[Video] Stalker Cloak used to last 3x this length. Over-nerfed.

This cloak was actually kinda interesting with the long reload and the long use time -- then they nerfed it. The video shows its current (nerfed) state compared against the standard Hunter Cloak. The Stalker Cloak lasts 1/3 of the time that it did when it originally went up on the test server.

In addition to the notes in the video, it has been noted elsewhere that IRNV scopes are now highlighting cloaked infiltrators on the test server. It's not known (to the general public) whether this is a bug or not. Wouldn't you love to be standing perfectly still in the middle of a field waiting 18 seconds for your cloak to recharge when somebody goes into IRNV, sees you standing in one spot, and guns you down?

considering that the stalker cloak can regenerate while cloaked, i'm not so sure that it's an 'over nerf'

that said, the original time was WAY to long, it prettmuch invalidated the hunter cloak, especially with the crossbow around in it's current form.

At the same rate shown in this video (18 seconds from empty to full, with a full bar granting you a measly 8 seconds on movement whether walking or running).

You can't carry a primary weapon with the Stalker cloak. That's a hefty price to pay and a huge drawback for a cloak that should get you from A to B at least as well as the "standard" cloak, don't you think? To my understanding, the removal of your primary was supposed to be the "drawback" of this cloak, not a short max time as well.

No one wanted an ambush oriented cloaking device, which is what the new Stalker Cloaking device is...and sadly, what I anticipated it would become. The cost of your primary is huge, and the Crossbow doesn't really make up for that...not by a long shot. With the hard counter of Darklight thrown into the mix, there's no reason to use anything but Hunter Cloaking...it's just far too situational, inconsistent, and risky for an unrewarding cloaking device.

You have no mobility and no primary...so you're essentially just going to camp locations rather than infiltrate...which is what we have wanted since launch.

Even if the stalker cloak lasted indefinitely like the cloak in Planetside 1 did, it would never invalidate the hunter cloak on the virtue of sacrificing your primary. Your losing a huge amount of killing power by doing this. Even if a side arm was just as powerful a primary weapon, you're still sacrificing about 50% of your killing power by locking yourself out of a primary, which can host powerful long rang sniper rifles or powerful close quarters smgs. Having even less charge than the hunter is just reducing the cloak to uselessness. Hell, I saw a lot of people saying that the previous iteration was barely competitive against the hunter as it was, it's now just a joke gimmick to see how long you can sit on a point before someone shoots you.

Yep.

That's exactly what I was saying -- it was very situational, nobody thought that it needed to be nerfed, then BOOM. 1/3 as useful. Why even use it?

Indeed...

The Stalker Cloaking device needs to be something you can essentially keep up for an extended period of time with minimal downtime. I was actually smitten with the original incarnation because it wasn't an ambush cloaking device...it wasn't perpetual, but it was a good chunk of time.

It needs more.

If it's that short of a time I will be forced to run to get from cover to cover. If I'm forced to run I will be seen due to highly visible cloak. If I always end up decloaking in the open I'm taking hunter cloak so I at least have a rifle with me when I decloak.

Yep, I thought the original was pretty balanced -- something worth dumping the full 1800 certs into and using maybe 10% of the time for some fun.

The only reason I'll put certs into this nerfed version is so that I can still see "Infiltrator: 100%" in the class screen, with a faint hope that they'll revert it in the future.

What's REALLY bad about this cloak is that anyone getting the first level only is going to be waiting TWICE THE LENGTH of time shown in the video for the cloak to recharge. Run 8 seconds, wait for 30-something seconds. Ridiculousness doubled. Those cloakers will never move. At all.

So it last about as long as resit shield? Oh weh for you.

I didn't realize that the resist shield prevented you from firing or carrying a primary weapon.

I also didn't realize that your class was balanced to have 100 less health than other classes to compensate for the defensive capabilities of this shield.

/sarcasm

Yea run around with a pistol and see how that works out for you. Can we get more false analogies here?

You recursion have been spanking me since I've been busy getting the medals for my pistols lately! Can't wait to be done with them and be competitive against you guys again

...you use the shield when someone attacks you.
...you use cloaking until you are about to attack someone in order to get beyond enemy lines and actually...well...infiltrate.

Just a wee bit different here.

Unless you're talking about Nano-Armor, then it's a similar situation.

I can have a better cloak, an SMG with INRV, and a crossbow with a 4x scope(or 6x). Standing still for a long time to recharge doesn't make it worth giving up my SMG, I'd rather uncloak to recharge and take my chances with a good CQC weapon.

I agree.

I feel it should be the same drain and recharge speed as the standard cloak.

Apparently the IRNV scopes on the test server highlight cloaked infiltrators now as well, so if that goes live, you'd be giving up a major cheesy awareness tool for this underpowered cloak.

They're pushing us into sniping apparently, no one's going to be in close quarters anymore.

They're pushing us into a corner where we'll be forced to buy implants when they come out. Want to stay off IR/NV? Implant. Want to stay off radar? Implant. This is developing into one of the worst payment models I have ever seen.