CQC Beam Lasers = Guarenteed Win

[Deebz__]

Is it just me, or are beam lasers in this mode ridiculously overpowered? Any time I see a high level guy in a match, they always take the Imperial Fighter outfitted with beam lasers, and just demolish everything in sight. I've noticed that it takes at least 10 seconds of sustained fire with my bursts to destroy them, but they can destoy me in about 2 without breaking a sweat.

Honestly I've given up playing this game mode because there's almost always a high level guy with those damn beams who wins every game. Does anyone else feel this way?

 

[Curtis R. Prophett]

Is it just me, or are beam lasers in this mode ridiculously overpowered? Any time I see a high level guy in a match, they always take the Imperial Fighter outfitted with beam lasers, and just demolish everything in sight. I've noticed that it takes at least 10 seconds of sustained fire with my bursts to destroy them, but they can destoy me in about 2 without breaking a sweat.

Honestly I've given up playing this game mode because there's almost always a high level guy with those damn beams who wins every game. Does anyone else feel this way?

If you're dying quickly under beam laser fire, then the CMDR firing on you probably has the weapons power up. The higher level players spend most of the game vying with each other for that power up in particular because it turns shields into butter. In fact, whoever controls the weapons power up is the player most likely to win the game. If there are high level players in the match, then chances are that one of then has the weapons power up at any given moment, which is why whenever a CMDR runs through your shields like they were not there, it is usually a high level CMDR. I wish that there was some kind of visual indicator for the WEP power up (like how the shield power up will turn shields yellow), but unfortunately there is not. The best way to counter this is actually to get in on the action yourself. Make getting the weapons power up a priority. 1, if you have it your weapons will be ridiculously strong and you will rack up kills faster and 2) if you have it, then it is not being used against you.

There are some high level players with insanely effective strategies for monopolizing the weapons power up, and if you are not actively trying to keep the weapons power up out of their hands, then chances are that they will clean the board with it. You've experienced this yourself it sounds like.

Aside from that, putting more pips in SYS will make your shields stronger when you're under fire. Conversely, having less pips in SYS (maybe because you have moved more capacitor power to WEP while attacking) means that your shields will be weaker. Something else to keep in mind.

 

[Deebz__]

Yeah I'm aware of the pips. Wasn't aware of the weapon powerup though, but it would make sense given how stupidly fast a game is over when one of those guys is in. Either way, the game mode needs some balance... it's just unfun when one player is that overpowered.

 

[Ian Doncaster]

Also: the Imp Fighter's beam laser is not the most powerful weapon that ship can carry - its shield and hull damage is less than the standard pulse/burst laser in raw DPS, the bonus heat damage it does to opponents is only situationally useful, and it has a slight tendency to set fire to your own subsystems if you hold down the trigger too long. On the plus side, it has 20% extra range over the standard laser weapons and its beam nature makes it easier to maintain aim.

 

[Flash_Baggins]

Im guessing youve been playing against Hashishin. He always uses the beam lasers and the imp fighter, but he is one of the best players Ive ever come across, so dont feel bad for losing to higher tier players, usually they just have a lot more skill and control of their craft (not saying you dont btw, just that soome guys are amazing at cqc)

 

[TigerTen]

Is it just me, or are beam lasers in this mode ridiculously overpowered? Any time I see a high level guy in a match, they always take the Imperial Fighter outfitted with beam lasers, and just demolish everything in sight. I've noticed that it takes at least 10 seconds of sustained fire with my bursts to destroy them, but they can destoy me in about 2 without breaking a sweat.

Honestly I've given up playing this game mode because there's almost always a high level guy with those damn beams who wins every game. Does anyone else feel this way?

The bottom line is - you suck as a pilot... learn the fly and fight and stop whining!!!

 

[Flash_Baggins]

The bottom line is - you suck as a pilot... learn the fly and fight and stop whining!!!

You dont know that as youve never seen him play. He might be ok at flying just everyone else is better. Dont make judgements without proper evidence

 

[Deebz__]

Im guessing youve been playing against Hashishin. He always uses the beam lasers and the imp fighter, but he is one of the best players Ive ever come across, so dont feel bad for losing to higher tier players, usually they just have a lot more skill and control of their craft (not saying you dont btw, just that soome guys are amazing at cqc)

Multiple guys actually. I won't pretend to be the best pilot out there, but I at least manage to maintain positive kill/death and win/loss ratios.

Anyway it usually isn't a matter of skill. Some of these guy are very nimble, but there have been several times when we're simple firing at each other face to face, and they kill me before I can even take their shields down. What Curtis said about weapon powerups may be true though, it would make sense given how unbalanced it can feel.

The bottom line is - you suck as a pilot... learn the fly and fight and stop whining!!!

Hehehe. Better hope you don't run into me in open play, bro.

 

[dutchy2000]

Hah, I have mostly abandoned using the beam laser on the imp fighter, it generates too much heat. IMO the pulse laser on the imp fighter is much better, I can do more damage with a single capacitor discharge vs the beams. The beams have the advantage of easily being able to tell if you are hitting or not though.

 

[TigerTen]

Multiple guys actually. I won't pretend to be the best pilot out there, but I at least manage to maintain positive kill/death and win/loss ratios.

Anyway it usually isn't a matter of skill. Some of these guy are very nimble, but there have been several times when we're simple firing at each other face to face, and they kill me before I can even take their shields down. What Curtis said about weapon powerups may be true though, it would make sense given how unbalanced it can feel.


Hehehe. Better hope you don't run into me in open play, bro.

Been doing this " Flight/Space Sim " thing for a long time -(C64 up to Custom built PC) about 40 years. So when I hear pilots complain -usually it's because they have reached the end of their skill sets. Then it's time to learn some new ones. I do love ( Hehehe. Better hope you don't run into me in open play, bro. [/QUOTE] ), pilots who lead with " EGO " or as I call them " EASY KILLS ". I'm easy to find on the " ROBIGO RUN " Tuesday & Thursday from 6 am to 6 pm Eastern Standard Time.

PS : I fly a White Python , you might want to bring friends...

PSS : My skill level is a 6 on a scale of " 1 to 10 " but hey I only been doing this for 40 years or so.

 

[the100thmonkey]

The weapons powerup should be removed.

(>3KDR, btw - the weapons enhance is just a poor choice for a powerup. Indeed, I'd be happy if all the powerups were removed in their entirety.)

 

[X-Terminator]

Chaff

 

[Curtis R. Prophett]

The weapons powerup should be removed.

(>3KDR, btw - the weapons enhance is just a poor choice for a powerup. Indeed, I'd be happy if all the powerups were removed in their entirety.)

The wespons power up adds a fun element to the game IMO, but only when everyone is vying for it. Part of the problem is that new players do not understand that it is arguably THE most important resource on the map, so they just leave it sitting there. When everyone is scrambling to get it, or understands that they need to gang up on the guy who has it, it creates some fun, intense gameplay. I would not want to see it go, but I would like to see the system tweaked a bit so that a single player monopolizing it for the entire match is much less likely. Lots of suggestions for how to do that have already been proposed in the forums on numerous occasions, and I am hoping we eventually see some of them implemented.

 

[Deebz__]

The wespons power up adds a fun element to the game IMO, but only when everyone is vying for it. Part of the problem is that new players do not understand that it is arguably THE most important resource on the map, so they just leave it sitting there. When everyone is scrambling to get it, or understands that they need to gang up on the guy who has it, it creates some fun, intense gameplay. I would not want to see it go, but I would like to see the system tweaked a bit so that a single player monopolizing it for the entire match is much less likely. Lots of suggestions for how to do that have already been proposed in the forums on numerous occasions, and I am hoping we eventually see some of them implemented.

Agreed. I was aware of some powerups, but I've never seen the weapons one. I don't think they should be removed, but some sort of balance is needed.

Chaff

Works great until they pop one themselves.

" EGO "

The irony here is amazing.

 

[DanTheMan]

But this is Arena/CQC and its just a console gimmick and has no bearing on the real Elite Dangerous.
There are no magic pills/power-ups in the real ED.

 

[Deebz__]

Sure, but it's still a part of the game. If the endless grind of the main game gets boring (or you're exploring), hop into CQC for a bit to have a change of pace. I used to love playing FPS games online like Quake, NOLF, Deus Ex, Elite Force, etc, so this game mode can feel like a bit of a nostalgia trip when it works right.

 

[Curtis R. Prophett]

Agreed. I was aware of some powerups, but I've never seen the weapons one. I don't think they should be removed, but some sort of balance is needed.

It's the red portal. Red portals increase weapons power; Blue Portals makes ships invisible to all enemy radar, except for the radar of any other ships that you are actively hitting with weapons fire; Yellow portals increase shield power; Green portals increase speed. All effects are temporary.

 

[Deebz__]

Ah, so that's what the red one is. I've been able to grab every other one, but someone always beats me to the red one... usually one of the high level guys, come to think of it. Makes sense now, thanks for the explanation.

 

[dutchy2000]

Ah, so that's what the red one is. I've been able to grab every other one, but someone always beats me to the red one... usually one of the high level guys, come to think of it. Makes sense now, thanks for the explanation.

Yup exactly, and if they are any good they know how to time it that they are flying by just as it comes back (it expires for them, and it immediately pops up). Should be some random time before it comes back. So there is some time without the power up available.

 

[Deebz__]

How much does it increase damage? Seems like it's significant enough of a difference to be a game changer. I tended to ignore power-ups because I always assumed that pilot skill would be the deciding factor, now I guess I'll have to race for the red each game...