by Archanubis » Mon Jul 23, 2007 5:31 pm
- Motto: "Don't take life too seriously or you'll never get out of it alive."
- Weapon: Lightning Rifle
I was looking over the list for the tactics for Decepticon alts and thought some of them could be better. Below are suggested changes for the alts I thought needed a change and could think of alternatives. Keep in mind, I've based these on the current format for tactics in the game (*insert attacker’s name* transforms into *insert alt* and *insert tactic* *insert target’s name*) and was of the thought "What are they limited to in that mode."
Sea Based
Speedboat
Current: Avoid/Catch/Shell
No problems with Avoid and Shell, it’s just I see Catch in literal terms; the attacker is reaching for the target. I think “Stealth” might be a better option; for example, the task of the PT boats in WWII was to slip in, attack a target, and slip out before anyone knew they were there.
Suggested: Avoid/Stealth/Shell
Sea Animal
Current: Bite/Avoid/Slash
Bite and Avoid I have no problem with; however, “slash” is a bite of an issue, especially since most sea animals don’t have appendages that can cut anything (a crab claw is designed to crush). “Catch” can be used in place of Slash as many sea animals, esp. predators, do grab prey. Stealth is another option, as sea creatures can be considered much like a missile or attack submarine; sneaking just under the surface.
Suggested: Bite/Avoid/Catch or Stealth
Targetmaster Ship
Current: Targetmaster/Avoid/Shell
Not much of a change, just I think a ship would have an easier time shelling than avoiding anything.
Suggested: Targetmaster/Shell/Avoid
Land Based
Battle Tank
Current: Shell/Ram/Absorb
The order of this is all I would change, especially since it’s my opinion that a tank is more likely to absorb incoming fire than it is to ram a target. Not suggesting they don’t ram things, it’s that they don’t usually do so (they usually run over anything in their way).
Suggested: Shell/Absorb/Ram
Repair Tank
Current: Ram/Repair/Shell
See my explanation for Battle Tank
Suggested: Shell/Repair/Ram
Small Animal
Current: Avoid/Catch/Charge
Don’t have a problem with the first two, especially when we’re talking small predatory animals, but charging is not a trait that anyone would associate with a rabbit. “Slash” might be a better option.
Suggested: Avoid/Catch/Slash
Medium Animal
Current: None
A new class that would encompass animals that are too big to be classified as a Small Animal, but too small to be considered a Large Animal. This would include beasts like deer, wolves, cougars, etc. These animals do lash out, can bite, and can either avoid or charge (in the case of a deer).
Suggested: Slash/Bite/Avoid or Charge
Large Animal
Current: Slash/Charge/Bite
I see this more befitting to animals like elephants and rhinos, to name two animals. They don’t usually slash or bite, preferring to charge or ram their antagonist. The real trouble is that a predator like a bear could easily be placed here as well so bite is an option, though my first instinct would be to go with Absorb.
Suggested: Charge/Ram/Absorb or Bite
Dinosaur/Mega Fauna
Current: Bite/Charge/Absorb
This alt class might either need to be reclassified or dissolved. Most of us think of creatures like T-Rex or Apatosaurus when talking about dinos, but the truth is, most of them were considerably smaller. A good majority could easily fit into the Small/Medium/and Large Animal classes (how is a Velociraptor, which is the size of a turkey, going to absorb hits?), leaving this class rather devoid of alts. Only problem would be the sauropods, some of which were absolutely massive, which might require their own separate class. For the Sauropods and other “mega fauna,” I see them absorbing a lot of damage and *possibly* charging their attackers (albeit in slow motion), but I can’t really see them ramming or biting anyone. I’m stumped for an alternative on this one.
Suggested: Absorb/Charge/?
Air Based
Airplane
Current: Dogfight/Strafe/Avoid
To me, an airplane represents a passenger plane, cargo jet, or bomber, none of which dogfight with other aircraft. Bombers do “strafe” targets on a bombing run, and none of these aircraft are known for any great level of agility (I could be wrong, though). Stealth would be a good replacement for Dogfight, especially since the first aircraft to employ this tech were technically bombers.
Suggested: Strafe/Stealth/Avoid
Fighter
Current: Strafe/Avoid/Catch
To me, the term “Fighter Aircraft” evokes images of aircraft like the Red Baron’s Fokker tri-plane, the P-51 Mustang, or the F-16 Falcon. I see no problem with Avoid and Strafe, but as I mentioned before, “catch” gives me the impression that the attacker is actually grabbing the target, something fighters certainly can’t do. They do, however, dogfight with other fighters, so I suggest that be the replacement.
Suggested: Dogfight/Avoid/Strafe
Interceptor
Current: Dogfight/Avoid/Catch
An interesting alt class, I have to say, though a few combat airplanes, like the Su-27 “Flanker,” are classified this way. Although they are designed to “catch” bombers, in the strict sense of the word, they really don’t grab things. They do have to dogfight with escort fighters, though. Stealth could be used in place of Catch to make them “special” compared to regular fighters.
Suggested: Dogfight/Avoid/Stealth
Helicopter
Current: Dogfight/Strafe/Drop
This one had me wondering what the thought process behind this was. Helicopters will strafe ground targets (in the case of attack helicopters, it’s what they were build for), but in the strict definition of “drop,” helicopters do no swoop down like eagles, pick up an object, and then let them plummet, Vortex’s Marvel bio not withstanding. In fact, I don’t ever remember Vortex ever employing that tactic in either the cartoon or the comic, nor any other helicopter-based character since G1. Helicopters also do not “dogfight,” in the strict, combat definition; as I recall, they’re usually employed against *ground* targets. Attack choppers do have turreted based weaponry, so Shell might be a good replacement; and all helicopters are highly agile aircraft, so Avoid would be a good stand in, too. Another alternative would be Stealth; attack helicopters often hide behind cover, pop up to attack and drop back down afterwards.
Suggested: Avoid/Strafe/Shell
Small Air Animal
Current: Avoid/Dogfight/Drop
The current setup seems okay; since I have seen small birds sparring with each other in the air. “Catch” would be another option aside from Dogfight; the peregrine falcon does grab its food in mid-air.
Suggested: Avoid/Catch (?)/Drop
Large Air Animal
Current: Drop/Dogfight/Avoid
As with Small Air Animal, the current setup is okay, as would be replacing Dogfight with Catch (bald eagles catch fish in their talons).
Suggested: Drop/Catch (?)/Avoid
Targetmaster Jet
Current: Headmaster/Avoid/Strafe
Change in name, mostly, unless "Targetmaster Jet" is a mistake itself.
Suggested: Targetmaster/Avoid/Strafe
Again, these are merely suggestions. Some other notes, Shell = Fireblast; Fireblast reminds me of a brand of furnace. I was also talking with a few others, and a few suggested alternative names for "Catch" based on my description for Fighters and Interceptors; "Chase," "Intercept," and "Pursue." I'm also aware that this is a fantasy game based on the various Transformers cartoon and comic series that have appeared over the years. It's only that some of these tactics were contrary to what I had seen in these series or I felt were totally unrealistic.
[ Click to attempt signal recovery... ]
