The Balance Pass: Your Impressions

[Veteran]

I've been playing PlanetSide all morning (happily, I might add), and I've formed some opinions about the Balance Pass (go figure), but I'm curious how you guys are feeling about it. This is a multiple-choice poll, so before you click Vote, check all the options that sum up your feelings. I know it's a little early into it, so if you think it is, don't vote until you've got a better feel for things.

[Veteran]

Ok, I fixed the poll, thanx Hamma. Again, it's multiple choice, so click all that apply. If you think it's too early to tell, save your vote for another day.

As for my impression, I think the Decimator is now the ultimate AV weapon, which puzzles me, and I wish TR MAXs had a different special ability (in light of Decimator's uberness). Also, I didn't notice a huge increase in the Thumper's plasma grenades, so I wonder if they were stealth-nerfed.

All in all, a great initiative on the part of the devs. They have been very dedicated to the game. Still, criticism takes guts and if you really love the game, you will share your opinion of it.

[Hamma]

Nice :D

Once again, I think its a bit soon to decide. After a nice weekend of solid gameplay then I will make a judgment :D

[STEALTHKILLER]

I'd have to say the only thing i dont like is they nerfed all the good stuff out of my reaver. I cant snipe turrets anymore or have my 96 rockets.

[Hamma]

Well, at least there are re-arm pads now on the bright side :p

[STEALTHKILLER]

Yeah, but i decied to go back to my first love. the skeeter. It had a wepon buff!!, and I love speed. Plus it is sometimes hard to get to a rearm pad when dont have a dropship center. Then you have to go find an air twer.

[Acaila]

All in all I like it. I think the devs did a great job and it has given me back my enthusiasm. Time will tell if it has solved more balance issues than it has created though.

[bryan25]

hmmm....

[SandTrout]

I still want the Infil suit fixed.

[Everay]

if you need a lot of rockets to be a good reaver pilot, shame on you!

[Hamma]

I still want the Infil suit fixed.
As was mentioned in our Ask The Devs show, they plan on addressing that :D

[JakeLogan]

Pounder rocks never use it anyway. I'm pissed about the striker nerf.

[Veteran]

The Skyguard's AA cannon is amazingly good AV. It outstrips a Lightning's main cannon. Ugh. It should do 0 damage at close range like a Burster.

[Nitsch]

As was mentioned in our Ask The Devs show, they plan on addressing that :D

They didn't sound to enthusiastic about it... I have a feeling inf suit fixes are low priority.

The next question is from Nitsch, "Inf suits have had some recent cards stacked against them (spitfires, motion sensors, interlink facilities seeing them crouched) are there any plans to give the inf suit any more abilities or was the intention just to weaken the suit's effectiveness? Were they perceived as too powerful?"

Dallas: This is another thing that's on the very soon list. We heard you loud and clear about the fact that folks feel that it was nerfed hugely by the radar changes, honestly I play mostly as an infiltrator. It hasn't bothered me that much, perhaps I'm not playing it very well as an infiltrator. It hasn't changed my game hugely, but that said it's definitely going to get a hard eye as we go our next balance pass including the implants and infiltration.


I don't see any improvements in the balance patch helping infs.

[Veteran]

Does this dev play a NC? That's the impression I get.

[Marsman]

Again from the interview transcript:

Hamma: I think it's around there now. Ok, what servers do you play on in PS?

Dallas: Well, I play on all of them to some degree, just because I like to see how they're all going. My main character I actually play on Markov. I do play all of them. I play VS on Markov, I play TR on Emerald, and I play NC on Werner and NC on Johari, and I believe I play TR on Konreid.

[Hamma]

They didn't sound to enthusiastic about it... I have a feeling inf suit fixes are low priority.



I don't see any improvements in the balance patch helping infs.

Read it again it says "go our next balance pass including the implants and infiltration" not this one, the next one.

[Veteran]

I think things are getting better, but no way should the Skyguard's flak shells explode at close range. They make the Lightning and Marauder look stupid, especially considering how maneuverable the Skyguard is.

The Decimator is also conspicuously the best AV weapon, as evidenced by its damage output and popularity.

I don't know yet how the VS and NC MAX buffs are going to help. TR MAXs were nerfed and their special ability is such a double-edged sword to begin with that I wonder if TR is in for even more of a hard time than it already has with the NC (dev's pets) and VS (tenacious plaintiffs of their 'underdog' status). I know TR are all red and threatening and have the negative stereotype as evil imperialists neo-Nazis, but we're actually just fun-loving guys. Remember whose transport ships brought everyone to Auraxis in the first place. I bet we didn't seem so bad back then.

I maintain that if all players could somehow access all empire-specific assets, this game would surge. Nothing sucks like having someone use a weapon against you that you'll never be able to wield. It's kinda like when your little brother runs into a card maven at the card shop who whoops on him with his $1000 Pokemon deck. It does little but create ill-will. In fact, in the last poll I ran asking if people would prefer to get empire-specific assets from hacked equipment terminals, the vast majority of players supported the idea.

[Mazzic]

I like the changes.

Question though. Is it my imagination or is the cof on the MCG not any smaller?

[SandTrout]

Read through patch notes at least twice more looking for anything to do with infiltrators(or the next patch). I'm not seeing it anywhere Hamma, post a link, cause you apparently have better sourses than us mortals.

[Hamma]

Its in the developer interview like I said in my first post

Hamma: The next question is from Nitsch, "Inf suits have had some recent cards stacked against them (spitfires, motion sensors, interlink facilities seeing them crouched) are there any plans to give the inf suit any more abilities or was the intention just to weaken the suit's effectiveness? Were they perceived as too powerful?"

Dallas: This is another thing that's on the very soon list. We heard you loud and clear about the fact that folks feel that it was nerfed hugely by the radar changes, honestly I play mostly as an infiltrator. It hasn't bothered me that much, perhaps I'm not playing it very well as an infiltrator. It hasn't changed my game hugely, but that said it's definitely going to get a hard eye as we go our next balance pass including the implants and infiltration.
http://www.planetside-universe.com/article.php?article_id=46
Didnt say specificly the next patch but its coming. They arent going to come out and say something like this if they have no intention of fixing it :p

[Biohazzard56]

From my playtesting i think its great the best part about it are the platoons and EXP adjustments some things i dont agree on like the tank speed nerfes not so much the speed reduction but how much speed they took away.

[Cauldron Borne]

one word: lightning

another word: pheonix alt fire mode (okay, just shut up before you say it.)

I LOVE the balance pass! :love:

[Veteran]

The Pounder went too far in making a player into a 'one man army' (something I fear now of the ScatterMAX). I dropped Pounder because it interfered with my equipment skills, so I don't mind, and new players will probably still get enough kills with it to be happy.

Now that VS can't claim the underdog position, I think we'll start seeing some positive change. I'm almost certain more balance passes are in the works, and this wasn't meant to correct all the problems.

[SandTrout]

VS MAXes are realy freaking scary now, but while still scary, the Pounder is not what it used to be. This is a good thing.

I now stand a chance against the pounder, and the Quazar now stands a chance against me.

I need to play against the NC to see how good they are now.

[Piith]

well, I like that the VS now have MAX's that they can use, and the the vehicles got what /where they should be . . but some of the other things they so cal balance . . just do not see it. it used to be VS had the weak max's but now it is the TR. how I always thought it was each empire had it's advantage, The TR's flagship I would have called the Pounder, the VS had the MagMower or the lasher, the NC had the jackhammer.
after lastnight were I spent mmm I'd say about 70% of my time playing TR, the the balance was only donew to the tanks and VS MAX's, the other 30% of the time I played VS or NC . .and in the short time I did, be it NC or VS , I did at least 5 times better as a VS or NC then I was as a TR. but the balance has just made the TR livestock ready for slaughter. Which I am sure the VS can relate too (those that have been VS for a long time I Think May)
I think Veteran is correct, or I am starting to bleive in the same thing.
Does this dev play a NC? That's the impression I get.



I know I won't like it, but it is NC's turn to get nerfed

[Cauldron Borne]

Yeah, it sux tho. Have you guys noticed the damage change in the JH? I sorta did when I discoverd I could no longer kill max's with it. Well at least not as easily, I had to change to AV ammo...

Lightning= total bad ass.