Post BR20 Abilities - Flame Free Version

[Krinsath]

I was thinking about making this thread, and was going to tack it onto the one already going but then noticed it had degenerated into a flame war, so I'm going to start fresh and hope for the best.

First off, I want to make it absolutely clear that I do *not* like the things that I have heard from the Devs regarding post-BR20 abilities. What I've heard about what they are proposing (via Ask the Devs recordings) are fundamental changes to the classes, for example countermeasures and a true flight model for pilots as well as a second holster for BR20 infiltrators. I feel that is a poor idea, and that the post-BR20 abilities should be access to minor tweaks that give you an edge, but nothing overpowering on their own.

That being said, my ideas for post-BR20 abilities (and I'm not promising that any of these are winners...some I look at and go..."meh"):

Please bear in mind that I'm thinking of this as a "you can get ONE ability every time you get XP equivalent to the XP from BR19-20 modified on a similar scale"...some of these abilities may be combined into a single one if they're not that great on their own.

Infantry:

-Option for larger capacity ammo boxes (lighter materials, more powerful charges), somewhere between 150%-200% of current sizes (so a BR20 MCGer could carry 1 reload per box, or at least 3 reloads in 2).

-Boost armor absorbtion by 1 per hit (stronger components).

-Slight CoF reduction on weapons

-Increase in MAX turning radius (also entails a slight inventory cut as the lighter suit is what moves faster, but most MAXes carry plenty of ammo anyway since there's no need for anything else)

Infiltrators:

-As a general change, all (even the BR1) infiltrators get 2 holsters. However, if you are below BR20, that 2nd holster is a REK, ALL the time. After BR20, you can get the ability to make that 2nd holster whatever you want it to be (Pistol, ACE, etc).

-The ability to throw the pistols at the enemy so that Beamer can actually inflict damage (that's a joke for those who haven't had their coffee yet)

-Implant feedback pistol. New weapon that reacts to the activation of an implant by inflicting 2 damage when activated and 2 damage per second used afterwards, except darklight which is doubled (electrical feedback, darklight being severe as the nerves in the eyes go directly to the brain, resulting in greater damage). Effects last for 30 seconds. If no implants are active, no damage is done. Hitting someone who already has the feedback effect has no effect.

Vehicles (Ground):

-Boost vehicle top speed by 10kph

-Improved resistance to mines (mines would do about 75% of the damage they currently do)

-Ejection mechanism that launches you from a badly damaged vehicle (must have 33% or less of armor remaining to use), even if in motion. Throws you clear of a blast (assuming a clear path ahead), but not high enough to clear a base wall.

-Gunners get a directional indicator of where enemy vehicles are (I'm thinking of brackets and arrows on the side of the screen) within LOS. Always bugged me that vehicles had no targeting computers on them, but an elite BR20 tank driver would have an upgraded vehicle.

Pilots:

(General Changes for all pilots would be Countermeasures, true flight model option)

-Reaver missiles will lock on to ground targets.

-Mosquitos equipped with air-to-air lock on missiles (not overpowering as *all* pilot have countermeasures).

-The infamous, counter-countermeasures

-Special bomb for Liberators, was thinking along the lines of scatterable mines or something.

Engineers:

-Faster repair rate

-Deployables more immune to EMP strikes and Jammers (are unaffected 25% of the time)

-Interference distance on deployables reduced.

Medics:

-Revive takes 15 instead of 25 med units. EDITED (Thanks to SilverLord's accurate numbers)

-Faster Revive rate

For BR20s with Eng AND Medic:

-Combo-tool. Has 4 Fire modes similar to an ACE, combines the BANK and the Medical Applicatior into a pistol sized unit. Still needs nano-juice and med-juice separately for reloads (dual ammo like the Punisher). Advanced, high tech stuff issued only to proven soldiers.

I think that provides enough options to keep people happy. If you feel I've neglicted your group, please let me know.

[SilverLord]

Originally Posted by Krinsath

Medics:

-Revive takes 5 instead of 10 med units.

-Faster Revive rate

Currently it takes 25 units to revive a friendly Krin.

This should be reduced to about 15 or so if this would go in.

I also would like to see some other use for Adv. Med come in because nobody has this cert and if you do, like me, you just don't get the use out of that I would like.

[Krinsath]

Ah, I dropped advanced medic long ago because it wasn't worthwhile (it is my next cert to pick up again though). So yes, your corrected numbers would be much better.

I too would like to see some expansion on the medic role, but other than heals and revives, what can they do?

[SilverLord]

There could always be stim packs for stamina.

There could always be a deployable you can put up that allows a friendly to heal in the field.

Thats all I have thought up as of now though.

[Krinsath]

I like the deployable idea...but that might be a bit much. Stimpacks would be of minor value.

There are just some fundamental fixes that need to go in for the medic, not post-BR20.

Things like XP rewards for high-risk revives on the battlefield. And players not turning into backpacks until they've actually respawned.

How about an ability that instead of healing 1 person, the med app heals everyone in 2m (the drain on med units would remain the same...same restrictions on not moving)? Not quite a deployable, but the same idea.

[SilverLord]

What if the corpse of a dead infantrymen just stays on the battlefield until the guy pops up into a respawn tube allowing him to click out and just wait for him to be revived. Allowing a medic to revive him even though he still is repawning.

Of course with this change, revive times must be cut.

[Krinsath]

That's what I was referring to with the not turning into backpacks until they've actually respawned. That way, the med has a chance to revive someone (unless you're at a base, where the spawn timers are usually faster anyway).

OO! Post BR20 medics revive you with a bit of stamina! There we go. lol

[SilverLord]

Yea, those to enhancements would make Medic better, alot better.

[Happy lil Elf]

I think it'd be nice to allow high level advanced medics to carry a small item that acts like the revives in RtCW in that it's nearly instantaneous. Perhaps 1 square wide 2 high obviously equippable in pistol slot. Possibly allow advanced medics with engineering to revive infantry at 50% armor and MAXs at significantly less, maybe 1/8 or something.

[Krinsath]

That revive with a little armor is also a good idea HLE.

Don't know about the insta-revive, as that could lead to some problems, but as an ability for those who bothered to devote at least 8 certs to support, I think the combo revive is quite good.

[SilverLord]

Insta-revives would be bad for gameplay and balance issues. I like the armor thing too but...you shouldn't have to have both certs..

[oddfish]

I'm in agreement with most of these ideas. But i think another good one would be a kind of small sphere of influence around the BR20's that would kind of, increase the "morale" of the troops around him or her. In other words, the guys in your immediate area would be able to slowly regenerate health and stamina. This would be at a very slow rate but it would really help during battle because after each minor skirmish you wouldn't have to be shouting for a medic like a mad person. Plus, the more BR20's you've got in one spot, the more regeneration that takes place in their collective sphere's of influence. For instance, say three SoF's overlap, then if you're in the overlap you regenerate three times as much. If you have three BR20's right next to each other then the guys right around them would heal at an exponential rate.
It's like adrenaline healing your wounds.

This would make the idea of having elite units around less of an individual thing and more of a team based concept. The more of these guys you've got, the better the "morale." I think this would make battles more intense because the idea would be to take down the elite guys. It would, then, inflict both a kill and a mental hit to the opposition. Plus, you'd have guys protecting BR20's just to keep them alive long enough to help with the fight. This would be especially good when zerging a facility because you get three or four of these guys in with some regular grunts and they'd be repairing exponentially.

The way to counteract the amazing power this affords is that once you leave the sphere of influence your Stamina and health would drop a certain degree, maybe cut down to two thirds what is left after you leave the SoF. That way it would be clear that it's "adrenaline" healing your wounds, not actual magical regerative powers.

This may sound pretty ridiculous, or I may have something here. I don't know. But If this post comes off sounding really retarded please don't flame me. I think the idea of this post isn't to flame bad ideas, but to applaud good ones, correct?

[Krinsath]

It's a decent idea, but it reduces the value of medics, which is already in need of serious help.

I've always considered morale to be better represented by stamina than health. When you're energized, you tend to be able to do more things before you get tired.

Doing an area benefit around a BR20 though, I think that would lead to BR20-only squads (like in the idea presented, a full squad of 10 BR20s would almost be a moving medic) which in turn leaves the lower ranks without the benefit of their abilities.

Nice idea, but I don't think it'd be good to put it into the game. Any other thoughts?

[SilverLord]

I like that moral concept very much indeed. There would have to be some adjustments due to the huge amount of BR20's out there.

• More BR's which would be EXTREEMLY hard to get and would require weeks of killing.
• Along with BR's would come more cert points of course but it would depend on how many BR's there would be.
• Also, if this was to be implemented, the BR say... 23's armor color would have to drmasitcally changed to let everyone know that he is BR 23 and has the moral ability and is able to regenerate your health.

These are all the changes I can think of atm so...try it on for size.

[Krinsath]

Originally Posted by SilverLord

Insta-revives would be bad for gameplay and balance issues. I like the armor thing too but...you shouldn't have to have both certs..

Only problem with being able to do it as adv. medic only is you end up with the RtCW situation.

Let's say you see a guy with no armor and a bit of health...you're only an Advanced Medic so you can't repair his armor, but if you revive the guy you get some of his armor back, so you kill him and then revive him (happens constantly in RtCW because revives are faster than dishing out health packs). That'd throw off gameplay too.