New ESF Weapons discussion

[Jaybonaut]

Currently it seems the Locust Cannons are really, really strong especially against air. There really isn't a reason to use anything else. Thoughts?



New ESF Weapons video - get hype!

[Timealude]

You could easily kill infantry with it or even tanks if you hit them in the rear. I like these though, they take a bit more skill to use then just the fire and forget rockets.

[DarkBalths]

So the Locust Cannons are basically an airborne Vulcan. Oh no....
And the awards are as follows!
Coolest name: NS-50 Mass Drivers
Most Newby: Coyote Missiles
Most OP shit of the century: Air-Vulca-- I mean, Locust Cannons

[phungus]

No way to test the dogfighting missiles without actually dogfighting.

I can say with 100% certainty though that everyone will be using the Locust Cannons. These are incredible, rediculously good. Damage seems too high, feels like it out dps's a rotary, and in effect gives me two rotary cannons.

NS Mass Drivers seem terrible, I don't think they'll be used for anything beyond the luls and possibly sniping libs/gals though with the low damage output they do I don't even think they will be good at that.

[Lonehunter]

Thought the Coyote Missiles only locked onto air. Their disadvantage is their range is reduced 100 meters

[Rbstr]

More NS weapons is pretty weak. They barely have any weapon differentiation as it is.

[SolLeks]

dual chainguns are LOL

Mass driver is not that bad (used it in dogfights)

Missiles are easy to dodge.

[snafus]

Chain guns will be the choice weapon for a large portion of pilots I believe. They are simply to powerful and easy to use to ignore.

The mass driver is great but requires more user skill which will deter the majority of pilots. In organised groups I think it will be absolutely devastating as it will rape armor and stationary aircraft.

The missiles are complete garbage and should stay that way. Anything lock on based should be the most worthless item in the game.

[phungus]

I went to the main forums and aparently there used to be a bug where you could cert into magazine size for the Mass Driver. I didn't see that. With the single round the thing really seems garbage to me. If it's a sniper rifle it should do more damage to an ESF, 28% or so damage - three shots should set an ESF on fire (it's a long reload). Didn't really get to test these though with moving targets or anything.

Slaughtered everything that came to j908 with the locast cannons. Rediculously OP. I tried to keep the enemy ESFs alive but they got vaporized too fast :doh: These things are INSANE. Had a guy run around and let me kill him over and over, and it was just as easy killing infantry with the locasts as it is with the banshee (they have AoE!). Also set his sundee on fire faster then I could have with rocket pods + rotary.

Coyote missiles need to be able to lock onto armor to make them a viable close range weapon that competes with rocket pods and A2Am.

I still think AB tanks should get a free ECM/flare.

[LoliLoveFart]

After some of my own testing I can honestly say once people get the feel for the mass driver it will absolutely dominate. My outfit mate and I spent 30 minutes running around on opposite factions dog fighting eachother with all 3 of the new weapons and it got to the point when using mass drivers if either of us saw eachother first they would win, you can get 2 shots in really easily as they try to close ground, then you just swap back and forth between your rotary and drivers until the duals over.

However if they get anywhere near you with locusts its game over, it takes something like 15 hits to kill an ESF with them and you have 100 rounds so you can miss. A lot. As for the lock ons, they are lock ons.

[LeilaniRock]

Locust op as hell atm,mass driver seems more or less balanced,coyote missiles need their lock-on range cut in half (350 atm fully certed).

There is a really interesting and technical thread over on the PST forums regarding the balancing (sry no link,waiting at the medic...)




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[KesTro]

The missiles are complete garbage and should stay that way. Anything lock on based should be the most worthless item in the game.

Well were they what they promised; a very close range lock-on with a large payload I would like them quite a bit.

I can understand you getting touchy about something that might threaten a vehicle you've spent 20days of playtime in though.

[PredatorFour]

So is this going to be the standard 'release OP weapons' then nerf them after people buy them?


Basically right now alot of elite flyers hate the fact a beginner can take them down and thats going to be more so with these new weapons coming out.

[Osskscosco]

Mass driver is an A2G sniper weapon which can't be countered. I thought they were making new A2A weapons.

[PredatorFour]

Just seen the new weapons and they are ridiculous. Why do they make them so overpowered to start off?? If they go live like this it will be the end to people flying libs for sure. Dogfighting will be shorter and not as fun, will end up being who can snipe who from distance wins.

[SolLeks]

I wrecked a few pilots with the mass drivers, I like them as they do a good ammount of damage.

Still worse than the rotary though.

also, it takes 6 or 7 shots to the back of a MBT (tested on prowler) to kill it so it is kinda garbage A2G.

[Gatekeeper]

More NS weapons is pretty weak. They barely have any weapon differentiation as it is.

I agree. The differences between the three factions were much more pronounced in PS1, which really helped to build a unique sense of faction identity.

That said, I'd rather they added weapons like these that are openly NS, rather than weapons like the sniper rifles and battle rifles which claim to be ES, but which are actually just cut & pasted stats with different skins applied.

[Wahooo]

I agree. The differences between the three factions were much more pronounced in PS1, which really helped to build a unique sense of faction identity.

That said, I'd rather they added weapons like these that are openly NS, rather than weapons like the sniper rifles and battle rifles which claim to be ES, but which are actually just cut & pasted stats with different skins applied.

??
I disagree. Yes the MA and HA weapons were more distinct, but we have more choices for rocket launchers including carryovers from PS1 for each faction.

The MBTs are at least as varied as they were in PS1 and although we don't have the deli variants the ESF differences are pretty good.

In general i'm all for cut and pasted stats with different skins. Hell I would have preferred that over ANY NS weapons. Some unique stats and functions and some hidden NS weapons/platforms with unique skins would be great, it is a balancing act and sure a lot harder to balance correctly the number of weapons we have if they were all to have unique traits.

[snafus]

I wrecked a few pilots with the mass drivers, I like them as they do a good ammount of damage.

Still worse than the rotary though.

also, it takes 6 or 7 shots to the back of a MBT (tested on prowler) to kill it so it is kinda garbage A2G.

Ya used as a solo ESF they will be pretty shitty. But used within an airwing they will be able to rape enemy armor and other slow moving targets. You give me 6 ESF with those fuckers on them and we will never have issues with sunderers again.

[SolLeks]

Ya used as a solo ESF they will be pretty shitty. But used within an airwing they will be able to rape enemy armor and other slow moving targets. You give me 6 ESF with those fuckers on them and we will never have issues with sunderers again.

true true. I guess I just tend to look at it that way because even though I have tried to raze an air wing many times, it has never worked =/

[PredatorFour]

So their reasoning for adding these new weapons in was to make " air fight air" but in doing so have put some great A2G weapons in too, makes sense...:D

[phungus]

Ya used as a solo ESF they will be pretty shitty. But used within an airwing they will be able to rape enemy armor and other slow moving targets. You give me 6 ESF with those fuckers on them and we will never have issues with sunderers again.

6 ESFs with locusts will be even worse. If the weapons are released as is no one will use anything other then the locust cannons. Why would they?


After testing these weapons, and even using them against targets that fought back a bit around j908 here are my recommended changes:

NS Mass Drivers: Seem fine. Might need a buff, but who knows, see how they work on live once sniper pros start using them.


Locusts: Need to be nerfed, alot. These things have better rof then rotary cannons, higher damage per shot and larger clip then the standard nose guns, and have the AoE damage of the banshee. It's fricking insane!

-Remove the AoE
-Increase spin up time, by alot
-Increase cone of fire
-Add significant damage drop off beyond 200m


Coyotes: Currently they seem like they are just superior to A2Am tomcats. I think more can be done here to really make a unique and viable weapon.

-leave A2Am tomcats alone, let them be low skilled noob friendly fire and forget weapons
-Reduce range of Coyotes to 200m
-Allow Coyote missiles to lock onto both Ground and Air vehicles


AB tanks: Cert lines still haven't been tested. A spare ammo loaded flare would make AB tanks perfect. If AB tanks came with a single -ammo handled flare (so you have to resupply to get it again) then new ESFs would have a flare, other utilities would become more viable, and high skilled pilots would really start considering taking AB tanks rather then locust cannons. Would be very easy to handle, if you have the utility flares loaded your first flare you pop is that one on the timer, pop it again while the utility flares is on cooldown and you pop your ammo handled flare that you only have one. Gives you a spare flare if you need it, and allows players to consider an alternate utility if they are OK with having a single flare they have to return to base to resupply.



An ESF player given these choices would have quite a few very viable options, AB tanks for the extra flare and manueverability, locusts for longer sustained fire output, rocket pods for anti armor duty, Coyotes for close range vehicle combat, A2Am for new players to be a threat, and Mass Drivers for long range sniping.

[Rolfski]

These weapons are broken atm. There isn't really anything to discuss until devs have properly balanced them.

[snafus]

true true. I guess I just tend to look at it that way because even though I have tried to raze an air wing many times, it has never worked =/

Yeah man I plan to have at least have four to six of our air wing fit the mass driver on op nights with 2x zoom. The rest will most likely have the Gatling guns for air dominance capabilities. Not only will we be able to remove any exposed sundy but any poor sky guard that renders for the AV team will be short lived.

[KesTro]

Personally not a fan of the new ESF weapons. They will be fun for sure but they'll make air dominance even more of a crutch than it is if ESF's stay as they are.