Gameplay: Body Dragging

Huma · 2011-07-28, 12:51 PM

As a medic for my outfit I've always wanted an ability similar to the /drag ability in EQ. When a squad/platoon mate goes down it would be great to be able to grab them and pull them behind cover before getting them up. Granted theres a lot of opportunity for asshating so I was thinking it could just be limited to squad, platoon, or outfit.
I know its been said before but I think smoke grenades are a great tool for medics as well. The spam effect could be minimized by just limiting them to medics. In combonation it would all a medic to pull a buddy out of an enemy crossfire.

headcrab13 · 2011-07-28, 01:58 PM

This is a great idea! I like the strategy behind deciding whether to treat a downed soldier during a firefight, or dragging him to cover before reviving him.

Rather than dragging them by an arm/leg like you would in Hitman, maybe medics could throw people over their shoulder and run with them, but be unable to fire until they drop the body.

-HC13

Huma · 2011-07-28, 02:53 PM

Fix for griefing and balancing: a drag permission system similar to WoW's resurrection system. When someone tries to drag your body a window pops up with stating that someone wants to drag your body and gives you a yes no option. The persons name should show up color specific to their relation to your squad. Green for Empire, yellow for squad mates, and purple for platoon. That way you can quickly tell who is trying to pull your body.
In order to keep things from turning into a never ending wave of bodies you could implement a bleed out. The more often you die in a short period of timethe faster the bleed out timer. Also if a medic drag you your bleed out timer could go down faster. This would keep people from just dragging bodies all over the place.

Manitou · 2011-07-28, 03:38 PM

This idea is stellar, and I would love to see it implemented. Great play!

CidHighwind · 2011-07-28, 04:20 PM

This is an excellent idea - it could even make use of the macros, where using the macro "I need a medic" could open a 'gate' in the programming that places a "I am able to be dragged" symbol over downed soldiers - this eliminates the issue of medics running out into the open only find that the man they want to drag to cover refuses and gets the medic killed. The medic would know who wants their help, and those who need the medic could show them they're needing some loving!

Lartnev · 2011-07-28, 05:04 PM

Originally Posted by Huma

Fix for griefing and balancing: a drag permission system similar to WoW's resurrection system.

By the time you've accepted the drag permission the medic will have been killed. Might as well keep it simple and allow squad/platoon. If people are being asshats it's time to join a new squad....and let's be honest, it's your own fault for dying in the first place

EASyEightyEight · 2011-07-28, 05:25 PM

I would further the idea with the addition that with the right skill trained, a medic could drag another player but allow that player to fire back on any assailants. It seems odd for the medic to have the skill to allow the downed to fire while KOed, but unless there's a "generic" skill tree that works for every MOS (like I imagine leadership roles do,) the medic having the skill makes the most sense to me.

But dragging is only really useful if reviving takes some time, and I hope it does. I've played plenty of games with the instant revive bull, and it's really annoying to take down someone only for them to be back in the fight before their body even hits the ground because of the dedicated medic strapped to their ass.

I'd shoot the medic, but I was being metaphorical: they're typically hidden behind cover.

As an aside, we can definitely do away with the 0/100 stam revive too, or at least there should be a skill that influences how much stamina one is revived with. It does little good to revive someone only for them to be forced to sit and rest somewhere until they're ready to fight again. In that time, they could have respawned and been back in the fight with fresh kit anyway.

Sovereign · 2011-07-28, 11:16 PM

Like I previously stated from the 'other' thread, it should be a squad based function that isn't limited to just medics..

Brusi · 2011-07-29, 12:08 AM

And MAX's would be too heavy, and thus undraggable, right?

A MAX however could run into nme fire and pick up a couple or downed softies, then run back to cover

Valdae · 2011-07-29, 02:53 AM

This is a decent idea. So long as it doesnt include MAX units.. :P

Vancha · 2011-07-29, 09:47 AM

I'd like to see this implemented, vulnerability to asshattery and all...Just so long as it wasn't too prone to being accidentally triggered while fighting over an ally's body.

**Malorn** · 2011-07-29, 11:52 AM

I dont like it for two reasons - grief potential and distraction.

Moving another character involuntarily is generally bad. Limiting to squad also limits usefulness.

For the second reason i think of Battlefield style pacing and i just dont see the value of body dragging. Why drag when you could be resing instead? How many situations when limited to squadmates will you really see this used? And if a medic is in a position to drag he could just as easily res. Either way the medic is in the line of fire. Battlefield eliminates the need for this by giving a very short immunity timer for the freshly resd so they canget orientated and move behind nearby cover.

Its a neat idea, I just dont think it is worth the dev time because it brings minimal gameplay value.

NewSith · 2011-07-29, 12:25 PM

It really depends on how rezing system will work. Insta-rez for example renders this ability utterly useless. What we have in PS1 makes this ability only useful indoors.

The situation it will be usefull to its full extent, is if rezzurection time takes longer than pulling someone out of line of fire in the open area...

EDIT: metamorphosis...

Bravix · 2011-07-29, 04:31 PM

Originally Posted by Malorn

I dont like it for two reasons - grief potential and distraction.

Moving another character involuntarily is generally bad. Limiting to squad also limits usefulness.

For the second reason i think of Battlefield style pacing and i just dont see the value of body dragging. Why drag when you could be resing instead? How many situations when limited to squadmates will you really see this used? And if a medic is in a position to drag he could just as easily res. Either way the medic is in the line of fire. Battlefield eliminates the need for this by giving a very short immunity timer for the freshly resd so they canget orientated and move behind nearby cover.

Its a neat idea, I just dont think it is worth the dev time because it brings minimal gameplay value.

In Arma 2, I myself have used the drag feature multiple times, and its pretty damn epic when you do. Typically, when someone goes down they might be shooting near some sort of cover. Dragging allows you to pull them a meter to safety, which wouldn't take long at all. You can now rez them without being shot and without them being shot as soon as they're up.

Think of it like this. You drop on a hot amp station to do a gen hold. Everyone makes it in, sh*ts looking good, but just as everyones about to safety a Reaver comes in low and picks off the last man in. Gen door closes, so you're safe from the reaver, but you know infantry are on the way. Now, you can stand in the entryway rezzing him and waiting to die, or pull him the rest of the way inside and rez him while being covered by your squadmates.

Edit: As for grief, I don't see it happening. What are they gonna do, pull your dead body into enemy fire and get themselves killed? You're already dead, just respawn. What, afraid they'll pull you into the water? Just respawn. I imagine the only grief will come from your outfit buddies just screwin with ya, and thats all in fun.

Huma · 2011-07-29, 11:59 PM

There have been innumerable times when being able to drag a squadmate to cover would have kept a gen/cc hold up. Especially since they respawn with no stamina. Dragging would allow a medic to get them under cover so they can fully recover. And after some thought I'd have to agree that if you don't like what someone is doing with your body you could just respawn. I guess it just takes a medic to love this idea though.