It's kind of a designated Sunderer killer because it does more damage to sunderers than other vehicles.
It needs range limitation. It's a very good weapon, but the nearly unlimited range makes it OP in many situations where you have a clear sight over a large field where enemy armor is moving through. In closer range engagements it feels balanced since tanks can fire back and there's usually infantry cover to make it more difficult to use, but when you can do massive damage to vehicles from 1km out, it becomes OP
The AV turret has a pretty absurd effective range. On the other hand, they are easy sniper food when they're not placed well. The sneaky bastard that gets on a cliff well behind the enemy column can really disrupt any armor movement.
I've been seeing more and more of these used. Came across one guy who was uncanny good at hitting the rear, which cost me not one but two tanks (the second I was trying to use as bait to locate him, since I knew he was out there). Another time I came across two guys working together - thump-thump, wait 5 seconds, thump-thump and my tank was dead. Both times the guys were up on high ridges overlooking bases and pretty much impossible to even see let alone retaliate against. This tactic seriously nerfs the TR currently, and in general anybody who owns the South-East warpgate on Indar. The high ridges make excellent locations for AV Turrets, affording them great cover from the vehicles below while they can literally overlook and fire upon an entire base due to the ludicrous range of these launchers. The thing that gets me isn't the two shot kills, it's the fact that it's pretty much impossible to even locate the guy that's two-shotting you even if you know he's out there and are looking. The rockets either aren't rendering half the time or are so poorly rendered that you can't see them, and the damage is so ludicrously high that you don't have a chance to even seek cover before you are blown away.
Had a go in a liberator the other day, got hit by one at 800m or so when attacking a different base (in another hex). A good shot, of course - but it is a bit ridiculous it is more powerful than any AA weapon as well.
Actually If your hovering at a distance it's not THAT hard but it does very little damage, less than a Annihilator rocket. it will take somewhere in the region of six to seven hits on a stock liberator to blow it up.
Were you hovering, standing mostly still while farming infantry? I think out of 100s of shots I've taken at libs, I've only killed 2. It does take like 7 or 8 hits to down them, and when you're moving at any rate of speed I usually can't reliably keep my aim on target.
The phoenix needs a larger range and the AV turret needs a shorter one. I think their can be a perfect median.
this thing and the pump action noob cannon are the 2 most overpowered items added to the game since launch. i refuse to touch either of them until they get nerfed and can make a decision on their usefulness after they get the ol' nerf bat. those of you who bought and abused either enjoy your $7 worth and free 200 certs.
Do you use tank mines? Because Tank-mines in their current form are more of a noob tactic than the AV turret. With the AV turret you have to be completely static while firing and unless you use it a stupid ranges were it's impossible to aim with certain mice because of the pixel precision needed your a 1 shot kill to most of your targets plus lunch to the unappreciated Sniper Infiltrator. Just because some tactics of using something make the item unfair doesn't mean that in every situation the item shouldn't be allowed. If tank mines are being laid like mines then that's fine. If the AV turret is being used in close to medium ranges that's fine too.
at least tank mines expose the engy to high threat in order to deliver the payload. i can show you 50 different spots on the map that i can stick an AV turret and fire away at armor columns with NO CHANCE of ever being found due to the enormous range it has. its not a matter of if it will be nerfed, but when. it's range is way to high and the damage it puts out for not costing any resources or needing to be resupplied is absolutely ridiculous. im sure SOE is still making $$$ off this overpowered piece of **** but rest assured once the smedbux stop rolling in off it the nerf bat will fall fast and hard on it.
I know a lot of guys who have simply given using armour until it is balanced (i.e. the initial rush of $$$ to buy them slows to a trickle). So the users can self-righteously claim they are cutting down on vehicle zergs/spam. But it does make a mockery of the "pay to win" thing. Cos out of all those AV turrets - how many were bought with certs? I'd love to see a table, but I'm guessing it is under 20% who have "earned" their AV turrets with hard work and saving. Watching the kill messages pop up the other day - it was 70% AV turrets on the kill messages, 20% pump shotguns, about 10% other. (Slight exaggeration, but not far off) For those who claim it has disadantages and is a "sidegrade" - I have a Mana AI turret to trade. It is very useful in blocking doorsways and has cool glowly shields that makes it good as a decoy. If you are skilled you can even use it to climb up onto taller objects...
The AV turret is a upgrade, No denying that and I agree that the fact that to get something worth while in that slot it's stupid that you have to pay. If you mates are so scared of this weapon then I don't know what to say, but there being rather meek to put it mildly. Also about your kill feed 'data' I don't know were your playing but On Amerish were I have been for the last week I haven't seen any more than one pump action and most of the vehicle kills were to aircraft or tankmines or other vehicles. The Mana Turret does need a buff and the AV turret does need something to cap it's range by a margin but that is all. Using it in lower ranges has suitable risk for reward and any nerfs to damage or manoeuvrability would make it useless.
I bought it with cash and love it. I cant deny its too powerful and that its the range more than anything that makes it so. My mouse has on the fly sensitivity adjust so I can flick to low sens for long range shots. Its very easy to hit static targets at any range and below about 400m it behaves as if it was laser guided, i.e. point at the target and it will hit. Beyond that range you need to lead in a complex way that makes it very hard to score hits. Since it is supposed to be a TOW missile, I'd like to see it guided out to a certain range, then it becomes dumb and flies straight after that. Due to its limited arc and deploy time, it really is meant for use at long range so it would be stupid to completely remove that. If this and the Phoenix both became dumb fire at 300m I think that would be a happy medium.
After playing with AV turret for a couple of weeks I was leaning towards the " it needs a nerf " side. I would set up on a clif or Bio Lab edge and I could stop entire armor columns alone. But after running into some organised groups (and the enemy just getting wise) I think its fine as is. I would often times set up on a cliff top and rain down destruction while enemy planes buzzed overhead never paying me any mind, now with good groups the air is sweeping those cliff tops and snipers are in place before the armor rolls out, I have to shoot and move staying long enough to finish off a sundy is usally a death sentence now. This is they way the game was supposed to be played infantry, armor and air all dependent on each other for any real succes.
Its a great weapon, and I am fine on tank counters. But the range needs a slight nerf. Combined with all the new launchers, its turning into lockon, launcher, av spam, and its just not fun or balanced. The AV turret is not always rendering to tanks at extreme ranges, you just get hit by invisible thuds, I have 2x optics, there is nothing there, move forward it pops in render.
