"Healing beams" for the Medic/Engi

[Death2All]

First of all, I know this is an early alpha build and nothing is finalized. Just want to get that out of the way before someone instantly dismisses they entire thread based off of that rationale alone.


With that said, what did you guys think of healing beam that was being used during one segment of the live stream? Unfortunately there isn't a VOD up anywhere so I can't show the exact spot where it was, only hope that someone else caught it as well.


Personally, I find healing beams to be lame. Really lame. I'm all for speeding up the gameplay, but I think healing beams just over simplify it to the point that it's boring. Also, healing beams sort of enforce that whole "pocket medic" mentality that you see in games that incorporate them. I don't really feel they have a place in the game.

I'd like to see a more meaningful healing system where it feels like you're actually healing the guy in some shape or form, not just pointing a beam at them and watching their life bar go up gradually. I'm not sure exactly how to capture that. In PS1 you had to stand still if you wanted to be healed/repaired which I feel did a good job at enforcing that elusive teamwork aspect that everyone loves (not sarcasm). You had to actually sit still like a good patient and cooperate with the medic/engy that was repairing you. Not exactly that meaningful, but I'd like to see some spiritual counterpart to that over the boring healing beams of doom.

Again, we have no idea how exactly they work, some further clarification would be nice, but I don't really expect to get any.