THE SCORPION ANTI-INFANTRY CLUSTER MISSILE LAUNCHER. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TL;DR - To fix the NS Scorpion for PS2 it needs a flat-trajectory missile, coupled with a push-button on-screen displayed range-finder system that automatically syncs overhead detonation of the missile with the selected target range. As inherently designed in original Planetside 1. Additionally, due to the fast nature of PS2, the slow travel of the missile and the tight conical cluster pattern, it should be returned to an anti-infantry role, with moderate anti-armor capability. As the weapon is essentially impractical against moving targets, it should be designed to counter enemy positions situated in a heavily stationary defensive posture that are openly exposed from above. Also, an optional feature would be to have the NS Scorpion missile defeatable if it is shot while flying, similar to the NC Phoenix guided anti-tank missile. Shooting down the missile should NOT be possible, UNLESS it is given increased effectiveness to balance/justify the possibility of being avoided/shot down. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - <Introduction:> Pull up a chair and have a seat. I'm going to take you for a spin down memory lane. With one of the more exotic weapons offered in PS1 which had a very particular niche, and was highly effective in the right hands: The Scorpion. Many years ago, I was a TR BR25 CR5 on the Emerald server. I will not claim to have achieved "Mastery" of the Scorpion in PS1, however I will state that I had great success in its application, and I consider myself "Skilled" in its use. At the time, I was also an avid fan of the weapon. I will state that the Scorpion was an easy weapon to learn, but a potentially difficult weapon to master. Conversely, after testing the NS Scorpion in PS2 it prompted my total rejection of the weapon. Ultimately labeling it little more than a novelty, being a hideous and grossly dysfunctional misrepresentation of a formerly useful weapon. This was largely due to a critical lack of precision munition delivery, and a carelessly haphazard implementation that was seemingly anything but an anti-infantry weapon. Whomever put their hands upon this weapon during development did nothing to preserve its usefulness or legacy. And is in need of a critical rework. Moving on... - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - <Scorpion Weapon Characteristics:> Characteristics of the Scorpion weapon, as compared to PS1 and PS2 outlined below. Scorpion (Planetside 1) Easy to use, difficult to master. Automatic push-button range-finder capability. Automatic syncing of range-finder with missile warhead detonation. Flat-trajectory missile with practical medium/long range potential. Total of 1 payload missile, dispersing into 5 cluster sub-munitions. 180º fan-style cluster dispersion, perpendicular to operator. Eccentric cluster pattern. Ideally used for anti-cover detonation. Slow speed missile with long smoke trail. Causes high damage to infantry, low damage to vehicles. PS1 Scorpion description: This weapon was originally an Anti-Infantry weapon. Meant to be used against infantry which would regularly take positions along the defensive walls of a base. This weapon was effective at softening or even breaking the defensive posture of heavily dug-in forces along the defensive walls of a base. That is, if the Scorpion operator was not countered by focused infantry, sniper or vehicular fire. NS Scorpion (Planetside 2) Difficult to use, nigh-impossible to master. NO automatic push-button range-finder capability. NO automatic syncing of range-finder with missile warhead detonation. Must be paired with "Sweeper HUD" implant to obtain accurate target range. Arbitrary proprietary "roulette" ranging system for missile warhead detonation. Parabolic-trajectory missile, with NO practical medium/long range potential. Total of 1 payload missile, dispersing into 6 cluster sub-munitions. 45º conical-style cluster dispersion, direct to gravity. Consistent cluster pattern. Ideally used for anti-point detonation. Slow speed missile with long smoke trail. Causes low damage to infantry, low/moderate damage to vehicles. PS2 NS Scorpion description: "This weapon is most commonly brought to the front lines when enemies are in entrenched or difficult to reach positions." Although seemingly worded for use against infantry, it appears to be at its peak effectiveness for use in an Anti-Tank role on stationary vehicles. Most optimally utilized against stationary deployed Sunderers which are easily exposed from the top with infantry huddled around the vehicle. Perhaps useful, but poorly implemented. Regardless, still anything but its original intended purpose as outlined in PS1. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - <Scorpion Skill Curve: (Planetside 1)> The key requirement using a Scorpion in PS1 was to master two factors: Missile Speed - The missile traveled the slowest of any missile in game which had a very long and noticeable smoke trail, which could alert enemy forces of the incoming projectile and the operator's location. Use of the Scorpion at short range was simple, however firing at medium to long range required the intended target to remain stationary for long periods of time, and/or to have the operator become proficient at predicting enemy movement to ensure the detonation of the payload over the intended target. Missile Elevation - The missile carries the payload of cluster "bomblets"/sub-munitions which would disperse over the target. Prior to firing, the operator has to manually and significantly elevate the weapon to an estimated/imagined point above the intended detonation target. If the missile was not adequately elevated above the target, the bomblets would not "air-burst" and would collide with the ground harmlessly. If the weapon was elevated too high, the cluster bomblets would "air-burst" far above the target and out of range with no effect on target. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - <Operational Limitations and Observations: (Planetside 1)> Even though the Scorpion was easy to use in principle due to its automatic ranging system, it still required skill and understanding to leverage maximum effectiveness. Yet it also found limited use, due to its specific niche during specific time frames during major base assaults where the enemy was predictably going to enter a defensive state. You might be surprised at how many people did not use the Scorpion, simply because they didn't have the will to train with it, or the patience or understanding to make it work in the field. It was often under-utilized, as the average heavy assault soldier was more frequently concerned with the presence of enemy vehicles or maxes, opting to carry anti-tank weaponry instead. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - <Reference Video: (Planetside 1)> While watching the video, be sure to observe and note the significant elevation required to ensure successful cluster detonation. Additionally, be sure to take note of the very slow missile travel, resulting in the extended duration of time required to achieve a kill. That is... from the point in which the Scorpion was fired until the point in which the kill was scored. Planetside 1 - Scorpion! END
