Are claymores too visible?

[Taramafor]

Been giving this some thought. In terms of damage the mines seem fine (equal anyway). But let's face it, a bouncing better on the floor in a Vanu base is a hell of a lot harder to see then a claymore planted anywhere as there's that big green light lighting it up for all to see. Not a problem in zerg fights as people tend not to be as observant but it can be a disadvantage in smaller engagements or when slowing down indoors and seeing a big green light before you even round that corner or go down that road, a weakness absent from other mines.

So do you think claymores are too visible? And if so what can be done to help balance this out? Extra damage? More being able to be planted? Replaced with another type of mine? Extended blast damage?

[Wahooo]

Actually if the mines are going to be as generic as they are and not be a bit fancier in their faction specificness I'd like to see all three as NS weapons.

Bouncing Betty basically what it is now.
Prox mine cut the damage in 1/2 and let us carry more
Claymores directional charge, but up the damage quite a bit so a non-flak heavy with shields dies but flak rank 5 infil (who would do that) can survive but just barely.

ONLY allow 1 type of AI mine to be deployed at a time, BUT let them stay out until I deploy another. ie if I drop my prox mines but then change loadouts and have claymores the prox mines stay until detonated OR I deploy a claymore, then they go away.

[Varsam]

The short answer is yes.

[Mustakrakish]

Claymores are fine as-is. The green lasers don't even render if you're playing the game with graphics settings on the lower end, and in terms of color scheme they blend in with buildings about as well as the VS and NC mines do.

Just be smart about where you place them. I mean, c'mon. Sticking a Claymore in the middle of a doorway isn't going to fool anyone.

[Wahooo]

Originally Posted by Mustakrakish

Just be smart about where you place them. I mean, c'mon. Sticking a Claymore in the middle of a doorway isn't going to fool anyone.

This is actually the point. Bouncing Betties and Prox mines require a lot less thinking about where to lay them to be effective and claymores require a lot less awareness to notice them.

[Taramafor]

Originally Posted by Mustakrakish

Claymores are fine as-is. The green lasers don't even render if you're playing the game with graphics settings on the lower end

Afraid you lost the argument at that point. Playing the game on max settings. Why should I have an edge over someone with lower graphics? There's already a white outline on infiltrators if you're playing on low (so I've heard anyway). And sad to say I've actually stumbled on a bouncing betty in the middle of the doorway because I didn't see it 'till I was on top of it (floor had a similar color). Claymores are like a Christmas tree. How many indoor green areas are there?

And since we're discussing all three mines, let's try to think of way to alter the other two as well to make them more unique to the factions. Just keep in mind that the key word is balance. Maybe we can lighten the load off the devs a bit by doing some of the work for them.

[Wahooo]

Originally Posted by Taramafor

And since we're discussing all three mines, let's try to think of way to alter the other two as well to make them more unique to the factions. Just keep in mind that the key word is balance. Maybe we can lighten the load off the devs a bit by doing some of the work for them.

I personally don't know how to make them more unique AND balance them. Which is why I suggested making them all common pool. The starter ones could be like they are with some tweaks then, the others available similar to ES sniper rifles-ish, how the starter ones are fairly different but you can pick up what is essentially the exact same weapon as the other empire has.

[Rumblepit]

Originally Posted by Mustakrakish

Claymores are fine as-is. The green lasers don't even render if you're playing the game with graphics settings on the lower end, and in terms of color scheme they blend in with buildings about as well as the VS and NC mines do.

Just be smart about where you place them. I mean, c'mon. Sticking a Claymore in the middle of a doorway isn't going to fool anyone.

lmao Fine the way they are?....... Coming from a NC..... Look at the OD stats on mine kills per week and then tell me its because the TR don't know how to set mines.

Long story short
NC betty gets a avg 80k kills a week

VS prox gets a avg 90k kills a week

TR claymore gets a avg 35K kills a week


The image in the attachment was done before the last buff to the claymore, proxy is in purple and that is its lethal blast radius, betty is in blue ,and that its lethal blast radius,claymore is in red,and that its lethal blast radius.
It has since been extended to the bettys lethal blast radius. The graph on the right shows the area where the claymore damage drop off starts. Even after the buff we still have 20 to 30 % less of a lethal blast area.

Lets not even talk about the fact that its the only AI mine that has to be placed and not thrown ,or the fact that its the only AI mine with a profile that cause it to stand up on the floor,or the fact that the VS and the NC have been able to see the lasers on our claymores since day one, or the fact that they added more lights to the claymore when they put lights on the proxy and betty ..... We dont even have to bring up any of that... The Oracle of Death numbers tell the tale of how gimp the claymore is.

Oh yea i forgot about this, check out the stats on kill% on the different mines, you will see the prox and the betty have a much higher avg than the claymore.... Hit detection on the claymore has been a mess since day one. I still see it everyday, players running past claymores and they dont do any damage or dont even go off at all.I have never ever seen a prox or a betty not go off, or fail to do damage.

Im all for NS mines.... Im f ing sick and tired of my broken claymores.

[Bulltahr]

I wouldn't want to swap my claymores for the others, directional is a very powerful tool if you think outside the square. I use them a lot as an infil, and get around a 45% strike rate.
Would prefer they leave the lights off, (Real ones don't have them) but placement is key as those lights are their archilles heel.

[OCNSethy]

Originally Posted by Bulltahr

I wouldn't want to swap my claymores for the others, directional is a very powerful tool if you think outside the square. I use them a lot as an infil, and get around a 45% strike rate.
Would prefer they leave the lights off, (Real ones don't have them) but placement is key as those lights are their archilles heel.

C'mon Bulltahr... you gotta share

Where do you place them.. whats your trick?

[Taramafor]

Originally Posted by Bulltahr

but placement is key as those lights are their archilles heel.

You do realize that they curve, indicating which direction they are facing even without the lights, right? Just stick a symbol on the front (the letters TR maybe) that isn't bright and presto.

[Snipefrag]

Claymores are garbage, i started on a video a month or so back showing how often they dont go off properly.. Like, 40% of the time they were failing to do ANY damage, i never bothered publishing it. Maybe i should to get some momentum behind the 'fix the claymore' campaign.

[ChipMHazard]

I think one of the problems with the mines is that they are all designed to kill. Since two of them are basicly the same and the third is different in how it works this obiously leads to balance issues.
If SOE really wants each faction to have different mines, then how about making it so one faction gets an EMP mine, another gets a concussion mine and the third gets killing/flash mines. Could make the claymore the killing mine and just leave it as it is.

[PredatorFour]

Claymores arn't so visible when that pesky TR puts them facing into the spawn room and kills you inside the spawn room. Some useful info there terrans

[ringring]

Going from the ratio of kills I get to the number of claymores I lay I would say the answer is no.