Some thoughts on Medic progression

CutterJohn · 2011-08-11, 04:00 PM

The basic toolchest of the medic is pretty uninspiring. I think there are a few more advanced tools medics could have access to.

Base medics would of course have the standard 'watch the scroll bar' method of healing and reviving.

After a certain point in the certs, medics would get the ability to apply a large amount of goo to a player at once, healing them over time. There would then be a cooldown on the medical applicator before another could be shot. 5 or 10s, with certs for reducing the cooldown. The HoT would remain active when taking damage and when at full health, making it possibly useful for breaching enemy positions.

Goo grenades. Shoots out a big puff of glue in an area healing everyone. This would also possibly put out burning damage, such as plasma, if such a thing exists.

Medical terminal. A terminal that heals anyone standing in front of it. An upgrade of this would change it to an area effect heal. These would have a limited amount of healing ability, either an internal reservoir of goo, or a reservoir that recharges at a fixed rate so it cannot heal everyone forever. Easily destroyed, so that it is difficult to use when fighting.

Underbarrel medic attachment: Has all the same functions as a medic tool, but attaches underneath an MA rifle, allowing for quick switches to medic functionality. Cannot be used on self.

BorisBlade · 2011-08-11, 09:46 PM

Obviously the numbers would need tweaked but the basic idea seems good. You would have to not allow for stacking, so even if 5 healing 'nades were out, only one healing effect could be on you at a time.

Keep in mind we are prob gonna die super fast, hopefully not as fast as BF (def wont see CoD ttk cause tahts instant) but still gonna be fast. Medics wont have nearly the use that they had unless thats accounted for. People wont have as much time to react and take cover and move more tactically, gonna be alot of instant death so less healing goin on in the traditional manner.

Things that can be done on the fly or burst healing is about all you can do to make the medic really attractive. Possibly some things that might normally be engineer territory, like small deployable shield that heals those in it, or somthin along those lines. There are a million little tricks you could do for medic goodies. Even stealing ideas from healers in mmo's to see how they apply heals in various ways, could give you some ideas.

Sentrosi · 2011-08-12, 02:41 PM

I like the way that the medics in Bad Company 2 handle healing, but not the exploits. I can see a device similar to the ACE being carried by medics. Based on the skill of the medic would determine the level of healing carried out by the ACE. Could be set up as a forward MASH unit. Could not deploy near any terminals (CC, Vehicle, etc) but could see it helping out an initial rush into an enemy base.

Elude · 2011-08-12, 02:55 PM

I think the medic himself should be a mobile healer as an upgrade so he can continue to fight and just be around his team mates, although I do think that this should be some sort of an active ability you have to use that drains energy or stamina.

EASyEightyEight · 2011-08-12, 06:58 PM

I think a medic can bring more to a group than in field resuscitation and band-aids for boo-boos. Adrenaline/stim-packs could temporarily improve speed (movement, reload,) or enhance accuracy, or reduce incoming damage, etc. No medic would be capable of applying more than one at a time to anyone.

I'm sure SOE has many ideas of their own up their sleeve. It can't all be "increased healing!" "Faster revives!" "Increased range of healing!" "Even further increased healing!" All through the skill tree. It'd be pretty damn boring in my opinion.

Sentrosi · 2011-08-12, 11:28 PM

I don't know. I enjoyed my healing stint in Planetside a lot. All I had to concentrate on was keeping people alive. I didn't have to worry about if I brought the right stim pack for such and such a situation. Just as long as I had enough gogo juice I was set.

CutterJohn · 2011-08-13, 03:23 AM

Originally Posted by BorisBlade

Even stealing ideas from healers in mmo's to see how they apply heals in various ways, could give you some ideas.

Agreed. Except firehose healing, ala tf2. I really, really hate that style of healing. Makes you nothing more than a buff bot following another player around.

Originally Posted by Elude

I think the medic himself should be a mobile healer as an upgrade so he can continue to fight and just be around his team mates, although I do think that this should be some sort of an active ability you have to use that drains energy or stamina.

Yeah, I could see that. Some passive aura for healing centered on the medic. A slight regen, that tops people off or heals them over a minute or 2 in downtimes.

Senyu · 2011-08-13, 04:27 AM

Medics should be able to debuff any over time damage as a more advance ability. Things such as the plasma nades or fire, medics should be able to remove it quickly and easiy if your next to them. Perhaps it is a secondary feature of their heal item (dont know name) or it simply removes it upon healing. Be an advance medic only thing though

Also, should medics be able to buff people? I know this isn't WoW and people die fast and easy but maybe something could be added to increase their support role options.

And maybe medics could create various biological patheogens. Used for healing or damage. Imagine a base thats released a virus through the vents targeting the genetics of other Empires. Little far fetched but just tossing it out there......like a snowball in hell

Brusi · 2011-08-16, 07:14 PM

If Consumable Medipacks are still in there for PS2, i like the idea of of Medics being able to drop/dispense them for other users to pick up and save for later. And yeah, maybe even some that have different No. HP's healed or ones that add a little regen or damage buff.

Talek Krell · 2011-08-16, 10:53 PM

I dislike AoE healing. To me it seems too close to the fire hose methodology used in TF2, or GA, or even WoW. Admittedly the fire hose is being more spread out in this case, but I like how in planetside people will actually take cover to heal, or be healed. It's a short, active process and then you return to the fight.

Originally Posted by Brusi

If Consumable Medipacks are still in there for PS2, i like the idea of of Medics being able to drop/dispense them for other users to pick up and save for later. And yeah, maybe even some that have different No. HP's healed or ones that add a little regen or damage buff.

I like this, this is clever. Set it up so that a medic with the proper certs can use some med juice to make a consumable that can be used by others at an appropriate time.

CutterJohn · 2011-08-17, 01:05 AM

Originally Posted by Talek Krell

I dislike AoE healing. To me it seems too close to the fire hose methodology used in TF2, or GA, or even WoW. Admittedly the fire hose is being more spread out in this case, but I like how in planetside people will actually take cover to heal, or be healed. It's a short, active process and then you return to the fight.

I agree, if its an instant heal. My thoughts were more towards applying an aoe heal over time, that doesn't stack.

It'd be a handy tool, but restrictions on the number you can carry would make you use it wisely, and you couldn't just spam them to effectively give your guys hundreds of hitpoints. It'd be good to lay one down before a charge, or to quick heal everyone up before more incoming arrive.

Krowe · 2011-08-17, 01:09 AM

I'd like a Killing Floor style healing, either something on the underside of a gun or the gun itself. If it hits an enemy though then it heals them.

Wasn't there a thread almost exactly like this a couple days ago?

Brusi · 2011-08-18, 07:36 AM

When it comes to healing, i think i can deal with any game mechanic that provides good gameplay.

What i won't stand for is bad science-fiction!

If they were to add something as lame as magic heal beam that heals injured people as they run around bunnyhopping and mashing adadada or AoE heal device that somehow magically makes anyone close to it feel better, then they are going to have to spin me some pretty incredible auraxian alien technology story!

Just the bare amount of realism please, i'm not asking for that much am i?! A good game mechanic with a credible visual and conceptual representation?

Krowe · 2011-08-18, 01:29 PM

Originally Posted by Brusi

When it comes to healing, i think i can deal with any game mechanic that provides good gameplay.

What i won't stand for is bad science-fiction!

If they were to add something as lame as magic heal beam that heals injured people as they run around bunnyhopping and mashing adadada or AoE heal device that somehow magically makes anyone close to it feel better, then they are going to have to spin me some pretty incredible auraxian alien technology story!

Just the bare amount of realism please, i'm not asking for that much am i?! A good game mechanic with a credible visual and conceptual representation?

Wasn't really talking about a beam in my post, pretty sure its more of a dart.

Talek Krell · 2011-08-18, 06:17 PM

I don't think he meant you specifically Krowe. Although for clarification yeah, it's more of a HoT dart with a recharge time. And it's specifically for the medic. Then everyone gets the syringe, which is basically a medapp with a HoT effect.