Garrett Blacknova
Codex Troopers
2043
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Posted - 2013.03.15 20:38:00 -
[1] - Quote
I've fired 6 shots into an Assault at point-blank with my Militia Shotgun earlier today (I was on my "Kamikaze Free Hugs" fitting after setting an Uplink). This is with Shotgun Ops at level 3, no Prof (obviously), no Damage mods, and Weaponry level 5.
Shot 1: About 70% of target's shields
Shot 2: Another 20% of shields.
Shot 3: Nothing.
Shot 4: Nothing.
Shot 5: Nothing. Shields start to regenerate.
Shot 6: Yep... nothing.
What was he doing? Walking in a straight line directly away from me while I walked (faster) following him and was close enough that meleeing him twice instead of reloading got me the kill. It's not just Scouts that sometimes have kittened up hit detection. I've unloaded on a Heavy and had less than half my shots connect at point-blank for no apparent reason before too.
And while I've previously been arguing that the Scout isn't underpowered, I may have been making it sound like the opposite is true. It definitely isn't. They might be slightly - SLIGHTLY underpowered. But it's by such a small margin that it really shouldn't matter. You can't take another suit down in a head-on engagement, but you CAN control the fight so you don't have to.
Lets look at the usual argument. Scout vs. Assault. Scouts have a VERY small (<10%) speed advantage. They have an almost as small (approx 10%) Profile advantage. They have a SIGNIFICANT advantage to scanning (almost 70% wider radius and approx 20% better precision).
Most people downplay the Profile/Precision advantages, but the fact is that with the scanning stats on an Assault, that Profile advantage is bigger than it looks. Part of the problem is that most people don't realise the Scout's has a greater advantage in Precision than Profile against Assaults.
Looking at the Profile stats without context doesn't tell you anything. You NEED to be looking at the Scan Profile of the suits vs. each other's Scan Precision.
Scouts can pick enemies up - WITHOUT line of sight - at nearly double the range of an Assault. They can also detect targets with a significantly lower Scan Profile than an Assault can (excepting, of course, when the target is in line of sight and you're aiming right at them).
A stock-standard Scout with no scanning-related skills or mods can pick up a stock-standard Scout with no profile-related skills or mods. A stock-standard Assault with no scanning-related skills or mods CAN'T pick up a stock-standard Assault with no profile skills or mods. Assaults have a lower Scan Profile than their own Scan Precision. If you don't buff your scanning abilities (with skills or mods) on a Scout, then other Scouts who lower their Profile will be invisible even to you, but if you appropriately fit your Scout to detect people, then they can't hide. If you don't buff your Scanning abilities (with skills or mods) on an Assault, EVERYTHING but a Heavy will be invisible unless you have them in sight. That includes non-stealth buffed Logis, Assaults and Scouts, and even Heavies with a few points in Dropsuit Command or Profile Dampening. Also, you won't see anyone more than 15m away unless they're in front of you, even if they're in that huge, Heavy suit with no stealth skills trained.
Logis are better able to be fitted as scanning suits than Assaults, and Scouts can do the job better than Logis. Even a Heavy isn't disadvantaged against its own kind the way Assaults are. Logis have equal Profile and Precision stats, while Heavies have a lower (which is better) Precision stat.
If you can play that advantage up effectively, it's a major benefit to the Scout, but most people don't invest in the skills or fittings to make the most of it. |