Summary
LAVs need to be balanced
Remove Free LAVs
Balance Armor Modules PG/CPU requirements
Give crew some cover
Balance Lock on and tracking weapons
Return a purpose for Logi LAVs
Balance Cost/Survivability





Im an LAV driver (When I can find someone to seriously gun for me that is), and frankly the state of LAVs are sad. Consider for a moment how most people really consider LAVs, thank you very much Baloch and Onikuma. They are the "drive it to a point ditch it," or maybe "drive like a psyco, squish some people, get Swarm launched" vehicles. Most people view them as death traps, Why ride as a passenger when a militia swarm will probrably give someone a fat double kill. Or free points at best. Militia LAVs need to be improved and made not free (Also a lesson to learn about the future speeders youve got planned).

Then there is the Methana (My workhorse LAV, Im an armor guy, no judgements), Ive got close to maxed out pg and cpu and I can barely fit 60mm plates with an armor repper. There needs to be some sort of rebalance in those vehicle mods, lower PG/CPU requirements for that armor repper (Which is essential in an armor tank) and for armor mods or increase stats. Then there is the model for both the Caldari and Gallente LAVs. They look fine, except for the fact that the entire crew is completely exposed. Some exposure is understandable, but given that at the moment fire and movement is difficult to impossible you esstentially become stationary. This makes the entire crew easily vulnerable to anyone. There needs to be some sort of protection for the gunner and pilot, Im not saying it should be to the extend of the HAV but you should have to be darn close to kill the gunner and practically next to the vehicle to kill the driver. Then there is the defenses, Im sure we can all agree the LAV is supposed to rely on speed and movement to a certian extend. Of course this is entirely nullified by weapons that seldom miss (Swarms and AV nades). Most that get me while im in an LAV are Swarms. They are extremely easy to spam, impossible to evade unless you can go immediately go behind a corner or be lucky enough to angle yourself, and anyone can get a militia fit.

Logistics LAVs, I would call them a joke but they arent funny. I can drive a limbus, for those that are not aware that vehicle is supposed to have a repper that can fix infantry. It does not, add to that fact that I believe there is a damage penalty to your turrets, this may just be perception and I havent been able to test it prehaps someone can confirm that. The LogiLAVs suffer from the same issues as the regular LAVs with a possible damage reduction and not a huge leap in hit points, PG, CPU, Slots, or any value over the standard LAVs.

I have sunk alot of points into LAVs, I enjoy driving them. I especially enjoy the rare games when I manage to do well and actually make money. But as I stated those are rare, I drive conservetively to. I dont go for the ramming kill I let the gunner do the work. But given how much one of my LAVs costs in order to make any money I would have to not lose any. With the state they are in this is extremely difficult, and depends alot more on luck than skill. Im not looking for them to be overpowered but they need a boost of some kind, something to give them the survivability that Im paying for when I pay over 200k to field one of these, just to have it taken out by a couple of guys in free militia anti armor fits.

Talk to the hand. I pay over 180k, It'd be over 200k just for the suit if I bothered to use a B-Series, to field an A-Series hvy, FG or HMG.

Swarms and AV nades worry you? Someone got lucky enough to take your gunner off or managed that difficult shot to take a passenger or you out of the driver's seat? I have to be alert for everything as me, and others like me, are the easiest to hit targets outside of a HAV. The only thing I don't have to worry about is Swarm Launchers and AV nades. Sounds like you've got it easy in your sweet LAV. I even have to watch out for your front bumper. :P

Summary
LAVs need to be balanced
Remove Free LAVs
Balance Armor Modules PG/CPU requirements
Give crew some cover
Balance Lock on and tracking weapons
Return a purpose for Logi LAVs
Balance Cost/Survivability

1.
Then there is the Methana (My workhorse LAV, Im an armor guy, no judgements), Ive got close to maxed out pg and cpu and I can barely fit 60mm plates with an armor repper.
2.
They look fine, except for the fact that the entire crew is completely exposed.
3.
Then there is the defenses, Im sure we can all agree the LAV is supposed to rely on speed and movement to a certian extend.
4.
Logistics LAVs is supposed to have a repper that can fix infantry. It does not, add to that fact that I believe there is a damage penalty to your turrets,
5.
PG, CPU, Slots, or any value over the standard LAVs.
6.
given how much one of my LAVs costs in order to make any money I would have to not lose any.

I shorten yours to ease my replies


1. this is kindof sad I can fit more on a methana than you and im a shield guy. skill in support skills to help with cpu/pg it goes a long way.


2. they do have a bad model image for protecting the passengers no doubt about, I kindof wish I had a window on the drivers side but theres nothing I can do for the gunner as the model stands, you can suggest the Humvee style where the gunner isn't totally open but meh its just a idea.


3. speed and map knowledge helps a ton but fitting helps too its model is kindof to blame here for making a transport rather then a ground support vehicle.


4. hopefully we get this back, reddit said we should but I don't trust them. the turret at the moment is full powered.


5.one slot is given and some stats unlike HAVs and dropships where they are given just the slot so meh this is kindof ok seeing as how low the stats are to start with.


6.cost is an issue but hopefully with vehicle return this will not be as bad and should bring more people into these.

so yea I would like a more of a Humvee model for an attack LAV please!!! as the current ones are for transportation.

1. My support skills are all 4s my armor upgrades are 5 I can fit a repper, plates and resist mod, a straight hardener if I bump them to five. But there is only so much that I can squeeze onto the thing and given how important those three defensive modules are I dont ever get the chance to throw on damage mods. Fitting a proto turret is also going to be a pain to make work. Although it isnt really CPU, CPU I almost never have problems with But PG thats where the issue is. Blasters, Plates and reppers are all pretty PG intensive. I suppose what I was really getting at was either boost pg a bit of lower PG reqs on those smaller items.

3. Yes map knowledge helps and for some maps its not as big an issue but speed is hard with the handling right now. That pebble in the road might put you in a mean tailspin :)

4. Ok then it just seemed like it was underpowered because my gunner is much better at gunning than I am and he hasnt used it yet.

I think we are mostly in agreence though.

Forgive me Heavys have it so hard, what with all the cover, the fact that people can miss you and your 200k proto suits. That 200k I spent is for standard gear, with an advanced turret. Then a militia swarm launcher can stay up in the hills, completey out of range of any small turret, spam swarms at angles that make it extremely difficult if not impossible to evade because they follow you. But your right your human sized mobile target is much easier to hit than LAVs are because anyone with a militia assualt rifle can lock onto you, fire outside of your range and near one hit kill you. It must be so hard being a single man target where your oh so expensive proto suit can be revived. My apologies for all the difficulties you bear! I know it was hard when you first started and you put on that militia heavy and hmg and went 12-1. Im not saying Heavies are over powered but dont sit there and complain, try driving an LAV before you presume to judge. Swarms and grenades arent the only things LAVs have to deal with, there are also automated rail turrets are a pretty good death sentence. Also that AR that hurts you also takes out my completely erect gunner whic is stationary and has no cover. Oh and your armor tanked heavy doesnt catch on fire. Yes the squishy thing is alittle over played though. I dont agree that an LAVs primary weapon should be the bumper, thats one of the things I think should change.

No. I get it. Just thought I'd reply to what I perceived as a whine post with a sarcasm post. I guess the sarcasm didn't come through.

And it's about 200k for the lvl 3 set up, not the proto. A full proto set up runs 400k+.

I hate driving LAVs, but not for the reasons you do. IMO, they just don't drive right. Too slippery.

But... Tell me something... How does a militia assault rifle one shot your LAV?

It doesnt one shot an LAV, infact refferenceing the militia assault rifle was mostly flourish, but it is alot easier to kill the gunner than it really should be. However LAVs do tend to drive like they are on ice though your right about that, of course my understanding is that is being addressed.

That and going airborne. They jump more easily than a startled jack rabbit. Not so bad when my heavy butt is on the ground and a small bump sends an oncoming LAV soaring over my head. But it's a pain when I'm just trying to get to a location that's prohibitively distant for a fat suit to run.

Agreed and its not even a controled airborne either, not that smooth dukes of hazard jump. More like your wildly careening through the air . This gets brought up alot though, and I think I heard something about it being udated soon, might be my imagination though.