Gaijin has recently stated that LOAL (Lock-On After Launch)-capable weapons (Brimstone, AGM-114L…) will have this feature removed and implemented as SAL (Semi-Active Laser homing) munitions instead.
While I agree that LOAL is too strong (literally click at random and get free kills) and unfit for the game (could also lead to serious accidental team-killing issues), I believe limiting them to SAL is not the correct course of action.
Instead, I believe these should be implemented as basic FNF (fire-and-forget) munitions, without their LOAL capabilities. That way, they would remain balanced while still bringing increased, already-ingame capabilities to the table. Otherwise, these “new” munitions will be pointless.
It could be argued that “this can’t be done because it would be unhistorical”- but then again: removing their main targetting mode is as unhistorical as it would be to merely modify it to adapt it better to the game.
As far as I know, it would be different; they still require an initial lock, while LOAL would not even require that; you would be able to merely fly above the battlefield, launch all weapons at random, and these would lock on targets by themselves (including, potentially, teammates, if not launched carefully).
In any case, I can get behind this being too strong to be implemented to the game like that.
That’s why I am suggesting this modified implementation instead, rather than removing all FNF capabilities from these munitions, as a middle-ground solution.
Couldn’t agree more. The Spike-LR2/ER already exist, the AGM-65 has fire and forget, plenty of other guided bombs with drop and forget features, and I believe there’s even Russian missiles with this capability.
LOAL is too much yes, as it would be uncounter-able while also being extremely potent. However the Fire and Forget feature should be added at the very least…
Nope.
Every IR/EO AG weapon has LOAL capacity,The missile can be launched under “point tracking” which means lock the ground, and once the missile enter the seeker range (about 5km for kh29/AGM65B),the seeker would scan the FOV and lock the target.
Fully support this for the AGM-114L, Brimstone, BK-21, and Spike NLOS (Israeli AH-64D). I included some similar missiles for other nations. Anyways, this should be a placeholder until EW, etc. is added.
I don’t see how they think the LOAL part of those type of missiles is the issue. Well if they make the seekers only be able to lock player vehicles then I guess… As for the FnF part, it is a big problem. How many of these can the new brick carry? 9? More? All it has to do - if the map conditions allow it - is just spam as many rockets as it possibly can before dying to a pansir. Su25SM3s already do this to some degree.
Well it’s only going to get worse with the Su-34’s 6x Kh-38’s if it gets added this update. Not including seekers, the Kh-38 is significantly faster on top of its impressive range.
Gaijin’s reason is sometimes funny, because XXX is difficult to balance, so we decided to make it into garbage. But at the same time, some things that really need to be balanced at present are deliberately ignored and hidden.
Ik…I mean, I’m just trying to humor “Gaijin”. If I keep saying it as a “placeholder” maybe it will catch on so the missiles can be added in some degree lol.
Still, thats what makes me scratch my head the most.
There is no counterplay IRL beyond not being detected in the first place and APS for ground vehicles being fired upon by MW AGM/ATGMs.
That and the bit from the devblog stating that these missiles would be terrible at close range and prone to friendly fire omits the entire selling point of the likes of the Longbow system for the AH-64s. It was purpose built to be used in congested battlespace, with the 114L flat out having a blueforce tracking link built into it to avoid friendly fire situations. There is no reason the brimstone should not have such either.
In the end, everything within the dev post to me is either a pipe dream or just misinformed.
The KH38 with a range of more than 12km is “balanced” against air defense systems with a range of less than 12KM. LOAL’s Brimstone and AGM114L are “unbalanced”. I think this is very “fair”.