For those who don't know active protection systems are basically means of directly countering projectiles fired at a vehicle. Like for example, the Israeli TROPHY. It detects incoming missiles and rockets and fires a shotgun-like blast at them to destroy them before they hit the vehicle. Other forms of active protection systems include ECM devices such as flares, aluminum chaff or any other means of disrupting missile homing capabilities. As well as rapid fire weapons, explosive weapons, and even lasers, which have been tested successfully. What I am proposing is that all vehicles have the option of mounting defensive systems. They would fit in the normal machine gun slots, and automatically activate against incoming projectiles. Like all other weapons, there will be a limited supply vehicles can carry based on the size of the chassis, and will have cooldowns between activations. Most defensive systems will also feature a percentage chance of destroying incoming projectiles. My idea is that defensive capabilities of vehicles shouldn't solely figure around their armour, because then people just cover their vehicles in plates. Here are a few ideas: Defence Laser Exclusively Brenodi. A long-ranged defensive weapon. Tracks and fires a laser at a missile or shell, heating it up until to the point it disintegrates. It draws power from on-board systems so it requires no separate ammunition sources, and has no cooldown. However it takes some time for a projectile to explode under the laser, and so it is more effective at longer ranges than at closer ranges. Plus it can only focus on one projectile at a time, and prolonged use will also overheat the vehicle. Shrapnel Launcher Exclusively Northerner. A short-ranged defensive weapon. Tracks and fires a cloud of lead balls at an incoming missile or shell, with a high probability of destroying it, along with any other weapon that came from that direction. However it has a long cooldown between shots, and a very limited amount of ammunition for the system can be carried. Rapid Fire CIWS Both sides. A modified machine gun with sensor equipment that allows it to track and fire at incoming missiles and shells. It can fire off 30 rounds before reloading, and has a low-to-moderate chance of destroying its target. Explosive CIWS Both sides. A small cannon with sensor equipment that allows it to track and fire a proximity-fused explosive shell at incoming missiles and shells. Fires off one shell before reloading, and has a moderate chance of destroying its target. Electrostatic Field Both sides. When activated by the vehicle driver, projects an electrostatic field that will generally play hob with the guidance systems of any incoming missile, causing them to lose their guidance capabilities. Activating the field will rapidly overheat the vehicle however. Well anyways, thoughts?
Biggest issue is see with this is grenadiers getting completely screwed over. Since their reload time is 3 sec, most of their missiles would be destroyed. Also about the Electrostatic Field: It easy enough to rush past turret defences, this will basicly be a free entry to the enemy base. Summary: In tank vs tank combat i think they could work and make more it more fun/challening but in any other raspect of the game it would be to powerful.
I think its a nice idea that adds another dimension to tanking, it would be cool when driving a base raiding APC with flashing red hull and incoming missile, be ale to launch chaff that distracts the missile at the last second. It would also be useful to counteract level 3 missile turrets which have a longer range with something like the Defense laser mentioned above, as it would be good at killing missiles that are coming in from long range. It would work well combined with upgraded engines as well, obviously if you can run from a missile for longer by being fast, you have more chance of your countermeasures working on anymissiles chasing you. In response to the above post regarding balance, if this system was implemented you could buff grenadiers and missile turrets to be a fair bit more powerful to balance it. Also remember that such systems would only work at specified ranges and have a cooldown, so wouldnt be perfect at counterracting incoming missiles but would be helpful by reducing the shots you take if you wanted to punch through a turret farm. I would like it if you had two kinds of countermeasures, automatic ones which are triggered by incoming projectiles, or driver-triggered ones like chaff, which need to be activated at the right time to work effectively.
tweaked down this could be a very nice addition once aircraft are in, (read as, an awesome feature giving both dept, strategy and cunning gameplay) but beforehand i do not really see the general idea of buffing tanks up even more as profitable...
Heh, it would be interesting to have a couple of purely defensive tanks on the battle field, that try to protect the attacking tanks. In a way it could lead to more teamwork.. On the other hand you could have a tank that is both defensive and offensive which could lead to more lone wolf, but if they're especially heavy then I guess you would have no armor if you wanted both things.
Homing missiles have a chance to lose their lock due to a flare. Though, they're already too slow to catch a 3-phase heavy tank. >< Not so sure if guided missiles (especially the grenadier's RL) could be distracted. P.S. Nukes can detonate other nukes. Tends to be more useful for syncronized explosions than as a defensive measure, though.
well if your aim and reflex is good enough, a cannon shot can kill missiles too as well as other cannon armaments coming at you but, your name better be "the chosen one" for that to work.
back in 1.07 you could shoot HE at the ground in front of a missile and the explosion would destroy the missile. you could do it with other cannons too it was just harder to time. it seemed like there was a greater interaction of weapons in the air at that time... that was the time that mortar shells could misfire randomly like once every 10 or 15 shots... not sure if these things were considered a bug or not... but they got removed (or fixed) somewhere during the rc's for 1.08/2.0 I liked those features myself, shooting down missiles was common then. I really like this idea, and it seems like a good fit for the mg slot on heavies... which is often ignored (by noobs) all things should be available to both teams though... or too much balancing testing would be needed imo.
Once aircraft are implemented into public play I will like this. But not prior. There aren't enough strong/weak points to make it worth doing yet.
I wasn't around during the 1.07 days, but it seems like there was a HUGE cutting of features between then and the current versions. Muzzle flash, for another example. What happened? Some of the older veterans seem to hearken back to 1.07 as the glory days of empires, and in some part, I'm beginning to see why. A 1.07 PUG might be a nice idea sometime...
I'm fairly sure that a nuke detonation detonates any nuclear missiles in flight in its vicinity. I noticed this on money the other day when I'd be firing my nuke sideways (from the battlements) against the supports of the bridge (to cause splash damage) and my teammates would be firing nukes head on over the walls -- theirs would hit the tanks they were facing and then detonate, and then my nuke, fired at the same moment, would detonate in mid air right over the tank. It happened a few times so I'm pretty sure it's not a glitch...
2.12 is just OMG RUSH REGEN BIODIESEL RAIL/NUKE HEAVIES I can't help but wonder what 2.2 is gonna be like tactically, but then again, we can't get more than 20 people together for a playtest, so its hard to tell.
People seem cool with it. But I can see how annoying it will be when you have an APC rush your base that is then practically invincible. they easily live long enough to get the job done already, and countermeasures would make them really nuts. also, DU APCs would then be favorites as they will have no means of being stopped. (not necessarily a bad thing). Personally, I support it, but somebody needs to dig up some mud on this
Simple, countermeasures would require upgrades to unlock. I'm thinking Tracking Systems, and perhaps in addition to other upgrades? Also countermeasures should require at least two slots, so DU APCs with countermeasures may be out of the question. This would make sense realistically, and balance-wise.
