My TR Analysis

[BadAsh]

I�ve seen and posted in several threads here in PSU about real and perceived weaknesses in the TR Empire. I�ve played VS to BR12, TR to BR18, and NC to BR19 so I do have some experience in both playing for and against all 3 Empires. Of the 3 I believe the TR have the most detrimental shortcomings in the way this game is played and I�ll list them here. There are only 2 really and here they are:

1. The Empire Tanks: Yes the Prowler is a great tank, but it is rarely used properly to be as effective as it could. The NC have an easy tank to get a gunner for. The tank is driver friendly and is narrow enough to dodge through trees when needed. The gunner position is sweet because you have an amazing main gun and an alt fire mode to attack aircraft. Many NC players cert in this vehicle and everyone wants to be a Vanguard gunner. The VS have an amazing tank as well. It�s particularly sweet to be a Magrider driver. This vehicle offers the most incentive to drive because the driver will have a blast mowing enemies, gets his own gun very effective main gun, and can travel through trees and over water easily to avoid enemy fire. It�s armor is a bit light compared to the other tanks, but if you drive this vehicle as a type of super �assault buggy� rather than a drive up and kill everything tank you will survive for long periods of time and devastate the enemy lines in the process.

Now to the Prowler: It�s slow and wide so avoiding enemy fire is harder and it�s much less fun to drive then the Van or Mag. Next is it�s two gunner positions each with its own problems. First, the main guns have distinct target impact areas when shooting down range. I usually find myself hitting a smaller target at long range with every other shot. I get one barrel sighted in but the other misses completely from the same exact firing position. So to kill that wall turret my hit pattern is 50% unless I make an adjustment with each and every shot. It would be much more effective if both guns were sighted to hit the same area or if the 2 guns were switched with a single faster firing cannon. This would make the main guns much more user friendly and get more people to man them. Second, is the chain gun turret gunner position. This gunner position is much less exciting then the main gun position, gets much fewer kills, and it not really that effective at killing aircraft or infantry (compared to say either of the 20mm guns on a deliverer which own everything). Finding someone to gun this position is a tough proposition so most Prowlers go without air protection.

In summery Prowlers are tough to get fully manned, the least fun to drive, and both of its weapons have unique problems that the other 2 empires don�t have to deal with. These three things combined cause the TR to always be outnumbered by enemy armor. So �When Zergs Collide� the TR have a tough time holding ground against numerically superior enemy armor.

2. The Empire MAX Units: I feel this topic has already been beaten to death. To echo the reasonable posts in this forum I�ll just summarize the TR MAX problem here. In a nut shell the problem with TR MAX units is that they are not as easily integrated with infantry. Their weapons are unique in that they are explosive area of effect spamming weapons. This is a critical issue because when facing the NC and the VS you end up fighting a nice mix of MAX units and Infantry. In CQB the TR just simply can�t do this. And this is why the TR field much fewer MAX units than other empires. Yes, I know �If used properly� these MAX units can be devastating. However, in a Zerg situation you have to be more coordinated than is practical. Want to lock down a few Pounders to guard a choke point? No problem, but there is NO WAY of stopping random players from charging the choke point and racking up the MAX units grief. This is exactly why you DON�T use Thumpers and Radiators in CQB. The only TR exception is the DC MAX, so 2/3rds of their MAX units are nullified in CQB which is where half the fighting in the game takes place. Consequently you see far fewer TR MAX units in the field than the NC and the VS deploy. Also, their special ability is arguably the worst of the 3 as well, but I�ve intentionally left out debatable drawbacks and stuck with the common sense ones that really can�t be argued because they are so obvious (IMHO anyway).

This is why TR players come to the forums and give so much grief about their Empire having problems. They do.

Suggestions:

The Prowler: Switch the gimpy 12mm chain gun on the Prowler with a 20mm gun that the Deliverer has. Now it would actually be able to kill things and people would want to man the gun. Phear the fully staffed Prowler with an effective chain gun! Change the way the main guns target so that both hit the same exact location and don�t pull to either side like they do now.

TR MAX Units: Overhaul these completely. Tweak or change their lock down ability to improve it and give them infantry friendly weapons that more precisely affect a target and not a whole area. I really liked some of the suggestions that have already been made in the forums like making the DC MAX the AI MAX, and changing the AA MAX to a �Dual Striker� that rapid fires smaller Striker lock-on rockets. The Pounder would be the AV MAX and could have a mini tank-like cannon on each arm to pound enemy vehicles into submission.