Why do HA's need SMG access?

Honestly removing SMG's from heavies would really only screw over the NC as they have a bit of a gap in their arsenal between shotgun CQC and Orion / MSWR CQC. In theory, it is mitigated somewhat that the jackhammer is better at range than other shotguns and the Anchor is better over a wider variety of ranges, but the Cyclone nicely closes the gap so that whatever your niche is in gunplay you have something for it.

For VS and TR, SMG's really end up limiting yourself too much for the better hipfire accuracy (which is generally the big sell point) and you are better off sticking with the Orion / MSWR for CQC + anything out to 30 M (with general ease) rather than dealing with the damage drop off, smaller damage per mag, and all that fun stuff that goes along with SMG's.

For me, most of the time I equip an SMG's I'd do better with a shotgun but I don't like turning planetside into a point and click adventure, except when I do, because the enemy outnumbers me 5 to 1 inside a tower and I don't feel like killing the fight by pulling a MAX.

Seriously, pump action shotguns and NC MAXes make me giggle like a school girl on the rare occasion that I use them, but I feel like I've got on a bit of a tangent.

How do you know I am asking for a nerf?


I am asking a simple question, which interm is questioning the Devs choice.

Because the HA is the primary COMBAT CLASS in the game. COMBAT CLASS. Hold on, let me say that again:
COMBAT CLASS
That generally implies that the class is combat oriented, and has a lot of weapon options. Many weapons are in fact denied the HA, and for good reason, but please don't be alarmed that the COMBAT CLASS has a LOT of WEAPON OPTIONS.

SMG's work well for classes that a Flank focused. Such as LA's & Infiltrators, they also work well on the defensive class(the engineer).

Also..... if you really want to talk about the classes......... let me break things down interms of combat style.


HA = Frontal/Direct combat

LA = Indirect/Flanking combat with mobility.

Infiltrator = Indirect/Flanking Combat with stealth.

Engineer = Defensive Support Combat

Medic = Offensive Support Combat.

MAX = Heavy Direct Combat.

SMGs can be used by Heavies because SMGs can be used by every class. It is a general weapon that is given to all classes to assist in normalizing their performance. Think of SMGs as NS weapons are across factions. If you master an NS weapon then you have a weapon you can effectively use regardless for what faction you are playing. SMGs are weapons you can master and use effectively regardless for your class (except MAX). Master an NS SMG and you have a weapon that you can pick up and use effectively throughout the entire game... except if you've spent 450 nanites on a MAX. Buy it with Station (Daybreak?) Cash and you will never be without a consistent primary weapon. Ever.

SMGs and NS weapons are vital tools to help players transition across classes and factions, and fill multiple roles. Without them a player making their debut in a new faction--or a new class--would need to completely relearn an entire spectrum of weapons without a way of being effective. These weapons soften the learning curve and make life better for new and veteran players alike.

They were initially introduced as replacements for shotguns for Infiltrators, but the devs realized that they needed primary weapons that spanned the entire class spectrum. That's what SMGs are, and why Heavies can use them.

Think of the logic(or lack of logic) in what I highlighted.


Also....... Give me statements that the Devs wanted SMG's to span the entire class spectum

You don't need quotations. It's what they did. If they didn't want it to be done, it wouldn't have been done. Additionally, if it's something they didn't want done, but something that players did want, it would have been a fight to get it.

Edit: The first generation SMG was released back in GU2 and came out of the box as all-class-equippable. You need to go all the way back to conversation in 2012-2013 to find topics regarding the weapon group's exhibition.

You don't need "statements." You can see it in the fact that... all classes can use them. Look, if you're arguing for INCREASED specialization, you're in for a hard sell. This game is moving toward DECREASED specialization. More and more new weapons are being released to all classes, because that's largely how PlanetSide 1 was played. There were very few arbitrary rules about what you could carry, and you were limited by what you could fit into your inventory. That feature was one of the distinguishing characteristics of PlanetSide.

As for the logic of my statement, it is perfectly logical and perfectly true. Heavies can use SMGs because all classes can use them. Think of it worded this way: Heavies can use SMGs because SMGs were intended to be used by every class.

How do we know they were intended to be used by every class?

Because they are available for every class.

The simplicity of this belittles the complexity you are attempting to introduce.

Simple answer for why they did that is $$$$$$$$$

Not really since if they restricted the weapons people would buy them for all separate classes instead of being able to have one span all of them.

I'd remove em from the heavies, true men use chainguns :< leave those toys for women and children!

learn2walljump

i seriously dont know why you defend crutchassaults.

That makes no sense at all. If I buy an NS SMG, I buy it ONCE for my entire account, because it is an NS weapon and therefore common pool, and is an SMG useable by all classes. It becomes available on every character on my account instantly, with one purchase.

That's not $$$$$$$$$$.

I still don't fully understand why you want increased specialization. That's the problem with too many MMOs. Too many capabilities are restricted to individual "classes" that force a player to build each class to get into that content. That's... bad.

PlanetSide has always been about playing the game YOUR way, not the dev's way. Taking a weapon away from a class so that it become more specialized to other classes is the wrong reason to specialize that weapon. The reason you should do that is only for balance. If you can balance a weapon across multiple classes, then you should.

Carbines, pistols, shotguns, battle rifles, and SMGs are all useable by multiple classes. Those categories cover about half the weapons in the game. Taking those away from those classes doesn't help anyone anywhere.

Seeing an HA with an SMG is about as rare to me as seeing one with a shotty or toting C4. I'm sure there are some out there who use these things but it may well fuel the endless claims that HA are overpowered, when they can use so many weapons available to other classes when no one else can use an RL or an LMG.

The only classes in this game without unique weapons are Engineer and Light Assault. All the others have a unique class specific weapon. Infiltrators are the only ones who can use scout rifles and sniper rifles. Medics are the only ones who can use assault rifles.

I still don't understand this driving need for specialization. The classes are already specialized enough, each serving a specific role. Just because the HA makes the best combat generalist (able to fulfill a wide variety of combat roles) doesn't make it overpowered. It makes it a generalist.

You're right of course Shiaari, HA is generalist in the sense of being very versatile at killing (though not much else). I don't have a problem with your point of view and, as HA is my preferred class, I was only seeking to reduce the scope for people to keep calling for nerfs by suggesting that HA doesn't need so many options on top of the LMG and RL. Although most complaints do centre on resilience and the overshield in particular, fewer complaints are about weapon options but they are still out there as this OP suggests.

You're asking to strip away people's options.

If I logged in and found someone had stripped away my ability to have a pistol in my holster, then I would be nerfed. Obviously taking the option away of using SMGs for a class isn't of the same magnitude, but don't BS us. This is the reason you're running into such opposition, your post is laced with crap and/or you don't know what you're talking about. Don't lie through your teeth when you have a post history.

That's just ******' idiotic and a way to discredit yourself.

00000000000000000000 +1

I've yet to see a convincing argument as to why heavies should have them. Personally I don't think they should. It makes no sense. Why would the devs tone down LMG accuracy, just to give the class access to automatic weapons with the tightest CoF in the game?

Yes yes I know, front-line pushers, pinnacle of infantry and all that, but there is such a thing as balance too, and as far as I can see the HA has too many tools at its disposal without any significant disadvantages.