Sabatoge Probe

[OpeningToEndgame]

Was the biggest waste of requisition I've ever spent. I decided to try it because I faced a scout who somehow manage to get it on me constantly in my Sting. Not sure how, but he did. I buy it all the way to tier 5 and it's the longest cast time ever. It's useless. Unless someone is sitting perfectly still, or you catch them off-guard you can't get it off. Please give it a shorter cooldown.

[silvershadows]

Actually it's very useful in deathmatch games.

 

Sabotage probe someone then just shoot them down since they can't do anything other than fly straight or come to a dead stop.

[OpeningToEndgame]

yes, but most people get away before I can finish it. It seems so much longer.

[Sangrar]

Was the biggest waste of requisition I've ever spent. I decided to try it because I faced a scout who somehow manage to get it on me constantly in my Sting. Not sure how, but he did. I buy it all the way to tier 5 and it's the longest cast time ever. It's useless. Unless someone is sitting perfectly still, or you catch them off-guard you can't get it off. Please give it a shorter cooldown.

 

heres the thing, its the only real real cc that we got other than ion weapons if I am not mistaken. Anyway they are very hard to use and for good reason. Imagine, people already complain about too much cc and stun in ground pvp, if that becomes easier to use and is used more often then people complain about it. It is still possible to fire though, I have gotten hit with it myself. It is very powerful when it is deployed getting rid of all steering... made me ram into an asteroid... so the controls should stay as they are I think, unless someone has a good reason to make it usable without making it op

[OpeningToEndgame]

I am currently facing 2 guys in this match who are casting it instantly. I can't get away from them or break free from it. I get Probed, and then 1 shotted. They're BOTH in Stings.

[Bleeters]

By your own admission, you picked it because another pilot was regularly landing it on your own Sting. Sounds more like you're just not used to using it.

[OpeningToEndgame]

So being "used to it" means they can cast it faster? I used a stop watch and it took me 3.76 seconds to lock on. Cast time is 3.0, minus .3 for the first tier ability. Is the game/server THAT laggy? My connection and computer are excellent.

[Bleeters]

If you're going to insist on producing something different to criticise with each consecutive post, don't be surprised if people aren't sure what your problem is. It's gone from being difficult to lock and a waste of requsition to needing a shorter cooldown to being landed instantly to taking too long to lock on. Have a little consistency. Edited February 10, 2014 by Bleeters

[Verain]

I don't buy any of this. The lock on time is well stated, and if you are seriously being insta-locked, provide a fraps because it's some strange hack.

 

 

But, 9999/10000 times, this is a player issue. You aren't noticing the lock until it is too late.

[Ayershole]

I am currently facing 2 guys in this match who are casting it instantly.

 

Doubtful, since (fully upgraded) has the same lock on time as a conc missle. Nice embellishment though ...

[Zharik]

I am currently facing 2 guys in this match who are casting it instantly. I can't get away from them or break free from it. I get Probed, and then 1 shotted. They're BOTH in Stings.

 

How can you type and fly AT THE SAME TIME?!?! No WONDER it seems instant, you're bouncing between windows!

[Zharik]

Was the biggest waste of requisition I've ever spent. I decided to try it because I faced a scout who somehow manage to get it on me constantly in my Sting. Not sure how, but he did. I buy it all the way to tier 5 and it's the longest cast time ever. It's useless. Unless someone is sitting perfectly still, or you catch them off-guard you can't get it off. Please give it a shorter cooldown.

 

I have a mastered sabo probe on my Imp pilot... trust me, it is the ONLY reason I get kills some matches...

[Warhams]

Just out of curiosity, how fast does the Sabotage probe take to reach the target? Some people have told me its near instant after launching and the enemy cannot use engine power to dodge on time.

 

Slow missiles like Proton torps, you got 1-2 extra seconds after missile launch to use engine power whereas fast missiles like clusters, you only have half a second. I've been on receiving ends of Sab probes before but sometimes it hard to say whether its server lag preventing your engine power from kicking in, in time or its just a very fast time from launch to hit. Any info is welcomed.

[Kuciwalker]

Actually it's very useful in deathmatch games.

 

Sabotage probe someone then just shoot them down since they can't do anything other than fly straight or come to a dead stop.

 

If you manage to land a sabo probe on someone you could have killed them all regular-like. Decent players don't get hit by sabo.

[MystbladeWA]

If you manage to land a sabo probe on someone you could have killed them all regular-like. Decent players don't get hit by sabo.

 

What? Decent players never get hit by missiles? What a ridiculous thing to say. Sabotage Probe is exactly like a missile in the way that it locks on and tracks to target.

 

Honestly, this epeen stroking posturing just makes you look like an idiot.

[Zharik]

If you manage to land a sabo probe on someone you could have killed them all regular-like. Decent players don't get hit by sabo.

 

1 on 1, decent players don't get hit by a sabotage probe... good thing GSF is 8 v 8 or 12 v 12 then!

 

Use...

Your...

Team!!!

[Kuciwalker]

It's got a 2.7s lock on time and a 5km range (5.5km if you forgo engine ability disable). If someone is able to hold you in their sights for 2.7s at that range with your missile lock blaring, he should be able to just kill you outright.

 

Concussion missiles, by contract, have a 7.7km range with the same lock on time. You really shouldn't be hit with that either, but it's a lot more understandable if you do.

Edited February 10, 2014 by Kuciwalker

[MystbladeWA]

It's got a 2.7s lock on time and a 5km range (5.5km if you forgo engine ability disable). If someone is able to hold you in their sights for 2.7s at that range with your missile lock blaring, he should be able to just kill you outright.

 

Concussion missiles, by contract, have a 7.7km range with the same lock on time. You really shouldn't be hit with that either, but it's a lot more understandable if you do.

 

Again, then entire premise of what you are saying is slanted towards a 1v1 situation. Group pvp is very rarely like that (I will admit that, given the extra dimensions and more space, it is more likely in GSF).

[Kuciwalker]

No, my analysis is not 1v1 focused. It's focused on the fact that if someone is holding you in their line of fire at <5km for 2.7s, they should just kill you with blasters. Secondarily, it's focused on the fact that even in a group setting 2.7 seconds is an eternity and it is incredibly easy to break a lock with a 5km range limit. Edited February 10, 2014 by Kuciwalker

[PavSalco]

I find Sabatoge Probe useful in DM because there is so much stuff going on that your target don't usually focus on you, but on someone else. However, if he learns that you're the one using Probes, then you probably won't have an opportunity to take him down.

 

I still haven't decided what works better for me in DM - either Rocket Pods or Probes. In Domination RPs are obviously superior.

[Verain]

It's got a 2.7s lock on time and a 5km range (5.5km if you forgo engine ability disable). If someone is able to hold you in their sights for 2.7s at that range with your missile lock blaring, he should be able to just kill you outright.

 

Malarky.

 

Concussion missiles, by contract, have a 7.7km range with the same lock on time. You really shouldn't be hit with that either, but it's a lot more understandable if you do.

 

Sab probes are not "concussion missiles with shorter range". They are actually a lot closer to "cluster missiles with longer lock ons".

 

 

Anyone talking like this hasn't played with sab probes enough, pure and simple.

 

 

1- Sab probes are only on scouts. Scouts don't have concussions, or protons, nor do they excel at much long range weaponry. Scouts are also very maneuverable, so the longer lock on is more palatable than it would be on, say, a gunship (or even a strike).

2- Sab probes have a firing arc of 28 degrees. This is like, most of your screen. Concussions are 20 degrees- a small circle that it is difficult to get an opponent inside of at close range. Clusters are 24 degrees- a pretty big area that you can mostly reliably lock on to. Sab probes are comparatively huge compared to that.

3- Like ALL missiles, sab probes ignore evasion. It's entirely reasonable for someone to have 83% evasion for 9 seconds straight (and 48% evasion for some duration either before and/or after). You could quite reasonable fail to kill a stationary target, but still be able to lock on a long duration sab probe that will hold them down long enough for a kill.

4- Like ALL missiles, sab probes can be locked on while you are shooting at an opponent, and the larger reticule allows you to continue locking on even during their evasive maneuvers. It's entirely possible for a maneuvering ship to have their target ring outside your firing arc for, say, four seconds- MORE than long enough to get a sab probe off, but a time period where blasters do not work at all.

5- A sab probe's 5km max is not a very short distance compared to the rest of the weaponry. A flashfire's max range with blasters is 5.5km (quad + range cap), and often a flashfire will have burst lasers, anda different cap. A novadive's max range with blasters is also 5.5km (laser + range cap), and often a novadive will have light laser, and a different cap. Also a sab probe can have that 5.5km range too, but it gives up a good talent for it- but even at 5, you will almost always be in that space when you are threatening. Only thermite torpedo threatens from farther, after all (remember, scouts don't get concussions and protons), and that has its own limits.

 

 

This means that for most of your dogfight, you should be threatening the sab probe lockon, forcing an opponent to blow maneuvers and dodge instead of doing whatever he wanted to do- simply attacking with lasers is much easier for an opponent to negate, requiring far less fancy flying and/or using other cooldowns.

 

So in summary, your naive conclusion that a sab probe user is clueless or unable to aim is mostly meant to insult, and not based in fact.

Edited February 10, 2014 by Verain

[Kuciwalker]

Sab probes are not "concussion missiles with shorter range". They are actually a lot closer to "cluster missiles with longer lock ons".

 

Do you know what those two things have in common? They're both worthless.

 

5- A sab probe's 5km max is not a very short distance compared to the rest of the weaponry.

 

It is a very short distance for an uninterrupted 2.7 seconds. Blasters don't become useless if the person ducks in and out of the 5km range. Sabs do.

 

 

Or you could actually accomplish a cluster missile lockon and actually do damage. Or you could actually hit the guy with rockets.

[Altheran]

Do you know what those two things have in common? They're both worthless.

 

Which "both" ?

"Concussion and Sabotage" or "Cluster and Sabotage" ?

[OpeningToEndgame]

Concussion Missles do not have a 7.7km range in a Scout. I have to be 5.1 before I can lock on.

[Verain]

Do you know what those two things have in common? They're both worthless.

 

I don't know which two things you are talking about, but Clusters, Concussions, and Sab Probes all have use.

 

 

It is a very short distance for an uninterrupted 2.7 seconds. Blasters don't become useless if the person ducks in and out of the 5km range. Sabs do.

 

Blasters are useless during the time that they are out of the range, but I did not recommend you take sab probes and never use blasters. Are those two exclusive on your screen? They don't seem to be over here yo!

 

 

Or you could actually accomplish a cluster missile lockon and actually do damage.

 

Yes, that's certainly true. A cluster is much more reliable to lock on with, but also hits for 600-850 or so, whereas a sab probe locks an opponent down and often is a death sentence. You are certainly correct that a cluster represent smaller thing with higher certainty and easier execution. I'm not telling anyone to not use clusters, more to not dismiss sab probes or pretend that a real pilot would have just gotten the kill in that space of time with blasters alone. That's a fiction, and insulting.

 

Or you could actually hit the guy with rockets.

 

While I generally mock rockets as never hitting their target, they clearly do have some very solid uses. My big gripe with rockets is that they are essentially another kind of blaster with limited ammunition and very sharp disadvantages.

 

The next time you are running a heavy laser ship without the increased firing arc, move the cursor halfway to from the middle to the outside, and draw an imaginary circle with that radius. That radius is a 10 degree circle, and it's one quarter the area of the realtively small heavy laser circle. At the edge of that circle- 10 degrees off center- your rocket pods suffer a -50% accuracy penalty. That's before any of your opponents evasivenes. Even at 3 degrees off center, you have a -15% accuracy penalty. At the outside of their firing arc, they have -60% to hit!

 

So a target to be hit by more than just a freak occurrence of these rocket pods requires them to be flying a mostly straight line- it takes absolutely no effort at all to force a wiggle of 5 degrees versus an opponent, you won't even need a booster for that! Normally rocket pods are just assisstive damage during the few parts of a dogfight that you can actually line them up, and are particularly good versus a slow or stationary player or object.