Implant Balance Pass

Veteran · 2003-12-20, 11:38 AM

I heard a rumor that they'd be fixing the implant balance, but where is it?

This is my boredom-inspired ranking of the implants and a comment on each.

1. Surge. Easily ten times as powerful as the others, Surge is a testament of the naivete of the devs. It has no place in a game that uses CSHD.

2. Darklight Vision. This implant makes a whole segment of the population into your potential victims. Victims with no armor, no less.

3. TIE. Audio Amp and Advanced Targetting tie for this position. Both are awesome.

4. Personal Shield. This with rexo and health kits makes you a very hard target.

6. TIE. Range Magnifier, Melee Booster, Silent Run. These are niche implants that can easily be the cherry on top of certain templates. Range Magnifier can let you spy on a base and is beloved by snipers and Flail drivers alike, Melee Booster and Silent Run can be used to lethal effect by stealthers.

7. Advanced Regeneration. The existence of health kits and Medical makes this a loser when compared with the other implants. Dying isn't such a terrible thing in PlanetSide. Sometimes, it's the best way to get from point A to point B. Your squadmates aren't going to think you're Mr. Cool for healing your health by using an entire implant slot, and it's useless until it initializes, during which time health kits are fully functional.

8. Second Wind. Unless it's gotten a stealth-buff, this is the loser of the implant world. It takes a very long time to recharge, and is beaten in functionality by a quick health kit use. Granted, it can heal your stamina (despite the description) but when you only get three implant slots, this isn't going to be one of them.

The above list is drawn from my opinion and experience. If you have an opposing view, I'd be glad to hear it.

SilverLord · 2003-12-20, 12:53 PM

Agreed. Give second wind some credit though man, that implant is far better than you think. I use that, surge, and DL and i'm very good with agile.

Veteran · 2003-12-20, 02:38 PM

I'm surprised that you don't use Audio Amp. or Adv. Targetting in its place. Then again, Agile doesn't have a lot of room for medpacks. No disrepect intended towards Second Wind users, I just think the reset time is very long (among the longest implant reset times in the game).

It seems to me that if you could detect the approach of your enemy with Audio, you wouldn't need to fall back on the life/stam bonus from Second Wind. That's pure speculation, though.

Firefly · 2003-12-20, 02:56 PM

Range Magnifier is worthless to snipers. The Bolt Driver already has an awesome zoom capability.

My favorite implants are: darklight, surge (to get me the hell out of Jackhammer range as a stealther), and a toss-up between audio amp and advance targetting. If the developers grow a pair of balls and get a clue and make Silent Run the counter to the Interlink counter, then I'll consider taking that as well.

I don't even really need audio amp. I have no need to spot someone on radar, and I just slap on my headphones and crank up the volume if I want to hear doors opening and bootsteps. But for those times when, as a stealther, its imprudent for me to reveal my cloaked location with darklight, I'll use audio amp to find pesky wanna-be infiltrators.

BDMJ · 2003-12-20, 03:38 PM

If used properly, second wind is one of the best implants for rexo grunts. I think that the positions of second wind and personal shield should be switched. Stamina is key in this game because an immobile grunt is a dead grunt. Personal shield hits stamina directly, while second wind adds to it. Also medkits have a timer per use, second wind doesn't. With the right timing, it's like using two medkits simultaniously.

Audio implant is good, but with the right amount of situational awareness, it is worthless.

Acaila · 2003-12-20, 04:01 PM

I am glad you give a bit of credit to Personal Shield. I have always felt it is the most underrated implant in the game. When used effectively, Personal Shield = win.

ZionsFire · 2003-12-20, 04:42 PM

Personal shield+NC max shield=ownage

SilverLord · 2003-12-20, 06:05 PM

I don't think you can use personal shield with a MAX, that would be uber hard to kill.

Unknown · 2003-12-20, 06:08 PM

Second wind is not a bad compliment to Personal Shield. Personal shield drains all your stamina, second wind gives some back if it activates. The 2 biggest problems with it are the charge time, and the activation point, it doesn't trigger till you drop to 9 health. The trigger point isn't too bad, unless you are up against heavy hitters (jackhammer mainly) but the recharge time is just plain insane. Give it a 2 minute charge time and 1 minute recharge time between activations (30 seconds would be nice, if not a tad overpowered) and I'll be happy.

1024 · 2003-12-20, 06:10 PM

DL needs to be major nerfed. Make it so it has like a 5 second fade-on time, along with bring the down the brightness of the infiltrators. I feel so sorry when i can just flick on my DL and waste a victim with no armor and a pistol, with so little skill involved.

Lonehunter · 2003-12-20, 06:34 PM

Advanced Regeneration is VERY usefull. Especially when you turn it on against a Jackhammer "WTF? I hit you 4 times! You should be dead!" Not today bitch. It's also very good for cloakers, you get shot and then find a place to hide, adv regen heals you up. Run out of med kits? Adv Regen. Friend hurt? give him you med and use adv regen. As a cloaker I have Adv regen, Silent run, and DL.

Lithpope · 2003-12-20, 06:41 PM

Gotta agree, you are underating Adv Regen. Superbe for cloaks who catch a little friendly or enemy fire. Not bad in the field either, drop behind a rock, crouch regen and break out the BANK and you good as new. Granted, it has limited use in a base fight.

For those asking for a DL nerf, nuh uh, no way. You get jumped by a cloak with an amp you don't have much time to live unless you move, pop DL and start laying down some directed fire.

I regularly carry Adv. Regen, DL and Audio Amp as a grunt.

ZionsFire · 2003-12-20, 06:50 PM

Last time I checked you could use personal shield with the MAX shield...

Searo · 2003-12-20, 07:06 PM

Adv regen is extremely useful to snipers, roughly twenty times better than zoom. My (old) comp wasn't near good enough to have a draw distance of 12x. 8x was the extreme limits, so why do I need more zoom?

Bolts are so huge that you can't just carry 5 medkits, you need something to heal with. Adv regen heals you quickly and lets you take a second enemy sniper shot.

Warborn · 2003-12-20, 07:07 PM

Originally Posted by Veteran

1. Surge. Easily ten times as powerful as the others, Surge is a testament of the naivete of the devs. It has no place in a game that uses CSHD.

Couldn't agree more. I wish they'd just get rid of the goddamn thing. Even if they make it so you can't Surge and gun, it still doesn't contribute anything good to the game.