DUST Search - CCP Mass drivers are ****.

McFurious wrote:

demonkiller 12 wrote:

The problem is everyone shield tanks - 1 flux and 1 std mass driver round kills most non heavies
itd be the same against armor tanker - 2 shots from a std scrambler and a std or adv locus grenade would kill most non heavies

Armor tanker here. Everything kills me. Any advantage armor has is negated by the fact that I'm very slow and easy to hit. My advance minmatar suit has better survivability than my proto gallente. Can't wait for 1.4 buffs.

Even still, I don't have much of a problem against MD's. They kill me sometimes but so does everything else.

So here's some tips: Either take them on at very close range where they risk hurting themselves or long range because most MD players can't hit a tank that's sitting still at long range but don't stand still, ffs, use that sprint-strafe action. Even better: flank. If you hear that unmistakable MD sound, act accordingly. Much like being too close to a heavy with a HMG, you try not to fight them where they're strongest.


Author	Thread Statistics \| Show CCP posts - 2 post(s)
Csikszent Mihalyi DUST University Ivy League 89	Posted - 2013.08.30 07:03:00 - [1] - Quote Time to kill is such a non-sense statistic for mass drivers. Even if both players directly engage each other, any other weapon is not going to hit every single shot. But what's more important is that mass drivers can make themselves extremely elusive. The best mass drivers strafe like mad men in close combat (they'd be silly not to) and still hit every single shot because it's practically impossible to miss with it. Especially combined with the disorienting elements of being hit by the grenades, this alone creates a major imbalance. But even more significantly, a mass driver can stay behind cover for 90% of the time, either popping out for a split second to launch a round, or even hitting the target behind cover. The little targeting triangles are essentially a wall-hack which makes this tactic incredibly easy. A rifle user has to stay within line of sight during 100% of their damage output, which makes it practically impossible to compete with mass drivers who really know what they are doing. Yes, the mass driver has poor effective range (which is ridiculous considering it's a grenade launcher) and limited ammunition which may be keeping it at bay to some extend, but in close to mid range it really is an "I win" button and it's not that hard to get into this range. It's not bad enough to make me quit the game, but it saddens me that CCP apparently has no opinion on it other than "let's wait for the statistics". Everything recently seems to be about statistics and metrics. You know, it is possible to analyse these things beforehand... That's what game designers should be paid for. My prediction is that the situation is going to gradually escalate until we will get the inevitable correction in 1.5 or 1.6. Let's see if I'm wrong. Personally I think it would be horrible to just nerf the mass driver as it is, because that would just make it a worse weapon without addressing the fundamental problem with it. There are many possible changes which would make the weapon more interesting and balanced without necessarily reducing it's potential efficiency at the hands of a skilled user. One such possibility would be the minimum flight time which has been brought up a few times. Another would be gradual damage fall-off for explosives, so higher accuracy is actually rewarded. I would much rather see a change like that, than simply reduced clip size or damage properties. If you only tweak values as a response to metrics, you run the risk of losing sight of the bigger picture. This isn't an RPG after all.
Csikszent Mihalyi DUST University Ivy League 89	Posted - 2013.08.30 07:05:00 - [2] - Quote D legendary hero wrote: Idk why everyone is scared of mass drivers after 1.4... Can you imagine all the ARs (milita to proto) that with auto aim will be hitting you with every shot from 0 -75 meters range with anywhere between the minimum 467 dps to the averge max 690 dps? I mean your average suit already dies fast to ARs, and they miss alot of shots. imagine when auto aim makes them a flipping aim bot? you won't b ablr to use any gun other than ARs There is no such thing as auto aim... I suggest you read the aiming blog again because it describes very well how the aim assists are going to work. It's not going to change anything other than to close the gap between DS3 and mouse a little bit.
Csikszent Mihalyi DUST University Ivy League 89	Posted - 2013.08.30 07:12:00 - [3] - Quote McFurious wrote: demonkiller 12 wrote: The problem is everyone shield tanks - 1 flux and 1 std mass driver round kills most non heavies itd be the same against armor tanker - 2 shots from a std scrambler and a std or adv locus grenade would kill most non heavies Armor tanker here. Everything kills me. Any advantage armor has is negated by the fact that I'm very slow and easy to hit. My advance minmatar suit has better survivability than my proto gallente. Can't wait for 1.4 buffs. Even still, I don't have much of a problem against MD's. They kill me sometimes but so does everything else. So here's some tips: Either take them on at very close range where they risk hurting themselves or long range because most MD players can't hit a tank that's sitting still at long range but don't stand still, ffs, use that sprint-strafe action. Even better: flank. If you hear that unmistakable MD sound, act accordingly. Much like being too close to a heavy with a HMG, you try not to fight them where they're strongest. The problem is, a mass driver is a light weapon that can be fitted on anything, particularly on light and fast suits which are able to dictate range themselves. And the mass driver is scarier in close- to mid-range combat than the HMG. If you get into extreme close range they might blow themselves up, but chances are that they take you down with them. It's hardly a satisfying solution... When I use the mass driver, I'm certainly not scared of anybody getting close to me, quite the opposite.