Ivan Avogadro
Subdreddit
Test Alliance Please Ignore
38
   |
Posted - 2013.04.07 11:59:00 -
[1] - Quote
Jet packs are a horrible idea simply from a balance perspective. Warhawk for PS3 release was an amazing shooter that lasted with an active community for years. In the third expansion they brought in jetpacks and it ruined the infantry game. Until that point they had infantry with low speed and 8 weapon options, tank and jeep with high speed and fixed weapons, and the warhawk which obviously had air dominance. A lucky tank could shoot down a bird, but mostly it was anti-infantry, quick and devestating. They way to take down a tank was Zerg it, or use a bird. To take down a bird you used another bird or littered the sky with missiles. Foot soldiers had so many weapon options that a good one could take down whatever he wanted, provided he was quick and smart.
jetpacks offered too much mobility for foot soldiers. One map was an archipelago, and required warhawk support to get to capture points. Warhawks can be locked onto with missiles, so the trip was dangerous. Foot soldiers had a much smaller profile, can't be locked onto, and can now fly themselves. This was to say nothing of other map designs (long winding mountain roads, city streets, etc) that used to be choke points. Now everyone was just descending from all directions.
Foot soldiers can also carry missile launchers themselves and lock onto tanks and hawks. Hawks were still fast enough to break lock with training, but tanks were actually completely trumped. They had no way to fight back against even one bouncing flying foot soldier, who always had versatility over tanks, but now had mobility and evasion over them too. Hawks couldn't fight back against the super small super deadly hanging object, except by crashing into them for a run over kill. (By the way it was so hard to pull off they offered a trophy for lining up that shot)
Now think of balance in dust. How will you defend an objective if people can come at you from literally any direction except below? How will tanks fend off skittering flying soldiers with swarm missiles that latch onto them, while they try to blaster bolt large patterns in the sky? How will snipers line up shots on people moving in an extra plane? Jetpacks tacked on willy hilly will turn the game into a cover free, explosion heavy, meat grinder. Whole other trees of skills will become worthless given the new kamikaze style of warfare.
Edit: to those of you saying "just a sidearm" or "less equip slots" ect... What exactly does a player like that offer to your team? Why would you want someone to advertise their location in the air and not be able to shoot back or accomplish anything? Might as well be a screaming neon scout, unless the objective of the jetpack is to get the enemy distracted while you do all the real work yourself. What role would such a suit play in the field? Really truly think about what you want AS A ROLE first, then ask if the jetpack is the best way to achieve that role without destroying the rest of the game. |