Homing launcher needs a complete rework

[Potato Bean]

This is not a B&M thread. I'm bringing awareness to how completely broken the homing launcher is. I keep seeing posts on here about how it's fine, that it can be dodged, and even how its too effective against jets (which it is not). There are even people who claim that it was "nerfed" in the heist update. This is quoted straight from the patch notes:

 

"The Homing Launcher has been rebalanced to have increased reload times, reduced firing rate, and an increase to the resilience of large capacity planes against it."

 

Longer reload time? Irrelevant, considering you only need one shot. Same with the fire rate. As for the 3rd one, I think that's fine. Someone shouldn't be able to get 5 free kills off of a defenseless passenger plane.

 

This is a short video that I made earlier, showcasing the homing launcher in action.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMyjjbFnlDg

 

Pay close attention starting at 0:38. You can see the rocket being fired just above the helicopter, in the small grassy area. The rocket then does a complete U-turn and destroys the helicopter. They're totally avoidable, right? I would love to hear the reasoning of a person who finds this balanced. They're far too effective against helicopters, yet completely ineffective against jets. Even if it does manage to connect with a jet it won't destroy it, only disable it by blowing the flaps off the back end.

 

Here's what I think: Increase the strength of all helicopters so that they can take at LEAST 3 rockets before exploding. Also, increase the speed of the rocket. This makes it more effective against jets.

 

EDIT: I am fully aware that I was in the open in the above clips. That isn't the point. The point is to show how completely unavoidable these rockets are once a lock (less than 2 seconds) has been obtained.

Edited March 26, 2015 by Potato Bizzle

[Mourticae]

You put yourself into a position in which the weapon used against you is most effective. We should be balancing against glaring inequality that allows the continued slaughter of entire groups, not your inability to think creatively.

Edited March 26, 2015 by Mourticae

[Potato Bean]

You put yourself into a position in which the weapon used against you is most effective. We should be balancing against glaring inequality that allows the continued slaughter of entire groups, not your inability to think creatively.

What position would that be? Flying through the air? Helicopters are useless without elevation, especially the savage. The last helicopter clip was done deliberately (flying in the open), as I wanted to get a clip of myself trying to dodge a rocket. What I got was a rocket that did a complete 180 degree turn on a dime and destroyed me.

 

If I fly low, I either get shot out of the cockpit from 50 feet away due to auto aim, or I got RPG'd. My only option is to keep some kind of elevation. There isn't nearly enough cover in the city to fly around and avoid the rockets. My point is that if someone gets a lock, you're dead. There is no avoiding a homing launcher in a helicopter. The only possible chance you have of avoiding one is trying to duck behind cover when you hear the lock tone, but that's difficult considering how quickly it locks on and how fast it travels.

[Mourticae]

 

You put yourself into a position in which the weapon used against you is most effective. We should be balancing against glaring inequality that allows the continued slaughter of entire groups, not your inability to think creatively.

What position would that be? Flying through the air? Helicopters are useless without elevation, especially the savage. The last helicopter clip was done deliberately (flying in the open), as I wanted to get a clip of myself trying to dodge a rocket. What I got was a rocket that did a complete 180 degree turn on a dime and destroyed me.

 

If I fly low, I either get shot out of the cockpit from 50 feet away due to auto aim, or I got RPG'd. My only option is to keep some kind of elevation. There isn't nearly enough cover in the city to fly around and avoid the rockets. My point is that if someone gets a lock, you're dead. There is no avoiding a homing launcher in a helicopter. The only possible chance you have of avoiding one is trying to duck behind cover when you hear the lock tone, but that's difficult considering how quickly it locks on and how fast it travels.

 

 

Sounds like you're spewing out excuses, rather than looking at your own mistakes and learning how to overcome.

 

If you're getting shot out of your cockpit, you're moving too slow.

 

If you're getting hit with an RPG, you're flying stupidly slow.

 

Helicopters like the savage require the same treatment as any military aircraft in the Area of Operations. If you don't know what those requirements are, then you'll be shot down just as any other pilot would. If you want this to stop, then I can teach you how to make it stop.....but until then your thread really is nothing more than just another pointless B&M.

[MNTLspazzm]

...Someone shouldn't be able to get 5 free kills off of a defenseless passenger plane.

 

Lol'd at this. What exactly is to be expected of a defenseless passenger plane my friend?

 

As for the footage of the chopper 'splosions, I can see your points but the placement in those situations are your downfall. Every clip was above buildings. Fly low, fly fast, never stop. There's a strategy used in the Battlefield series that is extremely helpful. Load a map by yourself and practice flying very close to the ground. Memorize routes that offer escape and approach respectively below rooftop level. They can't lock on through a building or tree, and flying fast minimizes effectiveness of auto aim.

 

Last thing, I have similar experience with the Launcher vs. Jets. I just can't hit them. In fact I am actually more successful with landing a Rambo RPG. But a buff to rocket speed like your suggesting would worsen your problem with heli's wouldn't it?

[Mourticae]

 

...Someone shouldn't be able to get 5 free kills off of a defenseless passenger plane.

 

Lol'd at this. What exactly is to be expected of a defenseless passenger plane my friend?

 

As for the footage of the chopper 'splosions, I can see your points but the placement in those situations are your downfall. Every clip was above buildings. Fly low, fly fast, never stop. There's a strategy used in the Battlefield series that is extremely helpful. Load a map by yourself and practice flying very close to the ground. Memorize routes that offer escape and approach respectively below rooftop level. They can't lock on through a building or tree, and flying fast minimizes effectiveness of auto aim.

 

Last thing, I have similar experience with the Launcher vs. Jets. I just can't hit them. In fact I am actually more successful with landing a Rambo RPG. But a buff to rocket speed like your suggesting would worsen your problem with heli's wouldn't it?

 

 

He's got the right idea.

[Potato Bean]

Mourticae, I'm not sure you have any experience in helicopters based on what you're saying. It's not as simple as just flying behind cover. There's a reason for helicopters (and jets) having flares on Battlefield games. It's because use of cover is a last resort, and is highly situational. People don't fly a multi-million dollar machine around in a combat zone and rely on cover that may or may not be there to protect them from harm.

 

As for flying low and fast, that's not going to work either. The buzzards miniguns are useless, so its only effective weapons are its rockets. To be able to aim these rockets, you have to be steady. You can't be steady when you're flying at 100+ mph in between solid palm trees, 30 feet above the ground. The savage is one of the worst handling air vehicles in the game. It's acceleration is poor, both vertically and laterally. Try to make a sharp turn in a dense area and you're going to slam into whatever is in your way. That, or you catch a street light with an explosive round and blow yourself up.

 

SImply put, you're in a helicopter and you're trying to avoid getting hit by a rocket. Sorry, but even if you're flying down a street at low altitudes, they're still going to get a lock. They're going to start locking onto you the instant they see you. You've got 2-3 seconds at best before they fire their rocket. That is not nearly enough time to obtain line of sight, line up a shot (which can take time in a buzzard), fire, and then get out of the area and behind cover. It just doesn't work. If you can show me your tactics in action with success, I will gladly take back what I have said here.

[Mach1bud]

No.

[Mordo_]

Why is everyone blaming the pilot in these situations? He clearly stated he was trying to get footage. And idk what the f*ck you guys are looking at but he clearly dodged that rocket and the missle stopped dead In its tracks, turned around, and destroyed the helicopted before he even could blink. The launcher needs a higher projectile speed, And should not continue to follow targets after it misses. If R* is too lazy to do that then they better give helicopters flares. Only solutions i could think of

[.Vooodu.]

Why is everyone blaming the pilot in these situations? He clearly stated he was trying to get footage. And idk what the f*ck you guys are looking at but he clearly dodged that rocket

 

 

He may have clearly thought he dodged it. But lag says Nuh Huh... BOOM!

 

 

I myself love the homing launcher and HATE players in the sky attacking me. So if you ask me, the launcher should be buffed...lol

[GoCyclones]

My K/D ratio is an abysmal .31. Without that homing rocket it would be even worse. That said I only use it mostly for revenge killing

[Sithisvoid]

OMG op QQ for days why don't you? This reminds me of battlelog and endless stinger crybabies

Edited March 26, 2015 by Sithisvoid

[lol232]

Better yet, level lock it (since you can literally also use it as a Rocket Launcher), and make helicopters have flares.

 

Plus, Lazer trolling isn't even fun anymore since now you have to pay a massive insurance and get bad sported.

[MNTLspazzm]

@Potatoe

 

I hear you mate, unfortunately I do not own recording equipment to bring up a video. No proof is a null point I understand, though offering what I find is effective to the OP is better than nothing when trying to help.

 

I'm offering my opinion because what I saw in the video was "Look what happens when I'm a sitting duck in the air" rather than "These rockets are unavoidable".

 

For something we could all agree on, I believe if constantly getting destroyed is the problem change the approach to the mechanics of the game. That is where you will improve and find your solution.

[EEDDDWWWAARRRD]

Can we just make an official B&M topic for the homing launcher?

[Sithisvoid]

Can we just make an official B&M topic for the homing launcher?

Seems like they need an entire support group

[TheLunaticParade]

All i saw in that video was Homing missiles doing "C" curves. Not "U" curves. They had a wide arch. I think you're getting those mixed up. Also You're treating this like Actual Aircraft. This is a game. The Collision mesh/Hit boxes for the aircraft can be bigger than the aircraft itself.Thus giving the illusion that you didn't get hit yet the game registered a hit on the hit box. When the missile is chasing you the game will register it as a hit when it gets close to the vehicle/player Hit box. That's why you can still get shot at times even though you went back into cover. (Gives the illusion you are getting shot through the wall) Lag can differentiate your hit box from your visible player model.

[Mourticae]

Mourticae, I'm not sure you have any experience in helicopters based on what you're saying. It's not as simple as just flying behind cover. There's a reason for helicopters (and jets) having flares on Battlefield games. It's because use of cover is a last resort, and is highly situational. People don't fly a multi-million dollar machine around in a combat zone and rely on cover that may or may not be there to protect them from harm.

 

As for flying low and fast, that's not going to work either. The buzzards miniguns are useless, so its only effective weapons are its rockets. To be able to aim these rockets, you have to be steady. You can't be steady when you're flying at 100+ mph in between solid palm trees, 30 feet above the ground. The savage is one of the worst handling air vehicles in the game. It's acceleration is poor, both vertically and laterally. Try to make a sharp turn in a dense area and you're going to slam into whatever is in your way. That, or you catch a street light with an explosive round and blow yourself up.

 

SImply put, you're in a helicopter and you're trying to avoid getting hit by a rocket. Sorry, but even if you're flying down a street at low altitudes, they're still going to get a lock. They're going to start locking onto you the instant they see you. You've got 2-3 seconds at best before they fire their rocket. That is not nearly enough time to obtain line of sight, line up a shot (which can take time in a buzzard), fire, and then get out of the area and behind cover. It just doesn't work. If you can show me your tactics in action with success, I will gladly take back what I have said here.

 

If you're basing any of your awareness to helicopters off of any one game from the battlefield series, then you really don't know much about helicopters to begin with. Battlefield has never been an accurate representation of what aircraft can do, or how they are used....they've been adjusted to generously enhance the abilities of the pilots so that they don't need to undergo the lessons expected of every pilot before they even enter the cockpit.

 

It's pretty obious that regardless of how many flight hours you have, you simply haven't taken the initiative to learn anything about aerial combat. Again, I can teach you, but you won't like what you'll hear in the process.

 

If you want Battlefield helicopters, you can always go back to the Battlefield games.

Edited March 26, 2015 by Mourticae

[Ghost XB]

I have dodged homing rockets before... Also, if theres a rocket coming right at you, maybe its a good idea to jump from the chopper or plane, that always seems to help.

[Potato Bean]

I have dodged homing rockets before... Also, if theres a rocket coming right at you, maybe its a good idea to jump from the chopper or plane, that always seems to help.

Ever tried jumping from a savage? It takes a good 3 seconds to do so. While that works in some scenarios, it shouldn't be a pilots only defense against the homing launcher.

[Potato Bean]

I will be trying out everyones suggestions later. I'll most likely make another short video.

 

@MNTLspazzm, I don't have any equipment either, I just use the recording and editing software on the PS4. It's not the best, but it gets the job done.

[Qutan]

I consider myself a decent pilot and have no problems with being shot down it happens a lot all good fun. However I am starting to think the launcher is a little too powerful heres why .

 

At high speed and low level in the city I hear the lock on, a missile coming from behind I turn right around the corner of a building and then right again I'am about to round the next corner and boom wtf I was lucky to make the turns but the missile still got me .

 

Again at high speed traveling north over Sandy shores towards Grapeseed a player fires a missile from near the shop I avoid the shot all the way across the Alamo sea and I'am nearly across the water when wtf boom .

 

Its a great fire and forget weapon . I want counter measures please Rockstar .

[Mokrie Dela]

The way I see it is that aircraft are overpowered to those on the ground minding their own. It's about time we had a weapon that gives us a fighting chance.

 

Homing Launcher and Aircraft, sticky bombs and proximity mines - these are all tools that can be exploited by griefers and douches. They are not the problem - the people that use them are.

 

I have a homing launcher, and I have a Buzzard. Not once have i turned these things on players who are not attacking me. There is no issue with these weapons or vehicles.

 

If you want to get rid of the HL, then you need to remove aircraft also. If you want to make the weapon less reliable, do the same with aircraft.

 

However jets should have counter measures - they were in SA ffs. I don't know if helicopters have them. Has any human gunner (passenger) tried shooting down the missiles? That could be pretty epic.

 

I highly doubt you're flying an attack chopper if you're not planning on attacking people. Therefore, when a homing missile comes your way, you've had it coming.

 

If you're just chilling, and minding your own business, i feel your pain, but as i said, it's the gamers that are the problem - they will always find ways to get you.

Edited March 27, 2015 by Mokrie Dela

[.Vooodu.]

I consider myself a decent pilot and have no problems with being shot down it happens a lot all good fun. However I am starting to think the launcher is a little too powerful

 

Its a great fire and forget weapon . I want counter measures please Rockstar .

 

 

You already have two counter measures.

 

One... is distance. They cant lock you if they simply cant lock you.

 

The other is passive.

 

 

That being said, the best counter will always be.. stop attacking players while in a chopper.

 

 

 

Sometimes i just lock on to players and dont shoot.. And its usually a warning buzz. They keep comming, they get blasted.

 

Its nothing personal.. You dont need flares.. You simply need to go away..lol

[Qutan]

 

I consider myself a decent pilot and have no problems with being shot down it happens a lot all good fun. However I am starting to think the launcher is a little too powerful

 

Its a great fire and forget weapon . I want counter measures please Rockstar .

 

 

"You already have two counter measures.

 

One... is distance. They cant lock you if they simply cant lock you.

 

The other is passive.

 

 

That being said, the best counter will always be.. stop attacking players while in a chopper.

 

 

 

Sometimes i just lock on to players and dont shoot.. And its usually a warning buzz. They keep comming, they get blasted.

 

Its nothing personal.. You dont need flares.. You simply need to go away..lol"

 

 

 

Guilty of attacking players on occasion but in these examples I was just flying past, not that it matters . Don't get me wrong I do use my buzzard to attack other helicopters but as a rule not players in cars or on foot too expensive and difficult to do .

 

 

Edited March 27, 2015 by Qutan

[JeremyKesseler]

Honestly your thread is redundant. If you're worried about homing missiles go off the radar pick your targets more carefully. The buzzard miniguns are not useless either it just takes some practice i suck using them but have seen people who are able to hit there targets because they put the practice in.

 

The bottom line is you refuse to adapt to the game and learn from your mistakes so you point the finger at the homing missile.

 

The game is supposed to be fun and brutal nerfing the rockets so you can fly around uncontested is a joke and is hindering peoples fun. Now to say you got what you wanted than there will be that guy complaining that there is no defense against helicopters and jets and im getting killed by buzzards and flattened by cargo bobs because Banana 1 got the missiles nerfed. It just turns into a continuous cycle of moaning because people refuse to adapt to the game.

 

As a guy who played GTA 2 as my first GTA in 2002 and played all the others afterwards i have no sympathy for newbies who come along trying to change things. Things we did in GTA 4 online that we get punished for such as blowing vehicles up because all these newbies came along and couldn't tow the line with real gta fans and players.

 

Rockstar needs to stop holding your guys hands otherwise you will never learn.

Edited March 28, 2015 by JeremyKesseler

[Potato Bean]

Honestly your thread is redundant. If you're worried about homing missiles go off the radar pick your targets more carefully. The buzzard miniguns are not useless either it just takes some practice i suck using them but have seen people who are able to hit there targets because they put the practice in.

 

The bottom line is you refuse to adapt to the game and learn from your mistakes so you point the finger at the homing missile.

 

The game is supposed to be fun and brutal nerfing the rockets so you can fly around uncontested is a joke and is hindering peoples fun. Now to say you got what you wanted than there will be that guy complaining that there is no defense against helicopters and jets and im getting killed by buzzards and flattened by cargo bobs because Banana 1 got the missiles nerfed. It just turns into a continuous cycle of moaning because people refuse to adapt to the game.

 

As a guy who played GTA 2 as my first GTA in 2002 and played all the others afterwards i have no sympathy for newbies who come along trying to change things. Things we did in GTA 4 online that we get punished for such as blowing vehicles up because all these newbies came along and couldn't tow the line with real gta fans and players.

 

Rockstar needs to stop holding your guys hands otherwise you will never learn.

No one is asking for a nerf. Just because measures are put in place to balance a gameplay component does not mean something was nerfed. We've already seen how effective homing rockets are against jets (useless). Against helicopters, they're dead accurate. All Rockstar would need to do in regards to helicopters is add flares, or some kind of other counter measure. They would be limited, such as 3 uses per helicopter life (from when it spawns to when it is destroyed/despawns). That way you can either use an RPG and test your luck, or use a homing launcher and possibly take multiple attempts (assuming there would be a delay between counter measure uses).

 

As for jets, I really don't know. The only way to buff the homing launcher against jets would be to increase its speed, which would make it even more overpowered againts helicopters, even with counter measures. The only real option is to reduce their overall strength, so that they can actually be disabled/grounded in a rational amount of time. Right now it can take upwards of 6 or 7 shots from a heavy sniper to make a jet start smoking. What then? The pilot can kill their target multiple times over and still have plenty of time to go get another jet. Reduce their armor, and they can be completely destroyed in 4-5 shots. A smart pilot won't fly in perfectly straight lines, which means they can't be taken down immediately.

 

I'll say it again: Just because something is being balanced doesn't mean something else is getting nerfed. Do you know why people say "nerf?" Its from FPS games, where a guns performance is changed to the point where it's essentially a nerf gun. No one is asking for anything to be nerfed. I'm asking for the homing launcher to be balanced, because there is nothing balanced about a rocket that is 99% guaranteed to hit its target with only a 1-2 second lock on time. The only advice I've been given in this thread is basically "don't get locked onto." It doesn't take 10 seconds to obtain a lock... its less than 2, maybe 1.

[Mourticae]

 

Honestly your thread is redundant. If you're worried about homing missiles go off the radar pick your targets more carefully. The buzzard miniguns are not useless either it just takes some practice i suck using them but have seen people who are able to hit there targets because they put the practice in.

 

The bottom line is you refuse to adapt to the game and learn from your mistakes so you point the finger at the homing missile.

 

The game is supposed to be fun and brutal nerfing the rockets so you can fly around uncontested is a joke and is hindering peoples fun. Now to say you got what you wanted than there will be that guy complaining that there is no defense against helicopters and jets and im getting killed by buzzards and flattened by cargo bobs because Banana 1 got the missiles nerfed. It just turns into a continuous cycle of moaning because people refuse to adapt to the game.

 

As a guy who played GTA 2 as my first GTA in 2002 and played all the others afterwards i have no sympathy for newbies who come along trying to change things. Things we did in GTA 4 online that we get punished for such as blowing vehicles up because all these newbies came along and couldn't tow the line with real gta fans and players.

 

Rockstar needs to stop holding your guys hands otherwise you will never learn.

No one is asking for a nerf. Just because measures are put in place to balance a gameplay component does not mean something was nerfed. We've already seen how effective homing rockets are against jets (useless). Against helicopters, they're dead accurate. All Rockstar would need to do in regards to helicopters is add flares, or some kind of other counter measure. They would be limited, such as 3 uses per helicopter life (from when it spawns to when it is destroyed/despawns). That way you can either use an RPG and test your luck, or use a homing launcher and possibly take multiple attempts (assuming there would be a delay between counter measure uses).

 

As for jets, I really don't know. The only way to buff the homing launcher against jets would be to increase its speed, which would make it even more overpowered againts helicopters, even with counter measures. The only real option is to reduce their overall strength, so that they can actually be disabled/grounded in a rational amount of time. Right now it can take upwards of 6 or 7 shots from a heavy sniper to make a jet start smoking. What then? The pilot can kill their target multiple times over and still have plenty of time to go get another jet. Reduce their armor, and they can be completely destroyed in 4-5 shots. A smart pilot won't fly in perfectly straight lines, which means they can't be taken down immediately.

 

I'll say it again: Just because something is being balanced doesn't mean something else is getting nerfed. Do you know why people say "nerf?" Its from FPS games, where a guns performance is changed to the point where it's essentially a nerf gun. No one is asking for anything to be nerfed. I'm asking for the homing launcher to be balanced, because there is nothing balanced about a rocket that is 99% guaranteed to hit its target with only a 1-2 second lock on time. The only advice I've been given in this thread is basically "don't get locked onto." It doesn't take 10 seconds to obtain a lock... its less than 2, maybe 1.

 

 

Except that it's not creating balance, it's simply flipping the problem upside-down by providing a temporary immunity to the only weapon that can consistently take down the most dangerous aircraft of all (a helicopter) - the one aircraft that can sit and unleash a concentrated barrage on any location it chooses.

 

If someone with my awareness and experience (which is limited in its own right, by a lot) decided to act offensively, they could repeatedly use flares to slaughter any one person on the ground without so much as a single loss of their helicopter.

 

The only way to make this a 'balanced' concept, is if flares lost all power to mislead incoming missiles at three times the maximum range of the aircraft's weapons. That would allow the shooter time enough to reload so that they can be on equal terms to engage the enemy aircraft, rather than simply putting us back into the situation that warranted the homing launcher in the first place.

 

I'll remind you that there are some pretty important lessons you're missing out on. Until you can provide a relatively in-depth awareness to how these aircraft function best, you really shouldn't be making any sort of game-changing decisions - the sheer amount of oversights are lazy and help nobody, not even yourself.

Edited March 28, 2015 by Mourticae

[gbrown100]

I'm just PO'd that the Homing Launcher's rockets travel at seemingly supersonic speeds. Normal rockets you can see coming and dodge. Even with the aircraft-launched lock-on rockets you can hear the enemy locking on to you. It's practically impossible to avoid the HL when you have one second of beeping and the BOOM you're dead.

[DarkSavageDeathlyCloud]

if they make the reload of the homing launcher 2 times slower then it is now,, make the damage being able to harm a helicopter, but not to take it down after one shot bbut only after 2 hits and then give it back its old lock on range and a lot more normal range and buff cornering abillity so much that it coud follow a fighter jet as long as it takes to make it a hit and everything is awsome enough for me

also bring the rail gun into online, i still want something that can take out an incoming fighter jet in one shot, yet takes some slight skill level to use and yet hes enough downsides to make it balanced enough.