Pvt Numnutz
Watchdoge Explosives
1316
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Posted - 2014.06.01 01:24:00 -
[1] - Quote
Lloyd Orfay wrote:
Vehicles: We all know why one would use vehicles, like transportation, defense, etc. I know many players know that the majority of times vehicles are used to harass or make a battle as one sided as possible. A drop ship is tasked with deployment, and yet I see people flying heavily armoured ships removing teams of players from null cannons.
I use my python for lightning strikes. These days I only fly with a crew, yes our job is to harass the enemy but it is not to make it as one-sided as possible. We try to tip the scales of the engagement where ever possible to favor our ground team. This involves suppressing enemy advances, controlling far off points, reinforcing contested points, clearing uplinks, eliminating vehicle threats, softening entrenched positions, scouting, hot extraction and yes, transporting. Though we cannot be everywhere at once, and a double gun ADS fit is squishier than a solo fit.
The python is suited to the lightning strike role, getting in fast, hitting hard, deploying, extracting and leaving ASAP. The key to a python is speed, not staying around long enough for av to get into position. I see a lot of reds die to my gunners because they don't consider the great white skyshark to be a serious threat.
My favorite tactic is to have a skilled min scout in my dropship and fly to outlying points that usually see little activity and controlling them through speed. The enemy starts hacking the point, I immediately set course, by the time the red has hacked it we are on scene, hacker is deployed and scouting while we scan the perimeter for the red(s). Hacker or gunner spots the threat and eliminates it while the hacker saves the point. Point is saved extract hacker and examine options, any place that needs fire support? An extra set of eyes? Intimidation factor? Hostile tank leading a push? Dropship on a roof dropping uplinks? Other outlying point contested? We aren't just limited to troop carrying ability, though it is the strongest point of the dropship there are many other tasks we can preform to help our main ground force even with a limited crew.
Is there a reason a dropship cannot deploy troops and provide covering fire at the same time? Because that is one of my favorite tactics....
The real problem with dropships is that we lack large enough maps and/or progressive battles where rapid redeployment across large sections of land fast is needed. Even 5 point skirmish mapa, scouts and labs can cover the distancealmost as fast as a dropship. Conquest would really give dropships the specific role of rapid redeployment. In fact I'd say it would be one of the most useful assets in a conquest game.
If I could, I would trade my pilot gun on my python for two extra seats, I fly the python because of the way she fly's, I simply cannot get the same type of maneuverability out of a std dropship. My gunners would still rain death from above, but that's becauseafter months of flying with me they know how I fly, can predict where I'm going to set them up for a shot, and are damn good at hitting their mark. Sometimes I let a random blue in and position him over three reds and watch as he kills 1 in 2 minutes when my gunners would kill all three in 30 seconds and we would be gone.
Respect the skyshark, or die tired. |
Pvt Numnutz
Watchdoge Explosives
1317
|
Posted - 2014.06.01 02:45:00 -
[2] - Quote
A python with just a pilot is pretty easy to avoid, so long as you respect the fact that depending on the pilot he will kill you if you run out in the open. A lot of heartache could be avoided if players gave the nessasary attention when a dropship flies in to take pot shots.
If I see a lone python Im not overly concerned, if its a python with both gunners I find somewhere that I can hide, that's some serious sh-ít.
To be honest I have much more fun when I'm flying with a crew, you have really great moments you can laugh about. It also provides more tactical diversity to a dropship. The reason you probably don't see more of this is because
1.) ADS (specifically pythons) are very easy to kill. A lot of pilots will sacrafise their side guns to fit a better tank. Which is understandable as the price for just the hull is 400k+
2.) Pilots really only get paid for kills or kills assist off their gunners. Even if you have shock troopers jumping every 5 minutes you won't make as much as both gunners going 15-0. Would be nice if transport wp paid more so we had more incentive to do that rather than just kill.
3.) Being a shock trooper is hard, especially when you only have two other guys to rely on or sometimes just one. Jumpers land behind enemy lines and their only route of escape is a dropship that can be forced to retreat by a forge gun suddenly leaving you stranded. Not many people want to jump out of, or even get into, a dropship in a nice suit.
4.) Eh f*** it I can just run there.
I would like to reach our and find more potential shock troopers and gunners but its hard to get anyone interested, and its very hard to do which leads to a lot of frustration. Personally the experience of running with a crew is worth the isk cost to me. Flying solo is so lonely... |