Hi guys, let me provide you guys with provide some feedback on this topic.

1. We are looking at doing re-balancing of our AV weapons. One of the topics, which also seems to be showing through on this thread is to keep a decently long enough range on the forge gun, but also look at the damage decay variable over time on it, optimal ranges, etc. Because agreed, that it is a very potent anti-vehicle weapon and it's not exactly something that is easily countered with countermeasures (see next point). We also don't want the forge gun to be nerfed to the point of feeling ineffective, so a direct reduction of damage output across the board is not going to be the simple answer there.

2. We are also want to get countermeasures in soon, as well as a lock-on warning system for players piloting vehicles that have been locked on to. The lock-on indication will be a graduated indicator so that you will have a decent idea of how imminent your time to impact is and can choose to act accordingly. Furthermore, we're also working on porting lock-on to a certain subset of turrets. This will come in helpful for dropship pilots who are engaged in dogfights, or supporting assaults against ground units.

3. As one of our immediate tasks, we want to look at how we can provide dropship pilots with more chances to earn WP. We have lots of ideas in mind, however we need to tread carefully on this one so that we're not opening up too many opportunities for exploit. Some of the ideas that are bouncing around are providing WP for players spawned into your craft, WP for use of active scanners (possibly more specialized ones), and finding a way to re-introduce WP for remote repairs without exploit.

4. We will be reducing the ISK cost of dropships so that players can get into them more easily, while also looking at the overall skill cost of this class of vehicle.

5. Lastly, we're aware of turret issues that have come up. Many of the improvements needed will require code support to fix lingering bugs as well as further flesh out existing systems. We are currently working on this as our next set of code fixes.

Why are you asking questions that you know the answer to?

It's called a road map, not a flight plan.

It's called a road map, not a flight plan.

They ain't going to develop an accurate road map without the perspective from the sky.

They ain't going to develop an accurate road map without the perspective from the sky.

Because there could actually be a good chance it's coming, since they followed up on 2 of those promises listed in that reply

Their idea of fixing dropships was going to be forcing them to use a pilot suit to be semi viable at all. A HUGE SP sink, which at some point they even said might affect things like "War points gained". A seriously lazy way to tack on rewards. Spend 3 million SP on a suit so you get ANY wp, and maybe over 3 years you'll make back the investment! Derp.


I'm not even making this up either.

Anyhow, the pilot suits aren't going to be in 1.3. Likely not 1.4 now either.

And when it comes it will be disappointing. Also any 'buff' it gives DS will have it's practical effectiveness multiplied by 5 when used with a LAV or HAV. So, think of pilot suits as a minor buff to DS and major buff to LAV/HAV. SInce they'll use it more efficiently so really we're getting vehicles that will kill DS easier and be harder for DS to kill.

I still retain some hope that what CCP Blam said about WP will be fixed, as well as countermeasures being put in place. I wouldn't count on the pilot suit as the only update dropships will get, because i mean, the consensious of how ****** over dropship pilots are right now is higher than ever, and if CCP doesn't recognize this, it will be their loss, literally.

Dude they don't care simply because we're like 0.05% of the population. AR, ground, tanks, and murder taxi are their bread and butter. Why waste precious development resources on such a miniscule portion of the player base? It's a cold hard fact that as a company they have no incentive to fix DS, if anything they profit by leaving it as a pinyata for noob players to feel good about destroying with militia AV.

Basically every DS pilot could quit the game and bring 2 players with them into the void, CCP would have the net effect of gaining money because new players who want this to be COD would be pleased and join as replacements.

I see a lot of speculation and theories being presented as facts in these... Ah... Arguments...

Which is why i chose to be more optimistic, many are just speculation into what they will do, while CCP Blam seems to say otherwise.

optimism is incompatible with expecting CCP to comment on a DS fix. Time has shown this to be true, sans some hollow words.
If that's what you wanted then maybe you'll get lucky.

Look back in time at all the "promises" made about DS. It's kind of impressive that none of it's come true.

I too had the same mind set before CCP Blam replied and they actually began to act on some of those promises, i have a feeling they will follow up eventually on the others.

Dropships, scouts, heavies, the sp rollover system, combat rifle, rail rifle...

all things that have been put on hold while they work on core mechanics.

I wouldn't expect new content until 1.5 at the earliest.

Adding a line to give pilots WP for MCRU spawns, scanned enemies and a bit more HP isn't really content that takes time to do.
They just refuse to because they claim it would be exploited yet are blind to the same "exploiting" that's done more easily with drop uplinks. It makes no sense.

And as judge Judy says, if it doesn't make sense. It's probably BS. Or something like that. In other words these are their excuses because they don't Want to.

"don't p*ss on my face and tell me it's raining" - Judge Judy

A woman full of wisdom

so are we fairly sure the pilot suits are not coming out in 1.3?

Of course not, why would they?

Unfortunatly, our alleged cpm will not help either, i do believe one retorted, saying, "learn i fly better"

Our voice will never be heard, so nothing will ever change

On the positive side Blam did fix the follow camera so it takes the vertical look invert from the infantry setting. That's something I'd been asking for for months. It would make the ADS usable for me if I hadn't already dumped vehicles with my last respec.

Whatever they did with the camera I freaking despise it, let me put it back

:(

I was honestly not affected by whatever camera change they did, i saw the complaints from piltos, but my experience in flying to me has been no different than before so i never really felt the need to voice it, i can still pilot those things very well and do stunts all the same :P

I play inverted normally but it completely screws with me while I'm flying, the two should be independent of each other and you can set them as you please.

It totally removes what tiny bit of fun was left in flying dropships because now I have to constantly fight with my subconscious habit to tilt the camera one way instead of the other.

Aka.

Lame

:/

I use my militia derpships as AV, I just hate the inversion personally and wish I could just revert it :/

I need To be able to fly a dropship without having to do 2 matches on foot per fit

About 4 months have passed since you replied to my DS thread with this:
And I'm just curious as to where you guys are in WP process of these updates, because as we know, CCP did in-fact address the issue of range like you said they would a while back. But i am really, eagerly wanting to know when the WP update is being planned, since you said 4 months ago you guys had many ideas on it, and you wanted to get it done immediately. Not trying to bug you or anything, but i would really, really appreciate an idea on when it's dropping.

Don't worry, he's working on Bomber Dropships.

See, the solution to Dropships is not carrying any passengers or gunners, and strapping bombs on them.

i hope not. dropship pilots are useless.