Another dev AMA on Reddit, Higby Answers! - Page 3

Shamrock · 2014-03-07, 07:34 AM

Originally Posted by Snoopy

Every faction bitches and whinges about every other faction. Every faction thinks they're the 'hard-done-by' faction and believe they constantly draw the short straw.

Never a truer word spoken. I always say to my guys that they should make alts on other servers to get the feel of how the other faction plays, i.e its subjective. Occasionally a faction will have an advantage in a set area, but I accept that difference as I want each faction to be distinctive and not carbon copies of each other.

KesTro · 2014-03-07, 07:49 AM

Originally Posted by HereticusXZ

It's flaw is that it can reload while the shield is active (unless it's been fixed yet?) and the fact that the occasional bullet or splash damage get by it so you become frustrated about chip-damage. Patch and fix that problem and we're good...

I don't even think it should be a cert-line with a damage-limit considering you can just flank the thing.... Give them unlimited damage mitigation with the shield. Fix the reload w/ shield out and this is good to go...

I don't think that's a bug. 60% of your time as an NC MAX if not more is spent reloading - And that's not an exaggeration. One of the key reasons I use a shield over charge is for that. I could care less about whatever other strategies people have come up with it. Without the shield we may as well forget about trying to Max V. Max. The only weapon that can reliably one clip a max (two if you coutn both arms) is the grinder with extended mags. Every other shotgun will leave a max standing with about 10-15% health left if he was at full life; even more if the NC max is using slugs (like they should be).

So without the ability to reload with the shield up - we run out of ammo and throw it up and sit there and wait for our inevitable death as the shield won't stop 100% of damage from the front due to client side.

War Barney · 2014-03-07, 10:01 AM

Originally Posted by Blynd

Hey barney get a grip zoe is a pos outside of a biofarm. Because you have slot of medics to revive you everything you die.

The riot shield is decent as many have pointed out and you have ignored it DEFENCIVE ffs.
I have seen themselves offensively by outfits using a meatshield of maxes with riot shield up and 2squads behind them pushing to the gen then scu in biolabs. Maybe you just such at the game cause you do nothing but complain.

Uhu no a lot of people have NO been saying its good a couple of people have said it can be used while reloading but that still doesn't make it worth using over charge with such short range guns especially when explosions ignore it and a zoe MAX will just walk around your shield.

The only people who think the shield is good are those who haven't used it properly or people who don't realise 2 heavies can destroy 6 MAXs with their shields up in a few seconds. Hell 1 LA with C4 and slaughter most of them

Illtempered · 2014-03-07, 01:20 PM

Originally Posted by War Barney

The only people who think the shield is good are those who haven't used it properly or people who don't realise 2 heavies can destroy 6 MAXs with their shields up in a few seconds.

lol get a grip...

So any NC max that uses a shield isn't using it "properly" eh? Therefore any NC that uses a shield must be an inferior player to you. Maybe they should get on your level.

War Barney · 2014-03-07, 01:48 PM

No anybody using a shield just hasn't used it enough to realise how bad it is, I never said they are worse players you just added that to try and make me look bad as you know you're wrong so its the only way you can think of to get people to agree with you.

I've explained clearly why its inferior, explosives bypass its almost entirely, it slows you down to a crawl making you a sitting duck, you don't get access to charge so shotguns are far less effective.

Of course I expect these sort of cheap tactics from you, a person who claimed to be getting almost 100% head shots at 40m with mattocks when aiming carefully in another thread. From your obvious attempts to keep the NC MAX awful I'm guessing you are a VS or TR, perhaps you have a BR 5 NC and even played a MAX for a couple of seconds, but you obviously have no experience playing a NC in the long term.

Illtempered · 2014-03-07, 01:53 PM

lol as I said get a grip. You're flying off the handle now.

Yes my main is VS, but here is a link to my NC character stats.

http://www.planetside-universe.com/c...8527932961.php

War Barney · 2014-03-07, 01:59 PM

Assuming you've not just linked a random person its still obvious you don't play him much, everything you say stinks of a VS, there are constant discussions about how bad our MAX is.

Still I'm just going to ignore you from now on, your lack of EVER explaining anything you say shows you're just trolling or trying to keep the NC MAX as the worst MAX, I explain why I think our MAX and shield is awful all you do is respond with insults.

Kirotan · 2014-03-07, 02:01 PM

Originally Posted by War Barney

No anybody using a shield just hasn't used it enough to realise how bad it is, I never said they are worse players you just added that to try and make me look bad as you know you're wrong so its the only way you can think of to get people to agree with you.

So what about people that have used it as much or more than you and have a different opinion? I see a few NC players do find it useful. (doesn't mean they don't think it needs some improvements/tweaks though).

Illtempered · 2014-03-07, 02:07 PM

They should get on his level really

KesTro · 2014-03-07, 02:09 PM

Charge is better on an NC max if you find yourself soloing a lot but for coordinated play there's really no reason not to bring your shield. I think your hate for the shield is an honest case of l2p.

War Barney · 2014-03-07, 02:12 PM

Originally Posted by Kirotan

So what about people that have used it as much or more than you and have a different opinion? I see a few NC players do find it useful. (doesn't mean they don't think it needs some improvements/tweaks though).

I honestly don't know how anybody could come to that opinion, if it wasn't bypassed by all forms of explosive then it could be useful in some situations as long as you intend to never get kills on your MAX and just be a shield, but the fact that a couple of rockets kill you while your shields up, and in fact your shield makes you a easier target to hit, makes it empirically bad.

The only real upside to the shield is reloading while its up but as chewy has mentioned a bug which makes you ammo vanish while doing that makes it not that help, and even then while your shield is up your very vunerable its a huge sign saying *I'M RELOADING SO CAN'T HURT YOU!* which people will use to get behind you and blow you up.

And of course those are issues you need to put up with if you are happy not killing anybody, if you want to kill people having a shield is a HUGE problem, you move so slowly with a MAX as it is, trying to use a shield to get close enough is just suicide the only option is charge. I've used shotguns a LOT recently as I enjoy them and the secret to shotguns is all about getting close either through rushing in or using a LA to get into unexpected positions then drop behind a group. With a MAX those options aren't there, you are a HUGE very slow object, sneaking behind enemy lines wont work and people will just walk backwards while shooting you if you try to slowly walk into them.

The only people I imagine who have trouble with our MAX are people who fight soley in biolabs where its huge flaws are lowered somewhat and the shield is almost useful for blocking up the SCU room (though that tactic lasts only as long as it takes for the enemy to realise 4 heavies can clear out the MAXs in seconds). Outside of those situations the very slow speed of our MAX makes it incredibly easy to deal with especially if people nerf themselves and use a shield for that extra slow movespeed.

<sigh> no kestro I'm afraid its not, would or are you going down the same path of explaining nothing and just throwing insults around? I've explained why the shield is useless, all you did was insult me and not even attempt to say why you think something which slows you down a ton and is bypassed by explosions is good.

Illtempered · 2014-03-07, 02:18 PM

Dude relax. Noboby's insulting you. We're just saying(or I am saying since I can only speak for myself) your lack of experience and understanding of the game has led you to a false conclusion that you seem unwilling to reexamine. There are multiple situations where the NC max can do a lot of damage, and that goes for all three MAX units. I'm not debating which max is better. I'm just saying they all have their niche. If you are intent on using your empires MAX, practice more, and L2P.

Snoopy · 2014-03-07, 10:01 PM

Originally Posted by Illtempered

Dude relax. Noboby's insulting you. We're just saying(or I am saying since I can only speak for myself) your lack of experience and understanding of the game has led you to a false conclusion that you seem unwilling to reexamine. There are multiple situations where the NC max can do a lot of damage, and that goes for all three MAX units. I'm not debating which max is better. I'm just saying they all have their niche. If you are intent on using your empires MAX, practice more, and L2P.

Exactly! SOE have done a pretty freaking good job of balancing, considering factional differences and empire traits. This game will NEVER be one of equals and if that is what you are after - then move on to Battlefield or Call of Duty or what ever.

People have given counter-arguments to Barney and he just blows them off saying "How could you hold that opinion?! Clearly, everybody on the NC tells me our max sucks, therefore it must be true!" before rehashing the same old "The shield makes you a sitting duck, yada yada, slow this, slow that, yada yada"

I don't know what we're expected to think when he's complained about nearly every aspect of the game now...

ringring · 2014-03-08, 06:08 AM

Wow

MAX ability adjustments

NC: We’re adding the ability to sprint while the shield is active. Coverage will be less while sprinting.

TR: We’re speeding up the Lockdown entry and exit so that it can better react to changing situations.

VS: General balance adjustments so that the reward more closely matches the risk

These all sound like buffs to me, I reckon there's a big danger that they are overdone.

Blynd · 2014-03-08, 06:39 AM

Originally Posted by War Barney

Uhu no a lot of people have NO been saying its good a couple of people have said it can be used while reloading but that still doesn't make it worth using over charge with such short range guns especially when explosions ignore it and a zoe MAX will just walk around your shield.

The only people who think the shield is good are those who haven't used it properly or people who don't realise 2 heavies can destroy 6 MAXs with their shields up in a few seconds. Hell 1 LA with C4 and slaughter most of them

And a heavy with a rocket launcher or a la with c4 can't kill zoe max's???
Zoe turns your max into paper so using it against a nc max with shield is dumber then dumb.

Last night there was a great fight in indar vs took all points at the base alatum sub base. We held the points but 8 nc max's with shields pushed out from the spawns across the gantry and put up a strong attack with the troops behind them and if it wasn't for our superior numbers they would have got the point back and pushed to hold the base.
So used correctly in a team those shields can work very well.