Liberator Pass Incoming

BlaxicanX · 2014-01-17, 03:25 AM

Quoting from Developer SOE Luke's thread on the PS2 forums:

Status: Feedback Needed

Liberators will be getting a refresh that includes new abilities, weapons systems and cosmetic additions. The primary goal of this update will be to enhance the existing offensive capabilities along with adding some new offensive options. We will also be taking a look at adding new ability options to increase the Liberator’s survivability in a fight and looking into different ways to share XP across the entire crew.

In addition, we are discussing the possibility of adding utility roles for the Liberator such for example replacing the primary gun and lower half with dropship style rumble seats for 4-6 troops, while some of these ideas are still very much “drawing board” stage, we’d still like to know your ideas on ways to expand here too.

What would you like to see added to the Liberator’s arsenal? What would make this venerable vessel more fun for you and your friends?

Here's the link to that thread, if you're interested.

I already made a post there. Because I'm a lazy bastard, I'll just quote my own thoughts here.

"What I think would be AWESOME ES weapons are:

> NC: Napalm. Has a relatively small blast radius, but the napalm lasts for a relatively long time after discharge (can be certed to lengthen the amount of time the napalm lingers). Does strong burst damage initially and low, lingering damage to anyone who stands in it. Each magazine is a single shot before reloading. Does no damage to vehicles.

>TR: Cluster bombs. Drops a large bomb that bursts upon hitting the ground and explodes in a cluster of smaller bombs in a flower-petal shaped radius (can be certed into launching additional clusters, which increases the radius). Has a large area-of-effect, but does relatively little damage. Has multiple shots in a single magazine and possesses a RoF comparable to a marauder. Does okay damage to harassers and ESF's but no damage to heavy armor.

> VS: Vector Beam. Is a single long, very thin purple beam that fires in a continuous line as long as you hold the trigger. Because of how thin the beam is, it is very difficult to hit small targets (such as infantry). However the beam has extremely high damage, near one-shotting infantry and doing very high gradual damage to vehicles. Ammunition is a "capacitor" that rapidly descends from 100% everytime the shooter pulls the trigger (5 seconds of sustained fire, can be certed to increase the amount of time it can be fired before emptying a capacitor). The weapon carries a limited number of capacitors.

The Napalm and Cluster bombs have an almost fixed cone of fire, forcing them to rely on the pilot to line up shots, and for the shooter to be almost directly above the targets it once to shoot. The Vector Beam has a slightly wider cone within which the user can move the crosshairs, so as to allow him to make "sweeping" shots, but the turret is still fixed enough that the Liberator must be almost directly above its target in order for the firer to have an angle."

Snoopy · 2014-01-17, 04:42 AM

I like the idea of being able to use a Lib to drop 4-6 troops.

Ghoest9 · 2014-01-17, 05:21 AM

double

Ghoest9 · 2014-01-17, 05:22 AM

NO NEW ANTI-INFANTRY WEAPONS!!!!

napalm - cluster bombs - are you insane?

BlaxicanX · 2014-01-17, 05:29 AM

SO YOU WANT NEW ANTI-VEHICLE WEAPONS?

Because they're adding new Lib weapons one way or another. So if it's not anti-infantry it'll be anti-vehicle.

Is that what you want?

Shamrock · 2014-01-17, 05:38 AM

I like the idea of a smaller dropship, while im a fan of the GAL it would be nice to have a smaller faster aircraft to do fast insertions in enemy held areas ie the PS2 equivalent of a Bell Huey

A little model rework on the hull to give us something like this would be awesome.

Plaqueis · 2014-01-17, 07:05 AM

Originally Posted by Shamrock

I like the idea of a smaller dropship, while im a fan of the GAL it would be nice to have a smaller faster aircraft to do fast insertions in enemy held areas ie the PS2 equivalent of a Bell Huey

^this would be cool. Something like the Scorpion in the movie 'Avatar' for example:

HereticusXZ · 2014-01-17, 07:34 AM

Aestheticly the Liberator always reminded me of the Russian HIND.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otVXJOr_gBI

I'd love to go saigon out of the side of a Liberator! It doesn't need weapons mounts when you have 4-6 players gunning out either side in Rumble seats! If the Lib really does need a weapon mount while it's carrying half a squad then give the belly gunner control of the nose mounted gun and let it swivel!

Emperor Newt · 2014-01-17, 07:34 AM

My suggestion: stop making ESFs being flying swiss army knifes. As long as those are around (and Gal gunships being a thing too) the Lib will always have a hard time finding a niche. Also, more cosmetic options wont change that.

If not the current Lib needs to be removed and rebuild from the ground up. It simply doesn't fit in the current setup of vehicles. New guns wont fix a broken design.

AThreatToYou · 2014-01-17, 07:39 AM

I want to be able to certify into a massive maneuverability and speed boost to sacrifice the main and/or tailgun.

In that vein, for the Liberator, it would be incredibly useful to have a "microwarp drive". On activation, the microwarp drive takes a second or two to charge up, afterward the vehicle would be instantaneously teleported a significant distance in the direction it's facing. If it collides with anything at all on the path, it gets obliterated.
Weapons are disabled for the charge up time, and potentially the same amount of time after warping.

I wish for cluster bombs.

I like the idea of rumble-seat copter. In the vein of turning the libby into a supportive vehicle, I'd like for the Liberator to be able to drop an ammunition supply that vehicles and infantry can use.

And because ESFs individually can do everything a liberator can do, and 2-3 ESFs being dramatically more effective than a single Liberator, I wish for Liberator tail guns to be much more effective against ESFs in particular... in a manner where you would have to have 2 ESFs on a single libby to take it down. Unless, of course, you are a skilled pilot or the Liberator has an unskilled gunner.

BlaxicanX · 2014-01-17, 07:54 AM

Rumble-seats on a Lib would be worth it just for the sake of piling a bunch of burster-MAX's into it.

I mean, it would be overpowered as hell. But it'd also be hilarious.

Obstruction · 2014-01-17, 07:58 AM

idk, you really want me flying around with 4 ZOE burster MAX and 2 repair on the run engis?

i think just tuning Lib HP for larger conflicts by changing the resistances to ultra common weapons like the Basilisk would be enough.

that and maybe better nose and tail options.

i think in that thread i said something like "nothing will help the tail be effective because you can never fly in a way that presents targets for the tail without making the whole team less effective." so make the tail more of a mobile squad/platoon management position with tools to that effect (3rd person free look, scout radar,) or a 1 unit ejection seat deployment.

i am pretty happy with it the way it is. and i just see getting wildly powerful new items now, as a later excuse to nerf the shit out of things that were already just fine. especially considering that we seem to have made it out of the ESF patch without being screwed over too badly.

JackD · 2014-01-17, 09:36 AM

The distribution system in the Lib needs to be reworked. More XP fot the pilot and tailgunner. We are asking for this since a year, so iam quite sure it wont happen.

NewSith · 2014-01-17, 10:08 AM

I like it how it states "increase offensive capabilities", while in fact it doesn't have any other kind of capabilities...

Rumble seats are good, as long as they can't be loaded with MAXes. It would be especially awesome if in that mode main or second pilot could aim with Lib's primary canon.

ChipMHazard · 2014-01-17, 10:21 AM

Originally Posted by Emperor Newt

My suggestion: stop making ESFs being flying swiss army knifes. As long as those are around (and Gal gunships being a thing too) the Lib will always have a hard time finding a niche. Also, more cosmetic options wont change that.

If not the current Lib needs to be removed and rebuild from the ground up. It simply doesn't fit in the current setup of vehicles. New guns wont fix a broken design.

Sadly the decision to make most vehicles as versatile as possible won't... Can't be changed, as much as I would want them to since I would prefer to see vehicles have specific roles, since it's F2P and people have paid for weapons like the rocket pods.
If it was up to me the Lib would be changed into a bomber and the ESF would be changed into an air superiority fighter. But alas, that train left the station a long time ago.

I'm not a fan of just adding on new weapons to an already full arsenal, like they've done with the ESF since that just seems like a bandaid solution to make ESF pilots engage air more often.

I would like to see a smaller aircraft able to transport infantry, but is the Lib really up for that? If they do go that route then perhaps it would be a good idea to have an airframe that enables transport while disabling the use of the main gun. The airframe would make the Lib faster and more maneuverable. Could perhaps also try adding some AI weapons on the sides that would be manable by the infantry.