PS1 had a huge weapon toolbox to choose from. Every weapon in PS2 is largely the same. We need more PS1 weapons like: Flaklet (so you're not totally screwed if you don't happen to have anti-air weapons on you) Unique MAX AA (starfire and sparrow)--we all get bursters which is boring Spiker (like the lame PS2 lancer, but charge-up actually did something) Scorpion (whoever came up with this idea in PS1 was a genius...so awesome) Dragon Thumper Maelstrom Radiator Jammer grenades/mines The only unique weapons I can think of in PS2 is the Lasher and the AV Mana Turret. Everything else is just the same weapon with a few stat tweaks here and there. They function largely the same. Come on SOE. Use your imagination and give us some DIFFERENT weapons! Or (gasp!) talk to a PS1 dev. As is, it gets boring after a while, because it feels like you're using the same weapon 24/7.
what, better AI weapon than the Burster? why? it already kills LA before they can toss their C4 and still kill planes
Unique weapons take skill and hard work, just like programming a game to actually run correctly when it's released instead of a year later... So expect them possibly in 2014. I know, I'm a downer. I still want the game to do well, but you begin to lose hope.
They take too long to balance for the designers to start putting them in now; if they had started putting them in before release, people wouldn't be requesting new content every week, so they would have had more time to work on balancing any new unique weapons. Sadly, this didn't happen, so now people want new content all the time, the designers don't have enough time to work things out properly, causing the new content to be unsatisfactory, and the cycle repeats itself.
Unique weapons don't work in ADS shooters that have an emphasis on low ttks and low movement speed. There are only two dimensions of balance to work with, range and time-to-ADS. Shields aren't worth anything. The minimap is useless. There is no inventory system to balance around. There are no weapon slots to balance around. ADS shooting means you can't balance around actual accuracy. In ps2 we have range time-to-ADS In ps1 we had range (balanced around values under 300m) CoF (the accuracy of a given weapon) armor (its different values AND mitigators) infantry movement speed (Different armors, SURGE) underslung vs. shoulder-mount orientations (medium assault vs. heavy assault) different damage values (AI, AV, AA, AM) module availability (for AT) certain map qualities (base wall barricades, the common barricade) combat engineering had large map presence (fields of mines and cerberus turrets) projectiles showed up on the minimap PS2 supports two of the necessary gameplay dimensions to successfully implement the listed weapons. It's what you could call a watered-down game. Also, all AT weapons were incredibly overpowered.
I don't think the Spiker being too good was a secret. Anyone who witnessed a cloaker in a tree locking down an entire tower until he ran out of ammo could vouch for that. While PS2's awful gunplay is hard to balance around, most of PS1's oddball weapons could make a return as long as they were intentionally underpowered and presented as ''support'' weapons; ones that themselves were bad at killing, but acted as force multipliers to assist teammates in getting kills. A trivial example, the plasma Thumper: A spammy means of laying down a DoT field, but disallow it from actually killing, no exceptions; it would reduce a player to 0 shields and 1 hp, but never be able to kill, so a follow up shot with a sidearm, or more realistically, bullets from teammates would be required. It would provide a means of suppression that the game currently lacks, without being both suppression and auto-kill at the same time. The UBGL's would actually benefit from the same mechanic. The Rocklet/Flaklet was pretty weak and awful in PS1 (the short-lived Jamlet test was fantastic =/) so as long as it was implemented in the same neutered state as it existed in PS1, it would provide variety without it itself being unfair. There's no reason that they can't add aim-less (aka no ADS, hipfire only) weapons to PS2; the three empire-specific heavy weapons originally worked this way, and the Rocklet/Flaklet would be reasonable candidates for this as well. If it could be equipped by near any class, or maybe as an engineer weapon, it could provide enhanced MAX/vehicle attacking power, but be a mediocre choice against infantry, as an example niche for it.
All weapons were mainly balanced by dps. Some got higher damage other higher rpm. Those with higher damage got better range, the other better hipfire. Mag-capacity was set equal for most of the weapons as well as reload-times. Movement-speed is nearly meaningless as well as reserve ammo for most of the weapons. At least we get nice weapons with every class update as empire specific weapon. But there should be more then only one per faction.
I love how people come in here and say how things can't be done. Fun weapons CAN be done and be balanced. Use some imagination, as apparently SOE cannot as every weapon is pretty much the same. And btw, jammers were used to deal with vehicles too, not just CE. Introducing jammers in PS2 would help keep vehicles at a distance again.
Just like walkers Anything can happen if players and devs alike have enough imagination and creativity and patience to allow it to happen As it is we have none if these things. So were stuck with identical weapons in each faction and nothing really fun to play around with. Only thing we have is the constant fear of whats gunna get nerfed next? This game is turning into wot in that regard.
Tbh Id rather not ... Afterall its going to be just another round of normal crap weapon design. TR gets the good everywhere and against everything weapon. NC gets the heavy hitter with some cameraguidingtrackingseekingtricks stuff and VS gets the usual charging worse then others junk because of no bullet drop.
Seeing as how Infiltrator class can't get their Boomer-alike in this game, maybe they could add something like a Radiator sticky bomb instead?
How about we hold off on Content suggestions till after they are willing to take them. (after they finish optimizations)
That would work even if it only affected shields, without the unintuitive restriction of damaging HP but not killing. But what would be the point when everyone dies so fast already in big fights, and in smaller ones you cannot afford to sacrifice the ability to kill someone outright.
