Lets talk about the flying machines

[~SJ~Azov]

I'm not going to lie, I'm a little pissed at the balance

First of all, The VTOL has WAY to much armor. I know leer has a hard on for these, but its stupid tough.

Second, The modifiers for these damn autocannons needs to GTFO. Now that you've made "realistic" flight physics its way to damn easy to shoot down an aircraft. It needs to be adjusted so that an aircraft can at least have a chance.

Third, on with the flight physics, I've gotten used to it, but i think a speed boost across the board would be a welcome sight. i should beable to climb at at least 220kph versus 180kph. When in a dogfight pulling constant manuvers and dodge fire makes you an incredibly easy target mainly because you slow down to around 200kph. This makes you a stupid easy target for anybody on the ground....anybody. Its not really great when somebody can track an aircraft full the full duration of a heavy laser.

Speed is what gives an asf its survivability, you've basically taken away that advantage and slowed it down to mech speeds.

Just be glad these aren't CBT speeds where I could cross the map in under 10 seconds.

[Ice30]

Yeah i would like to see a speed boost and perhaps a nerf on VTOL armour

[~SJ~ Griffin]

I certainly agree that the flying tanks with the two LRM 10s need to be beaten with a nerf-bat or made way more expensive. Their armor is just frustratingly high. For other ASF, I haven't had many problems except for when I am in the Shiva. The thing is practically useless as a ground pounder now because any unit with any sort of AA weapon can just blast you out of the sky. I do have a complaint though; it seems for me when I am flying my sulla C I will sometimes receive no damage warnings, or at least a big enough one. Someone will be plucking me with little mguns or something and I might get a little red arrow on the side of my screen, which if I am trying to bomb a target is barely noticeable. I need some decent screen shake or bigger arrows, or both.

Too many times I have been flying around, at 100% health, and then my armor just starts falling and I have no idea how. By the time I realize what's happening I'm dead. Finally, build the runways out of pillows, it would be wonderful  . Also make them longer and make the hangers bigger. There's my wishlist.

[~SJ~Azov]

it could also be to the fact of the "critical hit" feature of the engine where 2 LBX 5s will destroy a sulla.

[Ice30]

The thing is is that an AA should be able to take out a sulla easily. But yeah i do agree that a better warning system would be good. Maybe a better HUD on aerospace would do wonders. Ie if you are being attacked it comes up with the type of unit or weapon attacking you and has an arrow with a distance that stays up on your HUD for a few seconds if that unit is currently on your radar.  If it isnt on your radar then an extended arrow showing the direction of where your plane got hit from would be good.

[-AAA-]

I find it a little laughable that you're complaining about VTOLs.  Their survivability got a buff, yes, but the only thing that it's a danger to is a Shiva that's dumb enough to get in a turn fight with it.  The lack of a kinetic weapon modifier for the Hawkmoth just means it no longer gets one-shot the second it comes into view...it's not like the thing is invulnerable to ground fire, you just have to use the right weapons.  Two double ATM-9 salvos from the Puma E will rape a Hawkmoth before it can get away in my experience.  I really expected you to be the last person to complain about something that flies getting a buff.  Seriously, when was the last time your 'mech/tank got killed by a VTOL?  They're still mosquitoes, now they're just mosquitoes that can't be smeared in one hit from half the assets in the game. 

As for aero speed, 0.4 is much, much less frustrating as a ground-pounder because you or your teammates actually have - in most situations, anyway - a window greater than 0.0037 seconds to down the incoming aero before it one-shots you with quad firebombs.  I think the real source of all of your raging is the kinetic damage modifier, because it means that silly little VTOL is actually a threat to your Shiva/Sulla, and you can now be one-shot by ground fire even easier than before.  You know more changes are coming in all departments, and with the lowered speed, a lowering of the kinetic modifier is probably going to happen (just speculating, but it seems the logical thing to do).  So just...simmer down.  Even Frostiken now knows that being a douche about it doesn't get you anything. 

If you were travelling at "CBT speeds", I'd be very glad...because you'd be crashing into a mountain 3 seconds after take-off.  So please, lobby for that one. 

[~SJ~Azov]

I choose to ignore your post because its complete ignorance.

IT SHOULD NOT TAKE 2 PASSES IN A SHIVA E TO SHOOT DOWN A VTOL.

and as for your second paragraph, That is the whole point. A standard ground pounder shouldnt be able to shoot down an aircraft with out a great deal of skill. In CBT the only way for a standard mech to shoot an aircraft is if it flies directly over head. and even then you have a plus 4 or 5 to hit making the shot incredibly difficult

[Frostiken]

Picture trying to drop FBombs at CBT speed

[AlfalphaCat]

I find it a little laughable that you're complaining about VTOLs.  Their survivability got a buff, yes, but the only thing that it's a danger to is a Shiva that's dumb enough to get in a turn fight with it.  The lack of a kinetic weapon modifier for the Hawkmoth just means it no longer gets one-shot the second it comes into view...it's not like the thing is invulnerable to ground fire, you just have to use the right weapons.  Two double ATM-9 salvos from the Puma E will rape a Hawkmoth before it can get away in my experience.  I really expected you to be the last person to complain about something that flies getting a buff.  Seriously, when was the last time your 'mech/tank got killed by a VTOL?  They're still mosquitoes, now they're just mosquitoes that can't be smeared in one hit from half the assets in the game. 

As for aero speed, 0.4 is much, much less frustrating as a ground-pounder because you or your teammates actually have - in most situations, anyway - a window greater than 0.0037 seconds to down the incoming aero before it one-shots you with quad firebombs.  I think the real source of all of your raging is the kinetic damage modifier, because it means that silly little VTOL is actually a threat to your Shiva/Sulla, and you can now be one-shot by ground fire even easier than before.  You know more changes are coming in all departments, and with the lowered speed, a lowering of the kinetic modifier is probably going to happen (just speculating, but it seems the logical thing to do).  So just...simmer down.  Even Frostiken now knows that being a douche about it doesn't get you anything. 

If you were travelling at "CBT speeds", I'd be very glad...because you'd be crashing into a mountain 3 seconds after take-off.  So please, lobby for that one. 

QFT

[~SJ~Azov]

ahem



VS

[HAARP]

Seeing as the Hawkmoth is currently our only VTOL, it appears the devs took the liberty to double its tonnage.

[Frostiken]

As I've said before, capping their altitude to a certain height AGL (no more ballooning, floating right over your head, etc.) and making them behave like the attack helicopters they really are would warrant a huge increase in their armor. The caveat is that they're more exposed to ground fire. They should kind of blur the line between ground units and air units... instead they're just ASFs with poor weapons and funny controls, really.

[sgnl05]

Hell, cap everything's altitude at 800-1000 metres and give all ASF an armour buff.

[AlfalphaCat]

How can you bitch about Aeros speed being reduced, then moan about the slow ass VTOL having better armor?  TRO? Really, everyone knows that the in game VTOL is a Hawkmoth in name only.  Use ATMs, use lasers, sheesh this thread is stupid!!!  Hell don't use a Shiva to kill it, you are a Smoke Jag aren't you, why would you disgrace yourself in an IS flyer.

[-AAA-]

I choose to ignore your post because its complete ignorance.

IT SHOULD NOT TAKE 2 PASSES IN A SHIVA E TO SHOOT DOWN A VTOL.

and as for your second paragraph, That is the whole point. A standard ground pounder shouldnt be able to shoot down an aircraft with out a great deal of skill. In CBT the only way for a standard mech to shoot an aircraft is if it flies directly over head. and even then you have a plus 4 or 5 to hit making the shot incredibly difficult

Er...it doesn't.  At least, for three out of the whopping four variants.  The RAC5 variant (C) got a substantial armor boost due to the close-range nature of it's weapon.  If you're truly afraid of that one; see my earlier comment about being stupid enough to get into a turn fight with a VTOL in a Shiva.  The LBX5 variant is still as one-shottable by a beatstick or Shiva E as it ever was, and that's the only other one that has a snowball's chance in hell at shooting you down.