NS Swarm

[Pinkelf [Ryshai]]

The NS version of the TR striker, will there be a NS version of the lancer and watever the NC rocket launcher is?

[Ishan451]

NC special launcher with the guided missile is called Phoenix.

Answer to your question is: Your guess is as good as ours.

[[HoD]Smiley]

I initially thought the Swarm was similar to the Striker as well, but then compared them in the VR and in stats. They are completely different in all aspects other than they are both magazine fed.

The Swarm is limited to lock-on fire only (like the annihilator). You cannot dumbfire it at all. While it does lock onto both air and ground, it is countered by aircraft flairs, vehicular stealth, and smoke screens. The direct damage is actually lower than the indirect, according to the stats. This tells me this is the perfect sundie farming weapon. You can kill the repair engies and new spawns while damaging the sundie.

The Striker has a larger magazine and can be dumbfired. It does not lock onto anything. It does have a 'heat-seeking' capability if the rockets end up close enough to an aircraft. This does not appear to be countered by anything (stealth or flairs). The damage is low per shot, but the shots are faster. This is a great anti-ESF launcher, and 'ok' anti-armor launcher. The low damage per shot, and number of shots necessary to take out heavy armors (MBTs and Libs) make it pretty useless, however.

Thus, my best guess in answer to the OPs question is: No. I don't forsee an NS camera guided launcher or an NS charged launcher. Simply because the Swarm is not an NS Striker; it is merely a magazine fed Annihilator.

[Zee_]

Ah, so... the new NS launcher is basically the older SUPERIOR (pre-redesign) version of the Striker but with 2 less rockets? Good to know. Though I bet this NS launcher does the same damage with its 3 rockets than the Striker does with 5.

I'll have to test it in VR sometime next week. I'm not gonna bother playing until the usual post-update issues are fixed.

Because this new launcher really IS the old Striker... I wouldn't be surprised to see some sort of Phoenix or Lancer style launchers show up in the store, just in a 'Phoenix lite' and 'Lancer lite' version, much like this rebrand of the Striker.

[[HoD]Smiley]

I'm not familiar with any pre-redesigns or any potential beta tested items. But the Swarm is actually 3 less rockets per magazine (3 instead of 6). It is stated to be 375 direct damage per rocket versus the 200 for the Striker, while the Swarm also maintains a hefty 750 indirect.

I personnally feel the Striker is more functional AA-wise, but would agree that the Swarm is much more effective against ground vehicles. Especially true since the lock-on remains established thru all three shots from the magazine. But the lack of dumbfire leaves you vulnerable against infantry that might stumble into your face.

Forgot to mention... the Swarm has two fire modes: high-velocity and low-velocity. Not sure if there is a damage variable involved or if it is strictly strategic, but I didn't notice enough of a difference to not use high-velocity all the time.

[Zee_]

Trust me, everyone that owned the old Striker is a bit angry right now, myself included. The Swarm is the old Striker that was said to be so horrible for all the drivers and pilots in the game that it had to be changed into its current state. Theres a reason tons of people own the Striker but only a handful still use it.

Just based on the things I've been reading, if it were possible for me to trade in my Striker-P for a non-blinged out NS Swarm I would do it in a second. I wouldn't be surprised if they wind up ruining the Swarm somewhere down the line when the sky knights start complaining about it, just like they did the old Striker.

They never should have gotten rid of the Strikers lock-on. That was its greatest strength and biggest weakness, you had to maintain the lock while the missiles were in flight, but while it was maintained you WOULD hit that target (unless they used flares or smoke or got behind cover while the rockets were in flight of course). You risked your life by being exposed to take out vehicles or ESF. It was useless against infantry but great for taking out high priority vehicles. Then they changed the Striker into its current version, which is pretty much useless. Thankfully they at least increased the Strikers rocket speed so a hovering ESF can't simply move forward slowely and get away anymore (right after the redesign the rockets were about as fast as a turtle, in molasses, in a blizzard).

[Ishan451]

Originally posted by Zee_:

Ah, so... the new NS launcher is basically the older SUPERIOR (pre-redesign) version of the Striker but with 2 less rockets? Though I bet this NS launcher does the same damage with its 3 rockets than the Striker does with 5.

Striker does 200 damage per rocket, the new swarm does 375 damage per rocket.

[Zee_]

Originally posted by Ishan451:

Originally posted by Zee_:

Ah, so... the new NS launcher is basically the older SUPERIOR (pre-redesign) version of the Striker but with 2 less rockets? Though I bet this NS launcher does the same damage with its 3 rockets than the Striker does with 5.

Striker does 200 damage per rocket, the new swarm does 375 damage per rocket.

So its just a little less than the Striker has total if the striker has 6 rockets, I can't remember how many it has anymore, its been so long since I last used one. If the Striker is still 5 rockets per magazine, then the swarm does slightly more. Either way... thats great.

Apparently all the 'bring back the old Striker' threads that were everywhere for about 6 months resulted in them giving the Striker to everyone. If you can't balance it correctly, give it to everyone I guess... like the vulcan, except I think most people can agree that the vulcan should never have been introduced in the first place.

Now I'm depressed, lol. Not about having to get another Striker (hell its NS so I'll just buy it), but about how all the factions are slowely losing their flavor over time.

[Ishan451]

Originally posted by Zee_:

Originally posted by Ishan451:

Striker does 200 damage per rocket, the new swarm does 375 damage per rocket.

So its just a little less than the Striker has total if the striker has 6 rockets, I can't remember how many it has anymore, its been so long since I last used one. If the Striker is still 5 rockets per magazine, then the swarm does slightly more. Either way... thats great.

T2 Striker
Fire Rate: 150 RPM
Muzzle Velocity: 220m/s
Damage: 200
Max Indirect Damage: 50 before 2m
Reload Speed: Short 4s, Long 4.6s
Magazine Size: 6
Ammunition Pool: 30

NS R3 Swarm
Fire Rate: 60 RPM
Muzzle Velocity: 175m/s
Damage: 375
Max Indirect Damage: 750 before 0.35m (i believe that is an error, or at least i hope it is)
Min Indirect Damage: 1 after 5m
Reload Speed: 3.7s
Magazine Size: 3
Ammunition Pool: 30

Originally posted by Zee_:

Apparently all the 'bring back the old Striker' threads that were everywhere for about 6 months resulted in them giving the Striker to everyone. If you can't balance it correctly, give it to everyone I guess... like the vulcan, except I think most people can agree that the vulcan should never have been introduced in the first place.

Same goes for the 'old' Striker. I don't find playing with Vulcan Harassers very enjoyable, knowing that every faction gets one seems fair, but also makes the game so much more less enjoyable.

The problem of needing a harasser to hunt an harasser also makes it even more problematic.

[[HoD]Smiley]

The indirect damage is pretty accurate on the swarm. Shoot at the sundies in the VR, and you will kill all the surrounding toons multiple times before the vehicle goes down. That is why I say it is a sundy farmer. It's like an HE rocket.