Router

Red October · 2004-09-13, 12:47 PM

Last night as I was deploying a Router inside the cloak bubble of an AMS that I just deployed a minute ago at a base, I thought "man this is just a pain". So I wondered, why doesn't the Router have a cloak field?

It has no defensive capabilities like the AMS. But at least the AMS spawns new troops and has equip terms. The Router is usually used in the field for quick transport from a tower or other tree covered location...which usually isn't too far from an AMS (a dead give away) or in an AMS cloak field. Even when its at a tower, its prone to becoming Reaver Bait. Furthermore, its completely and utterly useless in defense of a base (unless its butted up with an AMS in the cloak field), kind of hard to hide a big shiny vech with a red bullseye on it inside four walls. The Router is just vech that says "shoot here" for the enemy.

So, why can't they just give it a cloak field? Save a lot of unessecary trouble and give more of a reason to use them.

Phaden · 2004-09-13, 01:16 PM

A very good point. Even if it was a smaller field it would be very useful.

Lartnev · 2004-09-13, 01:23 PM

The concession I suppose has always been that you'd utilise the AMS cloak field, but that's just asking for an OS to kill two birds with one stone. This would make the router far more useful!

Batousai · 2004-09-13, 01:25 PM

Buff the Router

Zaxis · 2004-09-13, 01:31 PM

This may just be me, but I think that the Router teleport range should be somewhat longer. The range right now is about 100 m or so.

EarlyDawn · 2004-09-13, 02:43 PM

I think you should be able to daisy chain them up in some fashion. Create a teleport net, in a sense... if you can coordinate with other users.

Queensidecastle · 2004-09-13, 03:14 PM

My only complaints about the router are that:

A) As an infiltrator, I have to disown one of my vehicles to set it up properly. Also, setting it up "properly" almost always involves an AMS and this can take a lot of time to drive 2 vehicles out to location
B) People cant tell if the router has a deployed link or not. So you have folks that run under it a bunch of times, then wont try it again even after you do get a link established
C) The links take FAR too long to materialize. I feel that the links should deploy as immediate as landmines and spitfires

Roswell34 · 2004-09-13, 04:19 PM

i agree with the router taking too long to deploy and it should have a cloak feild /sign

Madcow · 2004-09-13, 04:51 PM

Originally Posted by Queensidecastle

C) The links take FAR too long to materialize. I feel that the links should deploy as immediate as landmines and spitfires

Is that what's going on? I've never bothered taking a Router out in the field even though I have the cert. The other night I went into VR just to test a couple of things with it, deployed the link and just stood there staring at the floating thing that did squat. I messed around for a few seconds seeing if I was supposed to somehow 'activate' it, and finally gave up and decided to never use a Router and left VR.
At this point I have yet to find a use for one of my empire's Routers, so I don't see why I'd both deploying one. The only use I've found for the Router is going backwards through the enemies Router so you can steal their AMS.

Queensidecastle · 2004-09-13, 04:59 PM

It can take up to 5 minutes for that stupid thing to deploy. IT is ridiculous and contributes greatly to the impracticality of the router.

If it didnt take 5 minutes to drive an ams to battle and deploy, then matrix back and grab a router to spend 5 more minutes to get to the battle and deploy (not to mention the ages you can spend waiting in the Queue), then get your pad and spend 10 minutes sneaking into the tower/base, then wait a further 5 minutes for your pad to deploy, just to be destroyed immediately by some dude with a rocklet; I would say that it could be worth it.

Hoping for the extremely rare occasion where you can drive a router up to a deployed AMS (THAT YOU KNOW WILL BE WITHIN RANGE - which is the reason you must get your own AMS 9 times out of 10 instead of being able to use one in battle) and then being able to get an immediate pad deployed is kinda like those rare days when you pull off killing a whole squad at once

Red October · 2004-09-13, 06:30 PM

Glad I'm not the only one who see's the lunacy in this vehicle. A teleporter is a great idea on paper and has some really good potential in battle. But if it can't be hidden, then whats the point? If a cloaking field can be put on the AMS when its stationary, why can't it be put on a Router when its stationary? Who was smoking what when they designed the vehicle this way?

Indecisive · 2004-09-13, 07:03 PM

The reason ams has a cloak bubble, and the router dosent, is because you can trace the troops back to the ams.

Not so for the router.

KeviN · 2004-09-13, 07:12 PM

Originally Posted by Gohan

The reason ams has a cloak bubble, and the router dosent, is because you can trace the troops back to the ams.

Not so for the router.

Actually, going back through their warper tends to trace it pretty well.

martyr · 2004-09-13, 08:02 PM

it takes 90 seconds to deploy a telepad.

i agree with reducing the time, though, to between 20 and 30 seconds.

adding a cloak to the router vehicle would have one serious problem: even friendlies wouldn't be able to identify it easily, and would pass it up as an AMS.

what might be a good idea is to lend power to the AMS cloak bubble, extending its' radius when a router gets deployed within, say, 5m of the AMS, to completely cover both of them and shield soldiers exiting the router in any direction (the router does not re-orient you when you pass through)

the ams and router are natural companions, it only makes sense to work with that.

Queensidecastle · 2004-09-13, 08:13 PM

I have seen it take far, far, far longer than 90 seconds and I have had them deploy almost instantly. I dont see any reason whatsoever why it doesnt just deploy like a spitfire. I have heard all the reasons, and they arent good especially given how easily destroyed the pads are, not to mention that once one guy goes through and sets up a waypoint, the Router is OS fodder