AA Idea

[=KoS= Tripod]

I noticed that most people here don't like playing as AA.

This seems to be because it is an extremely niche role that requires a lot of skill and patience, and becomes near impossible with high ping.
This made me think of an idea... A.I. controlled AA!

Base turrets seem to have little trouble destroying aeros, even when they have ridiculous pings, and cannot feel boredom or frustration! They are also programmed to be excellent shots!

My idea is to put one of these turrets on an AA vehicle, and let it do the shooting! (nerfed, of course. Base turrets are too good to be just anywhere)
It only activates when you shut the tank down (or deploy it, LT style) and fires at any aeros that come into it's field of fire.

This lets you "plant" an AA vehicle somewhere, RTB, and buy another vehicle to defend it, or help your team.

For it to be balanced, it would have to be less powerful and accurate than a base turret, relatively weak and cheap, and not fire on ground units.
This makes it possible for the owner to buy a cheap unit to defend it/help their team. It also makes it easy to take out with ground units. For it to effectively "shut down" the area, there must be about 3 of them working together.

Any ideas/suggestions?
Is this even possible?

EDIT: If you don't like the idea of an A.I. doing the work, how about a "Lead reticule" that indicates where to shoot like in Wings of Prey

[Virt]

Your idea could result in aeros actually being shot down... a totally unacceptable scenario






But seriously...

In the interests of fairness, in a combined arms game, if you introduce a weapon which automatically shoots down aeros, then you're going to have to give Aeros anti-Mech and anti-tank turrets.  No sense in one vehicle class being unfairly and automatically targeted if the others aren't.   

And what about BAs?   They'd look highly unfashionable wearing anti-vehicle turret hats

So put me down as a 'neg', sorry.

[-SM-SUCKER]

Maybe I am biased, because I like playing AA every now and then.

But bringing AI (if even possible) to the battlefield is generally a bad idea. It would be frustrating to get shot down by AI instead of a human beeing.
And the worst case would be that in the middle of a game, many players will be able to afford a big mech AND such an AI controlled AA. This would lead to huge amounts of AI controlled AA, leaving the skies empty. And especially in the late game with all the big mechs the ASFs have most fun. At least I believe so.

Long story short: Do not like it.

[MerfMerf]

Long story short: Do not like it.

+1
Don't automate my gaming please...

/Merf - Just don't, please.

[(TLL)Siilk]

Long story short: Do not like it.

+1
Don't automate my gaming please...

/Merf - Just don't, please.

+1

[Shinikaton]

Hitting airplanes is not super hard as it is and thats why I think we don't need automated AA. I killed a few of them with AC20's when I was at my best, tank shells hitting airplanes... Its almost impossible to kill them when they lag though, which is 50% of the time.

[=KoS= Tripod]

Okay, if you don't like A.I, how about a little "lead reticule" that shows people approximately where to aim?

[zombat]

AI no!

Lead reticle with the requirement that the vehicle needs a targetting computer installed?
Yes

[Taemien]

AI no!

Lead reticle with the requirement that the vehicle needs a targetting computer installed?
Yes

Hmm AAcraft could be a good candidate for a T-Comp.

[Rhiawhyn Zerinth]

Random thought, a replacement turret for LAMS which fires a single machine gun or AC-2 at something in the air, you still have to be in the vehicle with it powered up. It does not shoot down missiles and the turret itself counts as a mech part with individual armor, or not. ((you should be able to shoot the turret off if you can hit it however, just make it highly resistant to splash so it dosent go pop when someone looks at you)

Would actually shoot battle armors hopping over you, which in it of itself would be comical as it would miss something that small most of the time ((may even try to shoot them if they manage to land on top of you, which would definitely make sitting on top of a mech with that even more comical))

[CHHš Aurailius]

The problem with a targeting reticule is that the weapon's projectiles move at different speeds depending on the weapon you're using, and thus it makes it impossible to make accurate for all weapons.  It may be possible to make it calculate for the last weapon used or the current weapon selected, but i'm not certain.  And as for the AA turret on a vehicle, i sincerely doubt that'll ever happen.

[Sesambrot]

I like the idea of TComp ala MW3.
Regarding different projectile speeds;
e.g. on a huit prime it could be made accurate for the ac2s, by the time the ac5 come in range there is not much of a difference.
Though I'd love to see a TComp, wouldn't it be very hard to code that thing?
It would not only need to account for projectile speed and target velocity, but also distance to the target, and the angle the target is moving relative to your position.

Do you think it might be possible to take the code from the MW3 Tcomp as a sample/reference?

[(TLL)Siilk]

I like the idea of TComp ala MW3.

 Could you remind me of how it was implemented in MW3? It was ages since I played this one.

[HAARP]

I like the idea of TComp ala MW3.

 Could you remind me of how it was implemented in MW3? It was ages since I played this one.

It introduced a secondary targeting reticule that showed where you had to aim on moving targets and also allowed you to aim at specific parts of a mech

[Sesambrot]

Could you remind me of how it was implemented in MW3? It was ages since I played this one.

It introduced a secondary targeting reticule that showed where you had to aim on moving targets and also allowed you to aim at specific parts of a mech

^ this and IIRC it showed the lead required for the currently selected weapon...