Ideas to improve the Lightning

[Brogan]

Originally Posted by Chaff

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I respect that OP loves his Lightning. However, none of us get to customize our favorite stuff to our personal liking. Dream on. I don't see these ideas happening.

I think he could change his strategy - and ask for more/better mobility. Raise ground clearance. Add some Baja 500 shocks/suspension. Shorten Lightning up a bit. Expose more tread. This is the ONE tank that should be able to climb & stick to odd hillsides (not the Mag or any other MBT). The Lightning should be the "sniper" of vehcles. Hit-and-RUN specialist. Reengineer it to get in & out of gnarlier terrain. That's my vote. That'd be enough for me to consider it as my primary vehicle to pull (& Cert-up).

I think if the devs did this, our OP would be happy with the added gameplay. Howitzer Snub-Nose ideas would generate too much crying. Leave Heavy guns to MBT & GAL (& Lib).
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You make an excellent point. I was just thinking of ways to compliment its role as I had perceived it, a light tank. Right now it feels more like a tankette.

Where it truely needs improvement is in its performance offroad. God help the lightning if Hossin is a legit swamp. It's fording ability must be around 1 foot.

[Baneblade]

The Lit's only advantage from where I sit is speed and agility. It needs something all to itself...that it doesn't share with the MBTs.

[Neurotoxin]

Lightning needs two guns. The primary gun is one of what is currently available for it. The secondary gun is Kobalt, Basilisk, or Walker, to help the lightning battle targets it cannot harm or hit with the primary gun. Yes someone could go Skyguard + Walker, it would be rather redundant and the only advantage would be more AA ammo (of an inferior type) for once flak has run out.

[Calisai]

Originally Posted by Neurotoxin

Lightning needs two guns. The primary gun is one of what is currently available for it. The secondary gun is Kobalt, Basilisk, or Walker, to help the lightning battle targets it cannot harm or hit with the primary gun. Yes someone could go Skyguard + Walker, it would be rather redundant and the only advantage would be more AA ammo (of an inferior type) for once flak has run out.

The whole point of sidegrades is the specialization vs generalization. A specialized unit (ie, running with HE or AP... or Skyguard) should be more effective towards those units than a generalized version. Being a solo-pilot vehicle should limit you a bit.

Personally, I would prefer they put in the ability to swap out weapon systems at bases, rather than add a secondary weapon to the lightning. If you were able to go back and swap your skyguard for HE at a main base ammo turret, it would be better than just giving the vehicle the ability to handle all the different targets with the switch of a button.

[Baneblade]

Originally Posted by Calisai

Being a solo-pilot vehicle should limit you a bit.

Tell that to ESFs.

[Brogan]

What I tend to use the lightning as is a command tank, fast enough to allow me to move quickly around an armoured battleline to bolster the attack or defense. It'd be great to see a sidegrade directed to that combat role.

Here are some of my ideas:

Comms: As a command tank, it'd need better comms, so it would have a longer ranged, friendly only proximity chat.

Target marker: allows you to mark priority targets in the vicinity, perhaps with xp bonuses. This would be different than giving general orders for attack/defend X because it would be more specific to the local area. Ie, I spot an enemy tank on a ridge, and (using improved comms) I transmit that knowlege selectively to a unit who I believe can deal with the threat, such as a liberator overhead, or to all the liberators in the vicinity. Basically would allow a good commander to take control of a Zerg and turn it into an organized blitzkrieg.

Perhaps while using the sidegrade you can only use the default gun or something lighter than it (command tanks historically have had lighter armament than their frontline counterparts)