The AT-AT debate... should they fire air units?

[Natopo]

I think AT-ATs should be the most advanced unit in the game!

They took out a rebel base, they destroyed a colony on Dantooine, etc. etc. They should have many advantages.

[RollingFelony]

I feel at at's are the 2nd most important war machine the empire has as far as the story goes, 2nd to capital starships and mass troops. I fell a team bonus for empire is that thier foot soldiers should take less time to produce

I really like the AT AT unit....like 2-4 AT AT's can take out a wall before your opponent say run...but they are very vunerable to air attacks and mounted troops. Drop off 5 of those babys in your opponents base and he has a problem on his hand, they destroy buildings very quickly. One draw back they have is that they fall just as quickly. They are supposed to be one of the most armored ground units in starwars history. I dont like the empire anyways but I feel all assault mechs should have this ability, or some counter to the AT AT improvement.

Also, i hate long games if they are not needed. Why let a weak opponent progress. If you have the ability to crush them, why wait? If they were any good you could not beat them so shortly. Look at GX_Iron in Age of Empires...he gets rushed all the time and does not make a war building until tech 3, and beats his opponents in the long run. If an opponent takes 20 minutes to beat they are probably not much fun to play against. I think the funnest part of RTS online is not knowing your opponents strategy, and guessing new strategies to be unpredictable, not these 2 hour defensive battles. I quit after an hour if I dont feel like i am going anywhere or my opponent isn't either...kinda like a stalemate.

[Sykes]

Maby the airspeeders should be made ground/air units (like the cargo hovercraft) rather than proper air units. This way they hug the ground like in ESB and AT-ATs can shoot them (I remember reading somewhere that AT-ATs were going to be able to shoot air units so it would be like the film).

[Guest Supreme Warlord]

Well if the ATAT gets the ability to shoot air they should put a sevre limit on how they could shoot because they cant move that head of the ATAT that fast. So they should get like a 35 to 45 percent chance of shooting a Air unit down...Just what I think...

[jesseg88]

Here's what I think the Assault Mechs for all races should be like:

 

Empire:

Shoot air units

Walk through shallow water

Smash through forests

Crush Infantry

 

Rebels:

No shoot air units

Drive through shallow water

Smash through forests

Crush Infantry

 

Gungans:

No shoot air units

Walk through shallow water

No smash through forests

No crush infantry

 

Naboo:

Shoot air units

Float on shallow water

Smash through forests

No crush infantry

 

Trate Federation:

No shoot air units

No float on water

Smash through forests (As seen in TPM)

No crush infantry

 

Wookies:

No shoot air units

Float on water

Smash through forests

No crush infantry

[NewtypeJedi]

What is the AT-AT going to be weak to then? AT-AT's are already super-powerful, 5 can already easily crush an outpost base, now they're going to shoot down the air forces too.

 

I thought you were supposed to build a diverse force, now everyone will just build AT-At's and nothing else. I mean now they'll just whoop EVERYTHING.

[Duke Straykker]

Originally posted by jesseg88

Here's what I think the Assault Mechs for all races should be like:

 

Empire:

Shoot air units

Walk through shallow water

Smash through forests

Crush Infantry

 

Rebels:

No shoot air units

Drive through shallow water

Smash through forests

Crush Infantry

 

Gungans:

No shoot air units

Walk through shallow water

No smash through forests

No crush infantry

 

Naboo:

Shoot air units

Float on shallow water

Smash through forests

No crush infantry

 

Trate Federation:

No shoot air units

No float on water

Smash through forests (As seen in TPM)

No crush infantry

 

Wookies:

No shoot air units

Float on water

Smash through forests

No crush infantry

 

I just wanna say, it should be something more like this:

 

Empire:

Shoot air units

No walk through shallow water - Rust

Smash through forests

Crush Infantry

 

Rebels:

No shoot air units

Drive through shallow water

Smash through forests

No crush Infantry - No big feet to step on them, kinda weird if they did

 

Gungans:

No shoot air units

Walk through shallow water

Swim through medium water - Because they are living things

No smash through forests

No crush infantry

 

Naboo:

Shoot at Bombers only

Float on shallow water

Smash through some forests - Arent really the big smashing type

No crush infantry

 

Trate Federation:

No shoot air units

No float on water

Smash through forests (As seen in TPM)

Crush troopers only - Just to give a little balance

 

Wookies:

No shoot air units

Float on water - These are all basically fine and balanced

Smash through forests

No crush infantry

 

This way, every civ has about 2 things they can and cant do, which evens them up a bit, except the Empire, who have three.

[Guest Robert]

it's good the can shoot at air and the balance is not inportant they will make that other civs get other things so dont worry about that!

[captain_drake]

i think they will be too powerful if they can take down air

if they do that

they should make them weaker to G troopers and anti mechs

[The Red Master]

I think they should have made an superunit who has air-missiles and super- cannons for every species!!! :atat:

 

[fido4fox]

I have watched this post for a while now and I think that the issue is kind of foolish. First off AT-AT's are surface weapons. I had, and still have, a hard time buying a slow moving monolith and power house like a walker having the finesse to gun down a fast moving speeder unless by luck. If we are going to make walkers fire at air targets than make the other assult mechs do it as well. That way eveyone has the same power. This game doesn't have to match the movies to a T. If it did then the Jedi would be able to deflect laser bolts and force push stuff around the battlefield.

 

My two cents,

 

 

Fido

[jesseg88]

Perhaps AT-AT's should power and shield nearby friendly units?

[X-Wing Pilot]

they should fire on air units. THE :atat: :atat: will then rule. cause now so the atat has a bigger minimum range and some other things.but its still weak vs AIR. i have an idea so to make them fire anti-air you have to upgrade them to heavy at-at.cause then it will make the imperials UNIQUE.Also the aa weapon should be a fast firing laser guns.also other races shouldnt have this ability. cause watch an gungan assault mech shooting at air !!!!!if every race could shoot on air it woulndt make the imperials so UNIQUE.MAKE EM WEAK ?????THEY ARE ALREADY WEAK TO M TROOPERS AND TO MECH DESTROYERS.

[Kal Of Corellia]

Maybe What they should do is have all mechs be able to fire if they have anti-air units garrisoned inside them. If you look back at AoK the battering rams would get bounus if they had foot soilders garrisoned in side. I think Duke Straykker had a good chart there and I agree. Now the Empire does have the best mechs and in that time peroid you have to remember they were the biggest military around. The rebels weren't that big until after the BoE (Battle of Endor). They also, as so many have said before me, if they do get AA ablities they should have some thing like a 10% hit radius. I must admit I don't use da Imps much anyway.

 

But what do I know right

 

You know who I am

[MBS]

Well, personally being a fan of I dont think At-Ats should be able to fire at air units. but that is my totally biased oponion.

[Sithcloak]

I was ok with atats how they were, but i'm ok with anti air weapons on them as long as there is balance. Knowing there team there will be. As long as clone campaigns follows it predocessor that is ...

 

Sithcloak

[Havoc Stryphe]

I posted this earlier in this post, but it would appear that most ignored it or didn't bother to read all the posts. I think if the following equation were followed than everyone's concerns would be laid to rest:

 

Personally. I think that AT-ATs should be able to fire at aircraft, However I think that it should be a percentage of the time. Like 10% of the oppurtunities for shots should actually work to represent the aircraft travelling through the AT-AT's limited vertical firing arc. Lets be honest, an AT-AT can not tilt it's head up at a 45 degree andgle to target fighters and bombers in the atmosphere, but it's logical to assume that if the aircraft were performing a strafing/bombing run against the AT-AT, the aircraft would probably fly through the AT-AT's firing arc at some time.

 

So yes, it should be able to shoot aircraft, but not all the time. Maybe it can shoot Speeders all the time, seeings how they are repulsorlift vehicles and not true "aircraft", therefore limiting their ceiling (max altitude).

 

As far as "unbalancing" the game, you and I both know that this is going to be an upgrade, not a standard, on AT-ATs. Which will probably be the last available upgrade, which means someone will have to spend alot of nova to fully upgrade an AT-AT before it even became athreat to your air units. Not to mention, last time I checked, the units which "own" the AT-AT are not air units (The exception being the Rebel's speeders) i.e. Jedi, Mech destroyers, mounted troops. This upgrade wouldn't help an AT-AT stay alive any longer anyways. And even the exception, the snow speeders, are shielded and they totally obliterated AT-ATs, so you honestly think the AT-AT could shoot down 3... 2... even 1 shielded Speeder before the speeder killed it? I think you overestimate their chances!

[TheMightyJim2k]

Plus this might make the air strategies a little more interesting and realistic in a micromanaged battle between an ATAT and speeders or other aircraft. As we all know from playing the game sometimes you can dodge blaster fire with a speedy unit, but imagine if you were fighting an ATAT, you might try to get off a shot and then quickly move your units to dodge its fire, then attempt another shot and then move again. In that kind of fight one speeder might be able to take out an ATAT without ever getting damaged, but it would take a lot of skill on the players part, just like how one speeder could take out an ATAT in the movies, but only with really skilled pilots at the helms.

 

Good idea, i read it before but decided that this time i would comment

[Tribalone]

Being the Galatic Empire, i do think the At-At's should be able to shoot air, after all , they do in the movie as someone pointed out. Maybe they could make it a Galatic Empire special research. I think that mech destroyers in general should have a better attack on ground units, i know theres strike mechs, but lets be realistic, a mech could take out troopers fairly easy, maybe they could make the anti-air troopers shoot ground too, thatd be crazy. well, to be on the topic, At-Ats should be able to shoot air units.

[JEDI_MASTA]

allright *masta comes out of da booth ready to kill* ...

 

here is da deal. The air killing tech is going to be the walker research tech from the orrig gb(it will still decrease minimum range).

 

I personally feal that this should be done for many reasons

 

1. the empire is supposed to have the best mechs in the game...

but right now the only adv. they have is decreased minimum range. (not a big thing)

 

2 this is purely star wars at its finest... u hafta have respect for the movies... u cant make a trooper the most powerful unit in the game because they werent ... but purely for the sake of history and balance... give them the ability to shoot at air like in ESB

 

3 this cuts down on the invincibility of air (esp now with air cruisers)

[Sithmaster_821]

It is going to be the walker research tech that gives the anit air attack.

 

But it won't unbalance the game. The Empire had the best mechs and the ATAT was the best of the best. Furthermore, mounties, jedi, beserkers, royal crusaders, massed artillery, and even airspeeders easily take out walkers and I would laugh at any one dumb enough to march only ATAT's into my town. Antiair mobiles still are stronger than walkers vs air, cheaper, don't require an upgrade, have a faster rate of fire, and available in the third level.

The ATAT will be a support to antiair and provide additional cover. The main purpose of this change,aside from realism, is to allow your ATAT's the ability to fight back against a stray X-wing that wanders too close and opens fire while your antiair are across the map.

[KhaleeLah]

Everybody will definately have to rethink some of their strategies overall when the x-pack comes out.

[Paragon_Leon]

people, is this all realistic ?

look at your average games... when does it come down to a unit being able to hit another certain unit ?

 

most of the time, units can - and should - fire on another, but it's the counter-units that do the most damage. Snowspeeders / ATAT's are no exception. I'll be happy when the necessity of adding anti-air units to an ATAT taskforce is gone.

 

It's about overpowering your opponent in numbers, and when your squad of 4 ATAT's is attacked by about 25 Snowspeeders, them being able to fire on air-units won't make a shred of difference.

[MegamanXR]

I just read this whole huge topic, and before I say anything, I just wanna clarify that I'm no expert on the whole Star Wars thing, but I know alot about the vehicles, not nessacerily what battle they were in.

 

Now, I read earlier about givng Mechs the ability to walk through water and such, and one person said that Imperial Mech's would rust. Not true. It is clearly shown on Rogue Leader for the GameCube that AT-AT's can go through shallow water. In fact, it showed AT-PT's fully submerged! As for a second thing, only 3 of these post have talked about the Aircraft themselves. The Empire's TIE Fighters are very weak considered to Rebel Aircraft which is obviously what AT-AT's are geared towards killing. So, this replaces them. Also, most aircraft are very fast compared to most things, and with the Walker's slow firing rate, would be able to dodge shots if they react quick enough. Also, with the New, very fast A-Wing, it should be able to fly circles around Walkers. In my personal opinion, Aircraft died in almost one hit anyway, so this makes no difference. Also, all this talk about making the research Monument price is ridiculous! The only reason a monument is so pricy is that you can win a game that way. True, AT-AT's with AA may be game winning, but can still be destroyed. Personally, I never really sent Air Units against AT-ATs anyway, due to the fact on AA could wipe them all out. I'd send in my own mechs! I just felt like saying this.

[Compa_Mighty]

Wow man, first really intelligent post in this thread for a long time. I completely agree.