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Zeylon Rho
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Posted - 2013.09.29 13:28:00 -
[1] - Quote
As the game stands currently, we have two racial AV options in Light Weapons: Caldari (Swarm Launcher) and Gallente (Plasma Cannon). Our racial starter fits also ignore race currently, leading to an interesting sort of situation where every race (including Gallente) use Swarm Launchers.
Aside from just filling out racial rifles (Combat, Rail) and sidearms (Ion, Bolt, Magsec) we need to put appropriate racial light AV options in. This is so that: A) each race can be fully differentiated, B) to balance damage options out in the light AV class, and C) to add variety.
The current AV options are: Explosive (Swarm): -20% Shield Damage +20% Armor Damage
and
Hybrid (Plasma): +10% Shield Damage -10% Armor Damage
The remaining races are Minmatar and Amarr, which suggests damage options of Projectile/Explosive and Laser respectively.
I have two ideas for Minmatar:
Anti-Materiel Rifle: This would be a weapon of projectile damage: -5% Shield damage +10% Armor damage
The most pertinent question here is whether or not the unrevealed "Precision Rifle" is already designed to fill this role. If that's the case, than this problem is already solved for Minmatar AV. The damage type is ideal since it gives a missing damage type for AV. The question is how you'd distinguish the weapon from something like the Caldari Sniper Rifle. The various racial suits already have the problem of everyone borrowing the Caldari Rifle for sniping, and it's possible the Precision rifle is meant to fix that problem instead of the missing AV element.
I'm picturing something incredibly large since we're talking about more standard projectile technology. .50 caliber rifles of the type we currently associate with anti-materiel seem silly in light of the size of armor plates used in Dust. However, some anti-tank rifles might make more fitting models logistically like the Denel NTW-20 (20x110mm) or the RT-20 (20x110mm).
The weapons are single-shot bolt-action/manual load, and this helps provide a balancing element vs. something like a sniper rifle (vs. personnel) or Forge Guns (vs. armor). Relative strength of the round can be balanced against the amount of ammo given, and presumably some amount of range restriction and barrel-sway can be present as well.
APFSDS Launcher: This could be a weapon of projectile damage: -5% Shield Damage +10% Armor Damage
The idea is to keep the weapon projectile-oriented rather than explosive since we already have a weapon of "explosive" type. An armor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding-sabot round/shell is a type of anti-armor weapon used in "RL". In short, it's like firing a rocket with a super-dense metal spear inside that acts as a kinetic weapon instead of explosive. This is largely (in the case of this post) to keep the weapon type as AV-oriented and non-explosive.
I was thinking the delivery mechanism for the rounds would be a single-shot disposable launcher-type, and necessarily try to restrict the number of launchers you might be able to carry (3-4 perhaps). A secondary idea which could add a game mechanic to the use would be to give the launcher a wire-guided sort of element. This could be used to restrict the range to some degree, add some minor degree of player control to the missile itself, and perhaps require secondary input after launch to actually release control/discard the sabot (assuming it's done within the time-frame given).
Of course, if you wanted to go really retro with Minmatar, you have APFSDS missiles fired by a crossbow (I'm thinking of the arrows used in Ninja Gaiden). You "could" use a bow for silliness, but a crossbow would probably be easier to work animation-wise as far as being closer to a gun. It also keeps a single-shot aesthetic to the weapon. In this case the crossbow would launch a missile into the air, and the rocket ignites proceeding to stages to launching the sabot afterwards.
Having to wait for the sabot to discard, etc. would put a minimum distance requirement on using the weapon. Maximum range is a bit more iffy to work with. |
Zeylon Rho
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Posted - 2013.09.29 13:30:00 -
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Amarr laser weaponry comes in two flavors: Pulse or Beam.
The difficulty in developing a light-AV weapon for the Amarr mostly lies in the fact theyGÇÖve yet to reveal the Amarr Heavy Weapon. We know there IS an Amarr Heavy Weapon because it was a revealed as a TBA item with the weapon damage types under Amarr (as was an unnamed Gallente Heavy Weapon).
If the Amarr Heavy Weapon is a beam-type Heavy Laser of some sort, then having a light-AV weapon that was also a Heavy Laser of some sort would seem redundant. If the Amarr Heavy Weapon is something more like a Gatling Laser (presumably pulse) as seen in the Fallout Franchise, then this is less of an issue. One might think the Heavy Suit could give clues, but one might sensibly conclude that both a heavy laser and a gatling sort of device could overheat.
Either type of laser weapon will provide a much-needed/currently absent shield-weighted damage-type.
The advantage is using a beam-type (similar to the laser rifle) is that you could sensibly require constant fire from the beam for consistent damage. This could act as a useful limited factor for the beam weapon, which requires the user to be potentially exposed to take advantage of the increased damage. Many current AV options (Swarm, grenades, Forge, or even Plasma) allow a user to quickly (relatively) pop out and fire, and then hide.
A constant fire element also helps distinguish the weapon from a GÇ£chargedGÇ¥ type like the forge gun or plasma, and can still be balanced with overheat.
Heavy Laser: A weapon using laser damage: +20% Shield damage -20% Armor damage
An obvious concern here is if it does high damage vs. infantry, the current laser rifle could be made redundant, or if the unannounced Amarr weapon is a Heavy Laser; this very idea is redundant with that.
A key feature of the current laser rifle is the capability to steadily increase the damage if contact is kept continuous. Vehicles can often be larger targets of course, and itGÇÖs important in this instance to have the Heavy Laser initially not be much of a threat damage-wise. However, maintaining contact for at least a few seconds can allow the damage to rapidly rise, especially with respect to shields.
IGÇÖd picture the damage curve here being slightly different than a standard laser rifle, with a longer delay for damage to become appreciable to account for both the potential output, the size of the target, and to discourage infantry use.
It might also be a good idea to restrict ammo more than with a standard Laser Rifle, and to keep an overheat mechanic. Range here would presumably be somewhere in the 2-3x the range of a standard laser rifle, but with some similar mechanics causing damage fall-off close to the user.
Fire Lance A weapon using laser damage: +20% Shield damage -20% Armor damage
The idea here is a weapon vaguely based off the old Chinese Fire Lance, a firearm of antiquity. Basically, this is a spear or lance-looking weapon that has a firing element or short barrel on the end instead of a point or blade. The weapon-type would lend itself to a makeover with gold or baroque elements that would be fitting with the Amarr more-so than any other race.
In this case the barrel or end of the lance would be broad/fat as one might expect with the original Chinese fire lance, but the idea is to fire charged thick pulse laser shots from the end of the tube.
Being a laser, it would fire straight and fast GÇ£projectilesGÇ¥, but the lance design is in keeping with a lower ammo light-AV weapon out of direct competition with weapons like a forge gun.
IGÇÖm envisioning a single-shot before reload, with a charge-up before firing with the lance held at waist level. The idea in part is to keep the aiming in a hipfire-esque area to prevent it from being much much better than existing weapons like the forge gun. As long as the plasma cannon has horrible-horrible projectile qualities and a charge-time, it would be unbalancing to have this weapon with a much shorter charge time as well (since the plasma cannon is already a single-shot AV weapon with a charge-up).
As another measure to balance the weapon, youGÇÖd want the range to be restricted under forge-gun type range, but still in keeping a fair amount of range to be useful as AV. IGÇÖd say somewhere around 300m max range with damage falloff starting somewhere after 200-250m. However, it's a difficult matter as existing light AV options are already restricted, and there's a limited set of useful options for dealings with things like, say, flying ships. |
Zeylon Rho
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Posted - 2013.09.30 02:30:00 -
[3] - Quote
Django Quik wrote:How about making the Amarr light AV be lock on arc type weapon. Like swarms it would only be usable against vehicles/structures and would follow to a certain extent. Once you've got lock on, the electricity arc begins and damage builds over time, similarly to the laser rifle. Lock and damage continues for 2 or 3 seconds if you lose aim slightly but if the target goes completely out of view (i.e. behind cover or if you turn around or something).
I'd just hate to see more weapons like forge guns and plasma cannons that are intended primarily as AV but totally OP when used as AI.
That was the idea with the beam weapon, if you make the warm up take long enough for damage to build, it could only catch truly stupid infantry or stationary/oblivious types. My idea was to have it do close to no damage for the 5-8s, but you still have to have the laser on target. Assume no AA unlike the regular laser rifle as well. A somewhat mobile target could easily reset the timer preventing any damage. A larger vehicle-type target would be easier to follow, and less mobile in theory.
It's only problematic in that as an "anti-shield" option, it remains somewhat awkward for more agile shielded vehicles like LLAVs, which is part of the problem with the current set (anti-armor Swarms are relatively agile and the Plasma Cannon is the opposite). |
Zeylon Rho
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Posted - 2013.09.30 04:58:00 -
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Draco Cerberus wrote:So where do you figure the forge fits in. It is still AV and seems to be light AV because it can be held in a merc's hand. A flack cannon seems like a Heavy vehicle or Heavy suit H slot weapon to me, more ideal for anti personal and anti DS and not specific to either.
The forge gun (and all heavy weapons) are basically handheld cannons/installation-type guns. The HMG is arguably meant to be a vulcan cannon analog, though it has rounds doing less damage than many other standard rounds for whatever reason. The forgegun is like a handheld vehicle railgun. There should be no direct comparison between weapons like that and light AV.
I chose the anti-tank rifles I did because they're typically single-shot rifles as opposed to flak cannons (check the RT-20 for example). The rounds are huge, and the guns aren't made to fire in rapid succession. The manual load of each single shot is meant to be another balancing element. Barrel sway (like the sniper rifle) is another balancing factor, which is reintroduced after every shot because of reload and recoil. Another option here is to have the barrel sway "always-present" and only reduced at max skill, not absent. I actually envision the rounds doing less than default forge shots to help account for the fact that you get scoped aim anyhow.
The barrel sway and single shot element can restrict the anti-infantry uses of the anti-tank/anti-materiel rifle, but you'd also expect the ammo to be restricted as per most AV weapons. This wouldn't be a weapon to hit the field with 25 rounds, rather, more something like Swarm/PLC counts.
Relatively rapid fire remains in the domain of something like the forge gun which can carry more rounds. |
Zeylon Rho
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Posted - 2013.09.30 05:01:00 -
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KAGEHOSHI Horned Wolf wrote:I would rather have the Minmatar light AV weapon be a cannon held low (like a heavy weapon), that fires explosive rounds at a low ROF.
There's nothing wrong with that idea; my anti-materiel or apds launcher (or crossbow... lulz) ideas are focused on having every damage type represented within light AV. |
Zeylon Rho
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Posted - 2013.10.01 18:13:00 -
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Dehlia Metii wrote:I dunno, I like KAGEHOSHI's handheld artillery idea, but a crossbow would be hilarious.
I do kinda like my crossbow idea, though I think the idea of propelling a rocket like that which then ignites after being shot would potentially be awkward (even if Swarms have a sort of two-stage flight pattern right now as well). |
Zeylon Rho
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Posted - 2013.10.01 18:54:00 -
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CLONE117 wrote:plasma cannon is not av...its anti infantry..
if it was av it could kill vehicles with ease which it can not..
it can kill a turret installation in a few shots buts thats all it can do... its designed to ohk ppl with direct hits...
It may be crappy, but they seem to believe it's AV. |
Zeylon Rho
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Posted - 2013.10.03 16:43:00 -
[8] - Quote
Really, fire-rate, damage, and all of that is completely adjustable on their end. I mean, the weapon could be a kazoo appearance-wise, it's just a matter of balancing the stats/damage and making it interesting and fit the racial themes. A cannon isn't unreasonable, it takes from the ship-type weapons a bit more, since those feature artillery and autocannons. An anti-tank rifle works too, since old-school projectile weaponry seems to fit in their purview.
I'm less concerned with the particulars of "which" AV weapon gets selected (I just wanted to provide some sample ideas), and more concerned with the races being fully fleshed out. |
Zeylon Rho
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Posted - 2013.10.08 11:19:00 -
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Nikea Nei wrote:I'd prefer to be using "SUPERIOR AMARR TECHNOLOGY" when I do AV attacks, though I can't claim to have played much with the state of the Commando suit as-is. As a secondary issue, with the no-respecs position... every current player that's cared about AV will have a large amount of SP sunk into Swarms presumably. I may have preferred to go all-Amarr, but it won't be really sensible to ignore the 2 mill+ SP I spent in Swarms.
Unfortunately for you, I don't think they plan to give anyone respecs, and I haven't even heard murmurs about people getting partial respecs for things like new weapons releases.
There'll be a refund for the vehicle tree because the whole thing is getting gutted, and there's no other way to do it. I can see them changing the Commando suit, but not refunding that either. |
Zeylon Rho
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Posted - 2013.10.08 15:18:00 -
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Magpie Raven wrote:I realy like the ideas in this post. The Anti Material Rifle is a great idea for a Minmatar light AV choice. However the Cannon mentioned in other posts I think is better suited as a heavy weapon.
It should be semi auto I think with a really slow rate of fire or a really powerful single shot cannon requiring the player to load a new shell after every firing.
I think an autocannon sort of weapon would make an interesting 2nd Minmatar Heavy weapon.
A single-shot anti-material rifle could be a great addition in my opinion. I don't want it on the same level or speed of operation as the regular Sniper Rifle mostly, and balancing is about keeping it more focused as AV. |
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Zeylon Rho
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Posted - 2013.10.10 12:54:00 -
[11] - Quote
Also a bump. |
Zeylon Rho
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Posted - 2013.10.17 16:14:00 -
[12] - Quote
I'd still like to get more feedback on these ideas if anyone has more. I get the impression no one has problems with them per se, but people have gotten burned out on the idea changes will actually come. |
Zeylon Rho
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Posted - 2013.11.01 14:32:00 -
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Django Quik wrote:Been reading up on Eve/Dust fiction lately and came upon this little gem that reminded me about this forum thread. About halfway through (third paragraph after the * * *) a big ol' Brutor soldier brings out a 'Force Launcher' that takes a big chunk out of a wall. It appears to be wielded by a minmatar heavy but it's shoulder mounted, so may possibly be a heavy or light weapon. The way it works seems to be that it fires a 'force field' that blasts everything in its path, so kinetic energy? My suggestion is that the force launcher in the game would be a short range high damage weapon. Say 30m optimum 50m effective and 1000hp damage with 110% to armor and 85% to shield. I'd give it a suitable charge up time of maybe 1 second and similar ammo counts as swarm launchers. The intention would be for it to be used as a vehicle ambush weapon (something entirely non-existent currently). It could also be used as an anti-infantry weapon but would be an utter waste of the small number of rounds it carries. Perhaps anti-infantry abuse could be reduced by giving the weapon the effective fire-pattern of a giant shotgun - i.e. the 'force field' spreads out like invisible pellets, say 10, with each doing 100hp damage. Vehicles are large enough that they would likely take the full blast but infantry would likely only catch a small number. An added effect of this would be that it could also be used as effective crowd control, keeping large groups of enemies pushed back but not necessarily killing any of them. Variants of the force launcher could include: longer range, tighter spread (tactical); shorter range, wider spread, higher damage (breach); quicker charge time, lower damage (assault). I can't imagine an appropriate burst variant, so will leave that out for now.
I'm all for ANY sorts of new weapons, though it's not immediately clear to me that it would fill the AV damage type gap (projectile). |
Zeylon Rho
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Posted - 2013.11.07 13:52:00 -
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Django Quik wrote:Zeylon Rho wrote:Django Quik wrote:Been reading up on Eve/Dust fiction lately and came upon this little gem that reminded me about this forum thread. About halfway through (third paragraph after the * * *) a big ol' Brutor soldier brings out a 'Force Launcher' that takes a big chunk out of a wall. It appears to be wielded by a minmatar heavy but it's shoulder mounted, so may possibly be a heavy or light weapon. The way it works seems to be that it fires a 'force field' that blasts everything in its path, so kinetic energy? I'm all for ANY sorts of new weapons, though it's not immediately clear to me that it would fill the AV damage type gap (projectile). I'm still unsure if the Force Launcher is a kinetic or energy based weapon but either is a viable AV weapon type - not everything is explosive, projectile or laser; e.g. flux grenades.
I wouldn't mind the odd damage type here and there. There seems to be a drive to make every weapon fit into a certain "slot" as far as damage types and for that to be more "simplified" than something like EVE. I only suggested damage types from their schemes to have things rounded out from a balance perspective. |
Zeylon Rho
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Posted - 2014.01.18 03:55:00 -
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I think this is becoming somewhat relevant again, especially given the limitations of our AV options.
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Zeylon Rho
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Posted - 2014.01.18 04:06:00 -
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ALPHA DECRIPTER wrote:I think the light weapons aren't classified as AV but "Launchers" in which case you have SL, PC, MD, and [Amarr pending].
Still, I'm curious to see what Amarr is gonna get.
I know the SL and PC don't have the normal "light arms" penalty to damage against vehicles. Is that also the case with the MD?
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Zeylon Rho
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Posted - 2014.01.25 08:35:00 -
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Tanks are OP? Sure would be nice if we had more AV options...
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Zeylon Rho
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Posted - 2014.01.27 07:14:00 -
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Magnus Amadeuss wrote:3 words:
Portable Tachyon Cannon.
Ha! I love it!
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Zeylon Rho
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Posted - 2014.01.27 09:58:00 -
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Alena Ventrallis wrote:Consider this.
Supose we give minmatar the -20%/+20% that swarms have, and make caldari -10%/+10% profile for swarm launchers? Traditionally, Caldari are about kinetic damage, so the swarm launcher could be more about penetrating shields and armor rather than blowing it apart.
Now for Minmatar, have their AV be a bazooka type weapon with the -20%/+20% profile, with one shot, then a reload, but no charge up time like the plasma cannon.
Amarr AV you described perfectly. No change I would make.
The Swarm Launcher supposedly has a "Hybrid" tag already as a weapon in the SDE, though they haven't indicated that they wanted to alter the damage profile.
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Zeylon Rho
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Posted - 2014.02.10 14:05:00 -
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Logibro posted that Swarm, Plasma Cannon, and MD are all listed as "Launcher", but that it doesn't preclude an actual Minmatar AV weapon... but doesn't mean they're make one either. The fact the Amarr don't have an AV weapon OR a launcher implies that they will make something like that?
So, a possible late edit to this could suggest... "Where's the Amarr Launcher" though that seems overly simplistic, and clashes with what our original vision of Amarr AV would be.
I suppose some sort of Khanid Heavy Assault Missile or Rocket Launcher is technically within the scope of Amarr?
Dren and Templar equipment stats, wrong since release.
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Zeylon Rho
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Posted - 2014.02.19 14:39:00 -
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Zeylon Rho wrote:Logibro posted that Swarm, Plasma Cannon, and MD are all listed as "Launcher", but that it doesn't preclude an actual Minmatar AV weapon... but doesn't mean they're make one either. The fact the Amarr don't have an AV weapon OR a launcher implies that they will make something like that?
So, a possible late edit to this could suggest... "Where's the Amarr Launcher" though that seems overly simplistic, and clashes with what our original vision of Amarr AV would be.
I suppose some sort of Khanid Heavy Assault Missile or Rocket Launcher is technically within the scope of Amarr?
I'd prefer to have AV fleshed out, but I'd settle for knowing when/what this theoretical Amarr launcher is going to be, if every race needs a "launcher".
Dren and Templar equipment stats, wrong since release.
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Zeylon Rho
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Posted - 2014.02.19 18:56:00 -
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Sole Fenychs wrote:We already have five AV weapons. Three are Caldari - Swarmer, AV grenade and FG One is Gallente - PLC One is Minmatar - REs
Each has different strengths and weaknesses. AV grenades have low range and fill the grenade slot. FGs require a heavy frame and have a large charge time. PLCs are hard to aim. Swarmers aim themselves and have huge knockback, but not much firepower. REs kill absolutely anything, but their effective use requires either about six seconds of melee range or suicide. Sure, AV in general is underpowered, but we already have a nice selection. I'd prefer if the fourth launcher was not an AV weapon, considering that two already are.
So, in your world, the Amarr just never bothered making an AV weapon? These were supposed to be entirely separate civilizations at one point. It defies reason that a culture wouldn't bother with ANY AV weapons. The Amarr find an opponent with vehicles? Darn... send the infantry home.
Racial parity is an end unto itself not just for balance reasons, but for logical ones.
Dren and Templar equipment stats, wrong since release.
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Zeylon Rho
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Posted - 2014.02.26 14:00:00 -
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Sole Fenychs wrote:Zeylon Rho wrote:So, in your world, the Amarr just never bothered making an AV weapon? These were supposed to be entirely separate civilizations at one point. It defies reason that a culture wouldn't bother with ANY AV weapons. The Amarr find an opponent with vehicles? Darn... send the infantry home.
Racial parity is an end unto itself not just for balance reasons, but for logical ones. I never said that Amarr shouldn't have an AV weapon. Only that the quantity of AV equipment is already plentiful. I totally expect an AV weapon for Amarr. Or a weapon that has AV as secondary effect, similar to how the PLC has anti-infantry as its side-role. Edit: Vehicles have weak points. (Your modifier changes when you aim at them) What if Amarr had a weapon that was mainly anti-infantry, but gained a huge modifier for attacking those weak points? It's totally in line of the "hard to handle but hideously strong" design philosophy of weapons like the Scrambler Rifle. So what if the Laser Rifle gained that role?
I don't count grenades, equipment, or heavy weapons as within the scope of AV for light infantry. The latter for obvious reasons, the other two because I see them more as adjuncts to active AV engagement. Grenades require nigh-melee range on a vehicle, which makes them super situational. Explosives are typically static, forcing a somewhat opposite strategy from grenades (static traps outside the somewhat questionable jihad-jeep business) - though Proxies, not REs are supposed to be the predominant explosive AV option anyway.
They're mutually distinct areas, and it seems reasonable to me because of the initial separation of races, that each race would have a racial AV option that existed for their light infantry without necessitating a heavy weapons platform. I think of these as "active" AV options that don't necessarily involve melee distance, but might require some pursuit on the part of the user. The forge is OP for a LW in this framework, the Plasma Cannon is overly weak - being less practical than grenades most of the time. The Swarm Launcher's range nerf has killed most of their utility in this respect.
For the PC and Swarms, that's mostly a balancing issue because the weapons already exist. This thread exists to suggest alternate active light AV options for the other races that are currently bereft, while not ruling out whatever options that might arise in the Heavy Weapons arena later on.
To the laser suggestion directly, I think the practicality of requiring hitting a weakpoint is too sketchy to make it consistent AV. I'm not sure if it would be worse than a PC necessarily, but it seems like it at first blush to me.
Dren and Templar equipment stats, wrong since release.
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Zeylon Rho
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Posted - 2014.03.08 12:18:00 -
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Xaviah Reaper wrote:ccp cant even balance out 1 vehicle with 2 available weapons... can you imagine the chaos???
The problem won't go away for lack of things to balance.
Dren and Templar equipment stats, wrong since release.
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