Why did they lower the skill ceiling (the height reaction achievable) and steepen the cliff at the same time is beyond me.

That's actually because of height mapping. Basically the terrain is just a large picture with white, black and gray bumps. Where things fall in the terrain is percentile based. Here's a quick overview if you care. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08ZKqAajRFw

My challenge to the strike wing is that if you un-installed the turrets and MCRU off a dropship, how useful are you still? If you can get the dropship to the point that without these two things and the team still wants a dedicated dropship pilot on the team the entire battle, then you done a good job on getting dropships fixed.

Is this tantamount to asking "What is the value of an air transport vehicle in DUST 514"? While a legitimate question I don't believe aircraft in the game need to be limited to that role or need to have success in that role as a starting point for all their designs. Did I just misunderstand your comment?

Is this tantamount to asking "What is the value of an air transport vehicle in DUST 514"? While a legitimate question I don't believe aircraft in the game need to be limited to that role or need to have success in that role as a starting point for all their designs. Did I just misunderstand your comment?

Upped.

http://www.twitch.tv/rnd_jungian/c/2645865

I am sometimes bad with words but in a way yes it was a bit misunderstood.

My point is that dropships should for all sake of feel homage and heritage be still be able to do the role its predecessor did very well without extra tools. Take a bunch of troops and equipment from point a to b in one piece.

The Spearow class dropship from the caldari army was very handy at this in carrying 50 troops, being able to get in and out easily up until the clones were brought in.

The viper should be the evolutionary step up from the sparrow. Added weapons, defenses and severe cut back on passengers to minimize losses increase survivability on the field. The main homage however should still remain at heart still a transport ship at heart being able to land pick up people and get them out. The older styled dropships early in the beta followed this very well however the fact it was too easy to crush people made it a constant annoyance for snipers and roof huggers.

Upped.

http://www.twitch.tv/rnd_jungian/c/2645865

@ Jungian : Thank you very much that would be invaluable.

I won't be able to make that and even if I did I wouldn't be talking much and doing more note taking instead, but my not-so-short stint as an ex-top pilot before they changed the controls/physics.

I know there are quite a few pilots very 'passionate' about the current controls but I must warn you, Elitism is not an excuse to not change something. For example the calls for forge gun nerfs are coming despite how high of a skill barrier it is to get good with forge gunning infantry.

I miss all the player stories of being a dropship pilot

I missed dog fighting, where the best solution to take out a drop ship was another drop ship. :(

[.......]

I want the old stories to return.

@ Jungian : Thank you very much that would be invaluable.

I won't be able to make that and even if I did I wouldn't be talking much and doing more note taking instead, but my not-so-short stint as an ex-top pilot before they changed the controls/physics.

I know there are quite a few pilots very 'passionate' about the current controls but I must warn you, Elitism is not an excuse to not change something. For example the calls for forge gun nerfs are coming despite how high of a skill barrier it is to get good with forge gunning infantry.

I miss all the player stories of being a dropship pilot

I missed dog fighting, where the best solution to take out a drop ship was another drop ship. :(

When was the last time any of you flown up with a Blaster armed dropship to engage 3-4 other air targets simultaneously and win?

I miss using my dropships beams to spot and weed out snipers, cleaning roofs, and my gunners where able to do their job marvelously because they didn't get sniped out of the position in the first second of 'stabilizing' for target.

When was the last time any of you did?

I miss having a full dropship, and making a full dropship useful. The power to quickly take a small strike team from alpha to bravo in a very quick manner dropping off that squad then my gunners providing close air support. Then once the situation is dealt with, land and pick or even have a small fight between allies of who gets to hitch a ride back onto my dropship.

When was the last time any of you help 'shape' and 'control' the battlefield?

When was the last time the hostile team actually feared any of you? To the point they did not wander far from areal cover?

and as an AV guy as well since the change in controls I can only recall two (that's right TWO) instances of a dropship giving me problems, primarily because I couldn't get to a position where I was afforded two shots against the target without getting mowed down by hostile infantry.

All this lost so a drop ship could do a 'barrel roll'.

Why did they lower the skill ceiling (the height reaction achievable) and steepen the cliff at the same time is beyond me. Dropships went from one of the easiest vehicles to operate to the hardest and with all the changes thrown in are no longer doing anything remotely to their job sake.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXna2Jnu1xs

Dropship where functionally a weird but working hybrid of attack, scout, and transport chopper back with the old control scheme. Transport (cept the one way trip to a roof) has died off, Nobody dares uses them to scout anymore, and attack role is rarely pulled off proper as AA keeps them too far away.

Though I am willing to fault AA being too powerful with the current controls thats an extraordinarily thin line between paper and invincible with the ability to survive an engagement would result in a drop ship that just laughs off the attacks as it weaves in and out of a defense envelope under current controls which was a real possibility and continue to remain near useless.

The older dropships did not have the option of leaving the defense envelope that easily because of their slower top speeds. and even at times where forced to remain in the bubble because trying to leave certain parts of that bubble would have resulted in death from a railgun, forge gun, more swarms thus it became a living puzzle on how to tear apart with your gunners the entire battlefield to safely exit the defense bubble.

While the new controls do have their place, I feel they're more at home on a real attack vtol craft armed with forward mounted rocket pods and heavier guns. A craft you want maintained CAS to be difficult with.

I want the old stories to return.

Upped.

http://www.twitch.tv/rnd_jungian/c/2645865

Hi, folks. I e-mailed Brush Master several weeks ago about er, 'official' joining to 514th Wing, but still no response. Is this group still active? What benefits it brings to members?

I looked for your email and could not find it.

The 514th Wing is going to be gearing back up now as we prepare for the 1.7 release. email [email protected] if your interested in sharing feedback. in-game: 514th Wing