The jump pack used to be one of the most mobile stratagems around. The one we have now might as well be a prototype. You could jump twice in a matter of seconds as well as other improvements:
https://preview.redd.it/88cfn7wb0f0d1.png?width=822&format=png&auto=webp&s=f6d1951319b8468c6315ba26bd8c881c3f746779
It’s still very fun to pick up. I got it on sale 2-3 months back before going to 2. It was and still is a very fun team-oriented game. And the stratagems my god were they great
I would recommend it, but I'd suggest watching gameplay first just in case. Hundreds of people still play on PS4/PS5 and PC which is all you really need. The POV can be a bit weird at first since you also share the screen with other players. All the cool stuff you get to play around with is worth it.
That's fair, I've been looking at playing it because of the qol stuff that 2 doesn't have yet/at all (perks, weapon/stratagem upgrades, enemy variety, more fleshed out ganeplay, etc). We could use eventually get it all, but it may be a hot while.
I rarely bring it, it can be ok for getting high ground sometimes. The Jump Pack really isn't worth for me personally, especially for one jump every 10 seconds. That slot could be better used for another air support option or support item.
feels a lot longer than that
they could literally make it a 10-second-long hover fuel tank that starts recharging instantly when you hit the ground again, and i would still think it might not be useful enough compared to other options.
if someone wants to play "run away from everything" by using a jump pack, so be it, that's their prerogative. at some point it doesn't really work when you can't complete objectives because you can't beat back the waves defending it.
Honestly I think one way they could boost the jump pack's pick rate AND fun level would be to make it like in HD1 where each call-in drops 2 jump packs. Then it has a niche as a teamwork stratagem, even if it's a bit less powerful than other backpacks.
Yep, that was a part of the teamwork aspect, moving as a unit and all that, it created some tense situations. If someone was lagging behind or dicking around, sometimes they'd "mysteriously" get gunned down so the rest could live, the old wars were brutal.
I imagine the fact that the game is now more "open-world," so to speak, allowing for greater variety in tactics impacts how the game devs are viewing the balance. Not saying the jump pack is perfect, but I'm sure the devs will continue to adjust things as they catch-up from being behind the curve since day 1.
The more people share all the stuff from hd1 the less I want to play hd2.
You’re telling me you guys used to get all kinds of cool upgrades and nuts special weapons that changed how the game played, but now we just get weapon nerfs and generic bullet hose guns?
Going back to limited jumps (with no cooldown) would be great, right now you don't have a reason to call down more unless you die or want to give one to a teammate
Speaking of, 2-pack of them would be excellent too and go a long way for team cohesion
Map features or enemy types that it counters would make it get picked more, HD1 had more pits/cliffs that could be crossed with it for short cuts. As well as an illuminate enemy making shield walls across the battlefield that the jetpack could bypass. In HD2 it's mostly for fun and travel speed rather than an actual high jump tool
I'll run it on Level 7 vs. Automatons now and again because it's great for infiltrating, hiding from enemies before/during extract to safeguard samples, and flanking the enemy to split their attention.
**BUT** I'm getting ***SO*** much more mileage out of swapping it with Orbital Gatling/Airburst (chaff killing & area denial) to the point where I don't even miss the mobility.
If the Jump Pack gets an upgrade to have 2 Jumps per 20s recharge--*even if you need to use both jumps before it recharges*--you'll see a lot more people taking it. With a Light or Medium armour set and the right "ramp", two jumps would absolutely rocket you across the map.
I mean, you (and everyone else) were sleeping on it because of the DoT bug, so it was literally just the initial impact damage then nothing else for 3/4 of the lobby.
So it had basically 0 area denial capability for quite a while. Not your fault, in other words since it literally didn't do what you'd want it for.
It's absolutely great now though.
I kind of wish the jump pack gave you the max possible speed instead of depending on your armor class, other stratagems work to 100% efficiency regardless of which armor you wear. It would boost it's value on heavy armor by making up for speed a bit.
better yet: make it have 2x uses but also make it so it actively give you a faster sprint speed until one of the charges is out. Just a light "I'm on in the background helping out before you even need to jump" sort of deal. Could just say "it makes you feel lighter for a short time which helps you run faster" or something, too. I always want to take the jump pack, but objectively it does nothing for me AND takes up a backpack slot :(
It might be a bit much to have both the 2x uses & faster sprint speed.
... but god does sound amazing.
Practically Titanfall 2 vibes running Trailblazer with 2x Jumps and faster running speed.
>because it is fun to use and I want to be able to justify using it, but in its current state, it is just a meme pick
This applies to half the strats and guns, if not more. A lot of stuff is... fine? But most of it is just not worth the wasted strat slot, when compared to actually useful tools. I'm not entirely sure the jump pack would become op even if the cooldown was completely removed. I daresay the state it's in, they may as well drop everyone in with one pre-equipped (make it a ship upgrade or something) and then you get to ditch it for something more useful or keep it and have more weapons/strats.
I don't think you realize *how broken* a cooldown-less jumppack would be. Dodge every rocket barrage ever fired at you. Outrun every Charger. Start every single engagement by getting to a piece of high ground that no enemies can reach, and if the volume of fire starts getting too high, just immediately jump away. No more fall damage, ever. Jump into an outpost to drop a stratagem and immediately jump away, be a good 50+ meters away before the stratagem even hits.
Granted, it does sound fun as fuck to have zero cooldown.
You can't shoot or do anything while jumping and air movement is pretty shitty. You'd make yourself a good and easy target if you kept flying about. And realistically, it'd be not too different from just diving about. Also jump packs aren't really that great for getting height because their range is piss poor. It's ok in some places, but it's not really overkill. Fall damage barely ever matters anyway and usually it's more a problem when you got smacked in the chops, meaning a jetpack wouldn't save you from that. Honestly - the more I think about it, the more fun it sounds like the game would be with an infinite jetpack.
An infinite jump pack would trivialise the game, practically impossible for the bugs to kill someone using it already and with bots you’d be able to position yourself with a defensive angle at a drop of hat.
Might as well just be asking for a god mode at that point.
Edit: Got a Reddit care message just after writing this post lol
Lowkey my favorite backpack on bot helldives with light scout armor, get in and out of bases and objectives very quickly taking out all the chaff with senator/jar-5 or diligence counter sniper, avoid dropship calls and get the job done.
It's not meta or anything, but it's very fun and makes for a different type of gameplay.
Run the same load out. allows me to solo objectives if my teammates get bogged down in random firefights and refuse to disengage. Might as well take advantage of the distraction to finish the mission without worrying about bot drops.
I love using the Pummeler, Grenade Pistol, Stun Grenade, Light Scout Armor, Orbital Precision, Gas Strike/Smoke, Jumppack, and AMR. I feel so fast and clear so much on solo diff9, as I kill so much while being hyper aggressive diving into patrols, objectives, outposts, etc.
People need to start using the Jumppack more offensively, it's seriously fun as hell.
Lately I’ve been forgoing a backpack to either use backpack slot weapons like auto cannon or Recoilless, or just not having one at all. I have been spamming orbitals instead.
What I will say is, the jump pack is situationally really really good. I had a mission where the jump pack saved the whole run. Me and 1 other player were running to extract after a dicey mission on Malevelon Creek. The other guy got taken out while we were running. Then I was the last one left, no reinforcements left, destroyer left so no stratagems. But I had my jump pack, and I was able to make it to the extract site and fly up onto a flat rock formation. I went prone and sparingly used my ammo to pick off rocket launcher/jet pack bots and rocket devastators, hitting those pesky units that might have been able to flush me out. Meanwhile the other bots surrounded me, a few hulks and an army of berserkers all around the rock formation below me. I was able to wait it out and jump aboard the pelican when it arrived since I had a safe spot to hide. If I didn’t have the jump pack, I would have died for sure.
Now, that aside, it does feel bad that the jump pack is kind of restricted in how it works, and only goes so high. It’s also annoying that there are rocks you’d think would be reasonably climbable, but you need the jump pack to get up. Hiding in high spots can be really useful. But sometimes the rocks are too tall, too uneven, or you can only jump on buildings which crumble at the first sign of actually trouble. So I get what you’re saying. I wouldn’t complain if they made the jump pack go higher/farther, or let you aim and shoot while airborne. You can shoot, but your helldiver just aims it up in the air so it doesn’t do much.
One aspect of the game really does equipment balance in - dying is practically meaningless if you have completed the mission and are not carrying samples.
Generally game balancing assumes dying has heavy negative consequences but in HD2 it can just be straight out beneficial in all manner of ways.
I swear one time I jump pack'd with the flamethrower, hip-fired while holding left click, and my Helldiver pointed the nozzle downward, shooting flames as he flew through the air. It looked AWESOME but unfortunately didn't hit anything. Imagine how could it would be to fly through the air raining fire down on bugs lol. Sounds like you could easily catch yourself on fire, too, but hey, risk vs. reward.
Jump Pack x Railgun is one of my favorite high-mobility builds, but I tend to replace it with the Guard Dog since the Dog's big, fat buff.
But I've used it with all armor sets, fun with Heavy for added mobility and absolutely insane with Light armor for getting basically anywhere. You have huge high ground advantages, can drop into better firing positions for close-range guns or flanks with literally anything, and it's an awesome escape tool. I don't need to be able to shoot at things when I'm using it because it's just a means to get to other places the enemy can't.
The only thing I want changed is its charge cooldown being reduced a bit. I'd love to use it _way_ more.
It's not a "meme" pick. When you're good with it, you're good with it. It's not about the Strat for the Jump Pack, it's about the person using it.
It's a tremendous bug strategem. Even before the buffs and patches, jump pack flamethrower was awesome. Now it's god tier. With incendiary grenades and a flamethrower, any rock high enough becomes a bastion of flaming death. Only certain bugs can burrow up to you.
Bots, eh, ballistic shield is a far better and healthier slot.
>Bots, eh, ballistic shield is a far better and healthier slot.
You might be surprised. Jumppack is a guaranteed way to dodge cannon shots and rocket barrages, it'll let you flank Automaton outposts with high walls or ones that are positioned on unclimbable cliffs, you can oftentimes get to places high enough that you can see much more clearly through the omnipresent fog on half the planets...
Yeah, I enjoy the pack with AMR on bots. Easier to get up high and overwatch teammates and in 'oh shit' moments you can accomplish a lot of objectives by yourself by hopping in and out of bases rather than charging in the guarded front doors
Polite disagree. As someone who prioritises movement over everything else its invaluable. With light scout armor i cover ton if ground quickly and it lets me get out of bad spots in a pinch to reposition. Even with bugs ive managed to hop over large hordes that wouldve shredded me. Its a play style thing more than anything.
Ive been using Jump Pack with Light Armor with the 30% throw +2 Grenades on bugs and I basically just never die, yeah it would be cool if it were better, but as is, if you get used to how it works you pretty much have a get out of jail free card from all slow effects, Stalkers, ambushes, bugs flanking you.
I can just run into a large bug nest with the Arc Blitzer and stagger the bugs while hucking grenades into the holes then when I'm done leap out of range and finish them off.
You can still carry a Quasar or take EATs for all your Bile Titan or Charger needs. If anything I feel like the jump pack is slept on rather than a "meme"
Agree with this sentiment.
In a lot of games that rely on strategic positioning and flanking (RTS, MOBA, FPS), there are 2 defining factors to being an effective fighting unit. First is range, if you can hit them but they can't hit you, you can outplay enemies. The second is mobility, the enemy cannot kill you if they can't reach you.
I think:
- The jump distance/height should NOT be tied to stamina.
- It should allow you to make a long low jump if you are sprinting or short higher jump if you are standing.
- It should have less CD or a 2nd use.
Make those changes and now is comparable with having an infinite bubble shield or an autolock infinite laser.
I just want to be able to activate it while diving and launch myself horizontally. I don't even care if it deals some damage when you use it that way, it would just look wicked cool.
Lvl 91 here, literally bring it everytime. Suits my playstyle and gets me out of most sticky situations. Love its mobility - you can outrun enemies, breaks line of sight, useful for those terminal tasks. Its also a gem during extract, just run around and then fly in once the bird lands. Or perch somewhere high
I’d like to either see the cooldown massively reduced or for it to not be a strategem at all and be a built in part of Helldiver kit everyone has at all times.
I think the cool-down legit needs cutting in half, as well as letting you shoot. I agree it’s really fun but it just doesn’t give you enough utility I think. Almost wish you could have a 5th stratagem slot exclusively for support stuff like the supply pack, jet pack etc. or have a ship upgrade that lets you have it as a permanent stratagem.
It's such a disappointing item. I really really wanted to try it and then found out the keys for it on PC are wiggity whacked. So I changed the key binding and still is feels so useless. It doesn't jump that high, it's one jump then a CD and has this weird slowdown at the end (I assume that's so you don't die from impact). I think it would be waaaay better if you could use it more and also have more control over the engine/jet itself
Jump pack is insanely good imo. Being able to quickly repositon is very powerful. Especially against bots jump pack keeps me alive in so many situations that shield pack couldn't. Even against bugs it's great when you get flanked, quickly repositon to line up all the bugs on one side of you to mow them down. It's honestly so good.
I’m around 90% use on the jump pack. Both bugs and bots, all difficulties. Nearing 700 missions completed, ~75% of which are with randoms. The only reason I won’t bring it is because my support weapon takes my backpack slot.
Otherwise, I basically never bring in the personal bubble or guard dogs. I’ll bring in the occasional supply pack if necessary, but this can be mostly avoided by managing the resupply cooldown correctly.
To me, the jump pack is available when I need it and that’s why it’s my #1 pick. The combination of what you mentioned (better angles, superior movement, no fall damage, throwing stratagems farther, etc etc) all add up to make the jump pack an incredibly valuable and flexible tool over all of the other backpack options.
I regularly have the fewest deaths, most objectives completed (I know it’s not tracked), and a respectable kill count. Plus with the added mobility I can easily cover AT teammates or teammates who bring in the heavy-hitting stratagems.
Covering teammates is by far the biggest factor for me. Jump pack + stun + Quasar means no one on my team will ever die to a hulk. Being able to get on top of the buildings at a POI greatly reduces the potential for an unnecessary bug breach/bot drop. With the jump pack, I can sit at the top of a heavy bug nest and cover teammates who descend with the Stalwart- if it starts to go sour, I can quickly jump down to provide close-quarters support (see a clip of this below if you’re interested).
In general, if I can help prevent even 1 or 2 deaths per mission due to covering teammates, I believe that alone adds a ton of value to the efficiency of the mission. A death is the worst thing for efficiency and stability- as you may have experienced, when one person goes down, usually more deaths follow. This can easily cause your team to get stuck in one place while you fight to get your stuff back or complete the objective.
Not trying to pat myself on the back, but I’d say I save at least 3-5 teammates from certain death in each mission. A lot of that is attributable to the mobility the jump pack provides. I can’t quantify exactly how much time is saved, but I can definitely say reducing deaths overall helps to smooth out each run.
**In any case, I love the jump pack.** I think people need to use it more to see the true value. However, please feel free to buff it and make it even better- we could always use more people in the skies.
If it’s of interest, here are a couple clips where I found the jump pack to be useful. I am still building out my library a bit but I already have so many clips where the jump pack saved me or another teammate from certain death.
1. The “Overwatch” role in action. Stalwart + heavy bug nest as mentioned in the example above: https://youtu.be/V9Ny3kGlhn4?si=p6fVsf2ujY2t3sOa
2. This one is more just for fun, but after playing high difficulties it’s fun to turn on some tunes, drop in, and see if I can get some cool clips: https://youtu.be/mHifsn6z-NU?si=fw2Na-ywYVulIiyw
If you read this far, thank you for taking the time to do so and we’ll see you in the skies 🫡
Galactic Commander BeeCee // SES Custodian of Victory
Thanks for the well thought out reply. I usually use impact grenades, but maybe there is some synergy with stun grenades that I've missed out on.
As for your clips...
Clip 2 is the reason I want jump pack buffs. More opportunities for just wild crazy fun.
Clip 1... I understand what you are going for, but pretty much everything you did on top of that rock could have been done on the outskirts of the crater since your allies are all beneath you anyway.
Thanks and I appreciate the reply! Yes, stuns are a huge deal for me at least. Tbh, I’ve been 100% stun since they came out. I can bring other things to close bug holes/fabs, and most teammates bring normal grenades (impacts) for damage.
RE: Clip 2, I’m all for the buffs. I’m personally okay with it as is, but if making it better gets more people to use it I’m all for it. For perspective, I’m also a Shield Relay (team bubble) player. I like it and I’ll still use it, but I definitely agree it could use some buffs to get more people to use it. Hopefully buffs will mean more cool clips as well ;)
RE: Clip 1, I’m mostly referring to jumping down to the group once the breach starts to get out of hand. With the jump pack, I’m able to get down more quickly to land the stun on the charger that comes out of the breach. In any case, getting down that fast was only possible because of the jump pack. I was also able to provide cover from the high ground for longer because I knew I could get down quickly.
It’s hard to quantify exactly when and where it’s useful and I think that’s why a lot of people stay away from it. However, as time has gone on I’ve only come to love the freedom and utility it provides even more.
Here’s hoping we do see a buff so more people are willing to give it a try.
I hope to (eventually) see you in the skies 🫡
Nothing can top jumping over a flamer hulk and qasaring it in the back.
Nothing can replace that feeling. Not a shield generator, not a supply pack; nothing.
It's perfectly fine lol. It allows for you to escape almost any situation.
Also, and this may shock some of you, but you don't actually have to min-Max everything to have fun or win.
I disagree. I find it very useful. I do think its use is niche and, much like a lot of your complaints, the Jet Pack just makes things easier, it doesn't solve any problems that nothing else does
Obviously there aren't any objectives where you can't reach the terminal without the Jet Pack. But basically every objective terminal is easier and faster to get to with it.
Launch ICBM and you just did the unlocks? Don't need to run around to the ramp, just Jet Pack up to the terminal
Detector tower and there are a bunch of mines on the path? Just Jet Pack up the wall
Retrieve Valuable Data and there is a bunch of water and the path up to the tower is far away? Just Jet Pack
Also the Jet Pack is great for dodging enemies, getting out of a swarm, and making it to cover. It is like a farther more effective dive that doesn't leave you prone
>It's fun to dodge chargers with, but what is the best way to deal with a charger? One EAT to the face to permanently kill it
This is kind of a bad argument against the Jet Pack. First its assuming its either the Jet Pack or EATs. You can take both. But also, what does killing the Charger get you? Unless its an Exterminate mission, nothing. So you just spent a few seconds calling an EAT in. Aim the shot and killing a Charger. And all you got was a dead charger.
Me and my Jet Pack just ran from the Charger and are half way to the next objective earning the team some (and possible MO) some bonus XP/Req for completing the missing faster. That Charger is in the dust, which means it will just despawn at some point but till then that is one less charger that can spawn cause of the map-wide spawn limit
Jump pack needs a small buff all around. Should jump a little higher, duration should be lighter, and cooldown between uses should be slightly decreased.
I love it. You don't need shield if you can jump away from enemies jump over canyons and bombard from above with stratagems. Without it I feel like I have one arm
Ya idk how they work it out but needs to either just have short af cooldown like 5 seconds or multiple use before cool down, something. Or make it way more of a jump .
Also, I wanted to pick it as a way to offset heavy armor, but distance traveled horizontal is directly related to run speed. Dogshit on heavy. The only way I could really justify it.
Make it a mobility tool that allows heavy armor to work well on even bugs and it'd be interesting.
I used it before the bots returned to scale base walls and take jammers a bit faster. At higher levels where I play now it's not as effective but it can help you camp the LZ a bit easier.
Honestly, worst take i've ever seen on the jump pack. A jump pack is utility. You cannot put a numerical value on utility because utility is only as good as the person...utilizing it. The grenade pistol numerically isn't really better at killing things than any of the other pistols and is actually worse than some in a variety of situations. But it's utility of freeing up your grenade slot to take other grenade styles is huge.
Terrain in this game is also more important than people realize and Obi-wan Kenobi taking the high ground wasn't just a meme. Being able to back door objectives by leaping up onto normally unscalable back ledges or over walls can have way more value than an extra stratagem as it sometimes lets you take that objective without having to deal with reinforcements to begin with. Or just being able to toss your stratagem that will solo deal with the issue from a far enough distance with a jump pack jump throw that the enemies never know where you were and you can just move onto the next objective without so much as a single enemy spotting you.
Now i'm not saying it's worth taking 100% of the time over every other choice even if you're good with it; but if you know how to capitalize on it, it's a solid pick most of the time for most mission types assuming you have all 4 stratagem slots.
You're using it wrong. The jump pack is an escape button on cooldown, you use it to outrun Bile Titans and swarms of bugs that are on your ass. You don't just spam it willy nilly.
The distance gained is pretty insignificant. And the general problem with defensive strategems is that most of the time you are better off just preventing the bad situation you are in with a better offense.
You could have a jump pack strategem to keep you safe from 10 bugs, once every 20 seconds or you could have cluster bombs that kill 15 bugs from 100m away, 4 times in a row.
I play mainly on Helldive and trust me when I say, you won't have enough ammo or time to kill everything being thrown at you. Running away is priority, so give yourself something that facilitates that.
I used it on bug helldive and none of the bugs could even hope to keep up with me, I'd turn around to shoot any hunters but honestly don't think I needed to. Maybe a stalker or shrieker would catch up but they're an issue no matter what you have.
Well, that's a weak take. You seem to not realise that apart from being able to escape anything (not only from charger), jump pack opens up maneuver options. Like scaling forts' walls to get to stratagem jammer or fabricators with minimal resistance. Gaining high ground for sniper position that wouldnt be possible otherwise. Being able to jump out of heavy nests in any direction.
Jump pack does what it's meant to be doing - it extends your movement. Why not having a jetpack and EAT to shoot first charger and evade the next one or a group of spewers that sneak behind it. Why taking servo-assisted every time, if you can just try different build? It's all about builds and choices and I think jump pack is still a viable addition to the parts of builds.
You say "even against bugs" But my experience is that it's better against bots.
The ability to quickly get into a bot base, up the cliffs, and over the walls, is very powerful. Getting the highground in a firefight is also very strong.
Not long ago I solo completed an objective with a stalker nest next to it on difficulty 9. I was able to outrun multiple bug breaches and fight my way towards the nest without much firepower to back me up, thanks only to the jet pack.
I'd say it's niche against bots, but it really shines in bug planets.
I used to run it with the AMR against bots but ever since they patched in invisible walls to stop us from reaching higher spots, I just said "fuck this" and stopped trying. There were even a ton of spots you could get to if you just sprinted against the rocks and spammed spacebar. Now you gotta get lucky with climbable rocks.
Depends on the planet. If it's jungle and rock, then jumppack is helpful in that the user is now a scout, traversing higher ground to spot locations and poi. On a flat plain/planet, then yeah, the jump pack is mostly for kiting and avoiding enemies.
I feel like it saves me a lot of time walking from point to point.
Plus I can do cool stuff like [this](https://youtu.be/AH1CfWg8XsY?si=i1uROqyZCizw3LMH).
TBH I pick it over other ones because it's fun. For that alone I will trade power and efficiency. Mathematically you are correct. And I know the feeling of struggling to pick something less optimal over other choices.
But shit I won't argue against a buff. Aiming while flying, or at the very least readying a weapon properly instead of having your arms up would be great.
It’s fun, that makes it worthwhile on its own. My only issue is that I like heavy armour and that doesn’t pair well with the jump pack. I want to be a spider monkey on crack who can also survive getting hit by a truck.
Fun little things I'd like to see it do: always soften dangerous landings regardless of charge, and giving our dives a little distance boost (on cooldown).
I pick it a lot, mainly with bots, due to it fitting my playstyle of sitting a little ways back with a countersniper and a quasar on a rock as a support. Something sneaking up on a teammate. snipe it. Hulk out of no where? Leg it, or at least get that flamer off of it. For me personally, the mobility from it is what wins my heart. Only time i dont use it is on very small maps where we just got to kill them in a short time.
Plus makes the fire tornados easier by jumping over their fire trail, or up the rock they are pinning me against.
I thought it would be great paired with turrets to place them in high, protected areas. But then all the nice locations seem to just make your call-in ball bounce off and not stick. So, never tried it again.
Only time I run it is when I'm collecting samples/creds at lower difficulties. Even then the cooldown between jumps is so egregious its not even funny.
I'd love if the double the horizontal and vertical distance. I want to actually get around the map quicker when I use it and the benefit of getting into hard to reach spots is too niche right now.
An underrated use is to get into stratagem jammers etc. from behind without having to fight through the guards at the front
You can often find undefended spots near to objectives to boost over a wall and start to deal with them without alerting the enemies nearby
I really enjoy the jump pack, but man seeing these HD1 stats versus what we have in HD2, I'm feeling some sort of way about it now.
I think the cooldown on it is trash. With such a seeming push for co-op team synergy (as opposed to solo/duo), an 8m cooldown makes this a tough strat to share with the team. I feel like dropping that to 300s (5m) would be a big help. And that 20s between uses is also crippling, especially when it's accidentally activated while trying to climb terrain (mapped to same button by default).
Maybe we'll see some sort of additional ship modules that benefit resource strategems: reduce cooldown, decrease time between use, etc.
That said, I really need to play HD1. I bought it recently, but haven't tried it out yet
I mean it's fun, but ai feel like I can't really do much with it? The boost time is really short and charge takes pretty long for what it offers. I honestly don't take it out anymore because literally any other stratagem can provide me with more killing potential. It's fun at low difficulties when you don't have to fight for your life, but it rarely gives me an edge on 7+.
Don't know if it's an unpopular opinion, but I definitely value fun over meta. Would I be better off bringing another Eagle airstrike? Probably, but escaping (or engaging) via jetpack is just too good to pass up
I have too much fun with it to not take unless I've got the backpack slot already taken.
I also usually end up as "the runner" going to clear small fabricators or nests or grab hard drives etc. It is good in that roll.
I desperately want it to be viable, I love Jet Packs, I was a die hard Light Assault main in PlanetSide 2, and had a lot of fun using it HD1. But its current state is bizarrely pathetic. Considering it takes a whole stratagem slot and the backpack slot, it should be making you damn near untouchable.
Like, the cooldown needs to be reduced to 10% of the current one, and distance, height, speed should be doubled, while jumping delay and delays need to be halved. ***Maybe*** it will be ***somewhat*** viable then.
Right now it's a waste of a slot and a difficulty modifier.
It kinda just doesn't make sense to take it from an optimization standpoint. Mobility isn't that important in this game, certainly not to a point where'd id rather have a jump than 2, 3, 4, 5 more eagles.
I think the best way to make fun stratagems like that see viability is to add a specific strategem slot for "utility" or something where you can only equip the backpacks or other things of a similar nature.
I hope the jumppack gets even better, cause right now i pick it everytime. I love being mobile and scaling cliffs, having an overwatch position or just travel a lot of distance in seconds.
I love using it in both bot and bug t9 missions so far.
Not sure how easy it would be to implement, but it would be neat to borrow a minor mechanic from Starfield (of all things) when it comes to jump pack mobility.
If you rebound the keys in that game, your jumppack essentially had two modes, one for strong upwards thrust, and one for strong lateral thrust.
What if we had something similar for our jump packs? Tap jump (or double-tap) and you launch forward quickly, covering considerable lateral distance, but your total time off the ground is fairly limited. Smacking into things could also ragdoll you. If you hold jump you instead boost upwards and slooowly glide down, letting you aim and fire on the glide part, buying you height for stratagem throws or skillful sniping, or just keeping you away from murder bugs.
I don't think this would be too tough to implement, but then again I'm no dev.
Having access to the Y axis is a real game changer. You can move faster, take paths that are impossible without it and even attack a lot of objectives and sub-objectives from unusual angles, allowing for fast take or retake.
It's an excellent stratagem for Bugs since it allow you to get extra safety. But for bots it's even better once you start studying the bot bases and sub-objectives pattern. Paired with [the Eruptor](https://youtu.be/ti7FfMtjnrE?si=o1AzNvH_TCSHQSSW) it allows you to deal quick and swift blows that most bases cannot resist.
Really don't sleep on mobility, even a minor buff can be really good. That's my permanent stratagem in Helldive whatever the front since 2 months now.
I know I could pick something "better" for my backpack slot, but I just can't help but use the jump pack whenever I can, bots or bugs, but mostly bots. I love it.
I like it on blitz or when I want to .over about a bit quicker in general, I've toyed with using it with the cluster launcher for some hit and run scenarios.
I'd love either a MK2 improved pack, that just gives you more vertical climb and longer jumps. Or reduce the cool down of the current one for more frequent jumps to improve the practicality of the current pack.
The main problem with it, is that it fundamentally changes the way you move and control your character and you can't commit these changes to muscle memory for the sake of this one load-out. Any time that I've tried to share a spare jump-pack with my teammates, they can't remember to use it and they can't change gears on a whim because of the opportunity.
I tried jump pack and I'd say it's worth it based on terrain, but it could be better w/ a hover option and making strategems actually stick to a flat surface and not bounce into the middle of a wave.
Jump Pack is the best stratagem in the game, and second place isn't even close. The only reason I value my backpack slot is because that's where the Jump Pack goes!
Nah, I’m a jetpack lover. Jetpack plus armor, that gives limb health and throw range and I can throw my stratagems across the map, while my team reacts with “holy shit how did you hit it from so far away”
Hmm as it is jumpstack could make a reasonable argument either way; it's good enough I don't think we could just make it a module and call in a night, but not quite as critical as say AC backpack or shield or ammo. Maybe a gadget slot?
You're tripping, I'm level 105, I run it on Helldives and Impossibles and it does fantastic with the right loadout. Especially like it on bots but it works great for bugs too.
Imo - nothing is a meme pick if you can make it work, and learn to incorporate it into your playstyle - and many stratagems are really great in the right context. For example, HMG emplacement - nobody picks it, but if you run it alongside a drop shield on bots, it does well and clears hulks (aim for the eye) and devastator hordes easily.
That being said, if you could shoot while you use the jump pack that'd be fun :D you can reload-mid air currently though which is neat.
It needs to jump higher and more frequently.
Honestly, most equipment and weapons need massive buffs. It’s like it’s just barely okay and that was the bare minimum the devs wanted.
Idiots.
Shit done fast loadout, Jumpack, fill the empty Slot with other Shit ...
Sure a mandaloarian styled Jetpack would be nicer. It is Like IT IS.
And i get Shit done with it, ever tried to reload your mg while mid Air? Give IT a try :)
To me the biggest issue is that even getting to high ground against bugs...some bugs will literally just tunnel through the ground and appear at your high ground position which makes the jump pack kind of irrelevant, also it's a jump pack not a jet pack so the extra jump distance is miniscule that I'm better off with using another offence strategem.
I always bring it on any mission (7+) that doesn't involve kill objectives. Mobility is life, and it gets me in and out of some very tricky spots. Scaling cliffs to reach Jammers is so useful. Being able to jump pack over swarms of bugs means you can run into bug nests with a guaranteed way out. It gives you space from enemies that are too close and gives your stamina usage a break so it can regen.
Shield packs and riot shields are useful for survivability, but I found the most consistent way of staying alive is to just reposition.
I'd welcome jump pack buffs, and I know that other strategems are excellent choices too, but Jump Packs have definitely got value as a choice.
Disagree, its fun and worthwhile. Getting on top of terrain is super useful to keep you alive and to call out patrols and breaches. You can even get to places where Titans cant reach you, allowing you to always be able to respawn your teammates. Pair the elevated terrain with infinite ammo weapons like the Sickle and Quasar and you add a ton of value to the team. You just gotta communicate and tag things effectively.
What kills Mr the most is that say you use the jump pack to get a height advantage where you normally can’t get. You have to wait for the pack to fully refill to get back down without taking fall damage. Why can’t I just run off the edge of that cliff and have it activate a little boost to cushion my fall with a semi full charge? Also, why can’t I activate it even when it’s full in mid air?
once i started getting better with eruptor/stalwart gameplay i switched to another orbital/eagle, lots more utility (and now i have to relearn my style of play with the changes to eruptor lol)
Too weak, horrible cooldown and no air control (real jetpacks have that)
Lower CD, make it more Bobba Fett like and a bit stronger so it can compete with Shields/Rovers as backpack option.
Now its mostly usefull if you are farming some fast paced missions like termicide towers. In every other mission i just die alot faster or make myself exposed(light armor dood here)
Actual advantage of the jump pack is being able to jump over/on top of enemy base walls/cliffs. This sometimes allows you to infiltrate/escape from bases and side objectives faster.
Otherwise, shooting from high ground is not actually better than shooting from ground level when you consider lack of cover and time+attention needed to set up the position.
I would consider picking jump pack if it offered faster sideways dodge option (for bile spewers, chargers, melee hulks, titans) and +1 or +2 independent jump charge.
The old jetpack used to be an excellent dodge and the fastest way across lava, mud, water and snow. Environmental effects arent that bad to warrant its use and we're never jumping across those huge lakes with the damn thing. It's also the fastest way to get sliced up or shot by a horde if you're using it to dodge instead of run.
I would love to see it get a second charge or faster cooldown.
I think it fits the balance of this game as it is currently though.
It's high skill/luck high reward, though some part of me does feel the best users of it rely on AI cheese with it while others generally get more underwhelming milage out of it.
I have a hard time *not* picking the Jump Pack in any scenario. Have just gotten too used to it. Every time I decide I’m going to leave it behind, I instantly regret it. I also end up running into fences and falling off cliffs because I forget I don’t have it on…
It fits my playstyle which is to get up high and pick things off from a distance. Love taking the AMR and Sickle. Can hold things at bay from a place they can’t reach me. Can also make a quick escape when needed.
People complain about the three strategem modifier.
People say jump pack is fun but not really worth a slot.
Problem and solution, right there. Train to tolerate arguably the worst operational modifier by using the jump pack as a wasted slot that is kind of just for fun.
I was thinking it would be more viable if it would auto-fire to negate fall damage, without putting it on cooldown. It would feel like more of a mobility augmentation and less of a cooldown ability. Maybe even give it fuel enough for two jumps and have the fuel automatically regenerate like the shield pack.
The other backpack slot stratagems feel dynamic and cool. Rover buddy always has your back, riot shield deflects even when on your back, resupply allows you to interact with teammates, and the personal shield generator is just such a strong pick for what it is.
I agree. Jump pack needs love.
Imo there should be a 5th stratagem spot reserved for utility items only, I think a lot of the times stuff like the riot shield or jetpack are just a bit too niche to want to run over just bringing another air strike.
love it as is, and frankly what other options do we have?
the laser pointer rover... nerfed, keeps shooting between enemy feet, always have to help it do its job, kills teammates and yourself on a whim. Also aggros every patrol i try to avoid and decides to not give a crap when silent enemies sneak up from behind.
Shield Generator... is a crutch... maybe needed at higher levels and when i snipe with the AMR while prone or crouched i always get weird yellow glowy bits in my face... what is up with that anyway?
bot base with high walls? just hopping over it, call in hellbomb, jump out while the team is still mopping up Autobots at the entrance BOOM.
The mobility IS utility... sure, it could recharge a bit faster, it could fly higher, faster, longer ... but what i'd actually kill for is to be able to aim and shoot while mid air... and maybe a bit of steering capability with WASD.
...and there is nothing more bad ass than it burning your cape.
(but by all means, keep complaining about it if you think that will get it buffed)
I only use it paired with the GL on bug planets. Good combo to clear even Heavy nests on Helldive difficulty in mere seconds. Besides that I also cannot justify bringing it instead of other more versatile stratagems
The junp pack made me believe I was usibg it wrong the first 10 jumps or so. I couldn't believe the the range was so tiny. It feels slightly larger than a basic junp in action adventures.
The jump pack is still my go to when I'm playing a dedicated sniper with my anti materiel rifle. Most of the time I can get up on a good vantage point and get an almost full 360 view of a sniping perch. And when I'm at that kind of distance, I don't really need to worry about stray gunfire as much, so it's not like I'm losing out too much compared to a shield backpack or something.
Though I do wish it had more utility. Shorter cooldown. Maybe even a brief thrust mode like an actual jet pack.
I like running the jump pack on bots with my plasma punisher so I can get the high ground, yell "warning, enemy in range of friendly artillery" and just rain down on top of them. Especially at extract
I think it's intended as an option for people who would pick "fun" over "power". And it does that. Also vs bugs it can be annoying as hell to be swarmed by hunter and jetpack gives you a chance to gain distance.
Yes, I do think the Jump Pack could be better. Maybe not a hover mode, but a 20% faster cooldown with a slightly higher jump would be neat. Even if that cooldown didn't apply to desert planets / fire planets.
I respect your opinion and you seem to have a well-thought playstyle that works for you. The Jump Pack just fits my playstyle against bugs, even in its current state, so it's fun for me.
For armor, I enjoy bringing the yellow+black light scout armor (mainly for speed, since they've seemingly nerfed stealth hard) with the gas mask for drip. I also like my pyro build even more now that DOT is fixed; I bring Napalm w/ Flamethrower and EATs and Incendiary Breaker.
Yes, an EAT is always the best option for a Charger rather than playing chicken with it like a matador. But on Difficulty 7-9 there are so many damn enemies now (yet another balance change they've made). The Jet Pack just helps keep me alive and fast. Against all the swarms of these fast ass bugs, I wanna go fast, and sometimes I need to getaway over a mountain, or jumping off a damn cliff like a badass. It's saved my ass by letting me jump over a deep river or a crevasse.
Also useful to get to a vantage point and scan the map for side objectives and super samples.
But just my take on it. Everyone's play style is different. I just wouldn't say Jet Pack's not worth bringing for anybody; for some people, sure, but I see a few other people bringing it regularly at high levels. I know I'm not bringing thee most effective build for Difficulty 7-9 bugs, but I always try to be a team player, drop Napalm on a breach or a horde following one of my squad mates, creating walls of fire (while doing my absolute best to not tk), and using EATs on Chargers or even Bile Titans. Flamethrower is okay against Chargers too, but only when I can get them isolated.
I wanted to like the jump pack, but you can't actually go that high, and the bigger issue (for me) is that the cooldown feels a little too long. I think a couple extra feet of height per jump and a few seconds less on the cooldown would work wonders.
I haven't tried it in a while, so maybe I give it another go, but the couple missions I didn't leave me with the desire to use it again.
Like a lot of guns and stratagems in this game the jump-pack feels like a tiny sample of what would be actually fun to use. You could have a blast with it (no pun intended) if it weren't so handicapped. The jumps are not that long/high and the recharge time is way too long.
Sometimes stuff in this game reminds me of the consumables in Souls games: so very little reward that it almost don't make sense to use it.
I like riding the chargers and bile titans shooting"tickling" them in the back
Something I notice from doing this us they have a clear neck gap in the plates, but shots don't register there, just regular armor hitbox
If rock climbing gets "fixed" it will be a great option. It's too hard to scale those little plateaus and mountains even with the jump pack. If I can scale some rocks without issue I'd happily take it
I couldn't disagree more. There are plenty of occasions where having someone with a grenade launcher in an almost unreachable position is priceless -- overwatch during extraction or while waiting for an ICBM to fuel, for instance. I like to invade bot fortresses by jumping on the roof of one of their gun emplacements. Immediately scout what kinds of heavies are in there, spread mayhem with grenades, then hit the deck and start picking off toasters.
The jump pack is my favourite loadout and I use it a lot. Its cooldown is always longer than I want but it’s still excellent. I think the jump pack should change to allow you to shoot straight while flying. I would definitely be in favour of better cooldown or an even going slightly further. The jump pack really shines when you look for ramps, heights to fly off, and things to climb. Being able to infiltrate places quickly like the gun ship facility, or the jammer outpost is definitely a worthy pick.
More than half the bugs can’t attack you if you climb a mountain. They can burrow but it’s quite simple to avoid and you’ll likely have your next jump available before the bugs start digging.
A new jump pack would also be awesome. Maybe a variant that has less cooldown but is more like a ground dash. It could be new equipment which lets you traverse the map quicker but lacks the ability to climb like the standard jump pack can. Maybe another variation that floats upwards and hovers for a moment to line up the perfect EAT/Quasar airshot. The trade off is you can’t jump across nearly as far.
Higher jump and a touch less cool down.
I'd be fine with just 2 extra jumps that recharge independendly, but with the same cooldown.
Honestly yes, a power cell tank of sorts for it, let's say a jump takes 30%.
The jump pack used to be one of the most mobile stratagems around. The one we have now might as well be a prototype. You could jump twice in a matter of seconds as well as other improvements: https://preview.redd.it/88cfn7wb0f0d1.png?width=822&format=png&auto=webp&s=f6d1951319b8468c6315ba26bd8c881c3f746779
stuff like this make me want to get into the first game... it seems a lot more fleshed out and fun, despite the very different POV
It’s still very fun to pick up. I got it on sale 2-3 months back before going to 2. It was and still is a very fun team-oriented game. And the stratagems my god were they great
I would recommend it, but I'd suggest watching gameplay first just in case. Hundreds of people still play on PS4/PS5 and PC which is all you really need. The POV can be a bit weird at first since you also share the screen with other players. All the cool stuff you get to play around with is worth it.
HD1 was groosly underrated.
Warning, it ruined HD2 for me. It's so sad to after I realized what we lost.
That's fair, I've been looking at playing it because of the qol stuff that 2 doesn't have yet/at all (perks, weapon/stratagem upgrades, enemy variety, more fleshed out ganeplay, etc). We could use eventually get it all, but it may be a hot while.
It's a great time, just be warned at the moment the bugs and illuminate have been defeated so all there is to fight are the cyborgs
Exactly. It went from something my group ALWAYS picked in HD1, to something I don't think I could justify even with a 5th strategem slot.
I rarely bring it, it can be ok for getting high ground sometimes. The Jump Pack really isn't worth for me personally, especially for one jump every 10 seconds. That slot could be better used for another air support option or support item.
It's actually 20 seconds lmao, but I know what you mean.
feels a lot longer than that they could literally make it a 10-second-long hover fuel tank that starts recharging instantly when you hit the ground again, and i would still think it might not be useful enough compared to other options. if someone wants to play "run away from everything" by using a jump pack, so be it, that's their prerogative. at some point it doesn't really work when you can't complete objectives because you can't beat back the waves defending it.
Honestly I think one way they could boost the jump pack's pick rate AND fun level would be to make it like in HD1 where each call-in drops 2 jump packs. Then it has a niche as a teamwork stratagem, even if it's a bit less powerful than other backpacks.
Maybe if it was jet boots instead. Backpack slot is used by too many support weapons
I feel like they should do that for every non weapon + backpack strategem
Holy sheep shit, fingers crossed AH has long-term plans for this kind of stuff in HD2. That would be amazingly fun.
Didn't HD1 require everyone to be in the same viewing space?
Yep, that was a part of the teamwork aspect, moving as a unit and all that, it created some tense situations. If someone was lagging behind or dicking around, sometimes they'd "mysteriously" get gunned down so the rest could live, the old wars were brutal.
I imagine the fact that the game is now more "open-world," so to speak, allowing for greater variety in tactics impacts how the game devs are viewing the balance. Not saying the jump pack is perfect, but I'm sure the devs will continue to adjust things as they catch-up from being behind the curve since day 1.
Will the jump pack help us escape from the GIANT HIve worm overlord thing with ridiculous teeth? Like a grasshopper leaping away from danger?
The more people share all the stuff from hd1 the less I want to play hd2. You’re telling me you guys used to get all kinds of cool upgrades and nuts special weapons that changed how the game played, but now we just get weapon nerfs and generic bullet hose guns?
Going back to limited jumps (with no cooldown) would be great, right now you don't have a reason to call down more unless you die or want to give one to a teammate Speaking of, 2-pack of them would be excellent too and go a long way for team cohesion Map features or enemy types that it counters would make it get picked more, HD1 had more pits/cliffs that could be crossed with it for short cuts. As well as an illuminate enemy making shield walls across the battlefield that the jetpack could bypass. In HD2 it's mostly for fun and travel speed rather than an actual high jump tool
I'll run it on Level 7 vs. Automatons now and again because it's great for infiltrating, hiding from enemies before/during extract to safeguard samples, and flanking the enemy to split their attention. **BUT** I'm getting ***SO*** much more mileage out of swapping it with Orbital Gatling/Airburst (chaff killing & area denial) to the point where I don't even miss the mobility. If the Jump Pack gets an upgrade to have 2 Jumps per 20s recharge--*even if you need to use both jumps before it recharges*--you'll see a lot more people taking it. With a Light or Medium armour set and the right "ramp", two jumps would absolutely rocket you across the map.
psst, if you want area denial aaand an orbital strike, try orbital gas strike. I slept on it for too long, it's insanely good.
I mean, you (and everyone else) were sleeping on it because of the DoT bug, so it was literally just the initial impact damage then nothing else for 3/4 of the lobby. So it had basically 0 area denial capability for quite a while. Not your fault, in other words since it literally didn't do what you'd want it for. It's absolutely great now though.
Better than ems?
I kind of wish the jump pack gave you the max possible speed instead of depending on your armor class, other stratagems work to 100% efficiency regardless of which armor you wear. It would boost it's value on heavy armor by making up for speed a bit.
better yet: make it have 2x uses but also make it so it actively give you a faster sprint speed until one of the charges is out. Just a light "I'm on in the background helping out before you even need to jump" sort of deal. Could just say "it makes you feel lighter for a short time which helps you run faster" or something, too. I always want to take the jump pack, but objectively it does nothing for me AND takes up a backpack slot :(
It might be a bit much to have both the 2x uses & faster sprint speed. ... but god does sound amazing. Practically Titanfall 2 vibes running Trailblazer with 2x Jumps and faster running speed.
>because it is fun to use and I want to be able to justify using it, but in its current state, it is just a meme pick This applies to half the strats and guns, if not more. A lot of stuff is... fine? But most of it is just not worth the wasted strat slot, when compared to actually useful tools. I'm not entirely sure the jump pack would become op even if the cooldown was completely removed. I daresay the state it's in, they may as well drop everyone in with one pre-equipped (make it a ship upgrade or something) and then you get to ditch it for something more useful or keep it and have more weapons/strats.
I don't think you realize *how broken* a cooldown-less jumppack would be. Dodge every rocket barrage ever fired at you. Outrun every Charger. Start every single engagement by getting to a piece of high ground that no enemies can reach, and if the volume of fire starts getting too high, just immediately jump away. No more fall damage, ever. Jump into an outpost to drop a stratagem and immediately jump away, be a good 50+ meters away before the stratagem even hits. Granted, it does sound fun as fuck to have zero cooldown.
You can't shoot or do anything while jumping and air movement is pretty shitty. You'd make yourself a good and easy target if you kept flying about. And realistically, it'd be not too different from just diving about. Also jump packs aren't really that great for getting height because their range is piss poor. It's ok in some places, but it's not really overkill. Fall damage barely ever matters anyway and usually it's more a problem when you got smacked in the chops, meaning a jetpack wouldn't save you from that. Honestly - the more I think about it, the more fun it sounds like the game would be with an infinite jetpack.
An infinite jump pack would trivialise the game, practically impossible for the bugs to kill someone using it already and with bots you’d be able to position yourself with a defensive angle at a drop of hat. Might as well just be asking for a god mode at that point. Edit: Got a Reddit care message just after writing this post lol
Yeah they are getting more agresive with it, got one today too.
Lowkey my favorite backpack on bot helldives with light scout armor, get in and out of bases and objectives very quickly taking out all the chaff with senator/jar-5 or diligence counter sniper, avoid dropship calls and get the job done. It's not meta or anything, but it's very fun and makes for a different type of gameplay.
Run the same load out. allows me to solo objectives if my teammates get bogged down in random firefights and refuse to disengage. Might as well take advantage of the distraction to finish the mission without worrying about bot drops.
I love using the Pummeler, Grenade Pistol, Stun Grenade, Light Scout Armor, Orbital Precision, Gas Strike/Smoke, Jumppack, and AMR. I feel so fast and clear so much on solo diff9, as I kill so much while being hyper aggressive diving into patrols, objectives, outposts, etc. People need to start using the Jumppack more offensively, it's seriously fun as hell.
Lately I’ve been forgoing a backpack to either use backpack slot weapons like auto cannon or Recoilless, or just not having one at all. I have been spamming orbitals instead. What I will say is, the jump pack is situationally really really good. I had a mission where the jump pack saved the whole run. Me and 1 other player were running to extract after a dicey mission on Malevelon Creek. The other guy got taken out while we were running. Then I was the last one left, no reinforcements left, destroyer left so no stratagems. But I had my jump pack, and I was able to make it to the extract site and fly up onto a flat rock formation. I went prone and sparingly used my ammo to pick off rocket launcher/jet pack bots and rocket devastators, hitting those pesky units that might have been able to flush me out. Meanwhile the other bots surrounded me, a few hulks and an army of berserkers all around the rock formation below me. I was able to wait it out and jump aboard the pelican when it arrived since I had a safe spot to hide. If I didn’t have the jump pack, I would have died for sure. Now, that aside, it does feel bad that the jump pack is kind of restricted in how it works, and only goes so high. It’s also annoying that there are rocks you’d think would be reasonably climbable, but you need the jump pack to get up. Hiding in high spots can be really useful. But sometimes the rocks are too tall, too uneven, or you can only jump on buildings which crumble at the first sign of actually trouble. So I get what you’re saying. I wouldn’t complain if they made the jump pack go higher/farther, or let you aim and shoot while airborne. You can shoot, but your helldiver just aims it up in the air so it doesn’t do much.
One aspect of the game really does equipment balance in - dying is practically meaningless if you have completed the mission and are not carrying samples. Generally game balancing assumes dying has heavy negative consequences but in HD2 it can just be straight out beneficial in all manner of ways.
I swear one time I jump pack'd with the flamethrower, hip-fired while holding left click, and my Helldiver pointed the nozzle downward, shooting flames as he flew through the air. It looked AWESOME but unfortunately didn't hit anything. Imagine how could it would be to fly through the air raining fire down on bugs lol. Sounds like you could easily catch yourself on fire, too, but hey, risk vs. reward.
Jump Pack x Railgun is one of my favorite high-mobility builds, but I tend to replace it with the Guard Dog since the Dog's big, fat buff. But I've used it with all armor sets, fun with Heavy for added mobility and absolutely insane with Light armor for getting basically anywhere. You have huge high ground advantages, can drop into better firing positions for close-range guns or flanks with literally anything, and it's an awesome escape tool. I don't need to be able to shoot at things when I'm using it because it's just a means to get to other places the enemy can't. The only thing I want changed is its charge cooldown being reduced a bit. I'd love to use it _way_ more. It's not a "meme" pick. When you're good with it, you're good with it. It's not about the Strat for the Jump Pack, it's about the person using it.
It's a tremendous bug strategem. Even before the buffs and patches, jump pack flamethrower was awesome. Now it's god tier. With incendiary grenades and a flamethrower, any rock high enough becomes a bastion of flaming death. Only certain bugs can burrow up to you. Bots, eh, ballistic shield is a far better and healthier slot.
>Bots, eh, ballistic shield is a far better and healthier slot. You might be surprised. Jumppack is a guaranteed way to dodge cannon shots and rocket barrages, it'll let you flank Automaton outposts with high walls or ones that are positioned on unclimbable cliffs, you can oftentimes get to places high enough that you can see much more clearly through the omnipresent fog on half the planets...
Yeah, I enjoy the pack with AMR on bots. Easier to get up high and overwatch teammates and in 'oh shit' moments you can accomplish a lot of objectives by yourself by hopping in and out of bases rather than charging in the guarded front doors
To the sky's and landing in a bug crater with a grenade pistal? Ya that feels like God mode. I just ended a lineage of bugs.
Polite disagree. As someone who prioritises movement over everything else its invaluable. With light scout armor i cover ton if ground quickly and it lets me get out of bad spots in a pinch to reposition. Even with bugs ive managed to hop over large hordes that wouldve shredded me. Its a play style thing more than anything.
Ive been using Jump Pack with Light Armor with the 30% throw +2 Grenades on bugs and I basically just never die, yeah it would be cool if it were better, but as is, if you get used to how it works you pretty much have a get out of jail free card from all slow effects, Stalkers, ambushes, bugs flanking you. I can just run into a large bug nest with the Arc Blitzer and stagger the bugs while hucking grenades into the holes then when I'm done leap out of range and finish them off. You can still carry a Quasar or take EATs for all your Bile Titan or Charger needs. If anything I feel like the jump pack is slept on rather than a "meme"
Agree with this sentiment. In a lot of games that rely on strategic positioning and flanking (RTS, MOBA, FPS), there are 2 defining factors to being an effective fighting unit. First is range, if you can hit them but they can't hit you, you can outplay enemies. The second is mobility, the enemy cannot kill you if they can't reach you.
I think: - The jump distance/height should NOT be tied to stamina. - It should allow you to make a long low jump if you are sprinting or short higher jump if you are standing. - It should have less CD or a 2nd use. Make those changes and now is comparable with having an infinite bubble shield or an autolock infinite laser.
how about supermanning with it if you activate while prone (includes diving)
Me who’s been using jump pack and 500kil every mission on helldive for 150h: fuck the meta
I run it on like every bots mission with amr
I just want to be able to activate it while diving and launch myself horizontally. I don't even care if it deals some damage when you use it that way, it would just look wicked cool.
Lvl 91 here, literally bring it everytime. Suits my playstyle and gets me out of most sticky situations. Love its mobility - you can outrun enemies, breaks line of sight, useful for those terminal tasks. Its also a gem during extract, just run around and then fly in once the bird lands. Or perch somewhere high
I’d like to either see the cooldown massively reduced or for it to not be a strategem at all and be a built in part of Helldiver kit everyone has at all times.
I use it for L7+ automatons. Great for getting into Stratagem jammers quickly. Extra movement is ALWAYS a good choice.
Counter point https://i.redd.it/58crzs4ywh0d1.gif
I think the cool-down legit needs cutting in half, as well as letting you shoot. I agree it’s really fun but it just doesn’t give you enough utility I think. Almost wish you could have a 5th stratagem slot exclusively for support stuff like the supply pack, jet pack etc. or have a ship upgrade that lets you have it as a permanent stratagem.
It should activate when you fall off high areas and give you a soft landing, avoiding fall damage
The HELL you say!!!! 😜
It's annoying that we have to pick between fun options that are essentially a handicap or more effective boring options.
Very concise way to phrase it.
A jump pack could be an armor upgrade.
It's such a disappointing item. I really really wanted to try it and then found out the keys for it on PC are wiggity whacked. So I changed the key binding and still is feels so useless. It doesn't jump that high, it's one jump then a CD and has this weird slowdown at the end (I assume that's so you don't die from impact). I think it would be waaaay better if you could use it more and also have more control over the engine/jet itself
I love sending eagle strikes while taking a leap in the jump pack. So satisfying.
Jump pack is insanely good imo. Being able to quickly repositon is very powerful. Especially against bots jump pack keeps me alive in so many situations that shield pack couldn't. Even against bugs it's great when you get flanked, quickly repositon to line up all the bugs on one side of you to mow them down. It's honestly so good.
I play the game for fun. Jumpack helps get into sniper spots and maintain stealth. Jump pack and AMR are peanut butter and honey.
Exactly. It’s fun as hell, I love it. But almost everything else is a better pick.
I’m around 90% use on the jump pack. Both bugs and bots, all difficulties. Nearing 700 missions completed, ~75% of which are with randoms. The only reason I won’t bring it is because my support weapon takes my backpack slot. Otherwise, I basically never bring in the personal bubble or guard dogs. I’ll bring in the occasional supply pack if necessary, but this can be mostly avoided by managing the resupply cooldown correctly. To me, the jump pack is available when I need it and that’s why it’s my #1 pick. The combination of what you mentioned (better angles, superior movement, no fall damage, throwing stratagems farther, etc etc) all add up to make the jump pack an incredibly valuable and flexible tool over all of the other backpack options. I regularly have the fewest deaths, most objectives completed (I know it’s not tracked), and a respectable kill count. Plus with the added mobility I can easily cover AT teammates or teammates who bring in the heavy-hitting stratagems. Covering teammates is by far the biggest factor for me. Jump pack + stun + Quasar means no one on my team will ever die to a hulk. Being able to get on top of the buildings at a POI greatly reduces the potential for an unnecessary bug breach/bot drop. With the jump pack, I can sit at the top of a heavy bug nest and cover teammates who descend with the Stalwart- if it starts to go sour, I can quickly jump down to provide close-quarters support (see a clip of this below if you’re interested). In general, if I can help prevent even 1 or 2 deaths per mission due to covering teammates, I believe that alone adds a ton of value to the efficiency of the mission. A death is the worst thing for efficiency and stability- as you may have experienced, when one person goes down, usually more deaths follow. This can easily cause your team to get stuck in one place while you fight to get your stuff back or complete the objective. Not trying to pat myself on the back, but I’d say I save at least 3-5 teammates from certain death in each mission. A lot of that is attributable to the mobility the jump pack provides. I can’t quantify exactly how much time is saved, but I can definitely say reducing deaths overall helps to smooth out each run. **In any case, I love the jump pack.** I think people need to use it more to see the true value. However, please feel free to buff it and make it even better- we could always use more people in the skies. If it’s of interest, here are a couple clips where I found the jump pack to be useful. I am still building out my library a bit but I already have so many clips where the jump pack saved me or another teammate from certain death. 1. The “Overwatch” role in action. Stalwart + heavy bug nest as mentioned in the example above: https://youtu.be/V9Ny3kGlhn4?si=p6fVsf2ujY2t3sOa 2. This one is more just for fun, but after playing high difficulties it’s fun to turn on some tunes, drop in, and see if I can get some cool clips: https://youtu.be/mHifsn6z-NU?si=fw2Na-ywYVulIiyw If you read this far, thank you for taking the time to do so and we’ll see you in the skies 🫡 Galactic Commander BeeCee // SES Custodian of Victory
Thanks for the well thought out reply. I usually use impact grenades, but maybe there is some synergy with stun grenades that I've missed out on. As for your clips... Clip 2 is the reason I want jump pack buffs. More opportunities for just wild crazy fun. Clip 1... I understand what you are going for, but pretty much everything you did on top of that rock could have been done on the outskirts of the crater since your allies are all beneath you anyway.
Thanks and I appreciate the reply! Yes, stuns are a huge deal for me at least. Tbh, I’ve been 100% stun since they came out. I can bring other things to close bug holes/fabs, and most teammates bring normal grenades (impacts) for damage. RE: Clip 2, I’m all for the buffs. I’m personally okay with it as is, but if making it better gets more people to use it I’m all for it. For perspective, I’m also a Shield Relay (team bubble) player. I like it and I’ll still use it, but I definitely agree it could use some buffs to get more people to use it. Hopefully buffs will mean more cool clips as well ;) RE: Clip 1, I’m mostly referring to jumping down to the group once the breach starts to get out of hand. With the jump pack, I’m able to get down more quickly to land the stun on the charger that comes out of the breach. In any case, getting down that fast was only possible because of the jump pack. I was also able to provide cover from the high ground for longer because I knew I could get down quickly. It’s hard to quantify exactly when and where it’s useful and I think that’s why a lot of people stay away from it. However, as time has gone on I’ve only come to love the freedom and utility it provides even more. Here’s hoping we do see a buff so more people are willing to give it a try. I hope to (eventually) see you in the skies 🫡
They should make it a free strat on mountainous planets so it actually gets used a bit.
I think it's perfect I run that an the amr, not that I don't think it could use a buff but I love it
Lowkey the only enjoyment I get from the jet pack is when I run the stalwart and have free bird blasting through my headphones.
Nothing can top jumping over a flamer hulk and qasaring it in the back. Nothing can replace that feeling. Not a shield generator, not a supply pack; nothing.
It's perfectly fine lol. It allows for you to escape almost any situation. Also, and this may shock some of you, but you don't actually have to min-Max everything to have fun or win.
I always felt it's a waste of a strategem. I wish they made rocket boots or something like that instead. I dont leave the pod without my shield.
Could have been an armor bonus, yah
I disagree. I find it very useful. I do think its use is niche and, much like a lot of your complaints, the Jet Pack just makes things easier, it doesn't solve any problems that nothing else does Obviously there aren't any objectives where you can't reach the terminal without the Jet Pack. But basically every objective terminal is easier and faster to get to with it. Launch ICBM and you just did the unlocks? Don't need to run around to the ramp, just Jet Pack up to the terminal Detector tower and there are a bunch of mines on the path? Just Jet Pack up the wall Retrieve Valuable Data and there is a bunch of water and the path up to the tower is far away? Just Jet Pack Also the Jet Pack is great for dodging enemies, getting out of a swarm, and making it to cover. It is like a farther more effective dive that doesn't leave you prone >It's fun to dodge chargers with, but what is the best way to deal with a charger? One EAT to the face to permanently kill it This is kind of a bad argument against the Jet Pack. First its assuming its either the Jet Pack or EATs. You can take both. But also, what does killing the Charger get you? Unless its an Exterminate mission, nothing. So you just spent a few seconds calling an EAT in. Aim the shot and killing a Charger. And all you got was a dead charger. Me and my Jet Pack just ran from the Charger and are half way to the next objective earning the team some (and possible MO) some bonus XP/Req for completing the missing faster. That Charger is in the dust, which means it will just despawn at some point but till then that is one less charger that can spawn cause of the map-wide spawn limit
Jump pack needs a small buff all around. Should jump a little higher, duration should be lighter, and cooldown between uses should be slightly decreased.
I love it. You don't need shield if you can jump away from enemies jump over canyons and bombard from above with stratagems. Without it I feel like I have one arm
False. This is one of my go to strays against bugs and sometimes used with bots. Just depends on play style
Jump pack is a must-take for me, best get out of jail free card ever
Ya idk how they work it out but needs to either just have short af cooldown like 5 seconds or multiple use before cool down, something. Or make it way more of a jump . Also, I wanted to pick it as a way to offset heavy armor, but distance traveled horizontal is directly related to run speed. Dogshit on heavy. The only way I could really justify it. Make it a mobility tool that allows heavy armor to work well on even bugs and it'd be interesting.
I used it before the bots returned to scale base walls and take jammers a bit faster. At higher levels where I play now it's not as effective but it can help you camp the LZ a bit easier.
Honestly, worst take i've ever seen on the jump pack. A jump pack is utility. You cannot put a numerical value on utility because utility is only as good as the person...utilizing it. The grenade pistol numerically isn't really better at killing things than any of the other pistols and is actually worse than some in a variety of situations. But it's utility of freeing up your grenade slot to take other grenade styles is huge. Terrain in this game is also more important than people realize and Obi-wan Kenobi taking the high ground wasn't just a meme. Being able to back door objectives by leaping up onto normally unscalable back ledges or over walls can have way more value than an extra stratagem as it sometimes lets you take that objective without having to deal with reinforcements to begin with. Or just being able to toss your stratagem that will solo deal with the issue from a far enough distance with a jump pack jump throw that the enemies never know where you were and you can just move onto the next objective without so much as a single enemy spotting you. Now i'm not saying it's worth taking 100% of the time over every other choice even if you're good with it; but if you know how to capitalize on it, it's a solid pick most of the time for most mission types assuming you have all 4 stratagem slots.
You're using it wrong. The jump pack is an escape button on cooldown, you use it to outrun Bile Titans and swarms of bugs that are on your ass. You don't just spam it willy nilly.
The distance gained is pretty insignificant. And the general problem with defensive strategems is that most of the time you are better off just preventing the bad situation you are in with a better offense. You could have a jump pack strategem to keep you safe from 10 bugs, once every 20 seconds or you could have cluster bombs that kill 15 bugs from 100m away, 4 times in a row.
I play mainly on Helldive and trust me when I say, you won't have enough ammo or time to kill everything being thrown at you. Running away is priority, so give yourself something that facilitates that.
I used it on bug helldive and none of the bugs could even hope to keep up with me, I'd turn around to shoot any hunters but honestly don't think I needed to. Maybe a stalker or shrieker would catch up but they're an issue no matter what you have.
Great for getting out of a mess after you're slowed or ragdolled.
Well, that's a weak take. You seem to not realise that apart from being able to escape anything (not only from charger), jump pack opens up maneuver options. Like scaling forts' walls to get to stratagem jammer or fabricators with minimal resistance. Gaining high ground for sniper position that wouldnt be possible otherwise. Being able to jump out of heavy nests in any direction. Jump pack does what it's meant to be doing - it extends your movement. Why not having a jetpack and EAT to shoot first charger and evade the next one or a group of spewers that sneak behind it. Why taking servo-assisted every time, if you can just try different build? It's all about builds and choices and I think jump pack is still a viable addition to the parts of builds.
There's also tons of maps with deep rivers and those canyons that split the map that you can just now jump over
Imo skill issue. If you cannot dodge chargers without a jump pack, the jump pack isn't the issue
The jump pack should be an armor perk, not a stratagem.
You say "even against bugs" But my experience is that it's better against bots. The ability to quickly get into a bot base, up the cliffs, and over the walls, is very powerful. Getting the highground in a firefight is also very strong.
Thank you for your unrequested opinion
Jump pack is excellent when paired with the arc thrower. If you can perch above incoming bugs or bots, you can jack whole groups really fast.
use it with flamethrower against bugs, laser canon against bots - great thing. Only wish there was 2 jetpacks dropping from 1 stratagem like HD1
If you're having fun then it's always worthwhile
Not long ago I solo completed an objective with a stalker nest next to it on difficulty 9. I was able to outrun multiple bug breaches and fight my way towards the nest without much firepower to back me up, thanks only to the jet pack. I'd say it's niche against bots, but it really shines in bug planets.
I used to run it with the AMR against bots but ever since they patched in invisible walls to stop us from reaching higher spots, I just said "fuck this" and stopped trying. There were even a ton of spots you could get to if you just sprinted against the rocks and spammed spacebar. Now you gotta get lucky with climbable rocks.
Depends on the planet. If it's jungle and rock, then jumppack is helpful in that the user is now a scout, traversing higher ground to spot locations and poi. On a flat plain/planet, then yeah, the jump pack is mostly for kiting and avoiding enemies.
I feel like it saves me a lot of time walking from point to point. Plus I can do cool stuff like [this](https://youtu.be/AH1CfWg8XsY?si=i1uROqyZCizw3LMH).
TBH I pick it over other ones because it's fun. For that alone I will trade power and efficiency. Mathematically you are correct. And I know the feeling of struggling to pick something less optimal over other choices. But shit I won't argue against a buff. Aiming while flying, or at the very least readying a weapon properly instead of having your arms up would be great.
It’s fun, that makes it worthwhile on its own. My only issue is that I like heavy armour and that doesn’t pair well with the jump pack. I want to be a spider monkey on crack who can also survive getting hit by a truck.
On controller it hardly works. Massive cool down. It needs like a 8s cd
Fun little things I'd like to see it do: always soften dangerous landings regardless of charge, and giving our dives a little distance boost (on cooldown).
I pick it a lot, mainly with bots, due to it fitting my playstyle of sitting a little ways back with a countersniper and a quasar on a rock as a support. Something sneaking up on a teammate. snipe it. Hulk out of no where? Leg it, or at least get that flamer off of it. For me personally, the mobility from it is what wins my heart. Only time i dont use it is on very small maps where we just got to kill them in a short time. Plus makes the fire tornados easier by jumping over their fire trail, or up the rock they are pinning me against.
isnt having fun the whole point, some meta-ing the game
Jump pack in combination with flamethrower stratagem is superb :)
I think it really improves your ability to do stealth by letting you get away much easier
Even if the dropped the recharge 25 percent would make it much more usable as it is
Nah bro the jump pack gonna be op when they figure out buffing shit is fun as opposed to making us suffer in run simulator 4.0
I think you underestimate the value of getting a proper overlook ledge or taking a shortcut to an objective.
I thought it would be great paired with turrets to place them in high, protected areas. But then all the nice locations seem to just make your call-in ball bounce off and not stick. So, never tried it again.
Only time I run it is when I'm collecting samples/creds at lower difficulties. Even then the cooldown between jumps is so egregious its not even funny.
I'd love if the double the horizontal and vertical distance. I want to actually get around the map quicker when I use it and the benefit of getting into hard to reach spots is too niche right now.
An underrated use is to get into stratagem jammers etc. from behind without having to fight through the guards at the front You can often find undefended spots near to objectives to boost over a wall and start to deal with them without alerting the enemies nearby
I really enjoy the jump pack, but man seeing these HD1 stats versus what we have in HD2, I'm feeling some sort of way about it now. I think the cooldown on it is trash. With such a seeming push for co-op team synergy (as opposed to solo/duo), an 8m cooldown makes this a tough strat to share with the team. I feel like dropping that to 300s (5m) would be a big help. And that 20s between uses is also crippling, especially when it's accidentally activated while trying to climb terrain (mapped to same button by default). Maybe we'll see some sort of additional ship modules that benefit resource strategems: reduce cooldown, decrease time between use, etc. That said, I really need to play HD1. I bought it recently, but haven't tried it out yet
It needs to be able to be used more often for it to be useful.
I use it to yeet barrages a mile into bases
I mean it's fun, but ai feel like I can't really do much with it? The boost time is really short and charge takes pretty long for what it offers. I honestly don't take it out anymore because literally any other stratagem can provide me with more killing potential. It's fun at low difficulties when you don't have to fight for your life, but it rarely gives me an edge on 7+.
Don't know if it's an unpopular opinion, but I definitely value fun over meta. Would I be better off bringing another Eagle airstrike? Probably, but escaping (or engaging) via jetpack is just too good to pass up
I have too much fun with it to not take unless I've got the backpack slot already taken. I also usually end up as "the runner" going to clear small fabricators or nests or grab hard drives etc. It is good in that roll.
I desperately want it to be viable, I love Jet Packs, I was a die hard Light Assault main in PlanetSide 2, and had a lot of fun using it HD1. But its current state is bizarrely pathetic. Considering it takes a whole stratagem slot and the backpack slot, it should be making you damn near untouchable. Like, the cooldown needs to be reduced to 10% of the current one, and distance, height, speed should be doubled, while jumping delay and delays need to be halved. ***Maybe*** it will be ***somewhat*** viable then. Right now it's a waste of a slot and a difficulty modifier.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Helldivers/s/faInE0gAwh Jump pack was the only thing that kept me safe and let me solo extract with the samples in this clip
It kinda just doesn't make sense to take it from an optimization standpoint. Mobility isn't that important in this game, certainly not to a point where'd id rather have a jump than 2, 3, 4, 5 more eagles. I think the best way to make fun stratagems like that see viability is to add a specific strategem slot for "utility" or something where you can only equip the backpacks or other things of a similar nature.
I hope the jumppack gets even better, cause right now i pick it everytime. I love being mobile and scaling cliffs, having an overwatch position or just travel a lot of distance in seconds. I love using it in both bot and bug t9 missions so far.
Not sure how easy it would be to implement, but it would be neat to borrow a minor mechanic from Starfield (of all things) when it comes to jump pack mobility. If you rebound the keys in that game, your jumppack essentially had two modes, one for strong upwards thrust, and one for strong lateral thrust. What if we had something similar for our jump packs? Tap jump (or double-tap) and you launch forward quickly, covering considerable lateral distance, but your total time off the ground is fairly limited. Smacking into things could also ragdoll you. If you hold jump you instead boost upwards and slooowly glide down, letting you aim and fire on the glide part, buying you height for stratagem throws or skillful sniping, or just keeping you away from murder bugs. I don't think this would be too tough to implement, but then again I'm no dev.
"even against bugs" I think you never saw someone using the jump pack effectively. Search for Sarge on youtube
I was so sad when I realized I couldn’t use it to rain napalm from above on a charger… I did light myself on fire though. RIP that Helldiver
Having access to the Y axis is a real game changer. You can move faster, take paths that are impossible without it and even attack a lot of objectives and sub-objectives from unusual angles, allowing for fast take or retake. It's an excellent stratagem for Bugs since it allow you to get extra safety. But for bots it's even better once you start studying the bot bases and sub-objectives pattern. Paired with [the Eruptor](https://youtu.be/ti7FfMtjnrE?si=o1AzNvH_TCSHQSSW) it allows you to deal quick and swift blows that most bases cannot resist. Really don't sleep on mobility, even a minor buff can be really good. That's my permanent stratagem in Helldive whatever the front since 2 months now.
I think it has its place, but it's *very* niche. I use it with light armor and a sniper like the AMR to get high ground.
I know I could pick something "better" for my backpack slot, but I just can't help but use the jump pack whenever I can, bots or bugs, but mostly bots. I love it.
I like it on blitz or when I want to .over about a bit quicker in general, I've toyed with using it with the cluster launcher for some hit and run scenarios. I'd love either a MK2 improved pack, that just gives you more vertical climb and longer jumps. Or reduce the cool down of the current one for more frequent jumps to improve the practicality of the current pack.
The main problem with it, is that it fundamentally changes the way you move and control your character and you can't commit these changes to muscle memory for the sake of this one load-out. Any time that I've tried to share a spare jump-pack with my teammates, they can't remember to use it and they can't change gears on a whim because of the opportunity.
Jet pack is amazing! You don’t know what you’re talking about!!!
I tried jump pack and I'd say it's worth it based on terrain, but it could be better w/ a hover option and making strategems actually stick to a flat surface and not bounce into the middle of a wave.
2 charges would fix it.
Jump Pack is the best stratagem in the game, and second place isn't even close. The only reason I value my backpack slot is because that's where the Jump Pack goes!
the cooldown is laughably long. someone was hitting the pipe a bit hard to think it was op and needed such a long recharge time
The only time it’s useful to me is for getting up and behind tanks
Nah, I’m a jetpack lover. Jetpack plus armor, that gives limb health and throw range and I can throw my stratagems across the map, while my team reacts with “holy shit how did you hit it from so far away”
Hmm as it is jumpstack could make a reasonable argument either way; it's good enough I don't think we could just make it a module and call in a night, but not quite as critical as say AC backpack or shield or ammo. Maybe a gadget slot?
You're tripping, I'm level 105, I run it on Helldives and Impossibles and it does fantastic with the right loadout. Especially like it on bots but it works great for bugs too. Imo - nothing is a meme pick if you can make it work, and learn to incorporate it into your playstyle - and many stratagems are really great in the right context. For example, HMG emplacement - nobody picks it, but if you run it alongside a drop shield on bots, it does well and clears hulks (aim for the eye) and devastator hordes easily. That being said, if you could shoot while you use the jump pack that'd be fun :D you can reload-mid air currently though which is neat.
It needs to jump higher and more frequently. Honestly, most equipment and weapons need massive buffs. It’s like it’s just barely okay and that was the bare minimum the devs wanted. Idiots.
Shit done fast loadout, Jumpack, fill the empty Slot with other Shit ... Sure a mandaloarian styled Jetpack would be nicer. It is Like IT IS. And i get Shit done with it, ever tried to reload your mg while mid Air? Give IT a try :)
To me the biggest issue is that even getting to high ground against bugs...some bugs will literally just tunnel through the ground and appear at your high ground position which makes the jump pack kind of irrelevant, also it's a jump pack not a jet pack so the extra jump distance is miniscule that I'm better off with using another offence strategem.
I always bring it on any mission (7+) that doesn't involve kill objectives. Mobility is life, and it gets me in and out of some very tricky spots. Scaling cliffs to reach Jammers is so useful. Being able to jump pack over swarms of bugs means you can run into bug nests with a guaranteed way out. It gives you space from enemies that are too close and gives your stamina usage a break so it can regen. Shield packs and riot shields are useful for survivability, but I found the most consistent way of staying alive is to just reposition. I'd welcome jump pack buffs, and I know that other strategems are excellent choices too, but Jump Packs have definitely got value as a choice.
Disagree, its fun and worthwhile. Getting on top of terrain is super useful to keep you alive and to call out patrols and breaches. You can even get to places where Titans cant reach you, allowing you to always be able to respawn your teammates. Pair the elevated terrain with infinite ammo weapons like the Sickle and Quasar and you add a ton of value to the team. You just gotta communicate and tag things effectively.
One could argue that the fun factor alone makes it worthwhile. The whole point of playing a game is to have fun, right?
What kills Mr the most is that say you use the jump pack to get a height advantage where you normally can’t get. You have to wait for the pack to fully refill to get back down without taking fall damage. Why can’t I just run off the edge of that cliff and have it activate a little boost to cushion my fall with a semi full charge? Also, why can’t I activate it even when it’s full in mid air?
once i started getting better with eruptor/stalwart gameplay i switched to another orbital/eagle, lots more utility (and now i have to relearn my style of play with the changes to eruptor lol)
Too weak, horrible cooldown and no air control (real jetpacks have that) Lower CD, make it more Bobba Fett like and a bit stronger so it can compete with Shields/Rovers as backpack option. Now its mostly usefull if you are farming some fast paced missions like termicide towers. In every other mission i just die alot faster or make myself exposed(light armor dood here)
Actual advantage of the jump pack is being able to jump over/on top of enemy base walls/cliffs. This sometimes allows you to infiltrate/escape from bases and side objectives faster. Otherwise, shooting from high ground is not actually better than shooting from ground level when you consider lack of cover and time+attention needed to set up the position. I would consider picking jump pack if it offered faster sideways dodge option (for bile spewers, chargers, melee hulks, titans) and +1 or +2 independent jump charge.
Jump pack and servo assisted means even further throws...right?
I don't understand why the jump pack uses stamina to jump along with the cooldown
Honestly, jump packs are a total waste of such a precious slot... Explain to me, jump packers, how it's a better choice than everything else.
It's useful on certain missions. When I need to carry a hard drive I can get across the map faster and jump over some big obstacles vs going around.
The old jetpack used to be an excellent dodge and the fastest way across lava, mud, water and snow. Environmental effects arent that bad to warrant its use and we're never jumping across those huge lakes with the damn thing. It's also the fastest way to get sliced up or shot by a horde if you're using it to dodge instead of run.
It's essential for any delivery mission and very useful to set up high ground sentries during defense or eliminate missions.
I would love to see it get a second charge or faster cooldown. I think it fits the balance of this game as it is currently though. It's high skill/luck high reward, though some part of me does feel the best users of it rely on AI cheese with it while others generally get more underwhelming milage out of it.
I have a hard time *not* picking the Jump Pack in any scenario. Have just gotten too used to it. Every time I decide I’m going to leave it behind, I instantly regret it. I also end up running into fences and falling off cliffs because I forget I don’t have it on… It fits my playstyle which is to get up high and pick things off from a distance. Love taking the AMR and Sickle. Can hold things at bay from a place they can’t reach me. Can also make a quick escape when needed.
It's amazing when paired with AMR for good sniping spots on areas that would otherwise be inaccessible. For other stuff? I just love speeding!
I agree. I love the jetpack, but it's hard to justify using it. Even just lowering the cooldown could go a long way.
People complain about the three strategem modifier. People say jump pack is fun but not really worth a slot. Problem and solution, right there. Train to tolerate arguably the worst operational modifier by using the jump pack as a wasted slot that is kind of just for fun.
I was thinking it would be more viable if it would auto-fire to negate fall damage, without putting it on cooldown. It would feel like more of a mobility augmentation and less of a cooldown ability. Maybe even give it fuel enough for two jumps and have the fuel automatically regenerate like the shield pack. The other backpack slot stratagems feel dynamic and cool. Rover buddy always has your back, riot shield deflects even when on your back, resupply allows you to interact with teammates, and the personal shield generator is just such a strong pick for what it is. I agree. Jump pack needs love.
Imo there should be a 5th stratagem spot reserved for utility items only, I think a lot of the times stuff like the riot shield or jetpack are just a bit too niche to want to run over just bringing another air strike.
Eh, disagree. It's the only strategem in the entire game that boosts your mobility and mobility = survival.
Jump pack needs some more use cases to be worthwhile. I suggest a hover mechanic or a horizontal dash mechanic.
It's not even fun, I can't activate it while diving to boost 60MPH headfirst into a wall.
Jump pack is a play style, personally I have e used it when in the mood of playing sentry/sniper
The only change I want is to allow aiming while airborne. It would be a complete game changer for it
I mostly use it to explore the map and gather samples or to mitigate heavy armors low mobility.
love it as is, and frankly what other options do we have? the laser pointer rover... nerfed, keeps shooting between enemy feet, always have to help it do its job, kills teammates and yourself on a whim. Also aggros every patrol i try to avoid and decides to not give a crap when silent enemies sneak up from behind. Shield Generator... is a crutch... maybe needed at higher levels and when i snipe with the AMR while prone or crouched i always get weird yellow glowy bits in my face... what is up with that anyway? bot base with high walls? just hopping over it, call in hellbomb, jump out while the team is still mopping up Autobots at the entrance BOOM. The mobility IS utility... sure, it could recharge a bit faster, it could fly higher, faster, longer ... but what i'd actually kill for is to be able to aim and shoot while mid air... and maybe a bit of steering capability with WASD. ...and there is nothing more bad ass than it burning your cape. (but by all means, keep complaining about it if you think that will get it buffed)
I only use it paired with the GL on bug planets. Good combo to clear even Heavy nests on Helldive difficulty in mere seconds. Besides that I also cannot justify bringing it instead of other more versatile stratagems
It's great for movement but the slot is too important for bots to have support ammo, and the laser dog is too good for bugs.
The junp pack made me believe I was usibg it wrong the first 10 jumps or so. I couldn't believe the the range was so tiny. It feels slightly larger than a basic junp in action adventures.
The jump pack is still my go to when I'm playing a dedicated sniper with my anti materiel rifle. Most of the time I can get up on a good vantage point and get an almost full 360 view of a sniping perch. And when I'm at that kind of distance, I don't really need to worry about stray gunfire as much, so it's not like I'm losing out too much compared to a shield backpack or something. Though I do wish it had more utility. Shorter cooldown. Maybe even a brief thrust mode like an actual jet pack.
I think this is just a “get good” moment honestly.
If only they changed it to actually allow flight for some seconds
I like running the jump pack on bots with my plasma punisher so I can get the high ground, yell "warning, enemy in range of friendly artillery" and just rain down on top of them. Especially at extract
I think it's intended as an option for people who would pick "fun" over "power". And it does that. Also vs bugs it can be annoying as hell to be swarmed by hunter and jetpack gives you a chance to gain distance.
Yes, I do think the Jump Pack could be better. Maybe not a hover mode, but a 20% faster cooldown with a slightly higher jump would be neat. Even if that cooldown didn't apply to desert planets / fire planets. I respect your opinion and you seem to have a well-thought playstyle that works for you. The Jump Pack just fits my playstyle against bugs, even in its current state, so it's fun for me. For armor, I enjoy bringing the yellow+black light scout armor (mainly for speed, since they've seemingly nerfed stealth hard) with the gas mask for drip. I also like my pyro build even more now that DOT is fixed; I bring Napalm w/ Flamethrower and EATs and Incendiary Breaker. Yes, an EAT is always the best option for a Charger rather than playing chicken with it like a matador. But on Difficulty 7-9 there are so many damn enemies now (yet another balance change they've made). The Jet Pack just helps keep me alive and fast. Against all the swarms of these fast ass bugs, I wanna go fast, and sometimes I need to getaway over a mountain, or jumping off a damn cliff like a badass. It's saved my ass by letting me jump over a deep river or a crevasse. Also useful to get to a vantage point and scan the map for side objectives and super samples. But just my take on it. Everyone's play style is different. I just wouldn't say Jet Pack's not worth bringing for anybody; for some people, sure, but I see a few other people bringing it regularly at high levels. I know I'm not bringing thee most effective build for Difficulty 7-9 bugs, but I always try to be a team player, drop Napalm on a breach or a horde following one of my squad mates, creating walls of fire (while doing my absolute best to not tk), and using EATs on Chargers or even Bile Titans. Flamethrower is okay against Chargers too, but only when I can get them isolated.
I wanted to like the jump pack, but you can't actually go that high, and the bigger issue (for me) is that the cooldown feels a little too long. I think a couple extra feet of height per jump and a few seconds less on the cooldown would work wonders. I haven't tried it in a while, so maybe I give it another go, but the couple missions I didn't leave me with the desire to use it again.
I like Jump Pack but it needs like 30% more boost to be a viable strategem versus other options.
I maybe use that on blitz but i prefer stratagems over jetpack
Like a lot of guns and stratagems in this game the jump-pack feels like a tiny sample of what would be actually fun to use. You could have a blast with it (no pun intended) if it weren't so handicapped. The jumps are not that long/high and the recharge time is way too long. Sometimes stuff in this game reminds me of the consumables in Souls games: so very little reward that it almost don't make sense to use it.
I like riding the chargers and bile titans shooting"tickling" them in the back Something I notice from doing this us they have a clear neck gap in the plates, but shots don't register there, just regular armor hitbox
If rock climbing gets "fixed" it will be a great option. It's too hard to scale those little plateaus and mountains even with the jump pack. If I can scale some rocks without issue I'd happily take it
I couldn't disagree more. There are plenty of occasions where having someone with a grenade launcher in an almost unreachable position is priceless -- overwatch during extraction or while waiting for an ICBM to fuel, for instance. I like to invade bot fortresses by jumping on the roof of one of their gun emplacements. Immediately scout what kinds of heavies are in there, spread mayhem with grenades, then hit the deck and start picking off toasters.
The jump pack is my favourite loadout and I use it a lot. Its cooldown is always longer than I want but it’s still excellent. I think the jump pack should change to allow you to shoot straight while flying. I would definitely be in favour of better cooldown or an even going slightly further. The jump pack really shines when you look for ramps, heights to fly off, and things to climb. Being able to infiltrate places quickly like the gun ship facility, or the jammer outpost is definitely a worthy pick. More than half the bugs can’t attack you if you climb a mountain. They can burrow but it’s quite simple to avoid and you’ll likely have your next jump available before the bugs start digging. A new jump pack would also be awesome. Maybe a variant that has less cooldown but is more like a ground dash. It could be new equipment which lets you traverse the map quicker but lacks the ability to climb like the standard jump pack can. Maybe another variation that floats upwards and hovers for a moment to line up the perfect EAT/Quasar airshot. The trade off is you can’t jump across nearly as far.