What is your definition of a pvp "Alpha"?

[Gunfytr]

I always thot an "Alpha" as the opening 3-4 seconds of an attack, or as in an "opening salvo". But I keep hearing about how proffs can "Alpha" someone and kill them from 100% in 3 milisecs. Who ARE these Proffs? and where can I get one? Even NTS can only do a possible 90% in 1 hit.....give me your thots.

[Parranoid1]

in 1 second? no, unlikely unless your target has tiny HP and so eerything caps and u have a bunch of specials.

but on my shade i can hit Q on some1 hit stun perk (1 sec cast time) which then stuns for 4 seconds i can the use 3 main DD perks along with fast attack and sneak attack and other regular hits underneath that 4 second stun, 1 second each for the 3 DD perks and w/e means a full alpha and possible kill in 4 seconds.

there are other faster ways (such as AS swap to SA weap or vice versa) but you will most likely find fast kills around this speed.

[Cyberleet]

My definition is the opening-strike you do the first 1-3 seconds.

Or just the "alpha" (se reference in biology) -damage which you can do anytime during the battle, meaning that you save special-attacks and other boosts when fighting and then hit it all at some opportune moment.

[Technogen]

An Alpha is a attack or series of attacks that happen faster then the target is able to respond to them in a manner that can redirect the damage or stop it completely.

[Kinkstaah]

It's any time you initially use your attacks, really.

Some alphas are longer than others, but I would class it as an attack, or series of attacks that are either too fast to defend against or have some kind of incapacitating effect preventing any kind of defence.

For example: Enforcer alpha (perk dmg while stunned)
Soldier Alpha: AS/Burst/FA within 1s

Trader alpha: Landing any nano then taking as long as you possibly want and/or feel like to kill people with regulars.

etc

[Notcrattey]

How much damage can you push on your opponent before he can respond!

[erozc]

Easy question.

Q1234567890olm, for ranged people.

But seriously the best answer so far is "the damage you can deal before your opponent has a chance to react defensively". This can be due to a stun, or hotswapping so that multiple special attacks land at the same time, or even damage done in CH recharge since the primary defensive tool will be unusable in this window of time, though there may be other, weaker secondary defenses such as NM absorb item, first aid, etc or the alpha may be interrupted. So it isn't that clear cut.

[Provision]

I always look at a "alpha" as a all special attack. Easier professions, soldier/MA/Enforcer/Fixer. To run up to someone and pretty much Fling/Burst/Full Auto/Aimed Shot/Win. Just an opinion, but if you can walk up to someone your level and hit 4-5 buttons to easily kill your target then FC needs to look at why/how and remove it.

[RedWatr]

alpha to me is everything you can throw at em b4 repeating any part of it.

an gank alpha is usually a combination of all specials plus your fastest perks, wihtout holding anything back for tactical purposes, such as dimach. usually with the intention of finishing someone before they can fight back.

it's easier to tell you who the recipients are than the ganker, mostly AFK or low hp, or known to be gimp. on the other hand, 207/214's come to mind picking on tl5's.

[Gunfytr]

alpha to me is everything you can throw at em b4 repeating any part of it.

an gank alpha is usually a combination of all specials plus your fastest perks, wihtout holding anything back for tactical purposes, such as dimach. usually with the intention of finishing someone before they can fight back.

This has always been my definition, also.

[heartless888]

I always thot an "Alpha" as the opening 3-4 seconds of an attack, or as in an "opening salvo". But I keep hearing about how proffs can "Alpha" someone and kill them from 100% in 3 milisecs. Who ARE these Proffs? and where can I get one? Even NTS can only do a possible 90% in 1 hit.....give me your thots.

an alpha is the totality of one's maximum dmg output when you combine specials and perk dmg in a very short period of time

mainly an alpha starts when you use your first perk and ends when you use your last perk (that does DD more or less)

for example


tracer - contained burst - fuzz - full PU line - burst - FA could be considered an alpha if thats the max you can dish out

if it kills XXX person then you can say *i can alpha XXX person*

pretty simple really

the alpha of a doc vs say a sold would be (assuming the sold is triple doted before downtime) when AMS runs out and they start spamming MP, pistol OP perks and NR DD perks and pistol specials, once perks are used the *alpha* is done but the dmg dosnt stop

[Straes]

An Alpha is a attack or series of attacks that happen faster then the target is able to respond to them in a manner that can redirect the damage or stop it completely.

thread owned. (s/then/than/)

seriously.


it's also a way to determine how imbalanced one profession is vs another. e.g. [i can alpha xxx-profession, but not yyy-profession]. or defensively vs offensively e.g. [lol xxx-profession has no/a weak alpha] and [omg nerf that yyy-profession's alpha] etc.

{edited by Anarrina: removed unnecessary comment}

[Flyingengi]

I always considered alpha any series of attacks that you instantly complete. Timing perks and specials so they all go off at the same time to destroy somebody's hp in 0-2sec.

[Hacre]

I always consider an alpha "killing someone to death with your entire arsenal", with all aspects of that arsenal available.

Hence the phrase "I alpha'd him".

[Amortia]

An alpha is really the part of your attack sequence where you concentrate all the hardest hitting attacks in as short a time as possible. for some professions this will be an opening sequence but others its better to chain some perks up and get someone comfortable to hanging at not full health or waiting for a defense to drop before unloading it. for example an Nt would start his attack with CB and chaining up starfall dots etc and then the alpha would come after that when he pops NBS and dumps the heavy hitting perks and a triple on you :P


Or for me it'd be snaring you and ticking away at your health til everything procs up then popping CD's and hysteria and resetting all my CD's and dumping some serious deathstrikes in your back ;p Oh wow... ^^

[Omutb]

I mainly get my understanding of "alpha" from Mechwarrior, where it fired all your weapons in one volley at the target.

What AO often seems to lack is the possiblity of being left defenseless as a result.

What would make things interesting is a cumulative recharge bar, such that you can fire off every currently charged attack, perk or special, but they all add to a single recharge bar, so you cant fire them again until its all ready.

Just think of the fun it would cause

[Pafpuf]

Spike damage, more commonly known as "piano roll" in AO.

[Righteous]

An alpha is an initial attack or series of attacks direct against an opponent that exhausts all of the available offensive tools of the attacker concurrently and/or successively. An alpha may or may not land, and may or may not kill the opponent. The main concern is that the attacker exhausts his offensive toolset and must wait for recharge of all perks in order to "alpha" again.

[schloops]

A sharp dmg spike launched during a short period of time that leaves very few occasions to it's target to defend against it... aimed at killing the target usually. Stuns allow that period to be slightly longer.

[lilcroy101]

An alpha is an initial attack or series of attacks direct against an opponent that exhausts all of the available offensive tools of the attacker concurrently and/or successively. An alpha may or may not land, and may or may not kill the opponent. The main concern is that the attacker exhausts his offensive toolset and must wait for recharge of all perks in order to "alpha" again.

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