Why do people criticize those who main heavy?

No, you have to have those abilities and knowledge to be GOOD at playing HA. HA is noob friendly because its less squishy and fairly straight forward.

Now, HA is particularly noob friendly for NC as an unupgraded SAW is awful. VS HA is the definition of noob friendly with the Orion.

Disclaimer: I'm not making a dig at VS. Just personal experience leveling up a VS toon with nothing but an stock Orion.

Because players typically take advantage of an extra shield protecting them from harm.

Its considered a "press f to win" class and its known to be common around new players because of the weapons with large ammo pools and decent fire rates.

Also SOE give new VS heavies a different starting LMG instead of the Orion. I don't mind a high rpm lmg but giving it straight off the bat to every HA is stupid.

Simples. It's the one class with which you can fight all opponents.
Not necessarily with high efficiency in each position, but you can still plink at everything you see.

Add to that extra 'health', highly spammable weapons, big ammo pool, wide range of possible combat distances and some neat special grenade options.

You play Heavy unless you want to 'specialise' - i.e. go medic, engineer, LA, max or infil - for each of which you then have to sacrifice something. The game puts the heavy as the central role: the standard against which the other classes are measured. iirc the developers said this quite early on. If you've "primaried" a different class, then you've primaried a niche role.

People will always want their play-style to be the "best" and most successful. Everybody else, who chooses to do things differently and then have more success than them doing their wonderful and only way has to be: cheating, exploiting or just using a cheap overpowered game mechanic.

Amen. Engie's RULE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cheaters and cheese will be on every class regardless.

There is only one reason people criticize people who play HA's.

It's because those same folks tend to take on HA's in the HA's enviroment. This is especially true of those folks that play LA's exclusively and get frustrated when they can't take them out.

At least that has been my experience.

This is the kind of thing that happens when folks think of the classes as something like that in a MMORPG instead of a means to victory for your faction.

The classes in PS2 are aspects of your character. To be used as the situation warrants.

HA has dakka and rockets. Why wouldn't it be popular?

Those that criticize people who main heavy's are deluding themselves and trying to play the victim/martyr. Unfortunately for them, it doesn't work. Any class can equal the HA. The problem many players have is adapting, or more like making excuses.

I can say this. In my small squad tactics, we RARELY use a heavy. They are too slow, provide no support, and their rockets are of limited use. Typically we use Medics, Light Assaults, and Engineers. Occasionally Infiltrator depending on the situation.

Heavy's are good for larger units such as full squads and platoons. But they need alot of support to work. Medics to keep them alive (shield only does so much), engineers to keep them supplied, and infiltrators to keep them alert. When they have all that, they are deadly.

Whereas a Infiltrator can operate solo way better. They have cloak to close gaps between fields and buildings. Darts to let them know movements. Played right and they can drop a heavy long before they even press F.

Medics can heal themselves, Heavies requiring nanites to do the same thing in a limited fashion. The AOE heal could be used as a sort of shield lite, except that it works better as long as the damage doesn't spike.

Light Assaults can kill a vehicle faster and has the mobility to get there.

Engineers are the only ones who can't really operate well on their own like other classes. But their support is invaluable.

The shield is not a IWIN button. In many cases its a crutch. And its very easy to kick that crutch out from under someone. If you know or think a HA will deploy the shield, psych them into doing so and duck behind cover before they return fire. They have only a few options:

1. Pursue with shields... which means they are vulnerable, as they can't move very fast and time wastes shields.
2. Pursue without shields... even more vulnerable, even if they get shields back up, it won't be full
3. Do not pursue, which grants initiative to you to attack from another angle.

Heavies are easily identifiable even without shields up. So stop going toe to toe with them. You should never go toe to toe with any class

My typical self contained squad composition would have:

• 2 MAXes (good for keeping those shotgun lovers at bay and keeping enemy MAXes occupied, while other classes kill them)
• 1 Engineer (While I have two MAXes, the engineer can repair them in tandem)
• 1 Infiltrator (Recon beacon, enemy troops intel is invaluable and a force multiplier)
• 4 medics (Nothing beats having plenty of revive power)
• 2 HAs, (Probably the best MAX killing class in the game, doesn't need terminals to be efficient and can deal with air threats if necessary)
• 2 LAs if there is verticallity to be exploited in the base under attack. Otherwise, substitute LAs with HAs.

HAHAHAAHA! Why would you even try holding a point with those classes?

Tell me, when the nades start flying into the point room what would you rather have? An ambush based infantry or one that can take a bit more damage? Heavies play their role, they cant do everything. An infiltrator is not supposed to engage in direct combat, its a hit and run class (kinda like it is supposed to RECON the area, get it?). A light assault is made for ambushes and mobility. If you have a few light assaults somewhere high and with silenced weapons then you can do some SERIOUS damage. They are especially useful for quick caps in towers (you cap the point and then run because you lack durability, leave the damage for the heavies to soak up.)

Heavies are everywhere because vehicles are everywhere, they are essentially the only effective defense against vehicles. Yes they can take more damage than other classes but that is because they are expected to be in the thick of the battle where explosions and bullets are law. They NEED that survivability.

If you want an example of an LA who played his class very well, just take a look at Lythca of Recursion. He's played LA more than anyone I know/knew and did some pretty incredible stuff as one. I don't know if he has any videos up, but I've ran ops with him before plenty of times. And from what I remember, he didn't even use a shotgun.

Players do this more often than you think (and you know it).
And I am not disagreeing with either one of you. I'm not even saying nerf this nerf that. I'm fine with the class. I play it too.
It' just something I noticed over time. Heavies are everywhere now because there is no other good alternative.
And like Xasapis said, it's a class easy to learn.

Thats why people are frustrated and complain about it.
Walk into a building... heavy
Peak around a corner... heavy
Shoot at target... glowing shield... heavy
Lock-on lock-on lock-on... heavy

Only problem I have with HA is when playing SMG infiltrator you have to pretty much hit every single ******* shot in your magazine to kill him, if you don't you die. as light assualt I can manouver more easily but as infiltrator im stuck there and can't do **** about it. When I'm playing infiltrator I try to avoid heavies even if i come up behind them and am sure I can get 10 shots in him before he reacts. I only engange heavies if I smell big noob on them.

After infiltrator most common class at least I see infiltrators everywhere.
Nice all rounder.

It is heated by infiltrator cos popping up shield could ruin their day.
Max hate them cos they don't like rocket to face.
Engies hate them cos they are stealing their vehicle kills.
And are hated by ESFs PROs thanks to lock ons, so double hate from engies.
LA are jealous of rocket launchers.

Medics love them cos plenty of them lies around in every firefight.

Every class can hold a point. In the end it comes down to personal skill. However, certain classes are better suited, or specialised if you like, for certain jobs.

I usually only pull a heavy when there's enemy vehicles around. With my peasant PC, the "IWIN shield" is more of a "Delay my death shield."

Take note that an LA with an autoshotgun can rip 75% of the health off of a MAX and finish them with just about any pistol. If the MAX has kinetic you throw C4 in true fairy style.

Shotguns are surprisingly effective against MAXes. Problem comes from that you need to surprise the MAX or they will kill you before you can get off all of your shots. So the Point defense MAX still reigns supreme over the C4 pooping shotgun fairy, but if they get baited into the open (or even just outside a building) they are usually dead pretty fast.

Ok, I want to stop and disagree with you right here about this point. This right here tells me how little you understand medics. So you give a noob a medic and s/he runs around reviving people. Guess what? They are playing that class just as well as that noob on the HA running around shooting things, if not worse. Why worse? Well, because learning the HA's skills and abilities ultimately just let them shoot things better. Whether it's shooting infantry, MAXs or vehicles. With Medic, however, if all they are doing is running around with their medic tool out healing and reviving, they are missing out on entire facets of the class. Medics in this game are NOT back row healers like you find in games like WoW. The assault rifles they carry very much give them the ability to fight on the front line and to push along side the heavies. In my personal experience, the best place for a medic isn't following behind, picking up the dead bodies as they go. It's at the front where they can heal people as they're injured, revive people as they drop, and killing the enemy. However, doing so requires a bit more careful doing that because you are a bit more squishy than the heavies.

Hey! If it kills me, it's OP!

Suggestion:
make Resist Shield work only against explosion damage and MAX weapons.