[Happy lil Elf]

I agree with Oxo and War, sorta. MAXs aren't even an annoyance anymore.

With the number of deci users out there you're better off with a HA weapon and Agile/Standard armor when assaulting the enemy. Think about that for a second. You're better off making a fontal assault in the least protective armor. That's. Fucked. Up.

Quite frankly if you want to assault a base you should be using MAXs as your killing power and infantry for support. That is encouraging teamwork. The way it's currently working you're better off taking a HA weapon, ammo and maybe a Deci incase you hit a MAX and running around shooting everything in sight. You don't need anyone else for anything other than giving the enemy other bodies to shoot at so you don't get totally ganbanged.

However if you're using MAXs for your assault and infantry to support them, teamwork is required if you wish to succeed. The counter for MAXs should be MAXs or vehicles. AV (once the Deci is in) should be an option, but it shouldn't be nearly as viable of an option as having AV MAXs backing you up when you're facing those enemy MAXs turning that corner. As it stands now you're better off having people with Decis than you are having people in AV MAXs because not only can they take out those MAXs as infantry with Decis as well, if not better, than being suited up in an AV MAX, they are still very mobile and can be completely self sufficient. A MAX needs repairs. It needs people to open doors. Someone in Rexo/Agile/Standard doesn't.

Because of the Deci users the same goes for AI MAXs. You're better of as infantry because a lot of people have Decis and if you're in a MAX that basically means you're fucked. However as infantry not only are you much more self sufficient but you also generally are going to live longer because of your increased mobility and no Deci users to worry about. Yes you can still die quickly but on average you're going to live longer because you can dodge much easier and you can run away using surge. As a MAX a shitload of people have a gun that can maul you very quickly but you don't have the mobility needed to run or dodge.

Again, as it stands right now with AV and the Deci being as powerful against MAXs as the are, you're better off and you live longer in the weakest armor types. That isn't right.



So what is the answer? Recuding MAX timer? Well, that could help the problem but I don't think it addresses the real issue with MAXs. That issue being you don't get enough protection for wearing the heaviest kind of armor. Or rather you're able to take a ton of AI fire, but the proliferation of AV weaponry makes your average lifespan go down while wearing MAX armor. So the two obvious options are buffing MAX armor or nerfing AV weaponry. If I had to pick out of those I'd take the buff. Anti-vehicle weaponry already has enough trouble dealing with vehicles. Nerfing the damage would only exacerbate that problem. Increasing MAX armor? Well you would be in effect making MAXs all but invulnerable to AI weaponry, but I don't really have a problem with that. The key would be how much to you adjust it. That's something that would require a lot of numbers and testing to balance.

The point however remains. If you want to encourage teamwork and reduce the moronic quake feeling that is so often present in PS, you need to encourage teamwork which means reducing the ability of players to be self sufficient. As it stands you can be totally self sufficient as infantry and while you can deal some impressive damage with a MAX, you oftentimes don't live long enough for it to matter and the drawbacks of using a MAX suit really aren't worth the loss in overall effectiveness to most people.