4 years ago

2042 SOFLAM is BFV Binoculars + Supercharged BF4 SOFLAM

in BF4 the SOFLAM only worked with a lower damage launcher, and the SOFLAM user needed to maintain line of sight and be looking through the device to lock a vehicle. Plus you still had to manually spot infantry through the device.

Now in 2042 the SOFLAM gives lock on properties to the main infantry rocket launcher and kills any aircraft in one shot. Plus the soflam is a lock and look away weapon that maintains lock on the target for a period of time after you put the SOFLAM away, and after the user does not have line of sight. Plus, looking through the SOFLAM will spot any vehicles and infantry in view within a very long range.

We have a combination of the BFV Binoculars from the scout plus the BF4 SOFLAM with more utility and it works with a one shot kill launcher. In a game with double the number of infantry and everyone can use a rocket launcher without worrying about their class.

This is a huge oversight and makes it a gadget with way too much utility.

If you want a spotting scope, then make that a separate gadget. The SOFLAM should not auto spot infantry and vehicles in its view.

The lock on for the SOFLAM should require the user to be line of sight to the target, like BF4. If the target goes out of view or the user stops using the SOFLAM, they should loose the lock.

If the SOFLAM stays the way it is it should have a cooldown like the repair tool does. You put it up and use it for 5-10 seconds, then it has to recharge for 10 seconds.

Regardless of any changes to SOFLAM, since the infantry players now have access to a one shot lock on kill for helicopters, pilots should be given an indicator if a SOFLAM has locked onto them. A separate notification on HUD for AA LOCK and SOFLAM LOCK so that the pilot can take the appropriate actions if they are about to be killed in one shot.

I know there are people who just want helicopters removed from the game. But BF4 did not have one shot lock on helicopter kills by infantry. It also had half the infantry this game has and Launchers were restricted to one class that had other drawbacks.

discussion

12 Replies

ATFGunr
Legend
4 years ago
@SpudBug You make some good points, I hadn’t even realized it maintains lock after putting it away. It should work for spotting but you should need to use Q, not the current auto feature now. Helps do get a tone when locked on, although it doesn’t differentiate between missiles and Soflam. If you get a tone and nobody shoots (see it all the time, nobody shoots, c’mon!) then you know it’s a Soflam. It would be fairly easy to make a second tone. Ultimately I don’t think it makes a difference if you’re cool and don’t pop your flares before a lock on tone of an incoming missile. AA rockets or Soflam or other aircraft, makes no real difference until the rocket comes in. If anything a jet locking on should be a different tone.
SpudBug
4 years ago
@ATFGunr I think because its a one shot kill there should be a higher level of warning when SOFLAM locked vs regular AA lock. Thats fair to me. I really dont think there should be a lock on one shot kill for helis but if it has to be that way, give the pilots the info that it may be coming.
ATFGunr
Legend
4 years ago
@SpudBug At least it’s only the Nightbird that’s one hit. Apache & Hokum are two, and the Hind takes three, maybe four. I still get eaten by Nightbirds regularly lol.
SpudBug
4 years ago
@ATFGunr Apache and Hokum are one shot kill with the M5 + SOFLAM as well afaik
fragnstein
4 years ago
Wrong, the bf4 soflam did not need anyone looking through it to be effective.
You made another topic about this, this is #3 now?
SpudBug
4 years ago
@fragnstein Youre right, the SOFLAM in bf4 was a completely different gadget that needed to be set in place and only pointed in one direction.

The soflam in 2042 is more like a super powerful PLD that allows you to use it anytime while also locking targets without maintaining line of sight or exposing yourself by using the gadget.

So I agree with you, the 2042 soflam is way overpowered!
X-Sunslayer-X
Seasoned Ace
4 years ago
@SpudBug well first off the SOFLAM has scope glint if used. it even has a red colour to it....
secondly vehicles in 2042 are a lot more opressive i.E there is a lot more of them.
thirldy map design is so abhorrently bad you can not even ambush vehicles reliably as you could in other games...
so go fish
SpudBug
4 years ago
@X-Sunslayer-X The scope glint on soflam isn't visible in most circumstances.
And the map design works against air vehicles as well. There is very little aerial cover to use to avoid incoming stingers and soflam m5 that doesnt involve running to the ends of the map, especially in maps like discarded.
Lancelot_du_Lac
Seasoned Ace
4 years ago
@SpudBuas it currently stands, SOFLAM is not a problem. I recently got T1 on SOFLAM and could count the times on two hands that one of my spots resulted in a kill for AA or M5. It is probably the least-used attachment (as far as I can see).
Most of the time I see wild M5 spam resulting in no kills. Unless a heli is on top of you, they are pretty safe from M5. And your chances of encountering someone with a SOFLAM coordinating with a M5 user are very, very slim, in my experience.
ElliotLH
Hero+
4 years ago
@Lancelot_du_Lac That was largely my experience when I did T1 for it as well, although when people did cotton on it was great to see the rockets flying in. Since I run an anti-ground setup on the jets, I make it a point of going after marked air vehicles now too.

It would be nice to get vehicle-kill assists when using it though, and I think that might encourage more players to use it. It might still be an issue persuading people to take it over offensive gadgets still, but would still work in my mind.