Ever since the release of the Heists DLC for GTA Online, one particular vehicle had gained a dreaded reputation for being the go-to tool of harassment used by griefers and trolls. The mere sight of the hated Hydra could compel players to hop into another lobby. But, now the age of the deadly fighter jet is over.
The age of the rocket powered, missile-toting motorcycle has dawned.
For those of you who have joined us since the release of the Gunrunning DLC, the Hydra is a VTOL capable military fighter jet with homing missiles. The missiles are quite powerful, capable of destroying most vehicles with one or two shots and they lock on very quickly. On top of this, the Hydra is fairly hard to take down from the ground.
As an online multiplayer game, GTA Online attracted the standard ratio of bellends who thrive on petty acts which inconvenience their fellow gamer. Collectively known as griefers, these less than savory fellows typically endeavor to repeatedly kill other players who are minding their own business. The Hydra, which is the perfect vehicle for this purpose, became their go-to vehicle and gained a poor reputation for it. Alas, a technically well constructed albeit poorly balanced vehicle became bastardized by the tomfoolery of the wayward.
Players who were fed up with not being able to enjoy the game's content for being dogged by these rascals called on Rockstar to add a viable counter to the Hydra. The vehicle was slightly nerfed in one patch and allegedly, the Homing Launcher released prior to the Heists update was suggested as a counter, however by that time players had already learned how ineffective it is.
Essentially, ever since the March of 2015, GTA Online bore the load of the Hydra with no effective counter. Sure, plenty of players might say that you can "easily snipe through the canopy", but in reality, saying that such a feat is easy is more than just a slight exaggeration.
The standard reaction to griefers was switching lobbies. Often they worked in teams, so trying to get revenge would lead to more deaths and feeding the trolls, with only coordinated efforts being successful in policing lobbies. Crews would set up invite-only lobbies for members, or join public lobbies en-masse and enforce their own rules. The solo player grouped with randoms, however, was mostly defenseless.
Now, this isn't a scenario of true combat. Griefers don't grief because they've mastered flying the Hydra or the game's combat mechanics. They simply sneak up on whatever unsuspecting mook they find and blow them up. It's dirty fighting, and you own aptitude at the game is irrelevant. Skilled players are still susceptible.
