Reduce/Change LVL 1 carpet bomber for airforce

[ReLaX82]

I think the carpet bomber from AF gets unlooked a little too easily and also has too much power in this eatrly stage of the game, let's call it early to mid game.

I have 3 proposals I find appropriate.

1) At a minimum increase its time to 3:30 if it keeps at LVL1 to make fast tech still a doable strat. 2) Let it require one GP point more so that you need to earn it even after strat. In that way it will be less impacting (later) when strat is up. Also think about a time increase. 3) Move it to LVL3 and possibly increase time.

Please post your opinions.

[commy2]

At a minimum increase its time to 3:30 if it keeps at LVL1 to make fast tech still a doable strat.

The AFG Carpet Bomber has a recharge time of 4:00 minutes in 1.04. The tooltip is wrong, but that has been fixed in patch.

[Stubbjax]

The cleanest and most effective solution is to move the power to rank 3, but it's a substantial change and I imagine a lot of players would be upset with this. However, a lot of players would likely laud the change too, especially considering a lot of rules-based matches prohibit early (pre-rank 3) carpet usage due to it being evidently unfair, despite the lack of verifiability in such cases.

There are also subtler options to reduce the severity of the issue, like reducing the payload from 12 to 10, reducing bomb damage from 300 to 250, transferring a third of the damage to a secondary radius, etc., but they don't directly address the underlying problem.

Either way, I don't see an effective solution without a highly visible / controversial change.

[xezon]

I would prefer to not nerf AFG Carpet Bomber in such ways. We removed its PDL which was perfectly fine for consistency, but reducing time, damage or rank will make it noticeably worse.

[ImTimK]

Moving to rank 3 will remove multiple fun build orders that are currently possible:

• No eco raptors + fast strat to hunt enemy and carpet warfactory, best vs inf.
• No eco single S&D Vee + carpet for crucial damage vs Tank.

These BO's are sometimes considered dirty, but easily countered if enemy anticipates. Unlike standard No Eco, which is harder to counter as Tank.

I think increasing time to 6 minutes is fair (which is the max timer for anything in the game), as it's nothing but a bonus power over other USA's or any faction.

Another idea is introducing an initial cooldown when Strat finishes, however will also make above BO's impossible.

Making it cost 2 genpoints is weird while everything else costs 1 point.

[ReLaX82]

Didnt mention the delay thought its not possible at all, but like the idea with small timer increase.

[xezon]

Close?

[MTKing4]

I think the only thing we're willing to do is increase its cooldown timer to something like 4:00 Minutes

[ImTimK]

I agree level shouldn't be changed.

As for the cooldown, it's already 4:00, 2:30 description is wrong. I think the max timer of 6:00 would be fair. Since the bomber is a pure advantage over the other USA's.

[MTKing4]

Then 6:00 sounds good

[xezon]

I am against reload time reduction. It already is significantly longer than other China Carpet Bombers.

Super weapon	Reload Time
China Carpet Bomber	2:30
Nuke Carpet Bomber	3:00
AFG Carpet Bomber	4:00

[ImTimK]

AFG Carpet is not an equivalent, it's a bonus power. AFG already got A10 + Specter.

[ImTimK]

You could argue it costs a genpoint, whereas other USA's can invest in higher level A10's.

[MTKing4]

If not 6:00 then 5:00

[fastAiRR]

Hi guys, sorry if this mentioned else where I struggle to find things on this site. The AFG carpet bomber, it drops like 4/5 bombs before the target area. Sure once you know, you know, and take it into account, but it feels technically wrong and probably catches many noobs out.

[xezon]

It is here

• 925

[ReLaX82]

5 or 6, its a no brainer GP.