Skyguard: What I would do

Peacemaker · 2012-11-17, 11:50 AM

As the OFs are down I figure I'll drop this idea here first and get a feel on what people think of my idea. I read a post last night saying they slowed down Skyguard projectiles and gave them minimal bullet drop. A lot of people were obviously not happy with this, but I feel it's a good idea that needs some tweaking. This thread is NOT about rockets, numbers of AA units, or AA Max. Please excuse the mistakes in grammar, typing from cellphone. Bore at work.

Proposed changes to Skyguard;

1. HUGE ROF buff
2. Damage lowered by about 25%
3. Magazine size increased back to 80 rounds
4. Projectile speed is made pretty low (this would need tweaking to get it right)
5. Max range of projectiles should be pretty far
6. Cone of fire and recoil buffs
7. Large increase to visibility of the rounds
9. Turret rotation and elevation speeds are slower than current, cert for improvement.

New Lightining Weapon System;

Uses same 75mm six shooter with flater trajectory flak rounds. Do not detonate inside of 150m. Basically a long range anti air cannon. Still has slow projectile speed.

Ok so let's now talk about what these changes are trying to do. The whole idea is to make Skyguards incredibly lethal at close range. The further away you get from what I shall call the death umbrella the less effective the Skyguard is. When I say close I mean 100 - 200 meters. Now the question is why?

Skyguards with the above changes are going to SHRED aircraft within the death umbrella. The umbrella is small, 100 meters from Skyguard means 200m circle around the Skyguard is protected fairly well. A good pilot however who is making high speed passes will be hard to lead properly with the slower projectiles. On top of this it gives pilots a chance to jink out of fire while continuing an attack run. What's that? Skill vs skill! Gasp!

Now as you move further away from a Skyguard it becomes increasingly easier to either see the rounds coming or start jinking after the first hits. Liberators get a buff because they can stay further away, but are slower than ESF making them easier to hit at longer ranges. Multiple Skyguards can work together to bracket an enemy ESF even at longer ranges from positions that arnt too close to each other.

The other Skyguard weapon system is for longer ranges and is not very usefull up close. It should also not beable to aim more than 50 degrees up.

I really think these changes would bring Skyguards and ESF into a more balanced because it would bring skill to the equation. All I can picture is a large air squad moving towards a base intent on softening it up. Night is falling as they approach, no enemy aircraft to be see . Suddenly long trails of Tracers start rising up to meet them. Sporadic hits are scored and a fighter gets caught in the cross fire of three deadly stiches of fire, unable to manuver out of the bracket in time he explodes, and the long fingers return to probing the skies for the next victim.

Three liberators approach from a flank and start lobbing shells towards the Skyguards, who have given away their positions. Enemy fighters rise to meet the liberators whilst friendly escorts dive to intercept. A brutal dog fight ensues, and in the middle of it all Skyguards are blasting away, libs are lobbing shells at them, ground attackers are strafing.

Sorry I got Away from the actual idea, just painting the picture of awesome.

Spark notes: Above changes bring skill to using Skyguards AND to flying in an area that has Skyguards in it. Prevents what we used to have with air not having a chance and what we have now with Skyguards unable to defend.

AThreatToYou · 2012-11-17, 12:24 PM

Skyguard: What I would do

Tamas · 2012-11-17, 12:25 PM

1) Decrease projectile drop.
2) Increase projectile travel speed.

Would be perfect for me.

Figment · 2012-11-17, 12:36 PM

Originally Posted by AThreatToYou

Skyguard: What I would do

+

Dedicated AA machine quadgun tank with distinct weaknesses: >.>

Sifer2 · 2012-11-17, 12:44 PM

I don't really care what specifically they do to it. I just think its bullcrap if it can't even kill an ESF in one clip. Since an ESF can rocket pod it to death. If it's that vulnerable to air it needs to be lethal itself. Especially since Pilots can't use the rendering excuse. Skyguard should be the most feared AA in the game.

Eduard Khil · 2012-11-17, 12:45 PM

The ROF increase should be proportional to the damage debuff and projectile speed increase.

I thought the devs were trying to avoid insta kills among vehicles.

Peacemaker · 2012-11-17, 01:13 PM

Originally Posted by Tamas

1) Decrease projectile drop.
2) Increase projectile travel speed.

Would be perfect for me.

All this would do would bring us back to before the nerf. Skyguards making it litterlaly impossible to fly with in 1000 meters of ANYTHING. It was terrible and took no skill. As would be the case with your suggestion.

AThreatToYou · 2012-11-17, 01:14 PM

Originally Posted by AThreatToYou

Skyguard: What I would do

Originally Posted by Peacemaker

All this would do would bring us back to before the nerf. Skyguards making it litterlaly impossible to fly with in 1000 meters of ANYTHING. It was terrible and took no skill. As would be the case with your suggestion.

Is it really so hard?

The Flak should fly straight but relatively slowly, taking a considerable amount of lead to hit at a distance. The most effective use of ground-based AA is against hovering and low-flying aircraft, normally then undergoing A2G attacks. The dizzy-dodging of A2A and overall just an aircraft trying to get from point A to point B should take no more but a few significant glances.

Slow enough to dodge, really, but straight enough and with a tight enough cone that the gunner can easily control where the projectiles are going.

Peacemaker · 2012-11-17, 01:17 PM

Originally Posted by Eduard Khil

The ROF increase should be proportional to the damage debuff and projectile speed increase.

I thought the devs were trying to avoid insta kills among vehicles.

The damage is pretty low right now. Just the ROF buff might make up for this on hovering aircraft but my changes would probably result in much lower accuracy. Maybe 25% lower is too much. It's another number that would have to get played with.

Eduard Khil · 2012-11-17, 01:28 PM

Originally Posted by Peacemaker

The damage is pretty low right now. Just the ROF buff might make up for this on hovering aircraft but my changes would probably result in much lower accuracy. Maybe 25% lower is too much. It's another number that would have to get played with.

To be frank, I think it's fine as it is, I still kill with it, heck, even with one handed bursters.

I sure will miss the days when I could watch TV and get a ton of kills at the same time.

Sunrock · 2012-11-17, 01:37 PM

Originally Posted by Peacemaker

All this would do would bring us back to before the nerf. Skyguards making it litterlaly impossible to fly with in 1000 meters of ANYTHING. It was terrible and took no skill. As would be the case with your suggestion.

1km in game is as long as it is between two bases in average. The Skyguard is not lethal at that range. The truth is that is only lethal if you fly closer then 300 meters today.

And yea the range of the skyguard might need to be little bit shorter. But I don't think you need to nerf the projectile speed of it.