Dear Brink Developers,

I'd first like to thank you, if you are reading this, for creating such an interesting game. Despite some of the bugs and the lag, I can see that a great deal of time was put into this game, and I happen to enjoy playing it.

That said, I want to call your attention to a mechanic that drives me insane in-game. I play primarily as a soldier and an engineer. However, my experience as an engineer has been marred by the turret. At least in theory, I believe that the turret could be a very powerful and important ability for an engineer. In practice, it's nearly worthless. The reason that it is worthless is not because of the damage it does (in the few situations where my gatling turret has actually fired, the damage seemed to be reasonable). The problem is that the turret either never acquires targets, or acquires them too slowly to be useful.

Perhaps I am spoiled by my engineer-turrets in Team Fortress 2, which have a very quick lock-on time. But the turrets in Brink really are nothing like those. My turrets very rarely get a chance to actually fire in Brink. They are vulnerable to quick attacks....even frontal attacks. So long as you chuck a grenade at a turret and fire off a few shots from a decent weapon, you can disable a turret (even if the turret is pointing directly at you) before it has a chance to acquire you as a target and fire. I am not certain how much power the Brink team wants to give turrets in terms of game balance, but when a single person can directly charge a turret and knock it out before it has a chance to return fire, then the utility of turrets is questionable. I've been playing the game since it came out, and I think I have yet to actually be downed by an enemy turret. I believe I've only managed to incapacitate three people with my own turrets in that same period of time...and the only reason I got those three is because they blundered into wide-open spaces in front of the turret and stayed there, essentially ignoring the presence of the turret.

In order for the turret to be relevant, it probably has to be capable of locking onto targets faster. I'm not too familiar with the current damage of the turret, but I'd be willing to see a drop in the turret's damage output if only it would lock on to targets more quickly.

And if the turret was overpowered, you'd be complaining.

The point of the turret is to be placed in a STRATEGIC location, not in wide open areas to be shot at. Then you can mow down as many people as you want with it.


So yeah

They're ambush weapons. Stick them somewhere where they'll face the enemy, but the enemy won't face it.

the way I see it, the turret isn't the primary focus of being an engineer.. it's just one of his tools

the turret should be no more powerful then say.. the sticky grenade for the operative, or the adrenaline boost for the medic

in the right situation, a turret does it's job well enough, I actually really like how they are used in brink.. I think people complaining about the turrets here are too used to team fortress 2 turrets

The turrets are perfect that way that they are.Play Killzone 3 if you want totally OP turrets.

Also,with the turret control and hack abilities that the operative has,it's perfect.I think that there just isn't enough people that are using the classes in a more strategic way in their group,but truth be told, that's a whole other issue on to itself.

To be honest,the turrets were the make it or break it feature of this game to me.I was so sick of them in Killzone 3 that after playing the open beta,I decided not to buy the game,and the turrets and flying bots were the main reason.

I'm so glad that they decided to make the turrets balanced and not completely overpowers,mowing down herds of people,because that's just not fun.

As was said somewhere above, turrets aren't meant for open areas. They work best when the opposing team has to choose between knocking them out and doing something equally important, most obviously an objective.

Try placing turrets in a corner of a room with a command post, or by an objective such as an HE charge or repair objective.

Additionally they make great distractions. If you know your turret is in a place where it will be quickly destroyed, use that to your advantage. While an enemy is busy fragging the turret, ambush from behind and take them out. If you're lucky, the turret may still be repairable, and you can rinse and repeat.

Another good use for turrets - stick them next to a doorway your teammates will be taking cover behind - if the enemy comes through the door for an easy kill, your under-strength friend has backup.

It's a support weapon, not a take the place of playing the game weapon.

Totally agree with those saying that the turrets should be placed strategically, when done right they're a fantastic help. I think the devs have got them just right; tough enough to make the opposing players cautious but not TOO good to be racking up insta-kills thus blocking off entire routes. Leave them as they are I say.

The gatling turrets are actually a little too powerful for my tastes. Medium turrets are the perfect turret thats effective when well placed but ineffective if it's not.

i use them on blind turns with mines covering the entryway.... person comes out steps on mine looks up sees turrent. and starts running only to be knocked over then mowed down.

i place myself with my chiznor usually at the other side of the entry so either way they getting shot. 2 HMG with cross fire on a mine field.... works wonders.

Turrets are pretty deadly when they have company, and by company I mean either other turrets or you keep an eye on it. Turrets are a pain in the ass when your playing against a defending team with 3 or so engineers. My main point being that devs knew the turrets could be abused, so they made a weaker turret in favor of balance.

I do like my engi turret, does a fantastic job. It`s just like most here said, you`ll have to put it on the right place.

The turret is broken actually. If you stand RIGHT in front of it won't lock on.

And if it locks on to someone and loses the lock it has a delay of a few seconds until it locks again. Making the turret flawed.

People, its not the damage or durability that we're complaining about; its the fact that the turrets simply refuse to attack anyone. Unless an enemy basically walks up to the turret and stands there slapping it with his willy for 15 seconds or so, it won't even notice them. It needs to lock on and start attacking A LOT faster. The damage and durability is fine; it their reaction time that svcks.

Its not broken at all, It is not supposed to be in anyway compareable to a player, Its a tool not a killing machine on its own.

The lock-on is fine as it is, any more sensitive and it would be over the top.

Its not supposed to be comparable to a player, but right now its only comparable to a rock; it doesn't move, doesn't do anything and they only way for it to hurt you is to purposely do something stupid around it.

Turrets are fine. They aren't supposed to kill the enemy. They are in the game as a form of defense.
They are best used in tight corridors and choke points and their main job is to slow the enemy down.

Buffing turrets would further break this game.

Judging by what you are saying Paragon, I would have to say you need to practice more at placing them, not to mention you have mines for a reason.

Turrets are meant to assist the team, not to be an extra player. A well place turret will chew people to pieces and be hard to take out, so you must need work on your placement.

Your position is understandable, but unlike in TF2 where the turrets are the Engineers primary weapon, and engie gameplay is built around the turret, in Brink the turret is just another perk. They should be used as ambushes or traps when being offensive, or choke points for your team to fall back on when playing defense.

They are also there for me to hack/control as an operative for funzies ^,..,^

If it's about lock on you're complaining about, then why do I always somehow get killed by a turret once in a while?

Hm... I wonder why.
Plus that if you're gonna stand behind it then OBVIOUSLY it won't lock on to you -.-'

turret placement is key for sure and they're great for covering objectives, even if they dont kill the enemy before he kills it, they let you know someones in that area......i tend to use them as a warning device in that way or slowing down the enemy from completing an objective. i have noticed though if you shoot at them from any distance theyll immediately track and shoot you.

has anyone used the operatives friendly turret control skill yet? sounds awesome.

I am gonna give the people complaining about turrets a valueable advice, they no doubt havnt earned.

This is something they should've realised themselves..


Fact: Engineer has 1-2 mines availible.

Place Turret covering a doorway from the side or in a chokepoint.

Place mine a few meters infront of turret.

And if you have the second mine place it behind the turret.

By the time the player gets up from the mine infront of the turret he will be locked onto.

If a operative trys to get cute by trying to circle the turret while hacking it, the mine behind will knock him down, turret will finish him of. (if its locked on, which it will be if placed correctly).

Theres multiple other setups, but some things you just gotta learn yourselves.

come on man, it swivels back and forth