Lock on rockets really have no place in this game

[Rothnang]

Originally Posted by Kerrec

- Hit an ESF with a lock on and the lift and descend buttons swap for X seconds.

Control inputs are clientside, if you try to turn them into a gameplay element it will be trivial for hackers to make a utility that allows you to simply ignore it.

[VaderShake]

Originally Posted by Rothnang

Whenever you identify the problem as "people" while you're trying to make a product you're doing it wrong.

The "people" who are criticizing the lock-on's are just 1 segment of "people" who play PS2.

I did not make PS2, but the segment of "people/customers" have been complaining about lock-on rocket also have access to the tools to counter lock-on weapons but they are choosing not to use them and would rather have the lock-ons removed instead of consider tweaking them or giving he game time to refine them.

I'm just saying the tools are there to counter lock-on's just because a certain population of "players/people/customers" don't want to use them or do something different is not reason enough to take them away from others who do use them or will counter them.

[VaderShake]

Originally Posted by MrBloodworth

Some people talk as if there are zero counters to being locked on.

I know... point blank the tools are in the game to counter lock-ons.

[MaxDamage]

People complaining about lock-on rockets have no place in this game.

[Loban]

I would almost be ok with getting rid of ground lock-on rockets (though I may never hit a magrider again from range), but if you get rid of air lock-on rockets, you may as well get rid of rockets altogether. It is VERY rare to be able to hit an ESF with a dumb fire rocket.

[Kerrec]

Originally Posted by Rothnang

Control inputs are clientside, if you try to turn them into a gameplay element it will be trivial for hackers to make a utility that allows you to simply ignore it.

True, but hit detection is client side.

You choose to draw the line between hit detection and controls manipulation?

Cheaters will find ways to do what they want to do regardless. Catching them in the act is a better "tool" than trying to prevent it in the first place.

[Ghoest9]

Shoulder fired AA lock on rockets are cool.

I agree everything else is bad.

[Rothnang]

Originally Posted by VaderShake

The "people" who are criticizing the lock-on's are just 1 segment of "people" who play PS2.

It's more than just people complaining about Lockon weapons that you brought up though, it's the fact that there are two general schools of thought when it comes to playing this game.
One school of thought goes: Players should specialize in their favorite unit, and get to use it at all times because that's how they have the most fun with the game.
The other school of thought goes: All the different units are tools you have to accomplish the task of defeating an enemy, you just pull whatever you need at the time.

That division is a pretty substantial issue in this game, because it creates a situation where the devs can't easily chart a clear course for all their players. You can't really call either side "the problem" though, because they are both big enough that losing them would really hurt the game.

This lockon missile thing is just one of the many manifestations of this problem.

[bpostal]

Originally Posted by Rothnang

..there are two general schools of thought when it comes to playing this game.
One school of thought goes: Players should specialize in their favorite unit, and get to use it at all times because that's how they have the most fun with the game.
The other school of thought goes: All the different units are tools you have to accomplish the task of defeating an enemy, you just pull whatever you need at the time....

I can get behind that line of thinking. I think the main issues stems from the first school of thought when their preferred playstyle is at the cost of someone else's playstyle.

It's worded weirdly but I think it gets my point across and I can't think of a better way to put it atm.

[Eliphas]

Skill or no skill is not the issue here. This game takes place in a sci-fi setting and the idea that the development of invanced tech for missle guidance is in question is retarted. The reason for the develpment of the Javelin command launch unit for the US military was to give the basic Soldiers or Marines the ability to reposition immediately after firing, or reload to engage another threat. The gun itself replaced the sword becuase it took years to train with the sword but any jack off can point and shoot. Its the same idea with the crossbow over the bow. So stop wanting to nerf every thing and learn the skill and tactics to over come the weapon systems on the battle field. I mean come on are you really saying that the civilization that masterd space travil but did not come up with the idea of fire and forget missles........really?

[psijaka]

Is the presence of lock ons really such a problem? Sure, they are low skill, but they do less damage, are often dodged, and are useless at anything outside of their intended role. And it's not as if they are a one hit kill.

And SoE are hardly likely to remove the lock ons at this stage in the game's lifecycle - a lot of people will have spent SC on them.

[TheSaltySeagull]

I personally dont have a problem with lock-on weapons considering there are several counter measures available to aircraft and vehicles to combat them plus the increasing long time it takes to actually get a lock(the annie is like 3 secs now before factoring in stealth). When in a prowler lock-on weapons are never really an issue for me personally.

Plus if you were to remove lock-on you would need to replace it with something else because current dumb-fire rockets are not effective at shooting down fast moving aircraft and their slow speed makes hitting tanks at range ineffective. You would need to introduce infantry flak weapons(besides the burster) and drastically increase projectile speed of rockets to compensate for the lack of lock-on. Or atleast wait for ES based weapons to be introduced.

[Roy Awesome]

After sleeping and thinking about the topic, I think that forcing the shooter to maintain lock the entire time the rocket is flying towards the target is the easiest and best solution for this. It reduces the effective rate of fire of the rocket and forces the user of the lock-on to actually do something to keep the rocket moving, rather than just reloading.

I think this would also make a2a rockets more fun and skill based.

[MrBloodworth]

That's a different rocket system entirely.

[psijaka]

Originally Posted by MrBloodworth

That's a different rocket system entirely.

Agreed.

I would like to see something like a TOW wire guided rocket turret introduced for engis. But this is in addition to the existing launchers.