Opinions formed after a weekend of heavy playing. All Instant Action, mostly vCTF-Suspense, at varying bot skill levels. I used the console commands to summon the "other" vehicles.
General Observations
The following observations apply to all vehicles in general.
Aesthetics
Excellent models and textures! The Axon vehicles look a little tougher and more functional than last time. The Necris vehicles have stunning visual flair.
The locational damage system is brilliant. It's awesome to see my vehicle "unwrinkle" when I link-heal it.
The explosions seem rather flimsy and un-spectacular. In most instances of vehicles or (especially) projectiles blowing up... if you blink you missed it. I know this slightly helps performance, but come on! Explosions are cool!
Usability
This game feels great, partly because it has good physics. Vehicles feel solid, like they have mass, and practical suspension. Not like the floaty UT2004 vehicles. I have yet to experience odd or unintuitive behavior.
Camera positioning is horrible, especially in ground vehicles. I'm on 16:10 widescreen and I can't even see the backs of the ground vehicles, let alone their wheels. I miss being able to zoom out using the mouse wheel.
I really miss not being able to carry the flag in ground vehicles. They seemed made for that purpose in UT2004, especially the wheeled ones. I don't see what we gained by the removal of this great feature. The best UT2004 vCTF maps had neutral, unlocked vehicles near the flag and in midfield especially to assist retreating flag carriers. This shortcoming relegates vehicles to combat only and places me in a weird conundrum whenever I reach the enemy flag in a vehicle. Do I leave my vehicle to be taken by the enemy? Not good; they'll use it to hunt me down. Or do I ignore the flag and keep fighting until my vehicle is almost destroyed and then jump out? But then whoever shot my ride will be shooting me. Or do I just do the sensible but boring thing and distract my enemies and wait for a teammate to grab the flag? Where's the glory in that? That's not what CTF is about, with or without vehicles.
Balance
I am, on the whole, not charmed, not by the balance between vehicles and infantry nor by the balance between vehicles themselves. This is where I see some serious room for improvement.
Vehicle power should be relative to size. If it looks powerful, it should be powerful. The reverse certainly also applies; small, lightweight vehicles have no business being powerful. I feel the game seriously underestimates the power of mobility. The guiding principle behind the game's vehicle balance appears to be that vehicles should have around 500 health. Really fast and maneuverable vehicles get half that, slow and cumbersome vehicles get up to double that. The problem here is that a really maneuverable vehicle hardly gets hit, so the tradeoff (sacrificing vulnerability for speed) is missing. As a result, flying vehicles are generally uber, as was evidenced by the Manta and Cicada in UT2004.
There's no reason why flying vehicles should be powerful. This problem can still be avoided easily without ruining gameplay. In fact, gameplay would be greatly improved. Nobody in their right mind would use a weak tank (you might as well go on foot), but a weak aircraft would still be used because it's fast. It will get you to the action, to that unguarded node, into the enemy base, despite any shortcomings it may have.
___
And now, in alphabetical order...
Cicada
Aesthetics
The old one looked better. It had sleek curves and actually hinted at its namesake. This new model is just a collection of metal bars and plates thrown together to vaguely resemble its predecessor.
The belly turret is still the same old uninspired "layzur" thing, though the altfire flares and cool folding animation save it from being entirely unremarkable.
Usability
Handling is much-improved but that lost the Cicada some of its character. The old Cicada took a lot of flak for the way it handled, but I think that was due in part to its instability and perceived lack of mass. I certainly came to appreciate its slow sideways but excellent vertical movement. This new Cicada feels like just another Raptor clone.
I vaguely remembered the missiles locking onto targeted stuff now, but they don't. It would've been fun to send a bunch of missiles after some hapless target (that could still avoid them if it were careful).
The craft's nose often gets in the way of the crosshair and obscures downward view in general. That's pretty awkward for an air-to-ground vehicle.
Balance
Feels like its predecessor's over-the-top damage dealing abilities have been brought back into perspective. Fairly balanced now.
Darkwalker
Aesthetics
Wicked! I can't properly admire the thing because I can only see the top while driving, but this sure is one of the defining vehicles for the game.
When I first saw the Darkwalker I assumed that it worked like a hover vehicle and that the long, thin legs were just for show. I still think that was a correct assumption, but the legs are a lot less flimsy than I feared. They look bad-*** and like they could actually pull the vehicle along. The only thing that's missing to make the illusion truly complete is a bit of shaking and rocking with the footsteps.
Slow moving beams of death are always a crowd pleaser. I'm glad they're nothing like the boring "layzurs" on many of the other vehicles.
Now the passenger turret... hello there, boring "layzurs". These so do not fit this otherwise fascinating vehicle.
Usability
Cool beams! Fun to use. (not really that fun to face, at least not with the bots using them... I swear they can see through walls)
I read the big lights were added so you can more easily see where it's aiming. The lights aren't that obvious to me, though.
Moving around is
I couldn't get the altfire to work reliably. Only seems to work in some games.
Balance
Pretty powerful, appropriate for its size. I'd certainly pick this thing over the Goliath any day.
Goliath
Aesthetics
The old Goliath was a box on treads, this Goliath is a slightly more fleshed out box on treads. I'd expect more from a futuristic tank (especially considering a certain other scifi shooter game having to do with ring shaped worlds got it right).
Altfire is still the same dumb zooming. I thought we were going to get a ballistic antipersonnel round?
Usability
It's hard to aim the shells at distant targets, especially on flat terrain (like the vCTF-Suspense bridge). It's hard to see where the shells will land, it's hard to see where the shells do land and it's hard to see the shells coming. The old Goliath, simple as it was, did not have this problem as much.
Balance
Old Goliath rocked, new Goliath sucks. This thing gets pwnd by just about anything but the other ground vehicles. The new tank shell is laughable. You have to hit extremely close to the mark to slow down infantry. Its only virtue is decent health, but it's an easy target and what health it has depletes super-rapidly if you cannot make life hard for your attackers.
Serious balance problem here. The Goliath is supposed to be the terror of the battlefield, the vehicle everyone fears, not just another free frag for any fool with a Link Gun. Come on, Epic, it's a tank!
Fury
Aesthetics
Wow, just wow! The tentacles, the thingy folding out of the bottom... spectacular!
Could've used a bit more nonstandard flight mechanism. Its seriously alien looks notwithstanding it handles like a helicopter, just like the Raptor and the Cicada. I was hoping for something more along the lines of a harrier jet, with clumsy hovering but graceful flight.
Usability
Wasn't this supposed to be the air superiority fighter? It doesn't seem that made for dogfighting. I had a Fury versus Fury dogfight, which was all about getting the first hit. I also had a Fury versus Raptor dogfight. That just had me eating Raptor missiles. I don't really see how this is supposed to work.
The beams "sticking" to the target is nice. That really helps the thing along.
Balance
Seems pretty balanced to me. The beams are pretty nasty, but it has to expose itself and go in low to attack ground targets.
I'd pick the Raptor over this any day of the week, even for air superiority (which is kinda odd, considering the Fury's role), but I think that has more to do with the Raptor than the Fury.
Hellbender
Aesthetics
A cross between the old pickup and the Bulldog, much better! It looks mean and cool.
The rear turret is just a dumb "layzur" now. Not very imaginative. The twinbeam wasn't a whole lot above that but at least it had a nonstandard mechanic.
Usability
What's with the crazy cornering? Tight cornering is fine, but not at the slightest touch of the button.
Merging the passenger and driver seats is good. Cuts back on the silly constant seat switching.
Closing off the cab is also good. Now it can take a few hits before the crew is toast.
Balance
Underpowered. Hearing "Hellbender, midfield" doesn't have the slightest psychological impact on me. Spam link plasma down the road for a free frag. Shame, because this vehicle could shine in many roles without ever becoming uber.
The skymines have lost their old awesomeness. No longer can I threaten large areas or obliterate nearby infantry. Too slow, too small, not enough damage. You need to practically pull up to something to get in a good hit. At any other range, the target can easily step aside.
It's nice to see the altfire shock beam brought up to the level of a normal shock beam. Now you can actually use it as a weapon, in a pinch. The old beam did such pitiful damage that it was useless for anything but detonating skymines.
The rear turret is underwhelming and uninviting. Why trade my freedom and accuracy for a wobbly, glorified shock beam?
Hellfire SPMA
Aesthetics
Half-track, nice! Really slow, but that fits its appearance. Cool stabilizers.
I bet the name was changed specifically because "SPMA, midfield!" didn't sound too cool.
Usability
Might be the vCTF-Suspense layout, but I can't put this thing to good use. It has no angle, no reach and no cover. The only serviceable spot in vCTF-Suspense seems to be right behind the flag.
I'd rather have kept the use of the cannon for the driver... something about having a big gun and wanting to use it. The SPMA is so slow now anyway that it doesn't really matter whether you move or not while operating the skymine turret.
The "can't look below the horizon" issue is gone, as it should have been in the past.
Deployment by pressing Space is fine, though unnecessary. I understand something had to change (what with all the "how do i use teh spma!!1oneone" threads), but it could have deployed on Altfire if the driver had not been given control of the skymine turret.
The mouse aiming is great! Very sleek and intuitive.
The cannon has very poor range. The immobile nature of a deployed SPMA makes it best used from a safe spot, but it doesn't have the range for that. I have to aim up real high just to get the camera in a useful position (which contrasts sharply with the Flak altfire trajectory).
Balance
As it is now, in vCTF-Suspense, the presence of the SPMA seems to hardly affect the game at all. It might as well not have been there.
The lack of range is the SPMA's primary shortcoming. It is built for range, yet does not have it. Lack of range means it has to pull up near whatever it wishes to bombard. This makes disposing of an enemy SPMA an afterthought (spam Link plasma for a free frag) rather than forcing you to seek it out and fight your way to it.
See the Hellbender for the skymine issues.
Hoverboard (yup, it's a vehicle too)
Aesthetics
I've kept an open mind for the past year, expecting it to work, but now am torn between goofy and gimmicky. It doesn't suit the game.
Getting into the action faster is great, but I don't see why I would need a hoverboard for that. The problem, usually, is that the action is too far away. The obvious solution would then be to keep the action closer to the spawn points.
Jetpacks would have been a better alternative, but whatever. Epic obviously has their mind set on this (not to mention their money), so I won't delve into the alternatives.
Usability
The thing feels clumsy because it won't strafe and has slightly unpredictable cornering abilities. I have to be very careful when hovering into doorways or onto ledges. If I hit the wall I might as well hop off and reposition on foot before hopping back on.
It's useless for carrying the flag. Any fool with an Enforcer or (especially) Stinger will mow you down and finish you off before you get back up. Doesn't matter whether you tow behind a vehicle or not. In fact, I'd rather have the vehicle push me. At least that way it shields me from enemy fire.
And would it kill the game to allow people to link up to other hoverboards?
Balance
The worst thing about the hoverboard is that it's so quick to get on and off. I find myself hoverboarding even the tiniest distance from my spawn point to the weapon locker, and from the weapon locker to the nearest vehicle. I do this because it gets me to the action 0.2 seconds sooner, and that matters in this game. That means I have to do it. I must have that 0.2 seconds, or I wouldn't be playing to the best of my ability. This makes the hoverboard a curse instead of a blessing. It steals focus from what the game is about. I want to blow up ****, not continually be jumping on and off a hoverboard.
Manta
Aesthetics
Still shares the cookie cutter plasma guns with the Raptor. I had hoped for something more original this time.
Still the same wonky jump sound, eh?
Usability
Pleasant and easy to use. A bit too easy, in fact.
Good thing people can no longer stand on top of the spinning blades of death. That "feature" just didn't go with the looks. I'd have been fine with handles serving as passenger "seats" on the sides, but this is fine too.
What's with roadkilling crouched infantry? Wasn't it supposed to not be able to do that anymore?
Balance
Uber! This thing has offense, defense and mobility. The plasma guns have insane fire rate and damage per second, and the craft is so agile that it's hard to hit even with hitscan. The Manta's role should be to get places, not going toe to toe with the bigger vehicles. It needs a serious reduction in both responsiveness and fire rate to keep its power level proportionate to its size.
At this level Warfare will be Manta fest all over again, with Mantas everywhere. Just like Onslaught, with a Manta at nearly every node in nearly every map. I thought the old "7 Mantas" Torlan was the worse for it, and I am not exactly thrilled with the prospects of the (five?) new Manta infested Torlans.
Nemesis
Aesthetics
Cool tentacle gliders and a very interesting crouch mode.
Boring "layzur" weapon. I was hoping for something a little more innovative.
Boring zoom altfire, feels like an afterthought. This makes it all the more nothing but a mobile Energy Turret. It could have been given something fun and different instead, something that would have allowed it to occasionally break free of its role. Like, say, a deployable wall, a couple of land mines or a medical supply.
Usability
Completely drunken handling in crouch mode. Since the guns are locked in place anyway, how about steering it with the mouse in this mode? That way I'd actually be able to hit something. Otherwise the guns might as well be switched off entirely.
Except for a slightly better firing position, what's the point of the raised mode? Doesn't seem to do more damage. Faster fire rate? If so, hardly noticeable. That could use a cue or two.
Turns a little bit too fast for my taste.
The laser is all-or-nothing, near-misses don't count. If you have l33t aim you're going to rock with this thing, otherwise you're going to feel somewhat useless. Not a very enjoyable vehicle for the average gamer.
Balance
Fairly balanced.
Paladin
Aesthetics
I liked the looks of the old one and I don't necessarily consider this one an improvement. The way the shield deploys is nice, though.
The plasma ball looks seriously underwhelming. Looks like a colored glass orb instead of a big, nasty pulsing glob of plasma barely contained by an EM field.
Usability
The shield obstructs visibility. I can hardly see what's behind it. Seems to depend on graphics settings too. Once it was nearly white and completely opaque, another time it was pink and vaguely transparent.
It got a much-needed little speed boost, but it's still super-slow in reverse. Is that really necessary? It doesn't really scrape along obstacles; it tends to get stuck. And then you have to reverse a little to get unstuck.
Balance
Still a very balanced vehicle. Slightly more powerful primary fire wouldn't hurt, though.
Raptor
Aesthetics
The UT2004 Raptor was a sleek, stylish machine with a silhouette vaguely resembling its namesake. The UT3 Raptor is just another spacey flying machine lacking the aesthetic vision of its predecessor.
I like how the wings fold.
Usability
Handles as expected, if slightly too easy.
Slower reverse speed is good, consistent with its thrusters.
Balance
This thing is the rock, the paper and the scissors. It's basically the Manta with a few variations. It's only a lightweight flyer but it can take on the big vehicles with ease. And if you're on foot and one of these gets you in its sights... just plink away with your Stinger and hope one of your buddies AVRiLs it after you respawn. It'll need some serious adjustments or this game will yet again be dominated by flying vehicles. It was bad in UT2004, but it's a lot worse here.
What's with the crazy fire rate on the missiles? Just hold down altfire to clear the map of enemy Raptors, Cicadas and Furies. Once you get the warning and see the missiles you're dead already.
Scorpion
Aesthetics
No bola? The bola was cool, and even though it wasn't nearly as useful as it could have been, it was still unreal. The grenade launcher is a lot less interesting.
The kamikaze attack does not result in the expected explosion. The thing just smashed itself to bits on a wall. Funny, but a bit of an anticlimax.
Usability
Way too aggressive cornering, like the Hellbender.
The grenades seem remarkably easy to aim. Is there some hidden homing behavior?
The kamikaze attack has the added benefit in vCTF of not leaving enemies a vehicle to carjack (a problem that I find otherwise very disrupting to vCTF gameplay, what with not being able to drive the flag back).
Good handling and the blades being at the front (0.1 second less time to dodge) make it the roadkill menace it should have been in the past.
Balance
No longer the coffin on wheels! I'm glad it actually provides a little safety for the driver now. All in all very balanced and suitable for a variety of roles. A great improvement!
General Observations
The following observations apply to all vehicles in general.
Aesthetics
Excellent models and textures! The Axon vehicles look a little tougher and more functional than last time. The Necris vehicles have stunning visual flair.
The locational damage system is brilliant. It's awesome to see my vehicle "unwrinkle" when I link-heal it.
The explosions seem rather flimsy and un-spectacular. In most instances of vehicles or (especially) projectiles blowing up... if you blink you missed it. I know this slightly helps performance, but come on! Explosions are cool!
Usability
This game feels great, partly because it has good physics. Vehicles feel solid, like they have mass, and practical suspension. Not like the floaty UT2004 vehicles. I have yet to experience odd or unintuitive behavior.
Camera positioning is horrible, especially in ground vehicles. I'm on 16:10 widescreen and I can't even see the backs of the ground vehicles, let alone their wheels. I miss being able to zoom out using the mouse wheel.
I really miss not being able to carry the flag in ground vehicles. They seemed made for that purpose in UT2004, especially the wheeled ones. I don't see what we gained by the removal of this great feature. The best UT2004 vCTF maps had neutral, unlocked vehicles near the flag and in midfield especially to assist retreating flag carriers. This shortcoming relegates vehicles to combat only and places me in a weird conundrum whenever I reach the enemy flag in a vehicle. Do I leave my vehicle to be taken by the enemy? Not good; they'll use it to hunt me down. Or do I ignore the flag and keep fighting until my vehicle is almost destroyed and then jump out? But then whoever shot my ride will be shooting me. Or do I just do the sensible but boring thing and distract my enemies and wait for a teammate to grab the flag? Where's the glory in that? That's not what CTF is about, with or without vehicles.
Balance
I am, on the whole, not charmed, not by the balance between vehicles and infantry nor by the balance between vehicles themselves. This is where I see some serious room for improvement.
Vehicle power should be relative to size. If it looks powerful, it should be powerful. The reverse certainly also applies; small, lightweight vehicles have no business being powerful. I feel the game seriously underestimates the power of mobility. The guiding principle behind the game's vehicle balance appears to be that vehicles should have around 500 health. Really fast and maneuverable vehicles get half that, slow and cumbersome vehicles get up to double that. The problem here is that a really maneuverable vehicle hardly gets hit, so the tradeoff (sacrificing vulnerability for speed) is missing. As a result, flying vehicles are generally uber, as was evidenced by the Manta and Cicada in UT2004.
There's no reason why flying vehicles should be powerful. This problem can still be avoided easily without ruining gameplay. In fact, gameplay would be greatly improved. Nobody in their right mind would use a weak tank (you might as well go on foot), but a weak aircraft would still be used because it's fast. It will get you to the action, to that unguarded node, into the enemy base, despite any shortcomings it may have.
___
And now, in alphabetical order...
Cicada
Aesthetics
The old one looked better. It had sleek curves and actually hinted at its namesake. This new model is just a collection of metal bars and plates thrown together to vaguely resemble its predecessor.
The belly turret is still the same old uninspired "layzur" thing, though the altfire flares and cool folding animation save it from being entirely unremarkable.
Usability
Handling is much-improved but that lost the Cicada some of its character. The old Cicada took a lot of flak for the way it handled, but I think that was due in part to its instability and perceived lack of mass. I certainly came to appreciate its slow sideways but excellent vertical movement. This new Cicada feels like just another Raptor clone.
I vaguely remembered the missiles locking onto targeted stuff now, but they don't. It would've been fun to send a bunch of missiles after some hapless target (that could still avoid them if it were careful).
The craft's nose often gets in the way of the crosshair and obscures downward view in general. That's pretty awkward for an air-to-ground vehicle.
Balance
Feels like its predecessor's over-the-top damage dealing abilities have been brought back into perspective. Fairly balanced now.
Darkwalker
Aesthetics
Wicked! I can't properly admire the thing because I can only see the top while driving, but this sure is one of the defining vehicles for the game.
When I first saw the Darkwalker I assumed that it worked like a hover vehicle and that the long, thin legs were just for show. I still think that was a correct assumption, but the legs are a lot less flimsy than I feared. They look bad-*** and like they could actually pull the vehicle along. The only thing that's missing to make the illusion truly complete is a bit of shaking and rocking with the footsteps.
Slow moving beams of death are always a crowd pleaser. I'm glad they're nothing like the boring "layzurs" on many of the other vehicles.
Now the passenger turret... hello there, boring "layzurs". These so do not fit this otherwise fascinating vehicle.
Usability
Cool beams! Fun to use. (not really that fun to face, at least not with the bots using them... I swear they can see through walls)
I read the big lights were added so you can more easily see where it's aiming. The lights aren't that obvious to me, though.
Moving around is
I couldn't get the altfire to work reliably. Only seems to work in some games.
Balance
Pretty powerful, appropriate for its size. I'd certainly pick this thing over the Goliath any day.
Goliath
Aesthetics
The old Goliath was a box on treads, this Goliath is a slightly more fleshed out box on treads. I'd expect more from a futuristic tank (especially considering a certain other scifi shooter game having to do with ring shaped worlds got it right).
Altfire is still the same dumb zooming. I thought we were going to get a ballistic antipersonnel round?
Usability
It's hard to aim the shells at distant targets, especially on flat terrain (like the vCTF-Suspense bridge). It's hard to see where the shells will land, it's hard to see where the shells do land and it's hard to see the shells coming. The old Goliath, simple as it was, did not have this problem as much.
Balance
Old Goliath rocked, new Goliath sucks. This thing gets pwnd by just about anything but the other ground vehicles. The new tank shell is laughable. You have to hit extremely close to the mark to slow down infantry. Its only virtue is decent health, but it's an easy target and what health it has depletes super-rapidly if you cannot make life hard for your attackers.
Serious balance problem here. The Goliath is supposed to be the terror of the battlefield, the vehicle everyone fears, not just another free frag for any fool with a Link Gun. Come on, Epic, it's a tank!
Fury
Aesthetics
Wow, just wow! The tentacles, the thingy folding out of the bottom... spectacular!
Could've used a bit more nonstandard flight mechanism. Its seriously alien looks notwithstanding it handles like a helicopter, just like the Raptor and the Cicada. I was hoping for something more along the lines of a harrier jet, with clumsy hovering but graceful flight.
Usability
Wasn't this supposed to be the air superiority fighter? It doesn't seem that made for dogfighting. I had a Fury versus Fury dogfight, which was all about getting the first hit. I also had a Fury versus Raptor dogfight. That just had me eating Raptor missiles. I don't really see how this is supposed to work.
The beams "sticking" to the target is nice. That really helps the thing along.
Balance
Seems pretty balanced to me. The beams are pretty nasty, but it has to expose itself and go in low to attack ground targets.
I'd pick the Raptor over this any day of the week, even for air superiority (which is kinda odd, considering the Fury's role), but I think that has more to do with the Raptor than the Fury.
Hellbender
Aesthetics
A cross between the old pickup and the Bulldog, much better! It looks mean and cool.
The rear turret is just a dumb "layzur" now. Not very imaginative. The twinbeam wasn't a whole lot above that but at least it had a nonstandard mechanic.
Usability
What's with the crazy cornering? Tight cornering is fine, but not at the slightest touch of the button.
Merging the passenger and driver seats is good. Cuts back on the silly constant seat switching.
Closing off the cab is also good. Now it can take a few hits before the crew is toast.
Balance
Underpowered. Hearing "Hellbender, midfield" doesn't have the slightest psychological impact on me. Spam link plasma down the road for a free frag. Shame, because this vehicle could shine in many roles without ever becoming uber.
The skymines have lost their old awesomeness. No longer can I threaten large areas or obliterate nearby infantry. Too slow, too small, not enough damage. You need to practically pull up to something to get in a good hit. At any other range, the target can easily step aside.
It's nice to see the altfire shock beam brought up to the level of a normal shock beam. Now you can actually use it as a weapon, in a pinch. The old beam did such pitiful damage that it was useless for anything but detonating skymines.
The rear turret is underwhelming and uninviting. Why trade my freedom and accuracy for a wobbly, glorified shock beam?
Hellfire SPMA
Aesthetics
Half-track, nice! Really slow, but that fits its appearance. Cool stabilizers.
I bet the name was changed specifically because "SPMA, midfield!" didn't sound too cool.
Usability
Might be the vCTF-Suspense layout, but I can't put this thing to good use. It has no angle, no reach and no cover. The only serviceable spot in vCTF-Suspense seems to be right behind the flag.
I'd rather have kept the use of the cannon for the driver... something about having a big gun and wanting to use it. The SPMA is so slow now anyway that it doesn't really matter whether you move or not while operating the skymine turret.
The "can't look below the horizon" issue is gone, as it should have been in the past.
Deployment by pressing Space is fine, though unnecessary. I understand something had to change (what with all the "how do i use teh spma!!1oneone" threads), but it could have deployed on Altfire if the driver had not been given control of the skymine turret.
The mouse aiming is great! Very sleek and intuitive.
The cannon has very poor range. The immobile nature of a deployed SPMA makes it best used from a safe spot, but it doesn't have the range for that. I have to aim up real high just to get the camera in a useful position (which contrasts sharply with the Flak altfire trajectory).
Balance
As it is now, in vCTF-Suspense, the presence of the SPMA seems to hardly affect the game at all. It might as well not have been there.
The lack of range is the SPMA's primary shortcoming. It is built for range, yet does not have it. Lack of range means it has to pull up near whatever it wishes to bombard. This makes disposing of an enemy SPMA an afterthought (spam Link plasma for a free frag) rather than forcing you to seek it out and fight your way to it.
See the Hellbender for the skymine issues.
Hoverboard (yup, it's a vehicle too)
Aesthetics
I've kept an open mind for the past year, expecting it to work, but now am torn between goofy and gimmicky. It doesn't suit the game.
Getting into the action faster is great, but I don't see why I would need a hoverboard for that. The problem, usually, is that the action is too far away. The obvious solution would then be to keep the action closer to the spawn points.
Jetpacks would have been a better alternative, but whatever. Epic obviously has their mind set on this (not to mention their money), so I won't delve into the alternatives.
Usability
The thing feels clumsy because it won't strafe and has slightly unpredictable cornering abilities. I have to be very careful when hovering into doorways or onto ledges. If I hit the wall I might as well hop off and reposition on foot before hopping back on.
It's useless for carrying the flag. Any fool with an Enforcer or (especially) Stinger will mow you down and finish you off before you get back up. Doesn't matter whether you tow behind a vehicle or not. In fact, I'd rather have the vehicle push me. At least that way it shields me from enemy fire.
And would it kill the game to allow people to link up to other hoverboards?
Balance
The worst thing about the hoverboard is that it's so quick to get on and off. I find myself hoverboarding even the tiniest distance from my spawn point to the weapon locker, and from the weapon locker to the nearest vehicle. I do this because it gets me to the action 0.2 seconds sooner, and that matters in this game. That means I have to do it. I must have that 0.2 seconds, or I wouldn't be playing to the best of my ability. This makes the hoverboard a curse instead of a blessing. It steals focus from what the game is about. I want to blow up ****, not continually be jumping on and off a hoverboard.
Manta
Aesthetics
Still shares the cookie cutter plasma guns with the Raptor. I had hoped for something more original this time.
Still the same wonky jump sound, eh?
Usability
Pleasant and easy to use. A bit too easy, in fact.
Good thing people can no longer stand on top of the spinning blades of death. That "feature" just didn't go with the looks. I'd have been fine with handles serving as passenger "seats" on the sides, but this is fine too.
What's with roadkilling crouched infantry? Wasn't it supposed to not be able to do that anymore?
Balance
Uber! This thing has offense, defense and mobility. The plasma guns have insane fire rate and damage per second, and the craft is so agile that it's hard to hit even with hitscan. The Manta's role should be to get places, not going toe to toe with the bigger vehicles. It needs a serious reduction in both responsiveness and fire rate to keep its power level proportionate to its size.
At this level Warfare will be Manta fest all over again, with Mantas everywhere. Just like Onslaught, with a Manta at nearly every node in nearly every map. I thought the old "7 Mantas" Torlan was the worse for it, and I am not exactly thrilled with the prospects of the (five?) new Manta infested Torlans.
Nemesis
Aesthetics
Cool tentacle gliders and a very interesting crouch mode.
Boring "layzur" weapon. I was hoping for something a little more innovative.
Boring zoom altfire, feels like an afterthought. This makes it all the more nothing but a mobile Energy Turret. It could have been given something fun and different instead, something that would have allowed it to occasionally break free of its role. Like, say, a deployable wall, a couple of land mines or a medical supply.
Usability
Completely drunken handling in crouch mode. Since the guns are locked in place anyway, how about steering it with the mouse in this mode? That way I'd actually be able to hit something. Otherwise the guns might as well be switched off entirely.
Except for a slightly better firing position, what's the point of the raised mode? Doesn't seem to do more damage. Faster fire rate? If so, hardly noticeable. That could use a cue or two.
Turns a little bit too fast for my taste.
The laser is all-or-nothing, near-misses don't count. If you have l33t aim you're going to rock with this thing, otherwise you're going to feel somewhat useless. Not a very enjoyable vehicle for the average gamer.
Balance
Fairly balanced.
Paladin
Aesthetics
I liked the looks of the old one and I don't necessarily consider this one an improvement. The way the shield deploys is nice, though.
The plasma ball looks seriously underwhelming. Looks like a colored glass orb instead of a big, nasty pulsing glob of plasma barely contained by an EM field.
Usability
The shield obstructs visibility. I can hardly see what's behind it. Seems to depend on graphics settings too. Once it was nearly white and completely opaque, another time it was pink and vaguely transparent.
It got a much-needed little speed boost, but it's still super-slow in reverse. Is that really necessary? It doesn't really scrape along obstacles; it tends to get stuck. And then you have to reverse a little to get unstuck.
Balance
Still a very balanced vehicle. Slightly more powerful primary fire wouldn't hurt, though.
Raptor
Aesthetics
The UT2004 Raptor was a sleek, stylish machine with a silhouette vaguely resembling its namesake. The UT3 Raptor is just another spacey flying machine lacking the aesthetic vision of its predecessor.
I like how the wings fold.
Usability
Handles as expected, if slightly too easy.
Slower reverse speed is good, consistent with its thrusters.
Balance
This thing is the rock, the paper and the scissors. It's basically the Manta with a few variations. It's only a lightweight flyer but it can take on the big vehicles with ease. And if you're on foot and one of these gets you in its sights... just plink away with your Stinger and hope one of your buddies AVRiLs it after you respawn. It'll need some serious adjustments or this game will yet again be dominated by flying vehicles. It was bad in UT2004, but it's a lot worse here.
What's with the crazy fire rate on the missiles? Just hold down altfire to clear the map of enemy Raptors, Cicadas and Furies. Once you get the warning and see the missiles you're dead already.
Scorpion
Aesthetics
No bola? The bola was cool, and even though it wasn't nearly as useful as it could have been, it was still unreal. The grenade launcher is a lot less interesting.
The kamikaze attack does not result in the expected explosion. The thing just smashed itself to bits on a wall. Funny, but a bit of an anticlimax.
Usability
Way too aggressive cornering, like the Hellbender.
The grenades seem remarkably easy to aim. Is there some hidden homing behavior?
The kamikaze attack has the added benefit in vCTF of not leaving enemies a vehicle to carjack (a problem that I find otherwise very disrupting to vCTF gameplay, what with not being able to drive the flag back).
Good handling and the blades being at the front (0.1 second less time to dodge) make it the roadkill menace it should have been in the past.
Balance
No longer the coffin on wheels! I'm glad it actually provides a little safety for the driver now. All in all very balanced and suitable for a variety of roles. A great improvement!
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