CELESTA AUNGM
Kang Lo Directorate
Gallente Federation
746
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Posted - 2015.12.08 17:15:00 -
[1] - Quote
 Hmmm..... ugh, there's too much venom here to get any kind of useful traction (or give any kind of good contribution either---Celesta what are you doing posting here?)
Ever since May 2014, the impression (just an impression) I got was that if you wanted to be a nemesis to enemy vehicles and be respected by enemy drivers, you must go the long road and train your character in Forge Guns and Large Railgun operation. If you didn't have time, or you weren't planning on making a "career" out of anti-vehicle fighting, the Swarm Launcher is the thing you grab on the fly to try and change your bad luck---a good weapon, that like an ole' British PIAT, was designed much earlier when enemy targets had less protection on them.
Vet vehicle players I learned from, always talked about the Forge or the Rail, but didn't fear Swarmers once they trained far enough up into their vehicle-skill tree. Swarmers felt like "the economy weapon that ANY able merc can try to save lives with----not the brain-surgeon gun". And guns like that are always needed in this game.
Swarm Launching is NOT an easy thing to manage---I have seen that. No brain-surgeon weapon does not mean no-brainer weapon. Once the player with the Swarmer gets spotted, she's got to work really hard to hurt the vehicle more than the vehicle is lining up to hurt her. I have to give Swarmers credit where credit is due.
I have also FELT the fact that S-L missiles DO slow a Dropship (admit it, we're talking about the Dropship-obsession, aren't we, aren't we, LOL). I've taken HAV-fired, Installation-fired, and recently Handhelf-fired missile hits head-on into my forward-speeding DS, and gotten slowed down every time. CCP recently mellowed the effect just a bit, so we at least have a chance to still use some kind of controller-skill to counter the missile volleys, and I think it has just the right amount of "knock you off your course and wreck you" danger now---it shouldn't be messed with any more.
But my first impression still has to be respected by Swarmer-players. Much as it hurts to say it, I don't think the game was intended to make the S-L a nemesis against vehicles, and you'll never be given the lead spot in killing vehicles---you're not meant to. Shoo-ing the vehicle away, definitely yes, but reliable destruction at even Advance-SP training,... no. To turkey-shoot vehicles, is the job of the heavier-hitters (or the super-long-SP grinded S-L master).
Large-Railguns, then Forge Guns (which I think needs a little of its fame restored), then S-Ls and Plasma Cannons. I think that's the weapon Totem-Pole in the devs minds,... and that order feels right for the technology.
Universe of good wishes for the 49, especially CCP Eterne...
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