One thing to note about C4/AT Mines/Grenades, that new players are probably not yet aware of - that stuff costs infantry resources. C4 is 100/brick, Mines are 75, and frag grenades are 45 (not sure about the bouncing betties or other grenade types, since I haven't unlocked them yet). It's not normally a big deal, but MAX suits also cost inf. resources to spawn (100), and in prolonged fights where things aren't going your way (as in, you just can't compete with a zerg rush), you may run out of something if you don't stock up when you get a chance.
What I usually do is spend most of my accumulated infantry resources on grenades and mines when I first log in for the day (unlocked c4 first, then decided to get anti-tank mines and wow, c4 was a waste of 200 certs for an engineer - I don't have the mobility of an LA, so I almost always die getting into a position where I could use it). I try to save at least 100 inf. resources (in case I need to pull a MAX) and they start building up immediately, especially if your faction doesn't have their heads up their asses and decides to do something other than try to take the Crown.
Good info/advice. :^:
I usually try to check once an hour or so to keep my stocks up. I burn through C4 and mines like candy.
Speaking of Indar/The Crown: do NC on other servers ever get further out of the warpgate than Tawrich Tech Plant and Zurvan Amp Station, I think it is? the one east of the Crown? Because on SolTech, we even have difficulty keeping Tawrich out of the hands of the filthy xeno-lovers (who also generally outnumber both us and the Red Army - not combined, but sometimes it's close).
It's pretty much like that on Waterson as well. I think most people are in agreement that the NC get the shaft on Indar. Some of those NC points on Indar are really hard to take when the populations are even, but equally it's almost impossible for the NC to push Crossroads / Xenotech / Regent Rock / THE CROWN if they're occupied.
On Waterson though, it's the Red Army that makes up the largest group, in no small part to having the resident TR "leader" there (Total Biscuit). It doesn't do them many favors though, as Total Biscuit's fame tends to attract a large number of players that....well...aren't very good at the game.
To some extent I think the NC just does it wrong. They really should push to Zurvan and then take around the Crown counterclockwise. Palisade and Ceres are easy caps, and then you have two routes to TI. Once you get that you can clear off the hill and push into Crossroads. The problem for them on this is usually this means picking a fight with both VS and TR at the same time, but we've done that!
Instead, they seem to like to go to Crossroads first, which is IMPOSSIBLE. The other day when VS was pushing crown we had NC coming up that road, and I went Engy and me and one other guy kept taking the west Zurvan spawn, putting down mines and racking up tank kills. I popped at least 5 double-manned Prowlers and a Sundy or two. It was retarded.
I usually try to check once an hour or so to keep my stocks up. I burn through C4 and mines like candy.
oh, I try to do this too, but sometimes you just forget about it when you're in an intense fight. I didn't notice it at the Battle of Regent Rock until I re-spawned as an engie and only had 1 AT Mine (and like 3 frag grenades left). Luckily, my resources had built back up to about 650 or so, which was all burned up with a few clicks of the mouse.
I burn through Proximity Mines like nobody's fucking business, especially when defending/taking Tech Plants. I always throw two right at the base of elevator to the roof. You get so many kills there, and it usually doesn't get grenaded. It's always good to throw them near the generators, too. However, put them NEAR the generators, not ON them. Either right inside the doorway or right on a top step makes them about impossible to see, so they'd have to throw a blind grenade.
To some extent I think the NC just does it wrong. They really should push to Zurvan and then take around the Crown counterclockwise. Palisade and Ceres are easy caps, and then you have two routes to TI. Once you get that you can clear off the hill and push into Crossroads. The problem for them on this is usually this means picking a fight with both VS and TR at the same time, but we've done that!
Instead, they seem to like to go to Crossroads first, which is IMPOSSIBLE. The other day when VS was pushing crown we had NC coming up that road, and I went Engy and me and one other guy kept taking the west Zurvan spawn, putting down mines and racking up tank kills. I popped at least 5 double-manned Prowlers and a Sundy or two. It was retarded.
The problem with that strategy, as I've seen first-hand on Connery, is if we (NC) do that roundabout push is it takes a LONG time to get armor up and around. By the time we get to the north end of Crown we usually have VS pushing into us from Crossroads down southeast into the tech plant, then they roll into Zurvan from the south. If we take a northern route we literally have to push all the way to northeast corner or else TR just cuts us off from behind. Also, that whole area north of Crown is wide open area with little cover so our armor gets torn to pieces trying to get across it. At least they are planning on rotating the warpgates at the end of the month so maybe that will mix things up a bit.
At least they are planning on rotating the warpgates at the end of the month so maybe that will mix things up a bit.
Oh? That's some pretty big news. Looks like the Vanu might be losing our perpetual Infantry bonus. VANU help us if the NC get it....the last thing they need is cheaper MAXes :P
To some extent I think the NC just does it wrong. They really should push to Zurvan and then take around the Crown counterclockwise. Palisade and Ceres are easy caps, and then you have two routes to TI. Once you get that you can clear off the hill and push into Crossroads. The problem for them on this is usually this means picking a fight with both VS and TR at the same time, but we've done that!
Instead, they seem to like to go to Crossroads first, which is IMPOSSIBLE. The other day when VS was pushing crown we had NC coming up that road, and I went Engy and me and one other guy kept taking the west Zurvan spawn, putting down mines and racking up tank kills. I popped at least 5 double-manned Prowlers and a Sundy or two. It was retarded.
The problem with that strategy, as I've seen first-hand on Connery, is if we (NC) do that roundabout push is it takes a LONG time to get armor up and around. By the time we get to the north end of Crown we usually have VS pushing into us from Crossroads down southeast into the tech plant, then they roll into Zurvan from the south. If we take a northern route we literally have to push all the way to northeast corner or else TR just cuts us off from behind. Also, that whole area north of Crown is wide open area with little cover so our armor gets torn to pieces trying to get across it. At least they are planning on rotating the warpgates at the end of the month so maybe that will mix things up a bit.
NC takes zurvan/tawrich sometimes, but they have a very difficult time getting out of there. They have to either come up the road to the crown (a massive killbox if the crown is even moderately defended), drive north toward galaxy solar (wide open and lacking adjacency) or try to push from tawrich out to regent rock (awkward because of how the terrain is down there with the skydock and so on.)
it was the smallest on the list but
Pluto was a planet and I'll never forget
At least they are planning on rotating the warpgates at the end of the month so maybe that will mix things up a bit.
Oh? That's some pretty big news. Looks like the Vanu might be losing our perpetual Infantry bonus. VANU help us if the NC get it....the last thing they need is cheaper MAXes :P
When did they announce the Warp Gate rotation?
It was kind of easy to miss forum post. I posted it in the Vanu thread, but Dirtyboy posted it up above.
So at the end of January we Vanu get south-east Indar, along with southern Amerish and north-west Esamir.
I'm pretty curious to see how well we do with NC/TR territory as ours.
So not a constant rotation, but just them changing things up?
Seems like it is just a rotation when they do the patch. I think the idea is a way to change things up for the factions while we are stuck with single-continent war. Once we have an inter-continental system it won't be necessary.
IanatorGaze upon my works, ye mightyand facepalm.Registered Userregular
Take three!
Light Assault
Class Ability: Jetpack
Primary Weapons: Carbine, Shotgun
Special Weapon: none Death from above! Light Assaults are all about close-range engagements where their instant height advantage lets them go places nobody else can. They also make effective demolitionists with their ability to drop C4 right on top of unsuspecting enemy vehicles (and around corners from a freshly-baited MAX). Remember not to engage in direct combat if you can help it, as the LA has no unique squishyness-lowering equipment. Don't forget, there's plenty of directions to flank from, not just from on high!
Heavy Assault
Class Ability: Personal Shield System
Primary Weapons: LMG, Shotgun, Battle Rifle, HA Special*
Special Weapon: Heavy Launcher If Light Assaults attack from the sides, the Heavy attacks from the front. Their LMGs are great for engaging groups of enemies or loosing supressive fire (when you're not taking forever to reload) while their shield adds an extra layer of protection whenever you can call for it. Heavies are also the only class with anti-vehicle ability by default (besides MAXes) thanks to their rocket launchers (which can be replaced with lock-on anti-tank and anti-air missiles). Their only specific downside, aside from reload time, is their somewhat slower movement - they are otherwise effective at almost any range.
*Heavy Assaults also have access to a faction-specific weapon - the TR Mini-Chaingun (self-explanatory), VS Lasher (strong but slow autocannon) and NC Jackhammer (shotgun with a three-burst mode).
Combat Medic
Class Ability: Area Medical Applicator
Primary Weapons: Assault Rifle, Shotgun
Special Weapon: Medical Applicator Behold the Medic, helmet of alabaster. Medics are much more capable of offense than one would think, their assault rifles effective at medium range (though they come up short against carbines in close combat). The Medical Applicator can restore health to allies and even revive fallen ones - just make sure the area's clear unless you want to feed kills to the enemy. For maximum not-staying-deadness, add Revive Grenades!
Engineer
Class Ability: Advanced Construction Engine
Primary Weapons: Carbine, Shotgun, Battle Rifle
Special Weapon: Armor Repair Kit Mechanical counterpart to the Medic, the Engineer can fix up tanks and planes right good with his repair gun. The A.C.E. can be used to deploy a MANA Anti-Infantry Turret for extra kick and cover or an Ammunition Pack for allies to reload at, effectively giving the Engie unlimited ammo (if you live long enough to need it). They also have a separate, upgradeable ammo pack that can be exchanged for Anti-Tank Mines or Anti-Personnel Mines. Finally, they have the unique option for Sticky Grenades.
Infiltrator
Class Ability: Cloaking Device
Primary Weapons: Sniper Rifle, Scout Rifle
Special Weapon: Recon Detect Device One order of sniping with backstab on top! Infiltrators rely on staying out of enemy sights as they are a bit squishier than other classes. To this end they are capable of cloaking for a short time, moving about while displaying little more than distortion to observers at the cost of being unable to use guns, grenades or melee attacks while hidden. The primary weapon of Infiltrators is the sniper rifle, delivering headshots in both bolt-action and semi-automatic flavors. Those wishing to do their thing in close quarters may enjoy a rapid-fire scout rifle instead. Serve with a side of EMP or Decoy Grenades.
MAX: Mechanized Assault Exo-Suit
Class Ability: MAX Charge
Primary Weapons: Arm-mounted guns.
Special Weapon: More arm-mounted guns. The true "tank" class of the game (short of actual tanks), the MAX is so deadly and tough as to require Infantry Resources and a respawn timer. MAX weapons come in both left- and right-arm varieties, allowing you to dual-wield to your Certs' content. These monstrous hulks usually work best at close range (the NC especially cleans up thanks to their shotgun arms) though exact weapons vary among factions. The exception is against air targets as all three factions can access the Burster flak guns (and players start with the right-arm Burster unlocked by default) making them the de facto AA defense when no flak turrets or lock-on launchers are available.
Weapon classes are next.
Twitch | Blizzard: Ianator#1479 | 3DS: Ianator - 1779 2336 5317 | FFXIV: Iana Ateliere (NA Sarg) Backlog Challenge List
The rotation is the reason I've been trying to think about it. Zurvan doesn't seem that hard to keep, though. What we were doing to people with tank mines going out people should be able to do going in, since you really only have three narrow paths you have to mine: on the road near the west spawn (which people CAN'T MISS if you put it in the middle of the road), on the other side of that spawn in the field and maybe the north road. The push that NC does along the southern border suuuuuucks, though, and they only get that on us because we're usually busy with TR.
The rotation is the reason I've been trying to think about it. Zurvan doesn't seem that hard to keep, though. What we were doing to people with tank mines going out people should be able to do going in, since you really only have three narrow paths you have to mine: on the road near the west spawn (which people CAN'T MISS if you put it in the middle of the road), on the other side of that spawn in the field and maybe the north road. The push that NC does along the southern border suuuuuucks, though, and they only get that on us because we're usually busy with TR.
Oh god.
TR is going to have ARC.
God DAMMIT.
Well, what I meant was that people were saying certain strategies would be rough because we always have to tip-toe around the crown if it's enemy occupied. But if the cover changes lead to less of a stupid stalemate up there, it might not be as big an issue anymore.
zurvan itself is highly defensible; the problem with it is that the same terrain that makes it defensible makes it difficult to push out of, so the zerg hangs up there and you eventually lose it. Same thing is true of tawrich, really
it was the smallest on the list but
Pluto was a planet and I'll never forget
zurvan itself is highly defensible; the problem with it is that the same terrain that makes it defensible makes it difficult to push out of, so the zerg hangs up there and you eventually lose it. Same thing is true of tawrich, really
I think this is definitely part of why Zurvan and Tawrich (and to a lesser extent, the Biolab... Rashnu, I think? the one in "NC territory") pretty much define our territory right now. Zurvan and Tawrich see some action, but nobody pushes beyond that, barring the occasional "let's hit Mao Tech and let Vanu have Tawrich" stupidity. And the Crown, but eugh, The Crown. I mean, sure, it's got a nice view, and it's basically a cert-printing press if you're defending it, but it's so... useless. Whoo, +2 (maybe 3) resource points and 3 hexes in the middle of the continent! There's a whole bunch of stuff in the north and east of Indar that I've never (or very rarely) seen!
I'm also looking forward to the warpgate rotations. It'll be nice to see the rest of Esamir, even if it is just more ice fields and prefab buildings.
yea, I knew about the warpgate rotation, but I was waiting until after the Ultimate Empire Showdown to update the thread title.
guh... stuck in eastern washington on crappy laptop and crappy hotel internet... wont be back for UES until at least 300p on friday >.>
Added some stuff to the op, courtesy of Darmak from the last thread. More clean up, and started to accumulate tips and tricks.
IanatorGaze upon my works, ye mightyand facepalm.Registered Userregular
When your chat log shows you dying to the same guy four times in a row, it's time to put the game down for the night.
To bleed off the steam from being shown up by TR, here's something informative on guns!
Primary: Carbine
Class: Light Assault, Engineer
Preferred Sights: Reflex, IR/NV Carbines are full-auto-capable weapons that work best at short ranges (though some models are also effective at medium distances). Dispersion is somewhat high, requiring controlled bursts at any range other than extremely close. Upgrades to the starter Carbine can be a very Cert-efficient path for new players since they apply to both Engies and Light Assaults.
Primary: Assault Rifle
Class: Combat Medic
Preferred Sights: Reflex, 3.4x, IR/NV With decent accuracy at middle range, Assault Rifles allow for effective medium-range fire when Medics' healing abilities aren't yet required. They'll likely come up short in close combat with Carbines due to their lower rate of fire at a range where shot spread is less of a factor.
Primary: LMG (Light Machine Gun)
Class: Heavy Assault
Preferred Sights: Reflex, 3.4x, 4x The LMG is an absolute beast at most distances, able to toss prodigious amounts of bullets downrange in short order and with decent accuracy. While quite able as room-cleaners, the 100-shot models have very high reload times - you probably don't want to pull out your magazine if it's barely empty and you think you're not alone (in a bad way). They also disperse greatly during long hosedowns, so control your fire at distance.
Primary: Battle Rifle
Class: Heavy Assault, Engineer
Preferred Sights: 3.4x, 4x, IR/NV
NOTE: Battle Rifles do not appear in the Depot - you must look at your Certs list for HA or Engineer and unlock it from there. For those looking to try something different, the Battle Rifle might fit the bill. It's one of the few weapons with only a Semi-Automatic fire mode but manages to be decent at both short and long ranges. With high damage and a generous mag size, Engineers have a decent alternative to Carbines, though Heavies may wish to stick with their LMGs. As of this writing, each Empire only has one model of Battle Rifle.
Primary: Shotgun
Class: Light Assault, Heavy Assault, Medic, Engineer
Preferred Sights: Reflex, IR/NV, 3.4x (Slug Ammo only) Beating out Carbines for raw close-combat power is the not-so-humble Shotgun. Their spread shots can reduce their reliability at medium ranges, but most Shotties also have an option for "Slug Ammunition" which fires a single powerful (and surprisingly accurate) shot instead.
Primary: Sniper Rifle
Class: Infiltrator The small arm to end all small arms, Sniper Rifles are instant kills if you land a headshot... usually. They do best against targets that can't shoot back easily, frequently meaning extreme range - good luck with that bullet drop! Of course, as an Infiltrator one needs to pick their fights carefully lest they be presented with a multitude of moving targets in more directions than one person can watch over. Semi-auto snipers rarely get one-shot kills but are much more capable of follow-up shots than bolt actions.
Primary: Scout Rifle
Class: Infiltrator A close-range alternative to Snipers (now that Infiltrators can no longer equip shotguns), Scout Rifles are almost like a submachinegun. While popular opinion sees these guns as inferior, they're still a great alternative when you're too close for Snipers and you don't want to rely too heavily on your pistol. Hey, speaking of submachineguns...
Primary: SMG (Submachine Gun)
Class: Light Assault, Heavy Assault, Combat Medic, Engineer, Infiltrator(?)
Preferred Sights: Reflex, IR/NV While their magazines empty very quickly, what we've seen of the SMG implies those shots will go right where you aim them... usually. They naturally see a huge drop in effectiveness past close range, but they appear to be a nice alternative to Carbines and Scout Rifles especially.
Secondary: Pistol
Class: All except MAX All classes have Pistols as a backup weapon if their primary runs low on ammo (or takes too long to reload). Make no mistake, they're plenty deadly if you can outflank your target (or you're just a good shot). Some factions have heavy or repeater varieties.
A work in progress, as always. Would especially like some input on Infiltrators since I didn't get any sniper time in tonight.
Twitch | Blizzard: Ianator#1479 | 3DS: Ianator - 1779 2336 5317 | FFXIV: Iana Ateliere (NA Sarg) Backlog Challenge List
I don't have much experience with the automatic scout rifle, but the semi-auto one isn't a close range weapon. It sort of fills the gap between the fast shooting sniper rifles and assault rifles. Pretty much exactly the same as the battle rifles.
Other than that, it looks great!
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citizen059hello my name is citizenI'm from the InternetRegistered Userregular
Light Assault
Class Ability: Jetpack
Primary Weapons: Carbine, Shotgun
Special Weapon: none Death from above! Light Assaults are all about close-range engagements where their instant height advantage lets them go places nobody else can. They also make effective demolitionists with their ability to drop C4 right on top of unsuspecting enemy vehicles (and around corners from a freshly-baited MAX). Remember not to engage in direct combat if you can help it, as the LA has no unique squishyness-lowering equipment. Don't forget, there's plenty of directions to flank from, not just from on high!
Heavy Assault
Class Ability: Personal Shield System
Primary Weapons: LMG, Shotgun, Battle Rifle, HA Special*
Special Weapon: Heavy Launcher If Light Assaults attack from the sides, the Heavy attacks from the front. Their LMGs are great for engaging groups of enemies or loosing supressive fire (when you're not taking forever to reload) while their shield adds an extra layer of protection whenever you can call for it. Heavies are also the only class with anti-vehicle ability by default (besides MAXes) thanks to their rocket launchers (which can be replaced with lock-on anti-tank and anti-air missiles). Their only specific downside, aside from reload time, is their somewhat slower movement - they are otherwise effective at almost any range.
*Heavy Assaults also have access to a faction-specific weapon - the TR Mini-Chaingun (self-explanatory), VS Lasher (strong but slow autocannon) and NC Jackhammer (shotgun with a three-burst mode).
Combat Medic
Class Ability: Area Medical Applicator
Primary Weapons: Assault Rifle, Shotgun
Special Weapon: Medical Applicator Behold the Medic, helmet of alabaster. Medics are much more capable of offense than one would think, their assault rifles effective at medium range (though they come up short against carbines in close combat). The Medical Applicator can restore health to allies and even revive fallen ones - just make sure the area's clear unless you want to feed kills to the enemy. For maximum not-staying-deadness, add Revive Grenades!
Engineer
Class Ability: Advanced Construction Engine
Primary Weapons: Carbine, Shotgun, Battle Rifle
Special Weapon: Armor Repair Kit Mechanical counterpart to the Medic, the Engineer can fix up tanks and planes right good with his repair gun. The A.C.E. can be used to deploy a MANA Anti-Infantry Turret for extra kick and cover or an Ammunition Pack for allies to reload at, effectively giving the Engie unlimited ammo (if you live long enough to need it). They also have a separate, upgradeable ammo pack that can be exchanged for Anti-Tank Mines or Anti-Personnel Mines. Finally, they have the unique option for Sticky Grenades.
Infiltrator
Class Ability: Cloaking Device
Primary Weapons: Sniper Rifle, Scout Rifle
Special Weapon: Recon Detect Device One order of sniping with backstab on top! Infiltrators rely on staying out of enemy sights as they are a bit squishier than other classes. To this end they are capable of cloaking for a short time, moving about while displaying little more than distortion to observers at the cost of being unable to use guns, grenades or melee attacks while hidden. The primary weapon of Infiltrators is the sniper rifle, delivering headshots in both bolt-action and semi-automatic flavors. Those wishing to do their thing in close quarters may enjoy a rapid-fire scout rifle instead. Serve with a side of EMP or Decoy Grenades.
MAX: Mechanized Assault Exo-Suit
Class Ability: MAX Charge
Primary Weapons: Arm-mounted guns.
Special Weapon: More arm-mounted guns. The true "tank" class of the game (short of actual tanks), the MAX is so deadly and tough as to require Infantry Resources and a respawn timer. MAX weapons come in both left- and right-arm varieties, allowing you to dual-wield to your Certs' content. These monstrous hulks usually work best at close range (the NC especially cleans up thanks to their shotgun arms) though exact weapons vary among factions. The exception is against air targets as all three factions can access the Burster flak guns (and players start with the right-arm Burster unlocked by default) making them the de facto AA defense when no flak turrets or lock-on launchers are available.
Weapon classes are next.
Looks good. I would mention the hacking for infiltrators, and point out engineers and LA do not really have a class ability (pressing F does nothing) per se.
videos like that are slowly bringing me around to the idea that annihilators are good ideas. Being able to engage both air/armor is key, and having a lock on missile is mandatory, IMO. Dumbfire misses against any target that isn't a stationary sunderer at any range larger than..well, the range required for an LA to go throw C4 or an engineer to go throw mines, basically.
Hell, even lock on missiles miss half the time against things like lightnings, magriders, and ESF's.
Coordinating attacks like these looks pretty cool, but it's not going to be as useful or easy when you also have to fight against infantry who are attacking/defending point.
Hitting targets at range with even the Decimator isn't that difficult with a little practice. If you're going to fight against air, I'd stick with the Nemesis which can still dumbfire.
The only targets you can hit at range with dumbfire are those who are either stationary, or those who are moving at a constant speed in a straight line. In my experience that's not very many.
Even if you precisely predict where the enemy tank is going to be in 5s, and nail exactly the angle needed to overcome bullet drop, there is nothing preventing the tank driver from executing a slight turn or stopping or doing anything else that makes your missile miss. To hit people at range with dumbfire you basically have to be able to see the future.
It is true that a good counter to lock on missile launchers is your own snipers: if they are standing still for 5s to get a lock your snipers can take them down. I think that's fine and it's nice to see the counter be infantry based.
Looks good. I would mention the hacking for infiltrators, and point out engineers and LA do not really have a class ability (pressing F does nothing) per se.
D'oh on the hacking!
The class ability thing is just my trying to fit everything into consistent categories. I'd even argue for the LA being a Class Ability since it uses the same gauge as those classes that do have F-key abilities.
I think the lesson to be learned is not so much that the annihilator is great, but coordinated infantry is incredible. People can sometimes coordinate armor because they're slow and highly visible, but coordinated infantry squads are like unicorns. Normally people just spawn and immediately run toward whatever the nearest objective is / hang back and peck away at people from a distance. It seems like MAX units can sometimes become an easily recognizable focal point, attracting engineers and the occasional medic to work as a team.
I think the lesson to be learned is not so much that the annihilator is great, but coordinated infantry is incredible. People can sometimes coordinate armor because they're slow and highly visible, but coordinated infantry squads are like unicorns. Normally people just spawn and immediately run toward whatever the nearest objective is / hang back and peck away at people from a distance. It seems like MAX units can sometimes become an easily recognizable focal point, attracting engineers and the occasional medic to work as a team.
Visually impressive, but you could get that same outcome with a far smaller group of players AND be able to tackle another objective or two with the rest.
Black lives matter.
Law and Order ≠ Justice
ACNH Island Isla Cero: DA-3082-2045-4142
Captain of the SES Comptroller of the State
A number of Server and Client stability optimizations have been made.
The Heavy Assault Shield should no longer fail to work after respawning.
The Deployment screen now features top defensive locations on the continent as respawn points.
Instant Action will now send players to areas with more combat.
New players will now be placed at a spawn point in a battle instead of being drop podded in.
Liberators/Galaxies:
These aircraft are now easier to lock-on to with anti-air missles. By default you can lock on to them 1 second faster. This means it requires 2.5 seconds to lock on to an ESF and 1.5 seconds to lock-on to a Liberator/Galaxy.
Lock on rockets and missiles should now hit more frequently and are harder to dodge.
Lock-on weapons can only be avoided by the following:
Flares
Forcing the missile to hit something else
Outrunning it which requires you to be distant and burn a lot of fuel
A very near miss which should be very challenging
Wait, was the lock on time really a problem? In both my reaver and lib, if someone started a lock on there was a 90% chance that a missile was on its way. It was very rare for me to fly our of range or break the lock on before the missile was fired.
Also, I laughed at the "Lock on rockets and missiles should now hit more frequently and are harder to dodge". I mean, I've seen a missile fly in front of me, do a 180 then fly back and hit me.
I'd estimate at least 3/4 of my lock on missiles directed at aircraft simply failed to hit.
See this?
There are always at least 4 dudes gunning for me with G2A missiles if I fly over a fight. The only time I don't have a lock on signal is when I'm inside my warpgate.
If 1 in 4 hit, then that's pretty good. They have super long range and it's not like aircraft have too many areas to hide in the sky.
The lock-on reduction for Libs/Gals probably doesn't make much difference in the ability to gain a lock. What it does make a difference for is the effective rate at which you can fire rockets.
The lock-on reduction for Libs/Gals probably doesn't make much difference in the ability to gain a lock. What it does make a difference for is the effective rate at which you can fire rockets.
Exactly!
And, given that it's ... what, 4 A2A missiles to down a Lib? ... that might be okay.
Also, you know what sucks? Launching 3 missiles into a 3-seater Lib, and then some goose shows up and his missile beats your 4th; you get +50xp for a "Lib Assist" and he gets +400 for a kill and 3 deaths and a killstreak and ... Man, fuck that guy.
You know what's awesome, though? Mining the road into the Crown and watching a full Sunderer get hit by both of your mines: Sundy kill, critical kill bonus, kill streak bonus, kill streak end bonus, group kill bonus ... I was still getting XP from that one shot for a good 10s after I rezzed (because, of course, I caught myself in the explosion).
Also, you know what sucks? Launching 3 missiles into a 3-seater Lib, and then some goose shows up and his missile beats your 4th; you get +50xp for a "Lib Assist" and he gets +400 for a kill and 3 deaths and a killstreak and ... Man, fuck that guy.
That does not sound like something I would do... :P
Black lives matter.
Law and Order ≠ Justice
ACNH Island Isla Cero: DA-3082-2045-4142
Captain of the SES Comptroller of the State
Posts
I usually try to check once an hour or so to keep my stocks up. I burn through C4 and mines like candy.
It's pretty much like that on Waterson as well. I think most people are in agreement that the NC get the shaft on Indar. Some of those NC points on Indar are really hard to take when the populations are even, but equally it's almost impossible for the NC to push Crossroads / Xenotech / Regent Rock / THE CROWN if they're occupied.
On Waterson though, it's the Red Army that makes up the largest group, in no small part to having the resident TR "leader" there (Total Biscuit). It doesn't do them many favors though, as Total Biscuit's fame tends to attract a large number of players that....well...aren't very good at the game.
Instead, they seem to like to go to Crossroads first, which is IMPOSSIBLE. The other day when VS was pushing crown we had NC coming up that road, and I went Engy and me and one other guy kept taking the west Zurvan spawn, putting down mines and racking up tank kills. I popped at least 5 double-manned Prowlers and a Sundy or two. It was retarded.
oh, I try to do this too, but sometimes you just forget about it when you're in an intense fight. I didn't notice it at the Battle of Regent Rock until I re-spawned as an engie and only had 1 AT Mine (and like 3 frag grenades left). Luckily, my resources had built back up to about 650 or so, which was all burned up with a few clicks of the mouse.
The problem with that strategy, as I've seen first-hand on Connery, is if we (NC) do that roundabout push is it takes a LONG time to get armor up and around. By the time we get to the north end of Crown we usually have VS pushing into us from Crossroads down southeast into the tech plant, then they roll into Zurvan from the south. If we take a northern route we literally have to push all the way to northeast corner or else TR just cuts us off from behind. Also, that whole area north of Crown is wide open area with little cover so our armor gets torn to pieces trying to get across it. At least they are planning on rotating the warpgates at the end of the month so maybe that will mix things up a bit.
Oh? That's some pretty big news. Looks like the Vanu might be losing our perpetual Infantry bonus. VANU help us if the NC get it....the last thing they need is cheaper MAXes :P
When did they announce the Warp Gate rotation?
Indar: counter-clockwise
Esamir: clockwise
Amerish: counter-clockwise
Source
NC takes zurvan/tawrich sometimes, but they have a very difficult time getting out of there. They have to either come up the road to the crown (a massive killbox if the crown is even moderately defended), drive north toward galaxy solar (wide open and lacking adjacency) or try to push from tawrich out to regent rock (awkward because of how the terrain is down there with the skydock and so on.)
Pluto was a planet and I'll never forget
So not a constant rotation, but just them changing things up?
It was kind of easy to miss forum post. I posted it in the Vanu thread, but Dirtyboy posted it up above.
So at the end of January we Vanu get south-east Indar, along with southern Amerish and north-west Esamir.
I'm pretty curious to see how well we do with NC/TR territory as ours.
Seems like it is just a rotation when they do the patch. I think the idea is a way to change things up for the factions while we are stuck with single-continent war. Once we have an inter-continental system it won't be necessary.
Steam (Ansatz) || GW2 officer (Ansatz.6498)
Class Ability: Jetpack
Primary Weapons: Carbine, Shotgun
Special Weapon: none
Death from above! Light Assaults are all about close-range engagements where their instant height advantage lets them go places nobody else can. They also make effective demolitionists with their ability to drop C4 right on top of unsuspecting enemy vehicles (and around corners from a freshly-baited MAX). Remember not to engage in direct combat if you can help it, as the LA has no unique squishyness-lowering equipment. Don't forget, there's plenty of directions to flank from, not just from on high!
Heavy Assault
Class Ability: Personal Shield System
Primary Weapons: LMG, Shotgun, Battle Rifle, HA Special*
Special Weapon: Heavy Launcher
If Light Assaults attack from the sides, the Heavy attacks from the front. Their LMGs are great for engaging groups of enemies or loosing supressive fire (when you're not taking forever to reload) while their shield adds an extra layer of protection whenever you can call for it. Heavies are also the only class with anti-vehicle ability by default (besides MAXes) thanks to their rocket launchers (which can be replaced with lock-on anti-tank and anti-air missiles). Their only specific downside, aside from reload time, is their somewhat slower movement - they are otherwise effective at almost any range.
*Heavy Assaults also have access to a faction-specific weapon - the TR Mini-Chaingun (self-explanatory), VS Lasher (strong but slow autocannon) and NC Jackhammer (shotgun with a three-burst mode).
Combat Medic
Class Ability: Area Medical Applicator
Primary Weapons: Assault Rifle, Shotgun
Special Weapon: Medical Applicator
Behold the Medic, helmet of alabaster. Medics are much more capable of offense than one would think, their assault rifles effective at medium range (though they come up short against carbines in close combat). The Medical Applicator can restore health to allies and even revive fallen ones - just make sure the area's clear unless you want to feed kills to the enemy. For maximum not-staying-deadness, add Revive Grenades!
Engineer
Class Ability: Advanced Construction Engine
Primary Weapons: Carbine, Shotgun, Battle Rifle
Special Weapon: Armor Repair Kit
Mechanical counterpart to the Medic, the Engineer can fix up tanks and planes right good with his repair gun. The A.C.E. can be used to deploy a MANA Anti-Infantry Turret for extra kick and cover or an Ammunition Pack for allies to reload at, effectively giving the Engie unlimited ammo (if you live long enough to need it). They also have a separate, upgradeable ammo pack that can be exchanged for Anti-Tank Mines or Anti-Personnel Mines. Finally, they have the unique option for Sticky Grenades.
Infiltrator
Class Ability: Cloaking Device
Primary Weapons: Sniper Rifle, Scout Rifle
Special Weapon: Recon Detect Device
One order of sniping with backstab on top! Infiltrators rely on staying out of enemy sights as they are a bit squishier than other classes. To this end they are capable of cloaking for a short time, moving about while displaying little more than distortion to observers at the cost of being unable to use guns, grenades or melee attacks while hidden. The primary weapon of Infiltrators is the sniper rifle, delivering headshots in both bolt-action and semi-automatic flavors. Those wishing to do their thing in close quarters may enjoy a rapid-fire scout rifle instead. Serve with a side of EMP or Decoy Grenades.
MAX: Mechanized Assault Exo-Suit
Class Ability: MAX Charge
Primary Weapons: Arm-mounted guns.
Special Weapon: More arm-mounted guns.
The true "tank" class of the game (short of actual tanks), the MAX is so deadly and tough as to require Infantry Resources and a respawn timer. MAX weapons come in both left- and right-arm varieties, allowing you to dual-wield to your Certs' content. These monstrous hulks usually work best at close range (the NC especially cleans up thanks to their shotgun arms) though exact weapons vary among factions. The exception is against air targets as all three factions can access the Burster flak guns (and players start with the right-arm Burster unlocked by default) making them the de facto AA defense when no flak turrets or lock-on launchers are available.
Weapon classes are next.
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Steam ID: Obos Vent: Obos
Oh god.
TR is going to have ARC.
God DAMMIT.
Well, what I meant was that people were saying certain strategies would be rough because we always have to tip-toe around the crown if it's enemy occupied. But if the cover changes lead to less of a stupid stalemate up there, it might not be as big an issue anymore.
Steam ID: Obos Vent: Obos
Pluto was a planet and I'll never forget
I think this is definitely part of why Zurvan and Tawrich (and to a lesser extent, the Biolab... Rashnu, I think? the one in "NC territory") pretty much define our territory right now. Zurvan and Tawrich see some action, but nobody pushes beyond that, barring the occasional "let's hit Mao Tech and let Vanu have Tawrich" stupidity. And the Crown, but eugh, The Crown. I mean, sure, it's got a nice view, and it's basically a cert-printing press if you're defending it, but it's so... useless. Whoo, +2 (maybe 3) resource points and 3 hexes in the middle of the continent! There's a whole bunch of stuff in the north and east of Indar that I've never (or very rarely) seen!
I'm also looking forward to the warpgate rotations. It'll be nice to see the rest of Esamir, even if it is just more ice fields and prefab buildings.
guh... stuck in eastern washington on crappy laptop and crappy hotel internet... wont be back for UES until at least 300p on friday >.>
Added some stuff to the op, courtesy of Darmak from the last thread. More clean up, and started to accumulate tips and tricks.
Steam - NotoriusBEN | Uplay - notoriusben | Xbox,Windows Live - ThatBEN
To bleed off the steam from being shown up by TR, here's something informative on guns!
Class: Light Assault, Engineer
Preferred Sights: Reflex, IR/NV
Carbines are full-auto-capable weapons that work best at short ranges (though some models are also effective at medium distances). Dispersion is somewhat high, requiring controlled bursts at any range other than extremely close. Upgrades to the starter Carbine can be a very Cert-efficient path for new players since they apply to both Engies and Light Assaults.
Primary: Assault Rifle
Class: Combat Medic
Preferred Sights: Reflex, 3.4x, IR/NV
With decent accuracy at middle range, Assault Rifles allow for effective medium-range fire when Medics' healing abilities aren't yet required. They'll likely come up short in close combat with Carbines due to their lower rate of fire at a range where shot spread is less of a factor.
Primary: LMG (Light Machine Gun)
Class: Heavy Assault
Preferred Sights: Reflex, 3.4x, 4x
The LMG is an absolute beast at most distances, able to toss prodigious amounts of bullets downrange in short order and with decent accuracy. While quite able as room-cleaners, the 100-shot models have very high reload times - you probably don't want to pull out your magazine if it's barely empty and you think you're not alone (in a bad way). They also disperse greatly during long hosedowns, so control your fire at distance.
Primary: Battle Rifle
Class: Heavy Assault, Engineer
Preferred Sights: 3.4x, 4x, IR/NV
NOTE: Battle Rifles do not appear in the Depot - you must look at your Certs list for HA or Engineer and unlock it from there.
For those looking to try something different, the Battle Rifle might fit the bill. It's one of the few weapons with only a Semi-Automatic fire mode but manages to be decent at both short and long ranges. With high damage and a generous mag size, Engineers have a decent alternative to Carbines, though Heavies may wish to stick with their LMGs. As of this writing, each Empire only has one model of Battle Rifle.
Primary: Shotgun
Class: Light Assault, Heavy Assault, Medic, Engineer
Preferred Sights: Reflex, IR/NV, 3.4x (Slug Ammo only)
Beating out Carbines for raw close-combat power is the not-so-humble Shotgun. Their spread shots can reduce their reliability at medium ranges, but most Shotties also have an option for "Slug Ammunition" which fires a single powerful (and surprisingly accurate) shot instead.
Primary: Sniper Rifle
Class: Infiltrator
The small arm to end all small arms, Sniper Rifles are instant kills if you land a headshot... usually. They do best against targets that can't shoot back easily, frequently meaning extreme range - good luck with that bullet drop! Of course, as an Infiltrator one needs to pick their fights carefully lest they be presented with a multitude of moving targets in more directions than one person can watch over. Semi-auto snipers rarely get one-shot kills but are much more capable of follow-up shots than bolt actions.
Primary: Scout Rifle
Class: Infiltrator
A close-range alternative to Snipers (now that Infiltrators can no longer equip shotguns), Scout Rifles are almost like a submachinegun. While popular opinion sees these guns as inferior, they're still a great alternative when you're too close for Snipers and you don't want to rely too heavily on your pistol. Hey, speaking of submachineguns...
Primary: SMG (Submachine Gun)
Class: Light Assault, Heavy Assault, Combat Medic, Engineer, Infiltrator(?)
Preferred Sights: Reflex, IR/NV
While their magazines empty very quickly, what we've seen of the SMG implies those shots will go right where you aim them... usually. They naturally see a huge drop in effectiveness past close range, but they appear to be a nice alternative to Carbines and Scout Rifles especially.
Secondary: Pistol
Class: All except MAX
All classes have Pistols as a backup weapon if their primary runs low on ammo (or takes too long to reload). Make no mistake, they're plenty deadly if you can outflank your target (or you're just a good shot). Some factions have heavy or repeater varieties.
A work in progress, as always. Would especially like some input on Infiltrators since I didn't get any sniper time in tonight.
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Other than that, it looks great!
Beware the angry Missile Nest
re: sniper rifles. The semi-auto sniper rifles do not get one-shot kills but the bolt-action do (on head-shots).
Steam (Ansatz) || GW2 officer (Ansatz.6498)
Looks good. I would mention the hacking for infiltrators, and point out engineers and LA do not really have a class ability (pressing F does nothing) per se.
PSN: Vorpallion Twitch: Vorpallion
videos like that are slowly bringing me around to the idea that annihilators are good ideas. Being able to engage both air/armor is key, and having a lock on missile is mandatory, IMO. Dumbfire misses against any target that isn't a stationary sunderer at any range larger than..well, the range required for an LA to go throw C4 or an engineer to go throw mines, basically.
Hell, even lock on missiles miss half the time against things like lightnings, magriders, and ESF's.
PSN: Vorpallion Twitch: Vorpallion
Hitting targets at range with even the Decimator isn't that difficult with a little practice. If you're going to fight against air, I'd stick with the Nemesis which can still dumbfire.
Even if you precisely predict where the enemy tank is going to be in 5s, and nail exactly the angle needed to overcome bullet drop, there is nothing preventing the tank driver from executing a slight turn or stopping or doing anything else that makes your missile miss. To hit people at range with dumbfire you basically have to be able to see the future.
It is true that a good counter to lock on missile launchers is your own snipers: if they are standing still for 5s to get a lock your snipers can take them down. I think that's fine and it's nice to see the counter be infantry based.
PSN: Vorpallion Twitch: Vorpallion
D'oh on the hacking!
The class ability thing is just my trying to fit everything into consistent categories. I'd even argue for the LA being a Class Ability since it uses the same gauge as those classes that do have F-key abilities.
Oh and before I forget
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I think the lesson to be learned is not so much that the annihilator is great, but coordinated infantry is incredible. People can sometimes coordinate armor because they're slow and highly visible, but coordinated infantry squads are like unicorns. Normally people just spawn and immediately run toward whatever the nearest objective is / hang back and peck away at people from a distance. It seems like MAX units can sometimes become an easily recognizable focal point, attracting engineers and the occasional medic to work as a team.
Visually impressive, but you could get that same outcome with a far smaller group of players AND be able to tackle another objective or two with the rest.
Law and Order ≠ Justice
ACNH Island Isla Cero: DA-3082-2045-4142
Captain of the SES Comptroller of the State
Also, I laughed at the "Lock on rockets and missiles should now hit more frequently and are harder to dodge". I mean, I've seen a missile fly in front of me, do a 180 then fly back and hit me.
PSN: Vorpallion Twitch: Vorpallion
By fix, I mean fuck them over some more.
Also, g99 error everytime. The servers down or something? EDIT: They are for 90 mins.
Is this before or after they fixed the bug where it wouldn't hit at a certain range?
See this?
There are always at least 4 dudes gunning for me with G2A missiles if I fly over a fight. The only time I don't have a lock on signal is when I'm inside my warpgate.
If 1 in 4 hit, then that's pretty good. They have super long range and it's not like aircraft have too many areas to hide in the sky.
Steam (Ansatz) || GW2 officer (Ansatz.6498)
Exactly!
And, given that it's ... what, 4 A2A missiles to down a Lib? ... that might be okay.
Also, you know what sucks? Launching 3 missiles into a 3-seater Lib, and then some goose shows up and his missile beats your 4th; you get +50xp for a "Lib Assist" and he gets +400 for a kill and 3 deaths and a killstreak and ... Man, fuck that guy.
You know what's awesome, though? Mining the road into the Crown and watching a full Sunderer get hit by both of your mines: Sundy kill, critical kill bonus, kill streak bonus, kill streak end bonus, group kill bonus ... I was still getting XP from that one shot for a good 10s after I rezzed (because, of course, I caught myself in the explosion).
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
That does not sound like something I would do... :P
Law and Order ≠ Justice
ACNH Island Isla Cero: DA-3082-2045-4142
Captain of the SES Comptroller of the State
Then later I was hit by a shit ton of flak and went from full health to red in a fraction of a second.
So yeah. Probably some vanu hackers out there right now.