Balance: Merge Engineers and Medics

[VioletZero]

I freely admit I am not really all that well informed. So feel free to correct me if I say something stupid.

Anyway, I feel that these two roles shouldn't be separated since they both fill the combat support role.

With the role that armor plays in supporting the infantry(Especially MAXes), I feel as though a single class should be able to maintain both of their health.

This would also encourage people to undertake healing roles for other benefits as well as give healers the opportunity to get some nifty healing engineer like gadgets.

Like, I am just throwing an idea out there, an area effect deployable healer that gradually heals people within a certain radius(Although not very quickly.) Or a shield battery that increases the defense of everyone's shields within a certain radius, but the shields it affects have a limited number of hits that they can take before the shield battery is drained.

That kind of thing. And some benefits could affect both infantry and armor.

What do you think? Good idea? Bad idea? Please criticize.

[Coreldan]

Have you seen this?

http://www.planetside-universe.com/f...ad.php?t=38647

[NewSith]

Originally Posted by VioletZero

Bad idea.

- Hey why the heck aren't you healing me?
- I'm placing mines and there's already a mag waiting for my repairs...
- OMG! Noob support! You are supposed to heal everyone!
*Healing a guy*
- Hey why the heck aren't you repairing my mag...


So no thank you. I want to be a medic, not an errand boy. Even more - I insist that Medic and Engi must not even be in the same class group (e.g. advanced classes of the same class).

[VioletZero]

I don't think anyone would mind if you are tied up healing others. As long as you are doing something.

[SteinB]

Instead of asking to have two classes we know little about yet to be combined, how about we instead ask the developers what they have planned for these two classes that will make them fun by themselves.

I seriously doubt Medics in PS2 will have just the Medical Applicator we know from PS1, in fact we have already been told that Medics and Engineers will have both pistol and rifle sized versions of their respective tools so as to be able to choose a more rear area or frontline style of play. (pistol tool / rifle weapon or rifle tool / pistol weapon) I expect that Medics will have plenty to do on their own with buffing squadmates and possibly even using things like chemical warfare against the enemy like was done in SWG.

[VioletZero]

Related query: Do vehicles have shields?

[Lonehunter]

Originally Posted by SteinB

Instead of asking to have two classes we know little about yet to be combined, how about we instead ask the developers what they have planned for these two classes that will make them fun by themselves.

Exactly. I'd rather see more tools, toys, and options for each class then combine them

[VioletZero]

Originally Posted by Lonehunter

Exactly. I'd rather see more tools, toys, and options for each class then combine them

This kind of logic could apply to everything in the idea vault.

"Oh, we don't know enough about the game to really talk about changes made."

Instead, why don't we discuss the idea presented rather than taking it as something for a designer to read and use?

[Warborn]

Need to actually see the details of each class before we call for any removals or mergers. It's quite possible that engineers will double as the anti-armor class in this game, having the decimator/whatever equivalents as well as the ability to build fortifications and repair vehicles. In that case, combining them with medics might not be a good idea, being a tank hunter is definitely not a support role.

[VioletZero]

Originally Posted by Warborn

Need to actually see the details of each class before we call for any removals or mergers. It's quite possible that engineers will double as the anti-armor class in this game, having the decimator/whatever equivalents as well as the ability to build fortifications and repair vehicles. In that case, combining them with medics might not be a good idea, being a tank hunter is definitely not a support role.

I think, and this is just me here, that engineers should be geared towards support. They shouldn't be "The Vehicle Class" like they are in Battlefield.

Tank hunters should be the class capable of wearing the heaviest armor. And should mix in a bit with the main infantry.

Vehicle hunting and vehicle healing are two VERY different roles.

[Warborn]

Well, what exactly does engineering even entail in PS2? What are the deployables? Can you list them? I'm not sure what job there would even be for engineers as a class to have beyond repairing vehicles I guess, which sounds kind of boring if that's all you're doing. Maybe engineering will involve complex, Minecraft-like fortification construction. Maybe it will involve fixing tanks and that's it. It's really tough to say what the "should" of it is until they elaborate on what engineering entails this time.

[VioletZero]

Deployables are equipment you place on the ground for various support related reasons.

For example, the most prominently used deployable in other FPSes with engineers is a Turret that shoot enemies.

Other deployable examples could include a one that gradually heals everyone within a certain radius. Or provides a shield. Or portable cover. That kind of thing.

Another kind of deployable could be a motion sensor that alerts you to any enemies that enter its radius almost immediately.

I am not certain that these deployables are even in the game, I'm just listing some examples to describe what deployables are.

[Warborn]

Originally Posted by VioletZero

I am not certain that these deployables are even in the game, I'm just listing some examples to describe what deployables are.

I am aware of what deployables are, I've played Planetside 1 before. My point is that we have really no idea what the role of deployables in Planetside 2 will be. Maybe they will be so minimal that it would be appropriate for medics to get them. Maybe their intent is for engineers to have a sort of sapper role, where they destroy armor, setup defenses and forward emplacements, and otherwise have a full-time job that would be in contrast with the idea of following around assault infantry and healing/reviving them. At this point calling for one notional class to be absorbed by another notional class is premature.

That said, seems reasonable to suggest medics get some sort of healing deployables. I don't see why all deployables would necessarily have to be found on one particular class.

[VioletZero]

Engineers are defined by their deployables.

Also, I'd put the anti-vehicle "deployables" on the Infiltrator class. Because chances are, they will have an easier time getting close a vehicle than an exposed engineer will.

[Warborn]

Engineers are a speculative class with speculative features in a game neither of us have played. I have a hard time defining them as anything.