Gliders.... a Rant.

[Heavyporker]

Allright. I wanna talk about gliders and last night. Major points will have an * in front, for emphasis.

Last night was so cool, and so wank.


Me and a Spy pilot (let's call him Sky Captain) decided to partner up. So, Mr. Captain comes and becomes my wingman.

We meet up at Battle Dome, decide to pull out our assault gliders. You know, the single-seat rocket launchin' wing rippers.

*Well, shit. Something's wrong with that ASG. Any glider spawned seems to have a proclivity for flying all over the damn spot without a pilot in the seat. They're hitting everything in sight. One of my assaults just blew up... just from tapping the ASG? Fucking fix this.

So, we keep trying again until the gliders come out without hitting something and losing major hitpoints....

We get all the ammo, we're hot to trot, loaded for bear, and we go andstart taxing up the runway (hill). We take off. Oh, boy, this is awesome - two gliders just soaring. We're chattering, we say on alliance - "alright, we are good to GO. Air Force heading to Emmerson."

* We go east of Battle Dome. In j06, I blow up Mid-Air trying to zone. Mr. Captain fatals and his glider goes boom too. WTF. We were completely CLEAR of everything, below maxium cruising height and all that.

* We go back and try again. I'm on my last assault glider by now. We decide to go south, then east. Mr. Captain gets to i07 okay. I go south and warp to h04. WTF?!

I make it to i07, though.

We, the Air Force, are now taking on Emmerson's infested outpost full of FAs. Well, shit. Damn trees - if we can even lock on, hurtling at them at 100 mph, one errant tree in the way and we lose full target lock. We got these Fallen Angels nice and riled up, though. Wow.

*Ten minutes in, I lose control of glider, it just won't go up for all the finessing I do. Boom. Dammit. I lose my glider. No worries, I make it to a GR and get back to BD.

*Mr. Captain and I decide to ride in his advanced glider - yes, that one, where the tail gunner gets the cool bombs. We go up, everything's nice and okay. We go south, boom. I enter permasynch?!? Well, no worries, I make it out alive. He returns, picks me up. We're good to go. Noo... we go east, we BOTH get kicked out the glider. No problem, though, he manages to get his glider back - it's auto-landing protocols worked in this case. Okay, we're off again.

At Emmerson, we're now dropping bombs right and left. You think that's good? No.

FFS, at least give the bomb weaponmount some horizontal targeting. You know how DIFFICULT it is for a glider traveling at 100 mph to line up in a flyby that can take it right over a target? Sheesh.

We're taking loads of fire, so we land to repair, but gaffes on our part gets us killed.

No problem. Mr. Captain decides that we need to get my assault gliders remade. We take a timeout, get the gliders done. We decide to do a new run. You know the routine - gr to Bd, then prep up and get flying. We go south and east. Everything's decent now. But, wow! They've got a Rhino doing anti-aircraft. THIS is what a real challege is! We do buzzs and flybys, hitting the rhino. But disaster strikes after I land outside the OP zone to heal up and repair the glider from the heavy damage it took (from an APU with HL... WTF?).

* I finished repairing and buffing. I zone back.... ONLY TO GO INTO 360* VERTICAL SPINS, WHEREUPON I IMMEDIATELY CRASH INTO A GIANTIC FIREBALL!!! FFS. Mr. Captain goes down too from massed firepower.

We decide - well, we'll give this one more try. We go back to BD, but it's covered! We immediately GR to TH. Alright. We try to get a new outpost team with some groundpounders to give us covering fire. What luck - we get a gentank, so Mr. Captain decides that he and the gentank will go in his advanced glider to do bombing runs, whilst I take out my last assault glider for directed fire.

Everything seems to go alright.. we go to gaba, we go north and west a bit. We go into the zone, even after Mr. captain gets into some wonkiness.

*Turns out Mr. Captain is falling out of his glider every 10 or so seconds, even without pressing "jump". FFS.

*We're at Emmerson now. It's totally deserted. So mr. captain decides to hack. He takes a layer down, gets back into his glider. What luck - he's getting ejected every 10 seconds still, and falls to his death. His glider, WITHOUT A PILOT.... GLIDES SOUTH FOR FIVE FUCKING SECTORS BEFORE LANDING, RIGHT INTO A FUCKING LAKE!!! OMFG.

And me? Where was I? I was circling the OP, waiting for defenders. After nothing for 15 minutes, I start low flybys over the plains to the west of the OP. Much fewer trees, and easier to see targets if they come from Chester.

*Right when I do the plains coverage, I get hit by a popup by my antivirus' annoyware that automatically minimizing Neocron... I close it and get back ingame in about 5 seconds, only to find myself standing in a light dusting of wires, pipes, plates, and computer junk.

WTF WTF WTF WTF WTF.

I was coasting 2 meters off the grass, completely clear of any trees for 500 meters, and the glider immolates itself in the FIVE SECONDS I wasn't controlling it?!?!?!

Fuck. I just GRed out to my apartment to quit for the night.

That was just entirely too aggravating, 3 hours of sheer frustration for, what, a grand total of 20 minutes of pleasure?

Fuck.

[msdong]

i would laugh out loud if i did not get stike by the same problems over and over again.

vhc theme weeks we need you.

[MkVenner]

yeah, annoying as hell...and the fact that things that imo simply shouldnt be anti-vehicle weapons just rip them apart...

and rhinos being able to shoot gliders is silly too :p

[Ozambabbaz]

lol, my fave part is when the Glider actually flies effortlessly and apparently not synch-crashing...only without a pilot for a full 5 zones :lol:

i'm pretty sure that's close to toppling Lindberghs old record ;)

on the other hand, i really feel sorry for ya, i hope the revenues from the shop will sponsor an immediate re-trial :D

[capt-o]

Your initial problem at the ASG seems to be shared by all VHC's. All the ones i try to spawn at least. I'm told they are spawning underground.

I'm apt to believe this since spawning my wheeler yesterday and see it slide about a foot, by itself, from a hill. Which means it was somewhere else when i hit the spawn button and had been sliding through the ground while i was running around looking for it.

This causes the problem of getting on your VHC and moving
A) to the zone line that doesn't zone.
B) moving a few feet then getting off.
as soon as you dismount you are right back were you originally mounted the vehicle and it come driving back to you like it was in rewind.

This also explains why the aircraft get so beat up since the ground/ground clutter will damage aircraft but not land based vehicles.

I put in a help ticket for this once and was told to do a file check to see if that would help. It didn't.

[Spermy]

It's been said before -

I'll rehiterate.

Mini Hindenburgs.

[msdong]

....on the other hand, i really feel sorry for ya, i hope the revenues from the shop will sponsor an immediate re-trial :D


the good thing on gliders is that thyey can be replaced cheap. (research>salvage>reconstruct)

[Capt. Rik]

Heavyporker, that sounded like it should have been so much fun. Let's hope some fixes turn up sooner rather then later

[Cerbious]

the good thing on gliders is that thyey can be replaced cheap. (research>salvage>reconstruct)


can u explain in a bit more detail plz... my driver wil be able to use gliders soon.

[Heavyporker]

salvaging vec keys gets you vehicle parts.

So, you research the keys beforehand, THEN salvage them.

Cst up what parts you don't have yet, and you have a new vec on the "cheap".

For someone that isn't a tradeskiller, it's fairly tricky. but I was lucky in having Sky Captain's help. He rules.

Honestly, I love flying the gliders, but last night was just so nuts. Let me iterate:

- Sumbitches can't even get spawned at ASG without running risk of self-immolating.

- Sumbitches are really, really sensitive to zoning.

- Sumbitches can't lock on to a moving target fast enough to make up for vehicle weaponry superior damage.

- Sumbitches are erratic in being applied.



TBH.. right now, all I want is lower requirements on the 1 or 2 seater gliders (more than willing to accept somewhat lower damage - overall, lower TLs means cheaper to make, easier to use/cap, and perhaps less fiddly in the long run). That and I must fucking have a scout glider type with passenger capability. No, I don't mean gunners. I mean I want to take along paying customers flying.

Gliders need better zoning tolerance, better targeting protocols, and more durability (hit points) to survive server fuckups.

[Xeno LARD]

I don't have a driver high enough, I'll be sure to *at some point* though.

Although, possibly after a vchtheme-week.

[Cerbious]

salvaging vec keys gets you vehicle parts.

So, you research the keys beforehand, THEN salvage them.

Cst up what parts you don't have yet, and you have a new vec on the "cheap".

For someone that isn't a tradeskiller, it's fairly tricky. but I was lucky in having Sky Captain's help. He rules.

ok TY roughly what tl recycle do u need?





TBH.. right now, all I want is lower requirements on the 1 or 2 seater gliders (more than willing to accept somewhat lower damage - overall, lower TLs means cheaper to make, easier to use/cap, and perhaps less fiddly in the long run). That and I must fucking have a scout glider type with passenger capability. No, I don't mean gunners. I mean I want to take along paying customers flying.

Gliders need better zoning tolerance, better targeting protocols, and more durability (hit points) to survive server fuckups.


Yeah would make it more fun and also more people would use em meaning perhaps some air-air fights :D

[msdong]

can u explain in a bit more detail plz....

gliders are not that expencive to buy. the only expencive thing is when you need to replace a glider because u crashed yours.

once you break your glider give the key to a researcher. let him make 2 BP of it.
then give the key to a GOOD recycler. on skill 110 you get a hell lot of vhc parts back.
after that give all the stuff to the conster of your choise, he need to rebuild a few VHC parts but its a lot less expencive them buying a new key.

AND dont ever repair gliders with nanites. (if you dont need) i guess the nanite use is from the old prize of the glider. the repair costs at ASG seems to be calculated by the actual prize of the VHC that is a lot less.

€:
i wonder whats the use of scouts. i only use it to get my tradeskiller up on hills in opzones for relaxed workin. ihey i still need a camping chair andspyglass for that .

[giga191]

I think that you just don't the skill to use them

[Heavyporker]

Gigawhosiswhatever.... your statement made no sense at all.

[Asurmen Spec Op]

I think that you just don't HAVE the skill to use them
there ya go heavy

[stebedford]

LoL

Heres a little tip, dont take gliders to an op like emmerson especially when certain FA runners take anti air launchers and then get a reveller to shoot you down :)

[Seven]

That was just entirely too aggravating, 3 hours of sheer frustration for, what, a grand total of 20 minutes of pleasure?

Fuck.

Well, if they meant it to be another timesink, it seems to be working just fine.

[Bugs Gunny]

I have yet to see a tank that can down a speeding glider with antiair. They'r etoo fast to hit with that.

And yes, gliders are the worst ever investement. They blow up more from bugs than from piloting them.

That's why mc skycaptiain should pilot the bombers. Carriers are bugged too, put in more than two passengers and everyone goes in synchcrash upon zoning

[eLcHi]

Just a hint ...

You don`t RECYCLE the key, you have to SALVAGE it (and you need a Salvage-Tool for that)

My Glider-Experiences:

Blew up a scout at the ASG Antennae
Lost a scout by hitting the sky-box and getting stuck
Lost a scout by "landing" too fast :D
Lost a Assault Glider in a divebomb-attempt on a Gim Chaser (Flying down and targeting is hard already but pulling up afterwards is 8| )
Lost a Assault Glider while doing Air to Air combat against a Hoverbomber (1 Rocket took 1/4 of his health ... hah, i found a valid usage for the glider :D )

And i think i have lost one to zoning

Besides that no problems (dont use em THAT often tho)

[berty]

this is an old old bug from NC-1 which is one of the reasons they were removed. Again extensively reported as having errors during beta - and the same problems seem to have hung around into release.

maybe more investment into the current vehicle pool rather than pretty eye candy to distract the community?

[mishkin]

I believe the gliders blow up when you spawn them, because they're meant to be gliding, you can fly them at high altitudes, without the engine and without loosing speed. They always have a little intertia when, even when they spawn, so they start moving by themselves. The fuckers are hard to park as well o_O

I was flying with a friend in the passenger seat, I crashed, and my friend went 4-5 sectors away until the glider landed by itself :D

In total, I've blown up about 30 gliders I think. All because of stupid bugs. Oh, and about 10 of those were advanced assault gliders :(

[Heavyporker]

It's not really a question of skill, which I have more than enough of, or of anti-air launchers (NONE of the FAs at Emmerson had anti-air. One of these fools even tried using Maldictions on us. The rhino didn't even hit me at all. And that reveller that came during our Air Force's Second Wave only managed to hit us becuse we dive bombed it (two passes or so - it lost 3/4 it health. Tell me that isn't excellent bombing))


It's easy enough to do assault glider dive bombs. You just need enough height in the targeting run to have room to fire off one (or two, if you're good enough, which I've done a few times) rockets on your target. Also, you can start pulling up once your rocket "fires". It has a bit of a homing capability, so you don't need to keep heading at your target once it's off.

I've planned to dog-fight a hoverbomber, but just haven't found a seller or re-maker for my gliders yet.

[Heavyporker]

Alright. Despite the massive aggravation a few days earlier, I've managed to get an advanced assault glider key.


Wish me luck, guys.

[Seven]

Good luck!