Revival of the TR?

[Veteran]

It's pretty well known that I'm a traitor to the TR. My friends played NC and I joined them, and I relished the easy kills I got with the Vanguard. God forgive me, but I loved the splatter of blood and the cries of the righteous.

My point, however, is that the TR have decided that inferior gear will not dissuade them from Ownership. They are determined to prove that Loyalty Until Death is more than just pretty words. They are fierce and lethal.

NC have enjoyed unparalleled technological superiority with the Vanguard, Jackhammer, ScatterMAX and Phoenix. They will never know what it's like to 'make due' with their weapons like the TR have had to do. The VS have been pampered too deeply, also, with their unrivalled MAX units and hovercraft. Only TR has known the full wrath of the nerf bat.

So it goes.

[Cyanide]

LOL, good one :lol:. Too bad the VS have the worst of just about every empire specific thing in the game. The lasher sucks compared to the MCG and JH. The lancer is useless. The pulsar is crap. The beamer is glorified laser pointer. The magrider is junk compared to the other tanks. The ONLY thing the VS has that's better than the other empire specific things is their maxes. And that's only evident outside, where the fighting doesn't really matter.

[SilverLord]

LOL, good one :lol:. Too bad the VS have the worst of just about every empire specific thing in the game. The lasher sucks compared to the MCG and JH. The lancer is useless. The pulsar is crap. The beamer is glorified laser pointer. The magrider is junk compared to the other tanks. The ONLY thing the VS has that's better than the other empire specific things is their maxes. And that's only evident outside, where the fighting doesn't really matter.

LOL, I fear the VS def more than the NC.

[Rbstr]

the pheonix superior? how many times have you used it? its only good for taking out maxes at long ranges from behind a rock.

[Veteran]

MagRider rocks. Lasher doesn't suck. Lancer is beloved by pimps far and wide. VS MAXs are so incredibly powerful that I need not expand upon their virtues.

TR, as it stands, have no equipment that stands out as best-in-the-field, except perhaps for the Cycler, and that's but a humble Medium Assault weapon.

It's ok though. As I have stated, TR will fight with claws and fangs if need be, and they will win.

[Veteran]

Phoenix = win. I'd like to introduce you to a concept called the meta-game. Live it; love it. Phoenix is some serious bad-assed technology.

[Neon Apocalypse]

fear our wrath

i remember when the VS were god, our mags and lashers pwned everything in site, a lasher could take out a max in 2 clips, and it took like 2 seconds to use up a clip, then everyone feared us, they started using our weapons

now everything but maxs suck for us, except the lasher which i think is becoming underrated, its very good if you know how to use it

[NoSurrender]

mag is good if you know how to use it. and veteran i left NC for my TR (i was TR in beta n release) and i ph34r the NC. Vangaurd first, n00bhammer 2nd, and phoenix 3rd.

[JakeLogan]

Hell I remember when the TR were feared above all others (beta) MCG was the all out weapon of doom and JackHammer was called the JokeHammer and Lashers was just laughed at.
But now the MCG is still good not as good as its former god like self JH is awesome and if you get in a Hallway fight with a guy with a lashers your just pwned. Pulsar I love hell I got a locker filled with pulsars and of course pulsar ammo.

[SilverLord]

TR will never back down, bring your whole Empire to us; we will still fight till the last base and never stop, ever.

[JakeLogan]

Oh and BTW TR have been pwning lately we've had a higher empire pop then the NC and VS several times lately

[BadAsh]

My opinions on empire weapons:

HA: MCG is the best. The JH and Lash tie for 2nd place because they are both useful in limited situations. Though the JH is more fun.

MA: Tie between Cycler and Gauss, both rock and I'm just as successful with one as I am the other. The Pulsar is kind of gimpy, but you can carry enough ammo to fight for 3 days straight and not run out.

AV: Phoenix is hands down the best, followed by the Striker and then the Lancer.

My opinions on empire vehicles:

Tanks: Magrider then Vanguard and then Prowler. The Prowler actually owns but the TR never field enough of them so it's always 3 on 1 odds... 1 on 1 it will kill a Van, but 3 on 1 there is no hope. Most TR cert insomething else, run around on foot, get spattered by Vanguards, and whine about it. VS, if you treat the MAG as a super assault buggy and not a charge in and kill everything tank you will live forever, decimate the enemy lines, and rack up tons of kills. With a tech plant the VS have no excuse for the enemy having an AMS within a few miles of their base. 30 vs. 90 odds? Then field 30 MAGS and see what happens... lol. When you die spawn as a MAX, own some more, then go back to your MAG... Also the MAG is the only tank that owns air too... Phear the sniper tank...

Buggys: Marauder, Enforcer, then Thresher

My opinions on empire MAX Units:

MAX: VS by far here with the NC and then the TR. TIP: If you hear a VS complaining about their MAX units (indoor ability or otherwise) you are listening to someone who NEVER played a TR MAX.

[BadAsh]

Oh and BTW TR have been pwning lately we've had a higher empire pop then the NC and VS several times lately

Agreed... on Markov the NC have been the empire in "need" all last night and all this morning thus far... usually the VS have that distinction...

[Doppler]

Oh yes, another post from the TR lobby. Lets see. The tr have.

MCG. Same TTK as Jackhammer, longer range, much bigger clip.

Cycler: Best damn MA in the game, tiny COF bloom, huge clip,

Marauder: Evil evil vehicle.

Pounder Max: Still the only max that can shoot around corners or pretty much instant kill in a stairwell or around a blind corner. Will hold a tower till it runs out of ammo as long as someone is able to repair it occasionaly.

Cycler Max: Insane engagement range, otherwise yea it sucks.

Burster Max: Evil evil max, kills everything over distance, aircraft troops vehicles, dont even have to hit the guy just spray the tree he's hiding behind.

Striker: How many other AV weapons can you line dance while firing.

Prowler:Their one real weakness, but the tank shells still one hit kill infanrty so their not bad off, their major vulnerability is their stupidly high profile.

[Firefly]

I don't care how bad our equipment is, if it's perceived or legitimate. The TR do not suck, and it's only the n00bs and bitches complaining. It's fun to make a few jokes now and then, but I'm sick and tired of the choir boys whining and bellyaching.

You want to win, TR? Get organized. Organization beats aimless zerg, hands down. I've seen it first-hand. You want to win, get organized, stop crying, suck it up and drive on. Improvise, adapt, and overcome. Stop this silly horseshit about OH BOOHOO MY MAX SUCKS! Well tough shit, crybaby. Plenty of people still use it, obviously YOU suck. Figure out how to circumvent your problems, or go cop-out and turn tail, go play with the powergamers.

In the meantime, those of us who are organized will continue to show results, REAL results.

[SkunkPunk]

i honestly think all the empires are equal in general, sure there are some aspects where one side wins, but they will get owned in another area. i hate when ppl argue over who has a better empire...

[Heavygain]

I luv the way you think, I refuse to give up on the TR, I will not give up my minichaingun even if the TR get nerfed even more (notlikely)

[BDMJ]

God damn veteran! Please stop whining about the goddamn TR. The game is balanced right now and the people bitching about weapons now could bitch about balance in pong.

Balance threads make baby jesus cry.

[TeraHertz]

Sorry I missed your point. Was it just to say "I'm a traitor, but we TR will never give up." ?

[BadAsh]

Balance threads make baby jesus cry.

No, they make people who have an unfair advantage cry, because they many now have to actually FIGHT with opponents and EARN BEP and CEP.

Balance is not yet achieved in this game. Until it is, balance threads are valid. The people who loathe them are not people who enjoy a fair fight, they are people who enjoy their position of advantage... who else would oppose an even and fair battlefield?

[scarpas]

.

TR, as it stands, have no equipment that stands out as best-in-the-field, except perhaps for the Cycler, and that's but a humble Medium Assault weapon.

It's ok though. As I have stated, TR will fight with claws and fangs if need be, and they will win.


gauss is better, agreed with the claw fang thing.


PS: im tr, LOYALTY UNTIL DEATH!!!

[BabyJesus]

cry

[DeadTeddy]

check the dev tracker, TR population has not dropped and smoke proved it. as for gear, let's just say we all have those little things we're not happy about.
let's see what NC can complain about:
-phoenix, like all AV, sux. thing is you don't know what's going on around you when you use it, so you're an easy target.
-Gauss was supposed to be most accurate, it's half railgun, yet it's less accurate then cycler
-AA max has lock on bugs, renders it useless many times
-seen an enforcer around lately? me neither.

TR isn't lacking anything, if it was the devs would say so. they track every shot fired, every hit, and every kill made by each weapon. if they see a certain weapon fires alot but does little damage compared to others in the same class, they know something is wrong.

the empires are balanced, look at the win stats, everyone has around the same overall.

[BadAsh]

let's see what NC can complain about:
-phoenix, like all AV, sux. thing is you don't know what's going on around you when you use it, so you're an easy target.
-Gauss was supposed to be most accurate, it's half railgun, yet it's less accurate then cycler.

Well, if you don't stand in the open with the Phoenix and play sniper bait you will own with it. Before I certed in the Phoenix VS MAXs would tear me up... not the reverse is true. At a distance in the open they are like free kills and in QCB just switch to dumb fire mode (NOTE: this does not mean YOU can be dumb and stand there you have to shoot and MOVE) and own. The Phoenix is fast moving and accurate in dumb fire mode, you can easily hit what you are aiming at... not true for the Striker... it has a moronic COF even crouching at CQB.

The Gauss owns. The Cycler is good too, but better? That's completely debatable. The Pulsar sucks though and that's the only non-debatable MA out there.

the empires are balanced, look at the win stats, everyone has around the same overall.

The NC average 10% more kills per player than any other empire. That's not exactly even and balanced as some would claim.

[WritheNC]

The only reason the Phoenix is good is because its the TR's and VS's fault.

Ok, before the Facility Benefits came into play, you couldn't fire a phoenix without an infil putting an AMP in your back.

So its all your fault for abandoning infil that the Phoenix is so good.

Considering I can still go on knife runs as an infil(no melee booster implant) with a TR on Markov and knife 5 people(phoenix users and snipers) before I get plastered means the infil isn't as bad as people say.

Just look at the map. If enemy doesn't own an interlink facility, you're good to go.

[EVILoHOMER]

the vanu r the best! i tried nc and never get kills cus of their sh*t noob hammer that u hav to be at point blank to get a kill! the aagun is sooo weak too! the vangaurd u hav to be a gunner to get a kill! plus the armour looks shit apart from the cloaker! which looks amazin. the tr's goggles put me off and how their boring and if u steal their gd weapons u never run outta ammo cus u can get it urself! they seem like they hav no theme! The vanus lancer is amazin against maxes the maxes r amazin and the lasher owns all!! Plus vanu r all shinney soo amazin

[Liteshow]

check the dev tracker, TR population has not dropped and smoke proved it. as for gear, let's just say we all have those little things we're not happy about.
let's see what NC can complain about:
-phoenix, like all AV, sux. thing is you don't know what's going on around you when you use it, so you're an easy target.
-Gauss was supposed to be most accurate, it's half railgun, yet it's less accurate then cycler
-AA max has lock on bugs, renders it useless many times
-seen an enforcer around lately? me neither.

TR isn't lacking anything, if it was the devs would say so. they track every shot fired, every hit, and every kill made by each weapon. if they see a certain weapon fires alot but does little damage compared to others in the same class, they know something is wrong.

the empires are balanced, look at the win stats, everyone has around the same overall.

Win stats aren't everything.

1) All AV sucks. Therefore all AV sucks equally. Phoenix is no better than Lancer or Striker because they all have strengths and weaknesses.

2) 3 shot burst with a Gauss and you won't ever miss. Pulsar needs help.

3) At least the Sparrow does the same amount of damage at any range, of which the same cannot be said of the Burster. And let's not get into the built in deficiencies of the TR MAXes.

4) Have you seen a Marauder around lately? Me neither.

5) The MCG and the Jackhammer may do the about same amount per projectile/pellet/bullet, but the Jackhammer's hit nearly all at once. The same can't be said for the MCG.

6) TR population hovers around 30% on Markov most of the time, while NC populations hover around 35%.

I agree that not everyone is fully happy with their equipment, but if you were, then you'd be killing everything and nobody would be killing you. I think the NC list is shorter than both the TR and the VS lists.

Now back to the original thread...

One thing about the TR is that we won't back down. We like being the underdogs. We will continue to work our asses off and the other night will not be the last night the majority of the global map turns red for you ;)

[SandTrout]

NC have enjoyed unparalleled technological superiority with the Vanguard, Jackhammer, ScatterMAX and Phoenix. They will never know what it's like to 'make due' with their weapons like the TR have had to do.

Veteran, you never back up your arguements, you only state things that are utter crap.

Vangaurd has virtualy no AA capability and lower DPS than the prowler. Not to mention the 1-shot on infantry means more to the prowler because it has higher ROF.

Scattermax can't shoot around corners or have spash damage.

Phoenix has the lowest DPS and slowest projectile of all AV, plus you are unaware of your soroundings when in flight.

I swear veteran, start backing up your statements or I will begin to report you for trolling in the forum.

[worldvengence]

i dont see what everyones problem with the MCG is? I mean before i got the cert. i used to see my squadmates get mowed by JH......but now that i have the cert, i have seen that u can kick any 2 bit NC solider's ass with the MCG regardless if he has a n00bhammer...my only gripe is how much the HA costs....but i guess it is better than having a hell of allot of noobs running around with MCGs and JHs......Scarry.

[DeadTeddy]

liteshow, you posted exactly what I was hoping to see.
1)all AV suck, agreed. I will say though that the nix is more dangerous cause you can't see what's happening around you, but is more fun so it's worth it. why do I see striker posts then?

2)this brings a larger point, learn to use each weapon! just cause it has the same name (MA in this case) doesn't mean it should be used the same. that's why the whole pounder/locking down discussion is idiotic in my opinion, nobody can make such a barricade. want a real life example? the US spent allot on planes while the USSR's approach was AA guns. both are good. this was actually tested in israeli-arab wars cause we get weapons from US and they got from USSR but the end result (us winning) was not because of weaponry, but due to pure skill. we have the best pilots in the world, and that's why we won. that shows more then anything that good fighters don't need good weapons.

3)I agree, 0 does stay 0 no matter the distance. with locking on so fucked up you have a 5% chance of taking down a reaver. by the time you get a lock it's too far for you to track it long enough for a hit.

4)exactly, it's not a problem wit hthe marauder, but with all assault buggies. don't make it a TR issue. I saw 1 thresher in the last 3 weeks.

5)if you expect to kill a JH user at under 3 meters you're crazy, just like expecting to kill an MCG user, or anyone for that matter with a JH at over 2 meters is dreaming. you need to be far enough so he'll die before he runs up to you, shoves it up your... erm, backside, and blows your brain out. learn how to use the MCG right, then come back. there isn't a single JH user with some skill who doesn't carry a backup for longer ranges.

6)I guess I have to bring a link. smoke made 4 or 5 posts in some thread that prove beyond any doubt that TR population is lower, at least not at prime time. check the dev tracker, it's in the same thread.

about the not backing down, underdogs, bla bla comment. no offence, but you just like to think you're underdogs to make yourselves feel better. that 10% number is obviously your estimate or something inaccurate cause you don't have access to the numbers, not to mention the timeframe we care about is the last 2-4 weeks. also, from my experience TR do back down, they run when faced with a zerg. I'm not saying NC don't do it too, we do, just don't give me that crap. if anyone really never gives up it's VS, no matter what, as long as they have a single tower, they're gonna stay and fight. even when you push them off the cont they're back all the time. like roaches.

[Veteran]

DPS is meaningless when considering the Phoenix. It's all in the meta-game.

And as for trolling, you might not want to throw stones if you're going to live under a glass bridge.

edit: I was blind drunk when I started this thread, so let's not get too heated.

[Firefly]

gauss is better
What crack are you smoking? No way in hell is the Gauss better than the Cycler.

[Liteshow]

I told myself to just lurk, never post...and now look what happens...I'm replying to a balance thread :scared:

DeadTeddy, glad I could post what you wanted to see :)

1) Phoenix you can be behind a rock, Striker you have to be able to see who you're attacking. One you are fodder for infiltrators, the other fodder for grunts, planes and vehicles.

2) Agreed. A lot of people have commented that you should use what you have in conjunction with what they were designed for.

3) When I use a Sparrow, I have no idea what's going on...just spam away :D

4) I saw 2 Threshers this last week. Who knows, maybe their making a comeback?

5) Refer to point 2.

6) "some thread that prove beyond any doubt that TR population is lower, at least not at prime time" Are you missing a word in there? Cause if not, that statement does help your cause :)

5% estimate. In terms of backing down in the face of the zerg, why give the enemy more XP and kills? If the VS don't back down their stupid.

This whole discussion has proved a few things:

A) Use your weapon like it was meant to be used
B) All AV sucks
C) All buggies suck
D) Everyone runs from the zerg

This leaves:

i) TR population is lower?
ii) Which sucks more, TR lockdown or NC shields?

Honest to God, I don't care how things go as long as my TR weapons don't get nerfed any more. Beyond a TR revival, I think those who are left just play a lot and are a little better than average through a distillation of all the noobs to other empires to play with their tanks/guns/MAXes. Maybe the TR who are left are just a little more fanatical?

BTW, Veteran, Loyalty until Death. I think we're gonna hafta kill you now, traitor.

[ZjinPS]

As noted earlier in the thread, the TR often fail to field enough armor to get the job done. I really don't know why this is. Despite what ever opinion you look at the Prowler is still a very efficient piece of equipment. But a single prowler will not turn the tide of anything larger than a squad.

I can't tell you how many times I've seen seemingly dozens of Vans or Magmowers coming out of vehicle terms while attacking a base. Now to make this soap box a little more wider, I'll admit that I personally rarely cert the Prowler. That being said, I am a devoted AMS driver. If you've been playing TR on Emerald for any length of time I'd wager you 've been pooped from one of my AMS.

Just one time, I'd like to see 20 Prowlers lined up launching a monsterous attack on some base. Too bad 20 prowlers would take 60 players, as compared to just 40 for the same number of Vans or Mags. Not to mention the fact that a one man Mag crew is still formidable as the driver has a weapon. A Prowler w/o someone sitting in the MG seat is a mere trophy for a Reaver or Skeet. Although my experience with a Mag is much more limited than the Prowler, I have had more success using the Mags turreted weapon against hostile air craft. Just the other night while gunning in a jacked Mag I was able to drop a Skeeter in just a few direct hits as it attempted to strafe us. It exploded so close the pilots corpse nearly fell on us.

I am wondering if the fact that it takes 3 players to fully man a Prowler is why it doesnt get on the battle field as often. Many times I've been forced to solo my own Prowler, after sitting in a courtyard hollering for a gunner I am forced to take it out alone and change seats and sit stationary and spam tower doors.

For the glory of the Republic!

[Firefly]

Come to one of our (http://www.theblackwidowcompany.net) armor operations.

[BadAsh]

that 10% number is obviously your estimate or something inaccurate cause you don't have access to the numbers

You are partially correct, that 10% was my conservative estimate based on a glance of the server stats about 5 weeks ago. Actually, these stats are freely available on �MyPlanetside�. A good website that compiles some of that data is: http://www.thottbot.com/planetside/ I think most would find that site to be an interesting read.

Basically Thott just totals the public statistics on SOE�s official site and breaks them down a bit for us. One important note: These stats ONLY track players that are in Outfits much like your stat signatures work, so all the players that are not in Outfits are not accounted for here. Ok, now for the totals (averaged across all 3 servers):

Average kills per player:

TR: 1327
NC: 1560
VS: 1322

This means the NC�

Average 17.558% more kills per player than the TR.

Average 18.003% more kills per player than the VS.

Populations:

TR: 8854
NC: 9436
VS: 8253

This means the NC�

Field an average of 6.167% more troops than the TR.

Field an average of 12.537% more troops than the VS.

Note the near perfect balance between TR and VS kills per player! Nice work SOE! We just need to get the NC in line and things will finally be even for everyone. As far as populations go, if all things were even I believe the populations would follow suit. Currently, I think many people just have the tendency to join the �winning� side. Also, you will always have a �hardcore� group of players in any game that analyze equipment strengths and weaknesses. They then make their empire decision based on that and proceed to own.

Gratuitous sarcasm time! (yes, this is intended to be amusing not inflammatory)

Until things actually get balanced I think a few equipment name changes are in order as well as an empire name/title change. To note the NC�s equipment superiority the Jack Hammer needs to be renamed to the �Skill Hammer�. The Phoenix needs to be renamed to the �Skilenix�. The Vanguard needs to be renamed to the �Skillguard�. Remember, it�s not equipment but MAD SKILLZ that separates the empires!

Also the NC should be henceforth known as the �Overwhelming Horde� for their numerical superiority or OH for short. Any OH below CR3 should have the title of �Hordling� and any OH at CR3 or higher should be titled the �Horde Whip Master�. I�d show these titles rather than player names and change all the voice chats to primal moans and grunts. In any horror movie that I�ve ever seen the overwhelming zombie horde behaved like this. So to keep step with tradition these changes are needed! ;)

[DeadTeddy]

i)TR population is not lower, what I meant is Smoke, as in SmokeJumperPS, made 4-5 posts in a topic on the OF regarding TR population. he made it very clear that IN PRIMETIME on all servers the populations differ by no more then 50 ppl PER SERVER and it's not specific to any empire, it goes back and fourth. my personal guess is that the TR are busy hacking empty bases and destroying gens to be organized in zergs.
ii)both suck the same. NC shield is worthless if you're getting shot at by more then two ppl or by a deci user, you can't shoot back with it on, it turns off automatically and takes time to turn back on, you can't leave it on cause it gets weaker, and if you turn it on and try to run, it's usually too late anyway. it's good for buying those 150 extra hitpoints when going into a pounder camped staircase.
TR lock down is good for pounder spam, that's all. it's great at what it does, but that's all it does. in other words, both suck.

[Doppler]

Amusing not inflamatory, how droll. Has it occured to you that maybe the higher population comes from the superior ideology rather then the vastly superior gear you seem to imagine. I mean if you had the choice between fighting for the valiant freedom fighter/defender of the world, or the tyranical hordes who wear communist colors what whould you choose.

But we can change my sound scheme if you agree to finish every voice bind with DA COMMRADE.

[DeadTeddy]

to simplify things, here's what each empire sees itself and the other empires, and how I see them:

TR:
TR - the honorable empire that maintains peace
NC - Terrorists and traitors
VS - crazy techno freaks

NC:
TR - dictators
NC - freedom fighters
VS - crazy techno freaks

VS:
TR - technophobe dictators
NC - technophobes period
VS - only ones who truely understand. saviours of man kind.

me:
TR - dictators
NC - freedom fighters, that's why I chose them.
VS - like nazis but without the killing part so it's ok. I guess when you have genetic engineering you don't need "selective evolution"

[Zatrais]

I'm not responding to the weapons balance discussion here (because you TR folks may have a point on a couple things that we're looking into), but as for population numbers...please see my postings in this other thread.

Source (http://boards.station.sony.com/ubb/planetside/Forum16/HTML/000969.html)

*shrug* Closest thing to a confession from a dev that you can get.

[Firefly]

i)TR population is not lower, what I meant is Smoke, as in SmokeJumperPS, made 4-5 posts in a topic on the OF regarding TR population. he made it very clear that IN PRIMETIME on all servers the populations differ by no more then 50 ppl PER SERVER and it's not specific to any empire, it goes back and fourth. my personal guess is that the TR are busy hacking empty bases and destroying gens to be organized in zergs.
On WERNER. Not every PS player is on Werner.

[DeadTeddy]

read more, he checked the others too.

and yes, he said they are looking into, that means these threads can stop now cause if they're right it will get fixed, no need to spam and if they're wrong then they're spam anyway.

[BadAsh]

Amusing not inflamatory, how droll. Has it occured to you that maybe the higher population comes from the superior ideology rather then the vastly superior gear you seem to imagine. I mean if you had the choice between fighting for the valiant freedom fighter/defender of the world, or the tyranical hordes who wear communist colors what whould you choose.

Well you need not appreciate my sense of humor :) That's fine with me. Also the population discrepancies don't really bother me that much. The differance between TR and NC means that for every 20 troops the NC field the TR field 19. Not too shabby...

The problem is in the kill %. The NC are pushing the 20% range at effective killing power. That's just too much and very obvious. Also, keep in mind that I play NC too, see my stat sigs? So I'm not biased one way or another... I just want the challenge of an even playing field...

I say "Let the best player/squad/platoon win" but currently the PS situation is:

"Let the team with the most players and superior equipment win"

This is shown is the statistics and is not a figment of imagination. The only quasi-reasonable argument one can make that provides any explination is that on all 3 servers the NC just happen to be more organized and have better players.... riiiight!

SOE fix your game!

[Gigabein]

VS:
TR - technophobe dictators
NC - technophobes period
VS - only ones who truely understand. saviours of man kind.


Sort of but it's more like this

VS:
TR - dictators trying to horde technology to maintain an edge
NC - slavering anarchist hicks (YeeHAAA! Lookit muh big ol' tank, pa!)
VS - advance mankinds' science base by lightyears thanks to the recovered Vanu technology. All the bull-cockey comparisons between VS and Nazi Germany need to stop. The analogy is downright broken.

[JuSTCHiLLiN]

I wish they would just make everything common pool so these threads stopped happening.

[Veteran]

"I wish they would just make everything common pool so these threads stopped happening."

I wish they'd stop making vodka for the same reason.

[DeadTeddy]

anything but vodka! no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

seriously though, if you stop vodka you kill 95% of the future russian generation. as the saying goes "there are no ugly women, just not enough vodka"

[JuSTCHiLLiN]

Honestly, the only thing that will end people saying weapon X is better than weapon Y is people can choose to use weapon X or Y. I really don't see what the problem with it would be. No one could complain about being on a weaker empire, people could drive whatever they want. I'm also sure that every weapon would get used too.

[Red October]

I do not fear the NC zerg....just lemmings to a slaughter. I HATE the NC. The VS are just mis-led...the NC are traitors. I never care what the odds are....10 to 1...who cares. I don't care how many times I die....so long as I take as many NC out as possible....even if its kamakazie.

When our outfit captures NC troopers, we tie them up and force them on thier knees. Depending on the mood were in, well shoot them in the back of the head...or right between the eyes at point blank. Then we bury them in a mass grave...or burn the corpses...if we want a bar-b-que.....

[BadAsh]

Honestly, the only thing that will end people saying weapon X is better than weapon Y is people can choose to use weapon X or Y. I really don't see what the problem with it would be. No one could complain about being on a weaker empire, people could drive whatever they want. I'm also sure that every weapon would get used too.

I had mentioned this before but got opposition like this:

It would be cool but it would also ruin the individuality of the empires, for that reason alone I would say no.

So I posted some further thoughts in another thread where this idea came up. I feel it worthy of repitition so...

For me I see two opposed schools of thought on this matter. On one hand you have a handful of empire specific items that give each empire a specific feel or style of fighting. This �style� is added at the necessary cost of game balance. On the other hand you have the idea that everyone would have access to the same equipment. This �game balance� option is at the cost of empire uniqueness.

So you can either have the aesthetic feel of empire uniqueness or game balance. Having both is nearly impossible. Given that fact, I personally prefer game balance over aesthetics. This same logic/preference is why I play with my graphic settings turned down. I get better system performance that way. I have a choice there too. I can either have an aesthetically pleasing gaming experience where I see really pretty things killing me all the time. Or I can have a challenging gaming experience where I see a bunch of ugly things trying to kill me, but now I can react fast enough to fight back.

IMHO you can keep the eye candy and aesthetic niftiness/uniqueness. Just give me a fair and balanced gaming environment and let my enjoyment come from the challenge of overcoming my opponents in a fair fight.

[Hamma]

It would be stupid, yes sure it would solve the problem. But then each empire is the same, wtf is the fun in that.

[Manitou]

It would be stupid, yes sure it would solve the problem. But then each empire is the same, wtf is the fun in that.^^ Agreed.
Personally I love playing the TR and always have. I get owned the same as anyone else by weapon X or weapon Y, but so what? I am able to own with weapon Z or weapon W at times. But the greatest fun I get is the feeling that I am fighting an uphill battle all the time, whether I am or not, because when my Outfit defeats the enemy and completes an objective or reaches a goal, it is that much more satisfying. It is fine as it is.

[Lonehunter]

LOL, I fear the VS def more than the NC.
The only reason I agree with you is becouse the VS may have some "sucky" weapons but when the average player contacts them and see's all those little disco balls of lag, they try to just turn away. The VS always get at least one extra shot in becouse of the lag, that's really the main reason I got another 512.

[BadAsh]

Personally I love playing the TR and always have. I get owned the same as anyone else by weapon X or weapon Y, but so what?

The "so what?" is that the thing called game balance is the cost... currently you have 2 empires that consistently get spanked by 1 empire... so now where is your fun? Great you have a really unique and pretty weapon and vehicle... you will leave a very unique and beautiful corpse.

Thott's stat site shows the NC have an average of 18% more kills per player. That means the NC have gear that is nearly 20% more effective at killing the enemy...

So the real question is... Where is the fun in this NC domination? Great if you are NC, crap if you are the other 2/3rds of the gaming community.

To me the �fun� is in the challenge of outfighting and outmaneuvering your opponent on the battle field to achieve victory. What is not fun is having gear that gives you an advantage as this removes the challenge � if you are NC. Or, what is also not fun is fighting against the odds and being permanently stuck in the underdog position of trying to make due � if you are TR or VS.

What I would LOVE to see is an overhaul of the 10 empire specific items/weapons/vehicles that each empire has and make them common pool, but in a way to make them not completely vanilla.

Let�s take the Jack Hammer as an example of what I mean�

For the TR I�d add the Jack Hammer as it to their HA options. This is the classic gunpowder weapon that makes the characteristic �BOOM� and has a smoking barrel.

For the NC I�d change the look and sound of the Jack Hammer and give it �gauss� technology. Exact same functionality but rather than chemical reaction powering the weapon it would be the magnetic energy used to propel the pellets down the barrel. This would have a smokeless effect and sound much different than a standard shotgun. By sight and sound you�d know the NC JH was discharged and not the TR version. Oh, yeah, it would get a new name too to follow the �Freedom Fighter� theme. Let�s say the �Vindicator� or something similar.

For the VS I�d give them an energy based area of effect weapon. Statistically it would be identical to the Jack Hammer/Vindicator but would use energy (perhaps a cone of sonic energy that disrupts/disintegrates anything in it�s path) that would have the same rate of fire and cone of fire and damage identical to the JH/Vin.

Now apply this overhaul to everything in the game� Imagine the TR having the Reaver and Mosquito, but the NC would have different looking and sounding fighter equivalents, and the VS would have the strange alien looking aircraft� by sight or sound you�d KNOW if the aircraft were friend or foe.

Then you say, what would be the point of �Jacking� or �looting�. Quite simply, I�d change both to allow the confusion of a stolen vehicle/weapon. First jacking would not cause an instant trip to the paint shop. So you jack a TR red and black Reaver� it stays that color� only if the look closer would they notice that your name is RED and not GREEN. I�d then make a nice large indication so that friendly troops would know it�s a jacked vehicle.

So jacking a vehicle would give you a tactical advantage and perhaps provide you with a needed vehicle at the time� perhaps you did not have a tech facility so that jacked tank sure is handy now�

Anyway, you see my point� there are other ways to ensure a non-vanilla gaming experience without blowing game balance out of the window.