Higby Update on Air vs Ground Balance

Matt Higby has posted an update on Air vs Ground Balance. We have heard some rumblings of this and now an official statement. Lock on Weapons will no longer dumb fire, instead the Decimator will make a return as dumbfire.

In next week's update we're making some adjustments to the air-to-ground gameplay, some of these will affect ground vehicles and some even affect infantry vs infantry, but the main purpose is to bring air and ground into balance a bit more. None of these are enormous changes, but the cumulative effect should be closer to our goal of allowing ground to be an effective deterrent to air and a dangerous threat against pilots who are being risky.

Check out the full list of detailed changes here.

44 comments

2012-12-05 09:47 PM

Latest Comments

2012-12-06 05:01 AM

Wahooo

Re: Higby Update on Air vs Ground Balance

Love how they announce an AA buff and then put the second burster arm on sale... way to actually gather proper info on the subject. Buff "flak" when the SG and Turrets needed buffed not the burster and then make it easier to get more bursters out in the field.
*sigh*

2012-12-06 05:29 AM

ketarakh

Re: Higby Update on Air vs Ground Balance

I want good ol' Lancer to come back as default common pool AA/AV weapon for every faction. Or faction specific looks, but same concept. Superfast projectiles, clip size of 5 shots and time to warm up before every shot, and low dmg per shot to compensate.
Current dumbfire default rocket launcher is worthless as AA. You can hit no aircraft with it.
As for looks it may be good ol' Lancer for vanu, AV railgun for NC and some sort of AV rifle for TR, like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-tank_rifle

2012-12-06 06:15 AM

JesNC

Re: Higby Update on Air vs Ground Balance

I'd rather have the Phoenix back for NC over a Lancer port, really. Nothing beats catching a totally oblivious tank/liberator by a squad's worth of camera guided rockets.

That, and:

OT: I think they're overbuffing Flak armor with this patch, at least for regular infantry. It already is crazy good for upping your survival rate vs tank shells and other explosives, a 50% reduction in damage might make HA nearly invulnerable.

2012-12-06 07:19 AM

ketarakh

Re: Higby Update on Air vs Ground Balance

Originally Posted by JesNC

I'd rather have the Phoenix back for NC over a Lancer port, really. Nothing beats catching a totally oblivious tank/liberator by a squad's worth of camera guided rockets.

Then there will be no reason to buy smedweapons. So i dont think this will ever happens.

2012-12-06 07:25 AM

Emperor Newt

Re: Higby Update on Air vs Ground Balance

Originally Posted by JesNC

OT: I think they're overbuffing Flak armor with this patch, at least for regular infantry. It already is crazy good for upping your survival rate vs tank shells and other explosives, a 50% reduction in damage might make HA nearly invulnerable.

Maybe to regular tank shots as those are good against infantry and armor. Maybe it would force more tank drivers to have a mounted AI weapon (and a gunner) instead of no gunner and/or two AV weapons.
The thing I would be worried about would be if this nerfs the primary AI tank weapons. Granted, those are insanely good at the moment but at least they come the price of doing little to no damage to armor (for the Lightning at least).

2012-12-06 08:03 AM

Suitepee

Re: Higby Update on Air vs Ground Balance

50% resistance to explosives at max rank flak armor? Suddenly I feel like my certs in nanoweave are wasted somewhat.

I like the nerf to the splash damage radius of the rocket pods.

2012-12-06 08:10 AM

Qwan

Re: Higby Update on Air vs Ground Balance

I mean guys I look at it like this, changing the specs on Ground to air weapons will not stop the air from doing its job. I mean I think the air seems over powered because the guys who play air know how to select there targets. I mean lets face it no mosi is going to attack a column of tanks with sky guards and 20 mm guns on each tank. But they will rocket pod a defensless sundy sitting in the open or a single tank. Just by uping the damage of ground to air missles wont help. During the past weeks guys in my outfit have gotten the nemises rocket laucher, now when we see reavers and mossies all over the place we start putting them down faster, instead of hoping they add a one shot rocket to the weapon pool that will take down any bird (which is what most want) you just have to adapt. I will admit we usta get owned by air alot, but now when were running missions we have at least 3 to 5 heavys with anti air blowing the shit out of air targets.

2012-12-06 08:15 AM

Figment

Re: Higby Update on Air vs Ground Balance

Originally Posted by Hamma

They are replacing dumb fire with decimators.

He knows that, but it means you can't dumbfire anymore since it's unlikely you can change kit in the meantime.

It's like being able to fire a PS1 Striker with lock on only.

Considering lock on takes eons and reload takes eons, that's going to hurt AV capacity a lot.

I presume this is in part to stop dumbfiring at infantry, but depending on how fast the reload is, lock on is going to be very... situational. I hope the range increase comes with an increase in speed.

2012-12-06 08:36 AM

Whiteagle

Re: Higby Update on Air vs Ground Balance

Originally Posted by Chewy

Lock on Rocket Launchers (AV and AA):
- Range Increase
- Faster reload time (to compensate for lock on time)
- Now require lock on to fire

This is going to make a lot HA players rather mad. If Im reading that right it is removing the ability to dumbfire AA and AV lock on rockets. I understand not having dumbifre for AV but not to have it for AA is going to really hurt AA based HA troops once the air is cleared or if armor rolls in.

Maybe the other adjustments will make this moot with other AA weapons being more able to do the job. Wont know till we play the patch.

Yeah, I can understand the AA Launcher being a "deterrent" for air... if it could still engage ground targets with dumbfire at reduced damage...

This...
...This makes me wonder if Lock-on should just be ONE duel purpose Launcher that does less damage overall...

Originally Posted by maradine

edit: Oooooooh, it's a replacement. I didn't get that out of the post.

Yeah, can we get a conformation on this?

I'd love to get a Straight Upgrade to my default for FREE!

2012-12-06 09:38 AM

Rat

Re: Higby Update on Air vs Ground Balance

I am afraid that the Deci is going to fire as slow as the early beta rocket launcher....remember when vehicles would just casually roll out out of the rockets path after you fired it?...forget about hitting a mag unless your copping a squat underneath it.
Just gotta wait and see tho.

2012-12-06 09:39 AM

Miffy

Re: Higby Update on Air vs Ground Balance

I can see Deci's making MAX units useless again!

MAX units are useless as it is though, slow, barely any armour, do barely any damage on all three weapon types...

They're just poor, I don't see any situation why you'd use one over HA, you can easily solo them as it is but these need higher damage Deci's will one hit them I bet.

2012-12-06 10:00 AM

Miffy

Re: Higby Update on Air vs Ground Balance

I also don't see how selling new weapons fixes any problems? I mean will that be the answer for everything? Put stuff on the store. Next they'll charge for protected spawn room privileges.

2012-12-06 10:29 AM

MrBloodworth

Re: Higby Update on Air vs Ground Balance

Fantastic changes.

Looking forward to trying them out.

2012-12-06 12:13 PM

Rahabib

Re: Higby Update on Air vs Ground Balance

Originally Posted by Mox

Not a word about boosting the skyguard. The skyguard is useless atm it really needs a buff. HA AA on the other side is allready strong enough.

The addressed the walker buff.

Anyway, taking out dumb fire but increasing its effectiveness works for me. Everyone takes aa rockets because the work on both, now you have to choose.

2012-12-06 12:21 PM

SpottyGekko

Re: Higby Update on Air vs Ground Balance

Hmmm... I wonder if the Lib's A30 Walker version will also get this buff ? It may finally be worth using it...

Interesting changes and not too radical, except maybe for the flak armour buff. The next few days will be very interesting.