Kazu Fujiwara
Rinas' Raiders
17
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Posted - 2013.12.16 03:45:00 -
[1] - Quote
For about a week now, I've been mulling over the ideas of not only the Racial variants on Heavy dropsuits and weapons, but also how we can then expand the Heavy to cover more roles. No, this is not about balancing what we have just now, but purely looking at what the future could hold. (no numbers as I am terribad at math and would probably break spacetime)
Currently we have the Amarr Sentinel Dropsuit, the Heavy Machine Gun and the Forge Gun (and Commando, I guess. But Commando suits are weird). This firmly puts the Heavy suit into close range anti-personnel or dedicated anti-vehicle roles. With the Sentinel suit bonus, we are encouraged to gravitate to Amarrian laser weaponry - small issue being there is no Amarr heavy weapon, but we'll get to weapons later.
First, dropsuits!
Caldari Heavy Dropsuits are shield hardened, moderately mobile dropsuits, designed around the use of quickly regenerating shield systems. The Caldari dropsuits are built around a slightly more mobile combat style that the Amarr or Gallente, and thus can't take the same level of punishment. However, they do not have as much downtime between combat due to quick shield regen.
The Caldari suits and mostly used for flank defence, and rapid reaction of heavy troops. Because of their fragility (compared to the heavier Amarr and Gallente suits), Caldari suits are more reliant on friendly support during assaults, however they are very viable suits for the more solo orinentated user than enjoys being well protected.
Gallente Heavy Dropsuits on the the other hand, are even slower than Amarr suits. Designed around armour, and lots of it, Gallente suits are best suited for getting right into the face of the enemy, and dispatching squad after squad before finally being put down. While difficult to relocate, and easily dispatched while alone, Gallente Heavy Dropsuits perform best as the vanguard of an attack - walking into a wall of infantry small arms and explosives to break the lines - or as a pure defensive monolith. Few things on the battlefield will be as terrifying as a well trained, well equipped and well supported Gallente.
Minmatar Heavy Dropsuits rely on a mix of advanced shielding systems, and reactive armour layers to make this the lightest, fastest and thus, structurally weakest dropsuit. The Minmatar dropsuits and best used in ways that the other suits are not capable of - supporting rapid attack infantry forces, deploying anywhere on the battlefield quickly and easily compared to other dropsuits of the same class. This makes the Minmatar suits less useful is full on frontal assaults, but then when are the Minmatar ever known for that? Flanking, unexpected attack angles, and rapid escapes provide the bite this suit needs, and the longevity to make an impact on battlefields around New Eden.
Now, I've got a few ideas for Dropsuit Varients (like a Skirmisher Amarr Variant that sacrifices EHP for mobility and the like), but they're still in the "Is this even a good idea" phase in my head.
So! Onto weapons!
Gallente Plasma-thrower is a very close range weapon, designed to kill and suppress. Spraying a cloud of super heated plasma, the weapon is designed to fry shield systems, melt dropsuit armour, and cause panic and mayhem within enemy ranks. With area of effect and damage over time, with the cloud obscuring vision, this weapon is excellent for assaulting entrenched enemy positions. Enemy units will either flee from the rapidly approaching cloud of death, melt into a pile of metal and organic ooze, or succumb to the super-heated plasma that's now coursing through their dropsuit as they flee. But, because of it's choice of ammo, the weapon has a very short range, and can run through it's ammo very quickly. Not a weapon to be used without Nanohive support.
Caldari Rail Machine Gun is basically a scaled up Rail Rifle. Giving a drum magazine, and with improved cooling and recoil managment systems, the RMG is in the middle ground of Heavy Dropsuit weapons. Coming standard with a reflex sight for medium range engagment, the RMG has a moderate fire rate, coupled with a large magazine size, allows it to engage targets outside the normal range provided by the Minmatar HMG, but still providing that massive hail of bullets that sends anyone not in a tank scampering for cover. This weapon is still effective in close ranges, but the minor charge up time, and issues with hipfire accuracy mean that sits better at medium ranges.
[b[Amarr Pulse Laser[/b] is better equipped for long ranges, as most Amarr weapons are. By using advanced cooling systems powered by the dropsuit itself, the Pulse Laser uses multiple crystals to focus multiple lasers on the same target. This increases heat gain on the weapon, but thus also increases damage by a significant amount, even more so as the weapon heats up. There's nothing fancy about this weapon, it's all about burning through armour and flesh.
Minmatar Auto-Cannon for anti-vehicle operations.
The Auto-Cannon is a rapid firing, moderate range weapon that fires what are more or less giant slugs of metal, shaped to penetrate enemy armour. The Auto-Cannon doesn't provide the same kind of instant kick as the Forge Gun, but it's rapid fire means it can keep the pressure on enemy vehicles, and engage lighter vehicles with ease, compared to the Caldari Forge Gun. This means that while the Auto-cannon can keep up a more constant barrage of fire, it's damage is influenced more by modules that give damage reduction. But unlike with the forge gun, there is no charge. Just point and spray.
I am currently working on Racial AV weapons, but I'll post them after hearing feedback.
People ask me, "Why do you fight?" I reply. "Why do you not?"
Beta Warrior, Heavy User, Rinas' Heavy Support Dude
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Kazu Fujiwara
Rinas' Raiders
17
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Posted - 2013.12.16 04:32:00 -
[2] - Quote
Ulysses Knapse wrote:Kazu Fujiwara wrote:Gallente Heavy Dropsuits on the the other hand, are even slower than Amarr suits. Designed around armour, and lots of it No, just no. Gallente are about the damage, just like Amarr are about the armor and Minmatar are about the speed. It's bad enough CCP broke the Amarr for Dust 514, you want them to break the Gallente, too?
Yet the Gallente suits have the most low slots? Gallente are about hititng hard and out lasting everyone else. I'm going by what they're already done in-game.
People ask me, "Why do you fight?" I reply. "Why do you not?"
Beta Warrior, Heavy User, Rinas' Heavy Support Dude
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Kazu Fujiwara
Rinas' Raiders
17
|
Posted - 2013.12.16 04:49:00 -
[3] - Quote
Terry Webber wrote:I've read about an idea for another heavy weapon. It's called the flak cannon, which fires projectiles that explode in midair when it detects nearby vehicles. It's perfect for taking down dropships.
That would make for an interesting counter to dropships, but it's kind of easy to snipe them with FGs as it is. Might be useful for scaring them off though, as FGs aren't too good at close range (for dropships anyway)
People ask me, "Why do you fight?" I reply. "Why do you not?"
Beta Warrior, Heavy User, Rinas' Heavy Support Dude
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