Ammo Dispensing

[EASyEightyEight]

Ammo dispensers would give engineers a purpose in a squad of foot mobiles, besides setting off pretty fireworks. But as suggested, they'd have to be fairly limited, like 1 drop before a necessary resupply at a terminal for the engineer. These dispensers shouldn't cover more than a squad running on empty. I don't think it would be too bad an idea to allow one to toss a portion of one's own ammo to another player, "Last mag! Make 'em count!"

But I do like me some weapon/ammo drops. Suddenly you have to make the crappy decision to break cover to recover a portion of your ammo or you stay put and risk being overwhelmed once your last mag runs dry.

As for gen holds... we're only assuming it's going to be another one-way-in, one way-out deal.

[LongBow]

I like the 1/per visit to ammo terminal that's a good workable Idea, as for de-spawning I don't think it needs to "quickly" de-con.

Using it as a barricade is the same problem faced by all CE and I'll happily discuss that in another thread, but at the end of the day you have the key to the city (a gun).

By not allowing it to decay you do open other options as described and more - but with limited charges, you are not going to be sitting in a fox hole forever!

As for gen holds... we're only assuming it's going to be another one-way-in, one way-out deal.

yeh sorry, I was just using the generator room as an example everyone would know of the fact that players can and will lock themselves into a room!

[Mod]

I like the idea of someone like the engineer being involved with the re-supply of ammo, gives yet another interesting support thing to do and get points for.

A limited number of small boxes that can be dispensed indoors and out that re-stock a small amount of regular ammo. Also a deployable unit that can only be used outdoors but re-stocks lot more ammo per use and last longer. those can also have hitpoints so that if someone does try to abuse them to block a path, they can be quite easily removed by a direct tank round etc...

[Quovatis]

Yeah, I think there should be two engi structures for ammo. One that can only be deployed outside, which acts like a terminal (can change classes, everything), and one for inside, which only dispenses ammo. A big "hell no" to BF3-style ammopacks.

Ageis was pretty useless because it was impossible to tell if it was upgraded to put out ammo without walking up to it or tediously clicking on the big map. It also lost it's charge in 5 minutes. The aegis could have been so cool, but they really dropped the ball in the implementation, and it became pretty much useless.

[Xyntech]

Originally Posted by Quovatis

Yeah, I think there should be two engi structures for ammo. One that can only be deployed outside, which acts like a terminal (can change classes, everything), and one for inside, which only dispenses ammo. A big "hell no" to BF3-style ammopacks.

I would support this. Maybe the indoor one should have a limited supply of ammo. Maybe not. Playtesting and balance passes would sort that out.

The outdoor one being a fully functional one would be cool. Maybe even make it a full on spawn point, or have the option of building a spawn point as a separate deployable. I picture it functioning similarly to an AMS in that sense. I'd still want vehicles like Galaxy's and sunderers to have spawn point functionality (if done well), but I think having several different ways to do the same thing is good.

Previously, I have suggested having something like an Advanced Engineering vehicle, as a variant of something like the ANT maybe, to build larger engi structures. This would further balance the deployment of something as powerful as a spawn point or a fully functional equipment terminal.

[CutterJohn]

Originally Posted by Talek Krell

I dislike that idea. You wouldn't despawn a tank because the pilot left it alone for a while or make an engy lay a new minefield every few minutes, right?

But the vehicle is not doing anything if the pilot left it. CE and deployables should most definitely need to be 'tended' in some fashion or another, else people will just be laying down CE again, then running off, and minefields will be everywhere.

I'd say any deployables should fade if you switch classes from an engineer, log off, or stray too far from the area.

[Captain1nsaneo]

Originally Posted by CutterJohn

and minefields will be everywhere.

For a good bit in PS minefields didn't go away when you logged off or moved conts. Minefields didn't show up everywhere because engineers only had 20 and needed to block key areas that were likely to be cleared by another force. If a mine field wasn't needed then the time spent placing the mines was used for getting kills or helping allies.
This is good news! The fear of excessive minefields is unnecessary! Unless of course some enterprising outfit decides to mine up a whole field randomly in the middle of nowhere. But then someone would just EMP blast it.

After I put down a mine field I don't want to have to stay engy for them to stick around. It would be liking needing the AMS driver to stay in the AMS or else it would automatically despawn.

[Talek Krell]

Originally Posted by CutterJohn

I'd say any deployables should fade if you switch classes from an engineer, log off, or stray too far from the area.

I think 1nsaneo makes a good point about minefields. Plus, it's kind of defeats the purpose of a minefield if it has to be actively "manned" in some fashion.

That said, the only part of your solution I object to is "stray too far from the area". Provided that the engineer is a viable class (and it needs to be) then requiring that then engy remain an engy isn't that much to ask I think. (Possible exception for deployable guns? Would be odd if those were evaporating out from under people is all)

[Captain1nsaneo]

The requirement to stay engy would add a real deterrent for people to lay mines as they'd likely want to switch to other classes even if it was for a short time. Quick example, you just finished planting a mine field when your friend manages to die. You want to switch to medic to rez him but can't now because you have a minefield.

I personally think it's charming when I find a random mine left over from some large fight. In fact an outfitmate had a reputation of finding single mines with his mag out in the middle of literally nowhere.

Mines left over as mementos are no bad thing. Though I do agree they need a phase out timer, I think it was originally several hours long but I would support treating them like vehicles with their 15min decon time if the player leaves the cont or logs out.