This is not an issue of swarms, though they shouldn't avoid ships coming straight at you to take up position behind them for certain.

Their speed is certainly not an issue. Swarms should not catch a DS flying away at high-speed.

The issue is not that DS's are overpowered in their own sense.

The issue is ridiculously high-powered missile turrets with a 20ft splash radius that do enough to 1-shot a proto heavy, much less anyone else.

Solution: Limit Dropships to blasters.

While I agree that swarm pathing needs to be fixed, I don't see an issue with their speed if they simply go for their target rather than where their target was at the point of firing (what's the purpose in lock-on if that's how it works? Also, why can't we dumbfire anymore?) the issue is dropships loading up accelerated missile turrets and having gunners with a few levels of turret operations.

By limiting dropships to blasters they have to move slower and lower to the ground to be used as attack vehicles which is not their intent, but they could still defend themselves when coming in to land to drop off or pick up troopers.

As I've said a few times before: Dropships should be DUST's Huey choppers, not Apache Arrowheads (which I think we're expecting from the light attack ships later to come).

TL;DR:
Limit dropships to blasters only
Fix swarm pathing, not speed
Possibly re-institute dumb-fire

I wouldnt go so far.
Simply Reduce massively damage, and splash damage of light missile turrets.
Add a major recoil for using missile turret, especially light. That will avoid spam.
Add some sort of effect from firing range.

Dropship will then still be able to launch missile and hurt infantry. But they shouldnt get the ability to rain death... Same goes with LAV that will otherwise become the next best thing with massive shield tank and going around firing missile at its feets etc..

Light missile should be good to create panic and hurt a group of infantry to help its teamates take an edge in battle. Forcing ennemy to disband. Not OSing them .... And if you have no anti-air mesure, you should be killed eventually by a dropship using missiles.

Another duplicate thread.
stop clogging the Forums

A better solution would be to NERF THE GODDAMNED MISSILES and to give dropships a range bonus to blasters.
The reason noone is using blaster or rai turrets is that missiles are too good, they have good ROF, huge explosion radius, huge damage and don't overheat.
I would greately reduce missile splash damage and/or make them have to reload after a few shots, like overheating.

Dropships also need WP FOR SPAWNING AND FERRYING PEOPLE, it's stupid that pilots don't get points for what they are supposed to do.

I've fought against and with you so I won't insult you as I aspire to be as competent pilot as you are, but please read the actual post.

This isn't an attack on Dropships whatsoever, and as such not a duplicate thread of any kind.

I love dropships, even when going up against them in combat. I'm just saying there's a serious issue with how their being used as high-speed missile platforms rather than... you know... dropships.

I'd rather the issue with their offensive capabilities be adjusted than have their mobility or defensive capacity nerfed completely into uselessness thus ruining the investment of time and money players like yourself have put into them.

If you'd taken more than 5 seconds to scroll down and post your quick reply you would see I'm actually trying to save the style of gameplay you excel at rather than strip you of skill mechanics you've learned and mastered. Unless of course you'd rather CCP just let freebie swarm kiddies just butcher your wallet, as they keep crying for, every time you try to take to the unfriendly skies.

So many people whine and complain about Dropships being overpowered when that isn't the issue at all, but if theirs is the voice loudest heard CCP will respond to that because they will eventually have to fold to the majority to make a game that appeals to as many people as possible rather than the limited few who play a certain way.

What we're all here to do, hopefully as we've clearly all read the agreements and contracts we signed up for, is to actually be willing to ponder the issues and make constructive feedback for them to consider. That's all I'm trying to do here, and in such a way that rather than hurting someone's gameplay experience it balances things for people on all sides of the argument.

If there are more actual constructive suggestions from anyone we should get them out so CCP can actually take note of them rather than people being childish whiners and naysayers.

I know it may seem hopeless but if even 2 guys with militia swarms stay on it then he wont be doing much stomping at all. I think a better solution thn NO MISSILE TURRETS would be to limit ammo, making the dropship have to return to base and rearm

Wots dis? Another thread of whiners whining when they can't adapt? EVE and certainly Dust are all about emergent gameplay. You can't demand that dropships get a super nerf just so you can stroke your epeen by getting kills that are 100% guaranteed with what you are asking for.

The speed of swarms should be increased by the swarm launcher operation or proficiency skill(a freebie shouldn't be able to hit a good pilot). The tracking is fine as is if there is the option of a speed increase.

it's not easy to hit with the missle turret unless the DS is at a hover in that case the DS is very vulnerable. not every gunner can hit consistenly with DS missle turrets while in motion tho many can.. if DS is 1shotting you that bad then get a suit with more HP on and take cover until someone forge guns it..

This game is so broken, There are 0 ways to take a dropship out. Your going to say use a forge gun, well eat a big hairy one because they have a range so i can only hit when they are right on top of me. They run around swarms all day long and if it takes me 4 shots to take out a drop ship there is no way to charge the forge that many times before i die or he is out of range. Completely broken. /endrant

if it takes me 4 shots to take out a drop ship

Yes, Forge Guns do have range. It's approximately the distance between the two red lines on Ashland, because I can one-shot LAVs being dropped behind the A-side redzone all the way from point D's blaster installation.

Hell, I was at Manus Peak's A-side supply depot and blew up an LAV being dropped down beneath point B.

I was also able to nail an enemy drop ship on Manus Peak from the same position while he was flying over that little group of buildings beneath B, so I'm pretty sure Forge Guns have plenty range.

Just gotta lead your shots.

lead your shots from redline to redline...gtfo, u crazy :p

reduce splash and longer times inbetween fireing
maybe only one turret atleast keep missle launcher until there is something that can replace it there needs to be firepower in the sky. its a valuble game component. but yes i do belive it needs to be nerfed and maybe figure out a way for ds pilots to get wp. maybe pickup and dropoff wp 5 per but to where it cant be exploited.