View Full Version : The Plasma Hoax
Veteran
2003-10-31, 07:43 AM
I thought plasma was the bomb, the shiz, or what have you, but I made a disturbing discovery.
I was launching plasma grenades at the ground trying to kill myself so I could travel around, and I launched one several meters from myself. It exploded and I caught on fire, but I took about 6 damage total. I launched one directly at my feet and took normal damage. The damage-over-time effect is severely reduced outside the very center of the plasma blast.
I wonder how many people think that everyone in their grenade's splash radius is taking full damage-over-time from the plasma, cause they're not. Some are taking pathetically little, and I think it's possible that plasma grenades suck.
I'll keep a jammer-loaded Thumper in my inventory for minesweeping purposes, but I think my days of using it as a weapon are over. The Rocklet Rifle seems to offer excellent versitility, doing good damage to both infantry, armor and MAXs. Maybe I'll try that.
Opinions to the contrary are welcome. So many people praise the plasma Thumper that I wouldn't be surprised if someone proved me wrong.
MacavitySWE
2003-10-31, 07:50 AM
Plasma thumper is quite good if you use it as it's supposed to be used. You on top of tower/wall and lobbing green burning doom on the heads of your doomed enemies ;)
Also, secondary mode inside towers rock since the troops are hurt bad as they charge upwards
But I agree, sometimes the damage seem to be quite low
Kikinchikin
2003-10-31, 08:14 AM
meh no wonder a lot of peeps escape me. that thing sucks im only keeping SA for decimator, altho i may switch that in for something else sniping maybe.
SilverLord
2003-10-31, 09:15 AM
What about the frag grenade? Does it do good damage to an area?
Acaila
2003-10-31, 09:50 AM
I use frag nades, better aoe damage, less of a grief weapon.
SweetTater
2003-10-31, 10:27 AM
You forget one thing about plasma: the OMGWTF factor. When someone sees that green mist around them and they start getting hit for damage constantly, a lot of people will panic. It doesn't matter that they aren't getting hit for a lot of damage, if their screen keeps flashing red, they'll freak.
Mudflap
2003-10-31, 10:40 AM
Let's not forget the ability to paint cloakers. It's nice to be able to light them up for friendlies, or even have a little help finding them if you dont have DL.
I've always liked plasma, and still use it. If you're really good, like I am sometimes, you'll get direct hits, and those hurt like a mother! Two direct hits takes out pretty much anyone, three kill everything but MAXes and vehicles.
SilverLord
2003-10-31, 11:30 AM
In my outdoors load out I have an MCG, Thumper with 4 boxes of plasma's. I might make it so I have 1 jammer box, 1 plasma box, and 2 frag boxes.
Edit: What exacly can the jammers do except disable mines and such?
MacavitySWE
2003-10-31, 12:35 PM
What exacly can the jammers do except disable mines and such?
They disable implants also, making it hard for a max to use DL, a grunt to use surge and so on
Generally piss people off to have all their implants gone during a period of time ;)
Happy lil Elf
2003-10-31, 01:35 PM
Disable implants.
It also pwnz0rzzz t3h r4d4r.
ZjinPS
2003-10-31, 01:54 PM
Just like any weapon with a 'splash' effect, the closer you are to the target on impact the more damage it gets. The fact that ALL of the damage now stacks instead of overwriting makes it more useful.. in theory.
I still prefer the rocket rifle.. I usually have a few plasma grenades in a pistol holster for hunting infils and tossing into respawn rooms. Plasma nades own infils.. :twisted:
Often, I will go to a plasma when my cycler empties if Im close enough. I can throw 2 nades in the time it takes to reload..roughly..
Acaila
2003-10-31, 02:18 PM
Jammers also disable vehicle weapons I think. Not sure as I am usually running like a coward when I am not in 1 :p
Unknown
2003-10-31, 02:24 PM
Nope, jammers do not disable vehicles. The only thing that will disable vehicles (and it only disables their weapons) is the EMP (which, it seems, alot of people don't even know about. Yes, that's right, your EMP is good for more than just clearing a CE's hard work in 2 seconds.). It only has a shortlived effect, but it's kinda fun seeing the gunners panic after getting hit by an EMP wave ;).
Man you have got to be kidding me! You expect to get full damage even if you have no aim? Plasma is still the most spam-happy weapon out there, and of course if they are on the fringes of the explosion they only get a little crispy. Rather than claiming plasma sucks, you should head to VR and practice hitting stationary targets before moving out onto the battlefield. :rolleyes:
TheRagingGerbil
2003-10-31, 02:36 PM
My EMP blast has saved my ass a couple of times
Veteran
2003-10-31, 11:59 PM
If you need to score direct hits with splash weapons, why not just cut to the chase and use direct-fire weapons? A near-miss with a plasma grenade is worthless. Your 'little crispy' target is gonna waste you shortly thereafter.
FightForFreedom
2003-11-01, 12:08 AM
Generally, I prefer the rocklet. It pwns infantry, gets MAX's pretty fast, and is good against cloakers. But if we're attacking a tower, I'll have my plasma thumper handy. Great in secondary fire for towers. If you know there are enemies down there, you spam the grenades, they bounce off the walls, and you can really get some kills, especially if they make it down into the spawn rooms :)
Kuraltai
2003-11-01, 09:36 AM
Nope, jammers do not disable vehicles. The only thing that will disable vehicles (and it only disables their weapons) is the EMP (which, it seems, alot of people don't even know about. Yes, that's right, your EMP is good for more than just clearing a CE's hard work in 2 seconds.). It only has a shortlived effect, but it's kinda fun seeing the gunners panic after getting hit by an EMP wave ;).
Oh man .. been there! Thought something had broken! :rolleyes: You're right though, I don't see these used as often as you would think. Everyone want's CR4 & 5 so they can OS things but hardly, if ever use the EMP. One of these days .. I may actually get the chance to try one. :p
Veteran
2003-11-01, 10:03 AM
I keep thinking they should add some tiny little extra thing to jammer grenades. Some people will say they own, some will say they suck, but I think they could use a little love and not be overpowered. One thing would be if they drained 15 stamina per hit, or if they made rocket/missile/grenade ammo blow up on the target infantry, blowing him to shreds (heh, if only), or even if they created a white blinding effect like concussion/stun grenades in other games.
I suppose ruining several minutes of a combat engineer's hard work is pretty good though, still...
Mmm'kay, think of it as the layers on an onion, the middle area generates the most damage, and it causes less and less as you peel back the layers. Frag grenades work exactly the same way, as do tank shells etc etc. How can you not know this by now? You still have to aim to finish people off quickly, but even if you just get them on the edge of the splash you are still better off than if you were using a sweeper and just made a nice design on the wall while doing absolutely no damage to them. Why is it so difficult to accept the fact that you have to aim your weapons? Towards your target even!
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