Official ac130 mini patch incoming

found directly at http://battlelog.battlefield.com/bf3/news/view/2832654785919456813/

Gunship balancing in server update R31 on September 20th (all formats)
• Stationary and mobile AA cannon damage has been reduced by 30% versus the gunship.
Rationale: This fixes an issue where it was too easy for players to use stationary or mobile AA to shoot down the gunship from the other side of the map.

• Jet cannon damage has been reduced by 50% versus the gunship.
Rationale: In Conquest mode, jets have been able to single-strafe a gunship and destroy it. This re-balance will require more skill from pilots to take it down.

• The delay before moving the gunship forward to a new base in Rush mode has been increased from 15 to 30 seconds.
Rationale: Previously, the gunship was moved to the next base so quickly that it was possible to parachute from it into the base before defenders were able to prepare. This tweak will give defenders time to fall back and protect the valuable M-COM stations as intended.

• The Delay between gunship spawns has been increased from 90 to 120 seconds in Rush mode.
Rationale: After destroying the gunship in Rush mode, it reappeared too quickly to be well-balanced. With a 50% increase in spawn time for the gunship, defenders will now have more time to focus on the crates and less of a constant overhanging threat from the gunship.

• Initial delay before the gunship spawns in Rush mode has been increased from 15 to 60 seconds.
Rationale: Before this update, the gunship gunners could find the enemy before the round and instakill them when the pre-round timer ran out. Now, it will take a full minute before the gunship will spawn, giving defenders ample time to prepare.

Other changes in the server update
• Fixed a bug where a new squad leader wasn’t chosen when the current squad leader left.

• Fixed so that MK1A3 uses flechette rounds instead of frag rounds in Gun Master mode for Premium members (non-Premiums already have flechette rounds).

• Fixed a bug with Squad Rush on Sharqi Peninsula where the user was spawned outside the combat area if they deployed shortly after the first M-COM was destroyed.






So in conclusion they nerfed it in rush however they made it more tough and harder to take down, i have mixed feelings about that , while it will be nice to not get killed as soon as i get a gun seat , gonna be interesting to see how much harder its gonna be to take down

i think the jet nerf is something it really needed. should be something that we can tactically overcome though..

My Opinion - this does not fix any of the problems I have with the AK maps - people will still wait to spawn in gunship and there is little room for infantry.

A stinger hit on the gunship scores nothing you need to be the lucking one of five/six hits who gets the kills. even when playing as a stinger team you will all die several times trying to take it down.

A stinger hit on any aircraft 50 points if it finally goes down you get another 100 you rarely get a kill because the pilot bails.

Similar issues with javelin and tanks so if you play with javelin or stinger your K/D will be crap

This means most infantry just camp around the flag that gains the gunship.

I think they need to give more points for soflam spots and stinger/javelin hits to make up for the crap K/D rate

makes me think about what you said brewing I have yet to even take a shot at the gunship with a jav, kinda curious as to how much damage it did before and now. The jav laser lock is instant kill for all other aircraft so not sure about the ac130

Not played a lot or 100% sure but my recollection is even when soflam painted the Ac130 takes several hits to destroy and unless you are the lucky one who gets the final kills you get no points.

Thought I would love AK but find I hate it, soflam too easy to detect and destroy, mines too easy to detect and destroy, multiple javelin, stinger, RPG hits even to disabled. Smoke too effective and plentyful against Javelin. Combination of ECM and the ability to fly out of range against jets for stinger, no long range ground to air missiles at spawn areas. Yes playing as a team things are better but as I said your KD ratio will turn to crap. So for me it just does not have any realism in it.

Options get in a vehicle and do your thing or play as infantry, camp on a flag and wait for the odd infantry player for kills and thats why all the vehicle lovers will stay and the foot soldiers will leave it when the newness wears off.

meh i dont seem to have a problem with it. II had a problem with javing when the game first came out and all people had was smoke. but now that people have other upgrades they use those for the most part. My only real complaint is that the prxy defense on the mobile art doesn't seem to work

I will have to try Rush again on the AK maps and see if the tweak has made any difference, it was a waste of time before.

Still enjoy the odd game of CQ though and have taken out the ac130 quite a few times with the stinger/igla, but you have to be almost right under it.

In fact a mine/stinger combo is my favourite load out on the new maps.