User blog comment:The Z/My thoughts on the Battlefield 3 tweaks announced on 23 Feb 2012/@comment-4820371-20120225004714/@comment-3020230-20120225042017

OK, I have to admit, they are not as similar. I accept your points, but only to an extent.

Using the UAV effectively in BC2 was a key tactic and not many people were good at it. I was someone who was pretty skilled with it (it was my best overall vehicle and I'd get at least 6 kills with it and a shit ton of spot assists every time I used it). The MAV is similar in that respect. It takes skill to use it effectively against infantry. Most people can spot using the UAV - few can kill effectively. The UAV did have something almost as effective as thermal - black and white but with increased contrast made it very easy to spot vehicles and infantry. The UAV could fire a machine gun and could call in Hellfire strikes, making it arguably more deadly than the MAV. And it was difficult to take down. Taking down enemy MAVs is as easy as using any guided missiles with lock-on or another MAV. I take out enemy MAVs with mine all the time. I also hardly ever get killed by enemy MAVs because I know how to combat them and can take them down with my own MAV easily. And when there are 3 MAVs on the map, chances are 2 of the guys can't even kill anybody with them. BTW when you say the MAV regenerates health, because there's no health meter in the bottom right, you can't be sure that it does regen - it never is actually disabled, it just takes damage until it is destroyed, much like the M224 Mortar, the SOFLAM, the T-UGS and the Spawn Beacon.

Maybe you've been unlucky enough to run into me or someone as skilled with the MAV as me. I've met very few people who can be as effective with an MAV as me (a couple of my very high-ranking friends are similarly skilled, but that's it). It is also so very satisfying to embarrass that d***head on the enemy team that uses Frag rounds or the FAMAS on my squadmates and camps in a corner. It's also an effective tool to help defend flags when your team is so bad that your squad has to do all the work.

Fact is, with the changes I've suggested (damage done on each impact with infantry, removal of one-hit-kill ability and/or make the hitbox smaller), it won't be much of a nuisance any more, without removing the ability to keep it after a kill. Oh well, I'll just get my squadmate to resupply me constantly - he gets resupply points, I get kills - win/win.