Game Update 8: A look at the changes

[kidriot]

http://themittani.com/news/ps2-game-update-8-changes-galore

Latest article on The Mittani reviewing the changes in Planetside 2 in Game Update 8.

[ChipMHazard]

Agree about the pump actions.

The MBT armour buff was a much needed change, for sure.

Both the Fracture and Raven are probably too good, overall, and as such I'm sure that they will be getting a round of nerfs at some point in the near future.

[KesTro]

Space god be praised, they need a nerf. : /

[Whiteagle]

Both the Fracture and Raven are probably too good, overall, and as such I'm sure that they will be getting a round of nerfs at some point in the near future.
Space god be praised, they need a nerf. : /
So what exactly do you think they CAN nerf on them?

...I don't want the Fracture becoming the next Pounder after all...

[OCNSethy]

So what exactly do you think they CAN nerf on them?

...I don't want the Fracture becoming the next Pounder after all...

So much this... nerf against infantry if you must but leave the AV stats alone please.

[Whiteagle]

So much this... nerf against infantry if you must but leave the AV stats alone please.
Personally I'd just reduce the Splash...
If I hit you a couple of times dead on with an Anti-Vehicle Rocket you should be pretty dead...

[Sledgecrushr]

I really dont think the fracture is all that overpowering. The real issue is the pump shotguns are too effective in cqc.

[Ziggypop]

Personally I'd just reduce the Splash...
If I hit you a couple of times dead on with an Anti-Vehicle Rocket you should be pretty dead...I believe they only do 25 damage for splash. It already is primarily a direct hit weapon.

They are only dangerous against infantry at close-medium range, so nerfing the damage slightly vs infantry may be the best option.

Or, if the game supports it, they could add the "Starwars Battlefront 2" mechanic where rockets would accelerate in flight and do more damage the faster they were moving. This could be used to reduce the damage at close range, but still retain the same damage at range (+giving the TR a weapon that has a unique mechanic other than spam)

[HereticusXZ]

Beyond Velocity and Splash I don't think Fractures need to be touched. Haven't played with the VS and NC equivalent yet, so no opinion on them. The Fractures splash is crazy effective against infantry groups, They rock in Bio-Labs. Velocity is a bit nuts, and I can snipe moving ESF' out of the sky with greater ease then I could with Bursters.

With that said... There AT weapons, they do what they are meant to do: Destroy Armor. Question of OP comes when a squad of MAX all have them and are focus-fired, but any weapon can be ridiculous when used like that.

[AThreatToYou]

I don't think the Fracture is overpowered. MCGs are way better at gunning down infantry and MAX units needed some long-range weapon, versus infantry or otherwise, and the Fracture provides. I mean, c'mon, how often has a FracMax killed you? I don't die very often to them, but at range they can still be useful.

And this is me speaking as an NC who has never used a FracMax.

I do own a ravermax, and it has a projectile velocity problem. Increasing the velocity would make it harder to use against infantry (due to the ability to curve the shots to hit them at lower speeds) and reducing the AOE radius would probably be sufficient.

[Whiteagle]

Beyond Velocity and Splash I don't think Fractures need to be touched.
...I sure hope they don't touch the Velocity!
I have a bad feeling they'll end up like the Pounders, or worse the SKYGUARD!!!

I don't think the Fracture is overpowered. MCGs are way better at gunning down infantry and MAX units needed some long-range weapon, versus infantry or otherwise, and the Fracture provides. I mean, c'mon, how often has a FracMax killed you? I don't die very often to them, but at range they can still be useful.

And this is me speaking as an NC who has never used a FracMax.
Well I did kill an NC Engineer the other day, but that was after grazing his Flash and him being stupid enough to stop to try and take me on with the AV turret...

Put up a good fight ducking around that tree, but I had a Rocket Launcher on each arm and Nanite Armor Repair.

I do own a ravermax, and it has a projectile velocity problem. Increasing the velocity would make it harder to use against infantry (due to the ability to curve the shots to hit them at lower speeds) and reducing the AOE radius would probably be sufficient.
Indeed, these are Anti-Tank Weapons and one would expect them to use speed and penetration over explosive power.

[Koadster]

Both the Fracture and Raven are probably too good, overall, and as such I'm sure that they will be getting a round of nerfs at some point in the near future.

The thing is, these were delayed for SO long due to constant tweaking. These would be pretty close to how SOE wants them.. If not you really gotta ask wtf are they doing during this 'tweaking time' phase if they are just gonna nerf em, the animations/models and sound are done. I dont think we will see very big changes to them, maybe slight nerf versus infantry but thats it.

Indeed, these are Anti-Tank Weapons and one would expect them to use speed and penetration over explosive power.

Just like the Boys Anti-Tank gun, the description of these weapons is darts/projectiles designed for penetration so I hope the velocity isnt touched.

[ChipMHazard]

The thing is, these were delayed for SO long due to constant tweaking. These would be pretty close to how SOE wants them.. If not you really gotta ask wtf are they doing during this 'tweaking time' phase if they are just gonna nerf em, the animations/models and sound are done. I dont think we will see very big changes to them, maybe slight nerf versus infantry but thats it.

True enough I suppose. I don't personally have a problem with any of the new AV MAX weapons, but a lot of other people do and we know how far complaining can get you when conducted en masse.
Both the Raven and Fracture are overall very good weapons and they can take on anything on the ground, even air targets if they aren't paying attention, provided that you can hit your target. Just like an AV rocket launcher, except for one thing. They don't share the weakness of the AV rocket launcher; single shot and slow reload.
I guess the complaints stem more from how effective AV weapons are against infantry in general, because of the TTK, not taking into account that you more or less need to hit infantry dead on to kill them. And that you now have a MAX that can either one volley you [Raven] or two volley you [Fracture].

So what exactly do you think they CAN nerf on them?

...I don't want the Fracture becoming the next Pounder after all...

I could see the Fracture getting a ROF nerf when Lockdown makes it in, but then again that would depend on how good Lockdown ends up being.
One other thing I could see them tweaking is the projectiles' flight path, making them more random than they are now. Would make it harder to "snipe" infantry at longer ranges while still allowing for the Fracture to be effective against armour. But that wouldn't affect the Raven, so it wouldn't really be a fair way to balance.
They can't nerf the velocity nor the splash damage; the former is needed to take out armour on the move and the latter is barely noticeable.

[Whiteagle]

One other thing I could see them tweaking is the projectiles' flight path, making them more random than they are now. Would make it harder to "snipe" infantry at longer ranges while still allowing for the Fracture to be effective against armour.
Actually the Fractures do have a noticeable flight deviation, with one round usually landing lower then the other despite both being fired at the same time.
Any more random and they won't be able to hit a tank at 350 meters...
...Again, the reason you keep seeing it used is because it can actually hit things at range, so it's less we're sniping Infantry and more that they stay within the five meter spread we can fire in.

[Galron]

I didn't buy the new max weapons precisely because they would get nerfed after everyone spent the SC on them. Its the same way for most new classes of weapons that supposedly get balanced in test but receive drastic changes later.

[Chaff]

I play NC (fairly often now) - never did before - primarily, to pown with the RAVEN.

I don't sse it as OP, but it gets your attention pretty damn quick.

.