Re-tool the Aurora

[FunkOff]

Seriously. The new lightning-fast turn aurora is insane.

It turns around in half a second, it out-ranges ACUs, it accelerates backwards, it has the highest DPS, it hovers, it dodges shots without micro (because it sways side-to-side). These are all advantages only the auroras has when it comes to T1 tanks. Further, it's nearly the cheapest and easily the only T1 worth a damn against T2. The aurora was great before: Now it's a monster.

What do the other tanks have?
The Striker has a little more hp.
The Mantis is a little faster and has the assist ability.
The Thaam has... ????

If you can't balance the aurora around 140 hp and 26 range without making it more maneuverable than a lab, you have to change something.

Here's an idea:
Range: from 26 to 22 (same range as ACU, still plenty to out-range other T1 tanks that have only 18)
Hp: form 140 to 220 (now it'll survive direct bomber strikes, except from Seraphim.)
TurnRate from 220 to 90 (same as other tanks)

Keep the hover, keep the kiting other T1 tanks, keep the high DPS, keep the reserve acceleration, keep the low cost. The Range and the insane turn speed have got to go.

I have replays, they are in gw.

[Astrofoo]

I have played a few balance testing games and I also feel the auroras are too strong. Unfortunately I can't back this up with replays because of the fact that the games weren't even anyway so the replays shed no light on the matter. But I would charge with somewhat even numbers of Thaams and the Auroras would just own them and move on. I don't really understand how Seraphim is supposed to counter them. I guess I'll just start playing as UEF against Aeon and make Mongeese since those do okay. But then we have to deal with the buffed obsidians and mobile shields........

In any case, my opinion(as worthless as it is) is that auroras are just too strong. It kinda helped to balance them when they used to have that reverse delay. It gave other tanks a chance to get up close. But now... they just zoom back. And it's not like you can retreat, they'll just follow you and fire away.

[FunkOff]

The only reason this bothers me is because auroras straight up rape seraphim face. If I could be Cybran and use hoppies, I would. If I could be UEF, I'd use mongeese. Mongeese and Hoppies do pretty well vs auroras.

But seraphim? Seraphim gets their fucking face ripped off.

[Golol]

chickenbot has same range as auroras. chickenbot is one of the best t2 units.
and if this speed is too much then the aurora should definetly stay the same as it was.
maybe give it only a bit kore turn rate and keep the rest the same

[Nombringer]

I agree. However I don't like your idea that with the suggested HP change ONLY sera bombers are able to oneshot them. It should be all bombers or no bombers.

I actually have countless replays of the new aurora's, but I'm in the same positions as astrofoo.

I don't think they need a big nerf at all, just slightly less of a buff

[pip]

I would have liked a test with 3625 aurora stats but with 160 HP.
The ultimate reaction speed and perfect manoeuvrability doesn't fit aurora at all considering its slow movement speed and hover class.

[Golol]

how about the aurora just stays as it is?
its not op or up so if this change is too bad then just dont change it.
just give them a bi of turret speed if it needs to be improved for some reason i dont know

[Tex]

I concur with Funkoff, As a sera player who primarily plays 1 vs 1's. It is frustrating as all hell to have my first 2 tanks and a scout protecting my expanding engi get kited to death by two auroras and a scout. This equates to then getting their expansion, keeping the two tanks, and killing my expanding engi. I don't mind not securing my expo that much, but when it happens and the force that killed my expanding team took no losses, and sticks around to join up with the next wave of units, to further kite my tanks while having a number advantage, and keeping all the map control, and the wrecks behind it. Now I know on the flip side of the coin, you have your 'shitty' (I disagree, but that's my opinion) T2. Most of the time if I CAN make it to the t2 stage, the Aeon player already has most of the map, and 2-3x the mass. Having t2 and no mass to make it vs an aeon with most of the map, and a shit ton of units to spare? I would rather be in the aeon shoes. Plus with 75E shields to spam all day, one would argue about ever stopping making auroras.

Another factor I hate a lot, is when facing any other race, if your commander is a little overextended, its ok to retreat from 10-15 tanks. The tanks need to be in the ACU's range to fire, so you can still shoot whats attacking you when you run. When facing aeon, if you overextend a bit, and need to run your commander away, you get INSANE damage lost due to the range and high DPS of the aurora, AND YOU CANT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT!!! you can turn around and get into range, where you stay overextended longer and the auroras run away, or you can keep running to safety while taking damage. Neither are good options, and if you ever try to use your acu really aggressively, you get punished for it.

Now I can understand the balancing nightmare you face. Super good T1 tanks IF MICROED. If they are not microed, other tanks can stomp them. But early game, when each unit matters most, and the units can afford to be microed, it puts aeon at to much of an advantage. If people dont pay attention to them, they get punished severely. So when I play vs a good aeon, I feel like im just waiting for them to make a huge mistake just to get back into the game. Which at the O2000 level, doesn't happon often.

I have no clue how to balance this. But I feel like buffing is the wrong idea. If I were to recommend anything, it would be to take some of the micro out of the unit, so it preformed a little move evenly across the board. In short, I want some way for me to feel like I can combat aeon in the first 5 minutes of the game.

I remember some player made a quote that losing a LAB at minute 2 is like loosing a monkey at minute 20. I think it was a TAG. Whats it like loosing 2 tanks at minute 2 and a half then?

I Stated laddering as cybran recently, and am surprised at how much easier it is to close the distance and at least hit auroras, along with generally winning. Sera is really falling behind, and it really shows vs aeon (and a little bit cybran) early game, and vs anyone else lategame. All we have is a epic bomber and good T2. Both are hard to field if you cant get the map at the T1 stage, and useless at the T3 stage.

Just my thoughts, take them as you will. I will test this thoroughly when I can find a good player on my timezone to play with, but as it stands, my only games are horribly unbalanced vs aeon on GW.

[Golol]

i havent heard a single concern against the aurora and i havent seen a single sera getting stomped because aurora op.
i dont say you are wrong but im wondering why such concerns suddenly appear when i havent heard of them before.
and i personally never feel like i can own sera or uef players with the aurora. in early stage i mostly feel at a disadvantage because if you want to defend an engi you cant kite away! you have to face the tank on same range and hope you win by micro.
if you raid witb auroras the enemy can push your aurora with a tank so it cant kill the engineer

and on long range i think its pretty easy to dodge the aurora shots.
and chickenbots rape auroras. they have high dps and health, same range as aurora amd high rof.
a chickenbot has basically no overkill! you can kill an aurora in under 1.4 seconds

[Nombringer]

i havent heard a single concern against the aurora and i havent seen a single sera getting stomped because aurora op.

1. You have now

2. I have, multiple times. Especially in balance mod.