noting that it's a two shot MAX kill when fully changed. However it has to be an utter numpty in the MAX to stand still after the first shot.
there are plenty of people who seem to agree so i decided to back down a while back. i still don't get any of it, but if people like it then i guess it is fine. i still won't use one because it would never work with my play style.
Please don't change the lancer I love it just the way it is. In fact it's the only thing I miss when I play TR/NC.
The Lancer isnt effective close up, but at range its the best RL in the game in my opinion. It does have its drawbacks, but so do all other rocket launchers. One of my favorite things to do in the entire game is snipe maxes with the lancer. You wont believe how many think they are safe just by strafing a little or changing positions after the first hit.
