DUST Search - Swarms: Quit Whining and Lets Compromise

Baal Omniscient wrote:

I've been reading QQ threads about swarms for MONTHS. Apparently some people are so completely convinced that these are broken that they just WILL NOT let it go. I don't agree in the slightest, but ok. I get it. If you refuse to let it go, we need a middle grounds where we can compromise. Your biggest issues seems to be that it requires no skill and it can sometimes make crazy turns. Let's try to resolve that first one since it seems to be the easiest one to fix without starting a lot of arguments.

Why don't we just make swarms go wherever the reticle is pointed.

That way they aren't fire-and-forget weapons, you actually have to guide them to the target. Make the ADS for them lock in when entered and remain locked in until you hit the weapon wheel button, this will free up the L1 button for controlling the flight of the swarms. Of course, leaving ADS would end your control of the swarms as well. The fire button can make them go forward, the aim button can make them come back towards you, holding neither will let you turn and move them side to side, and they have a slightly lengthened flight time to compensate for human error.

For this, they will need a somewhat tighter flight pattern, otherwise they will easily miss their smaller targets. They will also need more carry capacity, perhaps 4 more total capacity since they will miss quite a bit unless the operator is quite skilled.

This will make the swarms a skill weapon that you can't just fire and go do something else while waiting for your LAV destruction points, you actually have to guide them to the target yourself. If the swarms leave your line-of-sight for, let's say, 4 seconds, your ability to control them goes away and they spiral away in whatever direction they were heading last.

Leave the Assault Swarm Launcher as auto lock-on, but make the swarms for it only fire 3 missiles for the basic, 4 for the advanced, and 5 for the proto. This will give people the option to use the auto-locking swarms, but at the price of reduced damage potential.

Lastly, since the swarm is now a skill weapon, we should buff the damage of each missile by around 5~10% on the guided swarms. This will add additional incentive for people to use the skill based swarms instead of the assault one, since the overall damage of these variants would be that much higher.

So, to recap:

Swarms will require skill by being player-guided

Swarms will have a higher capacity and flight time to compensate for human error

Swarm ADS will be locked-in once entered until weapon is changed

Swarms out of your LoS for too long will leave your control and continue upon last trajectory.

Assault Swarms stay lock-on, but have reduced missiles per swarm

Guided Swarms get a 5~10% damage boost

Swarms are no longer fire-and-forget (except for the assault variant)

This would pretty much solve the beef people have with this not requiring any skill. So, any thoughts?


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Y0UR NAME HERE Imperfects Negative-Feedback 444	Posted - 2013.02.19 04:33:00 - [1] - Quote Baal Omniscient wrote: I've been reading QQ threads about swarms for MONTHS. Apparently some people are so completely convinced that these are broken that they just WILL NOT let it go. I don't agree in the slightest, but ok. I get it. If you refuse to let it go, we need a middle grounds where we can compromise. Your biggest issues seems to be that it requires no skill and it can sometimes make crazy turns. Let's try to resolve that first one since it seems to be the easiest one to fix without starting a lot of arguments. Why don't we just make swarms go wherever the reticle is pointed. That way they aren't fire-and-forget weapons, you actually have to guide them to the target. Make the ADS for them lock in when entered and remain locked in until you hit the weapon wheel button, this will free up the L1 button for controlling the flight of the swarms. Of course, leaving ADS would end your control of the swarms as well. The fire button can make them go forward, the aim button can make them come back towards you, holding neither will let you turn and move them side to side, and they have a slightly lengthened flight time to compensate for human error. For this, they will need a somewhat tighter flight pattern, otherwise they will easily miss their smaller targets. They will also need more carry capacity, perhaps 4 more total capacity since they will miss quite a bit unless the operator is quite skilled. This will make the swarms a skill weapon that you can't just fire and go do something else while waiting for your LAV destruction points, you actually have to guide them to the target yourself. If the swarms leave your line-of-sight for, let's say, 4 seconds, your ability to control them goes away and they spiral away in whatever direction they were heading last. Leave the Assault Swarm Launcher as auto lock-on, but make the swarms for it only fire 3 missiles for the basic, 4 for the advanced, and 5 for the proto. This will give people the option to use the auto-locking swarms, but at the price of reduced damage potential. Lastly, since the swarm is now a skill weapon, we should buff the damage of each missile by around 5~10% on the guided swarms. This will add additional incentive for people to use the skill based swarms instead of the assault one, since the overall damage of these variants would be that much higher. So, to recap: Swarms will require skill by being player-guided Swarms will have a higher capacity and flight time to compensate for human error Swarm ADS will be locked-in once entered until weapon is changed Swarms out of your LoS for too long will leave your control and continue upon last trajectory. Assault Swarms stay lock-on, but have reduced missiles per swarm Guided Swarms get a 5~10% damage boost Swarms are no longer fire-and-forget (except for the assault variant) This would pretty much solve the beef people have with this not requiring any skill. So, any thoughts? I will +1 this, I was looking at creating dumbfire, fast as forge gun shots, more splash radius and damage. aka buff the swarms, but make it manual. But hell I like this too.
Y0UR NAME HERE Imperfects Negative-Feedback 444	Posted - 2013.02.19 04:37:00 - [2] - Quote Rupture Reaperson wrote: Ser Chard wrote: I think they're fine vs tanks, but a bit too easy vs drop ships and lavs. I'd like to see aerial vehicles have a counter measure - maybe a passive mod that can auto counter one swarm and give an audible warning every 30 seconds. Like ecm flares? If so yes please. 45 second cooldown. My only 2 gripes with the current SL are: Make the assault SL work, the whole "double lock on" its a fat lie, so the assualt variant: dead on the water. Some instalations STILL (even after 6 months of the problem being around) are untouchable by swarms unless they are shot point blank, and not even that works all the time. Fix that and im a happy man. ECM Mods won't be until Christmas or after.......not even really soontm Let alone if they happen to be bugged.