[Suggestion] Delay to the HA Shield? Ok, lets add a delay to all abilities then.

The heal aura is not a HOT effect, it's an AOE heal effect for both you and teammates that lasts over X number of seconds, just like using any overshield lasts over X number of seconds. It still works the moment you activate it with no ramp up time.

Infiltrators that think they should be invisible all the time are idiots. (Infiltrator is my second most played class)

Engineering tool is absolutely a self preservation tool when you're in a vehicle.

Jump Jets allow you to continue jumping in any direction you tell them to over time, and have a maximum usage time and a recharge over time effect just like overshield.

e: From the HA discussion forums:
Every single time I've killed a LA or SMG infil as a heavy when he got the drop on me he either tried to come strait at me, he missed most of his shots when he got the drop on me because he didn't let his COF settle before firing, doesn't know how to aim (server lag is also an issue but it's an issue for everyone), or just stood there and didn't constantly change his angle of attack and let me chain headshot him (because they're point blank and that target is easy to hit if it's not moving). The ones that don't do those things kill me every single time.

People calling for nerfs to the HA overshield have a serious case of L2P.

"Instant" being the key word here. Just because they can use their abilities effectively doesn't mean it's an "I-win" button. The Heavy's ability is literally just a button that just straight up gives you the upper hand in a fight, not a tool to be used to flank or heal or sneak or entrench or anything like that. Just a button.

Pffft, the only Iwin button in this game is left mouse button. And only for those who know how to use them. What Im trying to say is nerf PPA.

-Yes, but we are talking about the self preservation factor while under fire. It also does not instantly heal health as long as it is active, it adds removed health back.
-Yeah, however the HA shield gives you 750 health (after activation adjustment it is around 650-600) and absorbs all bullets that hit them. The exception is the head hitbox, which you don't hipfire the head unless you are really that close to them.
-Yes, but we are talking about Infantry to Infantry self preservation. Everyone knows the Engineer is the only one that can repair, but not the only one that can kill.
-Yes, but I move slowly, cannot shoot back effectively unless I am close enough to knife you, and use a good amount of jetpack charge just to get into a tree (which only gives me a bit of surprise factor). I do not instantly or very quickly travel to where I want to go and I am stuck with weakened assault rifles as my only ranged weapon option.

HA is by far the most effective of the two resource independent killing classes. A ramp-up or delayed activation will at worst cause a few people to try and do the same thing with medic, and fail miserably. Being able to use a wide variety of weapons and filling multiple roles is why we see so many HAs.

Maybe make overshield just a proxy shield regen (like the medics proxy heal), make it regen allies shields too. Remove medic shield regen device and give to HA as a second optional replacement for his proxy shield. The shield regen needs to be more combat competitive than the health proxy regen of the medic though, as the medic can also do revives.

Proxy shield regen option is faster recharge but with limited energy, shield regen deployable option stays the same. There you go, HA has an over-time shield recharge and utility and no longer instant HP.

Give the medic a deployable healing device (in exchange), slower than his proxy heal but constant.

Now HA can advance together as a team charging each others shields, they also work harmonious with the medic.

That's funny, I have a better KDR when I'm playing my infiltrator than I do when I'm playing my heavy so no it's not the "most effective of the two resource independent killing classes".

Now you did mention that HA being able to use a wide variety of weapons and filling multiple roles is an issue and yeah I kind of agree with that. Overshield+pump action/SMG is a bit much since even if good infiltrators or LA's get the drop on me it comes down to me missing more than anything else if I'm running that setup.

I logged in JUST to upvote this.
You sir are a genius.
+1 Interwebs.

Personally I think the heavy should be *heavier*

Something like.. a built in 10% nanoweave armor effect.. and then able to spec the suit slot even higher (or go flak armor)
OR build in the .. Faster shield recharge delay suit cert?
The fact that the only thing that differentiates a heavy from an engineer.. is the overshield (IF it has power) .. seems kinda stupid..

I mean.. in real life here.. Don't we armor our frontline guys with more anti-ballistic armor.. and our snipers get very little armor, but instead they get a ghillie suit

Just seems.. odd.

But sorry, carry on about the weak overshield differences.. and not the fact that the heavy doesn't have 1500 hp to your 1000 or something more actually indicative of a FRONTLINE heavy assault class..
(Yes I do recognize the max kinda fits into this.. but then I wonder about balance things like.. why the hell doesn't the max get an overshield on TOP of the increased armor?.. But I guess I'm one of the few that thinks the AI max is what a heavy should have been.. NOTE I specified AI max, NOT AV max.. if AV maxes were free tanks would need alot of buffs ((I am for this change!))

Haha okay man. Whenever I do play other classes, cloaked smg infs or la s with c4 are bigger threats than a guy with a few extra bullets worth of health from my 800 rpm gr 22..

I hope that passive armor buff also comes with a passive movement speed nerf. Otherwise we have a class with 10% more health than the other 3 (infil has 900 hp) with no downside. That will quadruple current HA whining.

people like you make me want to support the nerf.
i dont think delay (lmao at 5 seconds, over stating much) a second or so would be bad however it still doesn't address the complaint that even with the delay you will still lose even when you get the jump on an HA from behind.

if anything id suggest making the HA shield only cover the front 180-200 degrees of the HA leaving their back exposed and boosting its effectiveness from the front considerably to compensate. hell projecting the shield forward a few meters would allow it to protect allies and detonate rockets further from you faces. (could always give it a secondary mode to be dropped and deployed as cover for allies)

you guys say its heavy ASSAULT so why do you need to worry about shields when your running away

Sure, they may be more of a threat but the discussion here is a bit more about game health when a class has an ability that purely increases his combat effectiveness at the press of button without need for any forethought or skill.

I agree, but how else can we make using the ability require skill or forethought? Because currently, even with balance aside, the ability is almost completely devoid of real strategy.

Why does every ability need skill and forethought to use?

What's wrong with it being simple to use but requiring skill and forethought to overcome?

Why do you hate a challenge?

If you get the drop on an HA and he still kills you need to stop trying to fight HAs alone or you need to get better at shot placement/recoil control. Or you need to get a better gaming rig. Or you need to get better latency. I can melt an HA before he can even pop his shield if I take him from behind with almost any weapon except pistols (unless I get nothing but headshots).

And I suck at this game. I'm by no means an above average player.

That said, I would support making the shield directional, as long as it is much stronger from the front.

OP is ******** crutch player >_>

Because people want to play other classes like they're HA and then redeploy to forums when they loose to one without using those other classes inherent abilities that drastically increase their combat effectiveness.

Yeah, if they want to make the shield three times as strong but make it only face the front 180 degrees that would actually be pretty cool.

Yeah, I keep forgetting where I am.

The delay they are talking putting in was under 1 sec..
A half second delay will stop HA that you are shooting in the back from pressing F and turning around and killing you..

If we get the jump on you, you should die, we should not need to headshot you to win if we are shooting you in the back.
That is all we are asking for..

That's fair... you also deserve to loose if you miss your shots or stand still while he moves around and chain headshots you, or puts just enough rounds into you to finish you off with a quick knife when you didn't use yours.