Titan Etiquette

[ThePromQueen]

Now that we have a full-time Titan server with a large player cap I have come up with some questions. If these are already answered somewhere else then I apologize.

Hazy areas:

Moving the Titan
I read in the EA rules that you are not allowed to prohibit movement of the Titan on a ranked server but shouldn't there be some regulations? Is it really acceptable to park the Titans less than 100 meters from each other? Perhaps a rule that any Commander who does so is kicked?

Camping of the Titan
Is there a range you need to stay from the Titan if you are going to fire on those leaving it? Should it be allowed to hover above the Titan with a gunship and destroy anything that takes off the second it is in the air? If not, then what is the range or time you must give the enemy to take off?

Destroying Titan Guns
Is there a limit to how many times a person should be allowed to destroy a Titan Gun? Is repeatedly destroying the same gun right after someone repairs it acceptable? I have been in a situation where a tank sat on the ground and repeatedly destroyed the same gun while I tried to repair it and fire on him. Is this my stupid persistence or his abuse of game mechanics?

Parking Transports on the Titan
Is it acceptable to park a transport on the enemy Titan to use as a spawn point? What about parking a transport on your Titan and using it to fire on people who pod in?

Just a few things to think about. Feel free to answer or add to the questions.

[Zoraster]

the only one that I think is actually very hazy is the moving the titan one. I know you can turn off titan movement altogether, but I'm not sure you're allowed to limit it's movement... i think we can agree not to move them too close though not make it a server rule.

the others seem fine. it's fine to camp the titan, it's fine to destroy titan guns over and over, it's fine to park transports on the titan. Unlike UCBs, the titan is an objective, so camping it seems acceptable. The guns are like a CO asset, and can and should be destroyed when possible. The transports are spawn points for a reason.

[Rali3gH]

Originally Posted by HockeyTemper

Destroying Titan Guns
Is there a limit to how many times a person should be allowed to destroy a Titan Gun? Is repeatedly destroying the same gun right after someone repairs it acceptable? I have been in a situation where a tank sat on the ground and repeatedly destroyed the same gun while I tried to repair it and fire on him. Is this my stupid persistence or his abuse of game mechanics?

It is my opinion that there are maps and instances that this action of keeping the titan guns out of commision can be a deciding factor in the game because it keeps the enemy from spamming titan fire on silos you are trying to cap.

Originally Posted by HockeyTemper

Parking Transports on the Titan
Is it acceptable to park a transport on the enemy Titan to use as a spawn point?

I beleive this is completely 100% design by the developers and is another critical aspect of titan attacks. If you can get a transport in the back hanger and lock down the cargo bay then the whole team can rush the titan for a win.

Just my 2 cents. Great topic by the way.

[Bagheera]

It's absolutely necessary to keep titan guns out of commission, especially when they're pounding silos and you're trying to cap silos. A good gunship pilot will keep them knocked out so the ground forces can do their jobs.

[Anospa]

The only things I have issue with are moving the Titans close to each other, and a gunship camping the transport/gunships taking off. Last night Hockey and I were subject to this many a time. My complaint is that you have absolutely no clue that they are there because they'll be high up out of view and range of anything you can hit them with, and the second they see on the mini-map you've taken off, they'll come down from wherever they are. I see it exactly the same as strafing a UCB destroying gunships as they take off.

If you're going in for a hot landing, who cares, you'll probably die, you are engaged with an enemy. If you're just taking off, you have next to 0% situational awareness and definitely get the short straw.

[Catman1975]

Originally Posted by Anospa

The only things I have issue with are moving the Titans close to each other, and a gunship camping the transport/gunships taking off. Last night Hockey and I were subject to this many a time. My complaint is that you have absolutely no clue that they are there because they'll be high up out of view and range of anything you can hit them with, and the second they see on the mini-map you've taken off, they'll come down from wherever they are. I see it exactly the same as strafing a UCB destroying gunships as they take off.

If you're going in for a hot landing, who cares, you'll probably die, you are engaged with an enemy. If you're just taking off, you have next to 0% situational awareness and definitely get the short straw.

What about the anti-air guns on the Titan? Have a squad member man those guns while you take off.

Personally I love to man the Titan guns on a pub server when the shields go down and fire on any enemy aircraft that attempts to take off. The first two or three aircraft that take off I'll usually get, but they will eventually get smart and take a nose dive once they clear the Titan deck and I can't hit them.

[Basic1]

Tbh all of those are known titan tactics, and i dont see anythign wrong with them, excuse me if anybody does, but tbh, destroying the guns is meant to happen, and repairing them is a part of it, its your fault if you dont give up.

Moving the titan is your decision.

using transport to get on titans is what their basicly meant for isnt it.

killing vehicles as they come out is fine, they dont spawn in it, so its not like they are disorentated.

its all down to teamwork and how you decide to counter it really.

my views, later

[Ferris Bueller]

Originally Posted by HockeyTemper

Moving the Titan
I read in the EA rules that you are not allowed to prohibit movement of the Titan on a ranked server but shouldn't there be some regulations? Is it really acceptable to park the Titans less than 100 meters from each other? Perhaps a rule that any Commander who does so is kicked?

You actually have the rule backwards. Heres the quote:

Originally Posted by EA

Server Administrators may implement and enforce rules that result in minor changes to game play behavior or styles as long as these are clearly stated before a player starts playing on a server. These rules typically introduce minor or limited restrictions on how a certain aspect of the game can be used, but do not create or promote an environment that would allow abuse of the scoring/award system.

Examples of such rules that are acceptable are:
-Limiting movement of combat assets, such as Titans, Ships, Aircraft and Vehicles during game play. – Disallowing all aircraft for example is not acceptable.

So what the rule says is that server administrators can make rules about moving titans and/or disallowing movement altogether. But what they cant do is say that nobody is allowed to fly any gunships/transports. As far as allowing the movement, its either on or off, theres no middle ground and it would be relatively difficult to set any kind of ruling. For example, say me and hockey are commanding and we have a "not within 500m rule". We both set to move our titans. How do we know where the other is going to move to? We dont, so theres no way either of us could be blamed for moving in too close, or we'd both have to be punished for it. Ergo, the rule is impossible.

We seem to be having no problems with movement on as far as lag/rubber banding goes, so I think we oughtta leave it.

Originally Posted by HockeyTemper

Camping of the Titan
Is there a range you need to stay from the Titan if you are going to fire on those leaving it? Should it be allowed to hover above the Titan with a gunship and destroy anything that takes off the second it is in the air? If not, then what is the range or time you must give the enemy to take off?

Well, first off, if theres a gunship hovering over a titan and it doesnt get shot down in less than 10 seconds by the AA guns, then someone isnt doing their job. IMO, if you can manage to not get killed, you should be allowed to ravage the titan roof or those leaving it. I frequently hover my gunship parallel to the titan below the range of the AA guns and give chase to any tranpos or gunships that take off. If you're going to fly, being jacked by a superior pilot who owns the skies is a risk you take. Its no different than someone who can destroy an entire team with a tank and come out clean. How do you propose to tell them that theyre too good and they cant be within a certain distance of CPs anymore?

Originally Posted by HockeyTemper

Destroying Titan Guns
Is there a limit to how many times a person should be allowed to destroy a Titan Gun? Is repeatedly destroying the same gun right after someone repairs it acceptable? I have been in a situation where a tank sat on the ground and repeatedly destroyed the same gun while I tried to repair it and fire on him. Is this my stupid persistence or his abuse of game mechanics?

The titan guns are devastating in the right hands. I say if some clever lad is smart enough to take them out all day long while you attempt repairs, he should be allowed. This is the same principle as a recon squad repeatedly destroying assets in a UCB. If you're not smart enough to take the guy out through your own means or have someone assist you (remember, you do have up to 23 other people on your team), then you deserve to spend your life repairing in vain. No offense intended of course.

Originally Posted by HockeyTemper

Parking Transports on the Titan
Is it acceptable to park a transport on the enemy Titan to use as a spawn point? What about parking a transport on your Titan and using it to fire on people who pod in?

ABSOLUTELY acceptable. Titan maps were designed so that the transports functioned as mobile spawn points, same way APCs work in conquest. Once again, any AA gunner who lets the transport land on deck and any team who is not with it enough to get up on deck and take it out (one or two pilum shots will kill one) deserves to have it sitting there spitting out troops. It's also acceptable to use the guns to clear the deck, just like its acceptable for a tank to sit at a flag and blast anyone that tries to spawn in while he's attempting to cap it.


The big mode I see here with the questions, and this isnt a dig on you hockey, is that it seems to be catering to people who are losing to stuff they ought not be losing to.

Most of these things were answered with the same method: if someone is trying to kill you or destroy your assets, it behooves you to find a way, alone or with the aid of your team, to stop them. If a guy in an AA gun is blasting your turrets, pod down and knife him while hes sitting there shooting! If a gunship parks on the back deck, grab an engineer and go blow it up! If a gunship is harassing your transports, find a way to kill him! This is TACTICAL Gamer guys, so think tactically! It's like Smokey the Bear saying that only you can prevent forest fires...well, Ferris Bueller says that "Only you can prevent the enemy from blowing the crap out of your Titan." Think about it.

EDIT: In response to Anospa's Problem:
You're a skilled pilot Anospa. Heres a HUGE hint when in that situation: DIVE FOR THE DECK. You get a huge speed increase and can get yourself out of range of the enemy gunship and outfox him if you're wily enough. Sure, he may see you jump into the gunship, so wait until he comes low enough for the AA guns to blast him before you leave. While you're in the hangar, youre shielded completely, theres no need to rush out the door. Hell, you could sit there all day if you wanted. But this is also a reason to have a dude with a SAAW on the upper deck of your titan to ruin his day. Besides, My preferred method of killing gunships and transports is to simply get on the enemy titan and, well, i wont reveal my secret method. If you want to know, ask me.

EDIT#2: Guys, the Titan CAN move backwards. If it's too close, tell your commander to back it off some. If it becomes a problem thats damaging gameplay for people, tell an admin.

[Anospa]

Originally Posted by Catman1975

What about the anti-air guns on the Titan? Have a squad member man those guns while you take off.

Personally I love to man the Titan guns on a pub server when the shields go down and fire on any enemy aircraft that attempts to take off. The first two or three aircraft that take off I'll usually get, but they will eventually get smart and take a nose dive once they clear the Titan deck and I can't hit them.

Well, I'd usually be on the guns looking for it, but what I'm talking about is like they're just floating real high up way behind the Titan away from everything staring at the minimap to see when the gunship icon disappears.

killing vehicles as they come out is fine, they dont spawn in it, so its not like they are disorentated.

Again, the same reasons. If you guys go back and read my post you can see what I mean. If they're just floating close to the Titan, whatever, thats fine you can probably kill them easier or take 'em out some other way. When they're not on any scanners and the only way to get them spotted is to have the com sat-track and spot them, thats what I'm talking about. They're coming out of the sky from real high up without you knowing what direction they're coming from. As I said before, I liken it to someone camping a gunship taking off.

[Lorax74]

Originally Posted by Zoraster

the only one that I think is actually very hazy is the moving the titan one. I know you can turn off titan movement altogether, but I'm not sure you're allowed to limit it's movement... i think we can agree not to move them too close though not make it a server rule.

the others seem fine. it's fine to camp the titan, it's fine to destroy titan guns over and over, it's fine to park transports on the titan. Unlike UCBs, the titan is an objective, so camping it seems acceptable. The guns are like a CO asset, and can and should be destroyed when possible. The transports are spawn points for a reason.

Ditto. The only thing questionable is the movement of the Titans. It has been proven time and again that the closer the Titans get to one another, the more "lag" the players experience.

I would equate the transports to APCs on Port Bovaria. Or, since Titan was around first, it should probably be said the other way around...

Each issue you raised (excluding Titan movement) is a part of Titan. One of the things I truly enjoy when playing is trying to figure out how to best utilize your assets; FAVs are a huge asset to Titan if you ask me, APCs as well, gunships can make or break a team, the Titan itself if maintained (guns in good repair) and positioned well. Getting squads to realize and understand what you can accomplish without resorting to continuous silo hopping (aka Wak-a-mole), etc. It's also great when you have three guys defending one corridor holding off wave after wave of attackers...

[ThePromQueen]

My issue with the gunship camping was the fact that it can be done so that there is no chance for any sort of counter attack. You can hover out of range and as soon as you see the gunship icon appear on the mini map you just dive down and blast them and then take off again. It isn't a matter of pilot skill or tactics, it is a cheap shot that I thought was the sort of thing we didn't like in TG.

My issue with the Titan guns is the point exploitation. PAC member can repair the Titan gun continuously for unlimited points while EU member can shoot it continuously for unlimited points.

This post isn't about complaining that I am being killed or that someone is getting more points than me, it is a question as to whether or not we require honorable game play and if so, what that definition of honorable is.

[draeh]

Originally Posted by HockeyTemper

My issue with the Titan guns is the point exploitation. PAC member can repair the Titan gun continuously for unlimited points while EU member can shoot it continuously for unlimited points.

This post isn't about complaining that I am being killed or that someone is getting more points than me, it is a question as to whether or not we require honorable game play and if so, what that definition of honorable is.

Let me throw in my own .02 from one particular round we played this week. It was Minsk and the ninth was tasked by the CO to take and defend SILO 1 (classic conquest choke point/ closest to PAC titan at the beginning of the round). When the titan got in range, we had two of the guns raining death down upon us while we tried to fend of armor from the UCB. So yes... we were continuously taking out repaired titan guns to further our defense objective. We definitely weren't doing it because we wanted points. We wanted to hold our position as our CO commanded.

So how is that not honorable? How is this not fair game play? We must have kept that up for ten minutes or more. The only reason we stopped was because the titan shields went down and we were commanded to assault. Otherwise, I'm sure we would have done our best to hold that position for the rest of the game.

[Ferris Bueller]

To go along with what draeh said, we dont really allow point-whoring and definitely dont allow stat padding, so if you see 2 people intentionally doing that, report it. Otherwise, have someone in your squad pod down (if theyre taking out the guns, theyre in pod range) and take out whomever is destroying the guns. Its called Teamwork. Problem solved.

[Uranium - 235]

Maybe I'm missing something but what's so bad about the Titans being next to each other?

[Birdman1011395]

It can cause huge amounts of lag under certain situations. The "belief" is that this is caused by the excess load put on the game by handling not oly the map in general, but the two independent maps of the other titans, each of which are not actually processed with when the player is far away from the titan.