Combat Medic Developments

[Palerion]

I want to discuss a little bit about the upcoming "re-vamp" for the combat medic (I use the term "upcoming" loosely; it's a little ways away). It's not a pressing "issue" or anything, but I'd like to know what others think about it.

From what the roadmap says, they plan on adding more healing in all different sorts, sizes, packages, and polygons. From long-range healing devices to small healing "stations", there is a wide array of possibilities.

But, nothing is specifically pointed out in the roadmap in terms of adding to the "combat" side of the combat medic. My question is, do the developers intend to add more to the offensive abilities of the class? After all, it does seem like the combat medic is geared towards being the well-rounded, infantry based, central squad-member. Will its lethal utilities and abilities to gain the upper hand in a firefight develop along with its abilities to support others?

And, more importantly, would the rest of the community like to see the combat medic receive more offensive utilities and capabilities to emphasize their anti-infantry role in combat?

[Ghoest9]

Honestly medics are really good at their job right now.
They res, they heal, and they have a more than adequate gun if they want to shoot.

[Dragonskin]

Well if they are going to give medics more healing abilities they can't really make them more offensive. They are already fairly self sustaining as long as they can find decent cover to get their shields up. The Assault Rifles are all top notch in the game.. probably the best single weapon category in the game. What else can you give them without making them OP?

[Palerion]

Originally Posted by Ghoest9

Honestly medics are really good at their job right now.
They res, they heal, and they have a more than adequate gun if they want to shoot.

Yeah, I'm not really saying they're bad right now. But enhancements are in the roadmap.

I'm just wondering if people would rather see some development on their combat capabilities than one hundred new ways to do the same thing (healing/rezzing). Their gun is really good and I'm not denying that. I'm just saying it might be better to give its frontline assault role more emphasis if additions are going to be made. Not to make them overpowering or anything, but just more utilities for something other than healing.

[bpostal]

Give medics a radiator that heals friendly targets, while still functioning normally towards enemy players.

[Carbon Copied]

Aegis shielding and/or symbiotic healing back in if you please!

[Soothsayer]

I don't think a medic should get any kind of "poison dart" of any silly thing like that. As has been stated, we have the best AR and a ton of versatility, no need to swap out an awesome weapon for something shoehorned in because it's medic'ey.

However, I would like to see long range single person HoT's done by dart or other aimed, remote projectile methods. No tab targetting ofc, but something that is a generally weak or slow heal that can be done at a distance.

I'm reaching a little with this one, but maybe a toxin nade that would create visual hallucinations/decoys. I don't really like that one a whole lot though.

I'd like a more comprehensive heal method that can be swapped out and modified based on the needs of the person. TF2 (last I checked) has the standard medigun that overheals by a percentage and confers invulnerability, there's one that overheals and gives crits, there's one that allows the healer to move as fast as the heal target (but can't overheal).

I'm not saying invulns or crits are something I want, but you get to have a sense of which medigun you want to use depending on the person you're healing (and whether you're doing pocket medic or all around healer). Certain squad compositions could favour different heal styles, customization of the healing system is needed.

[WSNeo]

Why not like a Radiator grenade or something that resembles biological warfare. Also deployable medical stations are an awesome idea as well!

How about making higher levels of Triage heal people outside of and around the vehicles that they are in, think of a deployed sunderer acting as a heal/spawn station as long as the medic is within a certain vicinity of it, or even increasing the maximum amount of damage that shield and take before they drop.

[Rbstr]

It be kind of cool if you could do some different things with the tool and ability slots.

Some fun things:
Instead of "biological warfare", let's call it "nanite warfare". Pain-field generating things...the opposite of a healing grenade. DOT ammo that you can put instead of HV/SP.
Deployable healing instead of the tool.
Area-shield buff instead of the AOE heal.

[Kail]

A medic tool that can't revive, but once you've healed enough you can turn you and your target invincible for 10 seconds!

The medic and target should turn the color of their faction, and the medic should yell "Go Go Go!" when he activates the ube... MEDIC gun.

[BIGGByran]

Originally Posted by WSNeo

Why not like a Radiator grenade or something that resembles biological warfare. Also deployable medical stations are an awesome idea as well!

I was thinking along the same lines. A "painfield" granade. It would deal 600 over 12 seconds, so 50 damage a second, as an irritation (or maybe even 600 damage over 6 second and works more as an Area Denial due to the higher damage). Works the same way as a healing granade, in terms of visual, but red instead of green.

[Palerion]

I do agree that the "biological warfare" approach would be nice. But clearly many people aren't very fond of that idea.

Still, I think the combat medic has two parts; combat, and medic, respectively. While lacking in vehicle killing power or self-beneficial abilities, it heals its teammates. Its powerful assault rifle aids its combat ability obviously, but it could still use more in regards to holding his own in firefights.

The way I see it, it is a soldier first, and should be working to push forward and take out enemies. Its medical applicator is there in the event that his allies are downed. It should still have utilities to work as a normal assault soldier. Much like the assault class in battlefield 3, a well-rounded anti-infantry class that can heal his squad members when necessary. I'm just saying, like any soldier, it needs developments of its combat abilities and should kill in its own way. It is a frontline soldier. If a medic is playing with his medical applicator constantly out, he is playing it wrong. He should focus on dealing damage and moving on with his squad until his medical aid is necessary.

[EvilNinjadude]

Originally Posted by Kail

A medic tool that can't revive, but once you've healed enough you can turn you and your target invincible for 10 seconds!

The medic and target should turn the color of their faction, and the medic should yell "Go Go Go!" when he activates the ube... MEDIC gun.

xD well done sir.

You did not, however, consider adjusted run speeds. The first thing any pubbie will do when ubered is... charge. And here, if they charge, no way for a medic to keep up without putting away his tools and sprinting after him.

[Rbstr]

Oh, make the healing nade sticky.

[Palerion]

Perhaps something along the lines of a hand-held grenade launcher for anti-infantry purposes? Something more along the lines of a combat-related edge?