[Suggestion] Light Assault Needs a Tool

Discussion in 'Light Assault' started by PricelessBounty, Sep 1, 2015.

  1. PricelessBounty

    Every class in Planetside 2 has a range of weapons and a choice of abilities, but not every class has a tool. Light assault is still neglected in this game, it has a good choice of guns like other classes and an ability with 3 options like other classes, however light assault has no tool. They don't get a repair tool, a med gun, a turret, a motion dart, or anything like that. Light assault is the only class with no tool and I think this needs to change.

    Light assault is my favorite class but it goes fairly untouched by the devs, it has hardly changed at all since the beta where as all of the other classes have, they have been given additional abilities and/or tools, especially engineer. Yes they did give light assault the addition of icarus jets, but that is one thing compared to the numerous additional things all the other classes have been given.

    Here is my proposal, give light assault a tool. I have two suggestions for what this could be.

    1. My first suggestion (which is my preference) is to give light assault a tool that lets them switch the function of their jetpack while in the field without going to a weapon terminal or a sunderer. It should take 3-4 seconds for the jetpack to switch functions but you should be able to choose from drifter, jump and icarus on the fly. You should at least be able to switch between two of the functions like drifter and jump or drifter and icarus. In the trailer for this game light assault is depicted as being able to do this yet it was never added to the game. I want to see light assault get some love and receive this tool, it could be called "jet converter".

    2. My other suggestion would be to give light assault a different spawn beacon for a tool. Light assaults tend to go places other soldiers don't and put down spawn beacons with the intention of giving squad-mates a good place to drop in and help the fight. What if we gave light assault a spawn beacon for a tool that was a little larger and therefore easier to find and destroy but it let anyone in your faction within 1000m spawn on it. This way the spawn beacon could bring more people to the fight than just your squad. If this sounds like too much then maybe make it a platoon spawn beacon instead of just a squad spawn beacon, something to make it more useful than a normal beacon.

    If anyone else has a suggestion for a light assault tool leave a comment describing it.

    Lets try to get light assault a tool and get it on par with other classes.
  2. ATRA_Wampa-One

    I'm pretty sure I'm enough of a tool when I play LA already. :cool:
  3. PricelessBounty

    I figured there was a 90% chance that would be the first comment.

    Anyone have anything real to say, unlike the ******* above.
  4. SW0V

    1. Switching jetpacks doesn't sound like much of a tool as much as just.... swapping jetpacks.

    2. Giving all LAs a faction wide spawn point would be game breaking. You only have to think about it for half a second to realise this.

    I don't fundamentally disagree with your assertion that LAs could use a tool. But I don't like either of your ideas. A tool should be something completely different that provides synergy with the other class traits.

    So, what is it that LAs do, and what could help them do that thing better?

    LAs, as the name suggests are the more mobile, but less sturdy assault class. The key here is 'more mobile'. Don't get me wrong, LAs are great in tower fights where flanking is easy for them. But most of the bases in this game are relatively flat and it completely negates the benefit of jets.

    Sure, they have drifter jets, but they don't function nearly well enough to justify using them over a HA. Going up even a minimal incline is frustrating at best. Bumpy terrain? Forget about it. As soon as you hit a bump you lose all momentum, it's easier just to run. I have a feeling that the drifter jets were supposed to be a jetpack alternative to get to places quickly, but they just don't achieve this unless you're going downhill.

    What if we gave LAs a stimpack style tool. You would have to be holding it like any other tool to use it and as you hit the trigger button you would have an animation similar to a medkit consumption except you'd get blue particles instead of green and you also wouldn't consume the tool. It would simply drain X amount of shield capacity for a MAX charge style speed boost. The more you upgrade the tool the longer the charge gets (1/1.5/2/2.5 seconds) and the less shields are consumed (500/450/400/350 shields consumed).

    The shield should start regenerating as soon as the charge is complete and you should only be able to trigger it if you have sufficient shields.

    In combination with jetpacks, this could result in some wicked mobility.
    • Up x 4
  5. Iridar51

    I imagine the sole reason why devs haven't given us a tool is that they encountered the same problem that we did - nobody could think of a tool that doesn't steal from another class or doesn't sound completely idiotic.

    I've been on these forums for 2 years and I haven't seen one good idea, and wasn't able to think of anything good myself.
    • Up x 1
  6. johnway

    the LA is a sort of skirmisher unit, whereas HA rely on brute force, LA rely on mobility to progress and their main strength is the ability to go to areas other units can't, flank and perform surprise attacks to spread confusion. At least that's the assumption with the grenades, but their sort of primary gadget has become c4 to become c4 fairies to target stationary armor targets.

    Can't think of anything that would make them unique or useful in that perspective.
  7. IronMouse

    Just more mobility. No tools required - although there have been some interesting suggestions.
  8. PricelessBounty



    I like this idea, it gives LA something without changing the core concept of what LA is or making them op.
  9. PricelessBounty

    This is part of my point, I feel like I have seen very few good suggestions for LA.

    Lets spitball ideas in this thread for a while, see if we can come up with a few. SW0V had a good one. I still like my idea of being able to switch between jetpack functions (although it needs work) but I want to hear more ideas.


    Something I just thought of was a tweak of my idea for switching between jetpack functions. It could be something like, you are able to switch between drifter and jump jets by pressing "F", Icarus jets would no longer be an option but if you hold "F" you vent your jets rapidly for fast vertical thrust like Icarus jets. It occurs to me this is more a revamp of the current jetpack system but whatever, I'm just spit-balling here.



    I like SW0V's idea: What if we gave LAs a stimpack style tool. You would have to be holding it like any other tool to use it and as you hit the trigger button you would have an animation similar to a medkit consumption except you'd get blue particles instead of green and you also wouldn't consume the tool. It would simply drain X amount of shield capacity for a MAX charge style speed boost. The more you upgrade the tool the longer the charge gets (1/1.5/2/2.5 seconds) and the less shields are consumed (500/450/400/350 shields consumed).

    However I think it should take a chunk out of your health instead of shield while the stimpack is in use.

    LA tool could even be a stimpack dart gun that you use on allies to increase their movement speed or, give a slight damage increase for a duration, or even give a damage resistance boost for a duration.

    Hell they could even have an EMP dart for a tool that only works against MAX's and vehicles, does no damage just powers them down for 3-4 seconds and messes with their hud. Maybe it could work on infantry too as a single target shield removal and it would mess with their HUD for a few seconds.


    Lets hear some more ideas guys, just spit-ball some ideas, lets hear them.
  10. SW0V


    I thought about this before posting my idea. I don't think removing health would be a good idea for the simple reason that, unless you're consuming medkits or have a regen implant, health removal for an LA is usually a permanent loss in survivability. Having a permanent loss to your survivability for a very temporary benefit doesn't seem very fair.

    Also, I used the word stimpack, but I was thinking that it would be more like a power diversion from shield to jetpack. Thinking about it more, maybe it should just become the LAs 'ability'. Keep using the jetpack bound to holding jump, but use the ability key to charge forward.

    This would allow an LA to do two new things.
    1. Charge flat ground positions like MAXs currently do. Would be really good in combination with shotguns for example (like NC MAXs).
    2. Quickly assault enemy positions by using your charge ability and then engage your jumpjets to propel you forward and up. Similar to a jump pad.
    Using different jumpjets would give you different trajectories. Icarus jets would send you higher/faster with a steep trajectory. Jump jets would have a shallower trajectory but would send you further. Drifter jets would allow you to assault bases from a high ground position that's a reasonable distance away.
    • Up x 1
  11. Eternaloptimist

    On other classes I'm average at best. On LA I'm worse. Aside from skill/experience deficits I think my two biggest problems are related to not being able to get extra ammo or healing unless I give up something like C4 or nanoweave to equip ammo belt or medikits. Ido run with regen implant but haven't always fot the ability to make a charger. A bit more extra agility than you get with adrenaline pump couldn't hurt either.

    This isn't about having an extra tool so much as extra utility option maybe? Like for medikits, resto kit or spare ammo pack..........or some tweaking of the basic LA profile regarding movement speed perhaps?

    So far as I can tell the LA is basically a flying engineer without such a wide range of toys.
  12. Iridar51

    I've been around long enough; these ideas all have came up multiple times already, and I don't like any of them.

    Switching between abilities is hardly a tool and it doesn't add anything to the class, just reduces the choice.

    The proper way would be to add a new set of abilities. They go in the tool slot, but still activated by pressing F, and do not need to be equipped.
    • Emergency Thrusters - propels the user upwards like a burst from Icarus Jets.
    • Emergency Boosters - provide a slow thrust forward, like what you get when you hold W + Spacebar with normal Jump Jets.
    • Emergency Stabilizers - when activated mid flight, stabilize the user mid-air for a few seconds, like if he was floating in the air with Drifter Jets. While stabilized, player can aim down sights and is considered standing moving. If that is still a problem, a balancing factor such as scope sway can be added.
    Any of these abilities can be used in combination with any type of Jet Pack. Activating them triggers their own cooldown, but they do not consume Jet Pack fuel.

    This is the way to increase the mobility of LA in an interesting way that makes sense and allows for a huge variety of playstyles and personal customization without actually adding anything new or gamebreaking to the class.
    • Icarus + Thrusters would allow to make 3 back-to-back jumps in the air, giving the LA unparalleled scaling ability.
    • Icarus + Boosters allows Icarus to compensate for their main weakness - lack of horizontal movement, which sometimes forces the user to helplessly wiggle in the air.
    • Icarus + Stabilizers would compensate for another Icarus' weakness, and allow to make 2 back-to-back jumps, with a brief pause of hanging in the air to regen jet pack fuel.
    • Jump Jets + Thrusters would give Jump Jets more speed - the aspect where they sorely lack, causing LA to painfully slowly try to get over a 2m wall in a pinch.
    • Jump Jets + Boosters would simply increase general mobility.
    • Jump Jets + Stabilizers would be mostly interesting to try and shoot mid air.
    • Drifters + Thrusters obviously compensate for the biggest problem of the Drifters.
    • Drifters + Boosters would increase horizontal mobility of the Drifters, which can be useful to jump start horizontal momentum, useful when both soaring in the air and skimming along the ground.
    • Drifters + Stabilizers mostly interesting for mid air shooting, but also allow to regen a lot of the fuel mid air.
    I'm not saying this is necessarily what LA needs or wants, just pointing out that I find it much better than simply switching between two Jet Pack types.
    • Up x 5
  13. Alyz

    How about an anti-grav floater, a perch-like platform that can be deployed in mid-air to sit on?

    Think of eagles and other birds. They stay in the air for a while, waiting for prey and then drop and kill it.
    In most places with prey (aka tanks) there is little or no perch to sit and wait without easily being spotted. A floater would work well with all the jetpacks.

    Or how about a cyber virus? A small tool (could use the sensor dart modell of the infi) that doesn't "hack" a vehicle, but confuses the controls for a few seconds before it's cleared to make it harder for a vehicle to simply outrun an LA.
  14. Flaxceed

    I like the floater idea. I feel like if LA were to get a tool, it would need to be something that makes them better at their intended role rather than something that gives them more firepower or ability to take down vehicles.

    For me, LA is a stealth class - its mobility should go hand in hand with the ability to remain undetected if you want to get any kills whilst playing it. You can't reliably take down -good- HA's, the bulk of the enemy unit, unless you surprise them - its as simple as that. Not only this, but in a situation where you get spotted and can't get to inaccessible cover quickly after you decide to start opening fire, people are likely to reposition or flank you for a quick kill.

    With that in mind, would it be a bad idea to give them something similar to the relatively unused Sensor Shield implant, but as a tool? A device that, when used, prevents any "spots" that the enemy puts on you for the next 10 seconds from causing you to show up on the enemy minimap. The device wouldn't work retroactively, so you'd have to use it just before you peek and you'd have to not be spotted beforehand for it to work well - but it would allow you to retreat behind cover after your peek, safe in the knowledge that even if the enemy do watch their minimaps they still can't be completely sure where you are.

    I feel this doesn't completely steal from the infiltrator, as its useless if you've already been spotted and you're still completely visible to the enemy whilst its in use, they just can't know your position if you're not visible even if they spot you. I feel it merely adds to the mantra of the LA, that you can be in any position at any time.
    • Up x 1
  15. Iridar51

    That's exactly what I meant by "steals from another class". Stealth is infiltrator's motto.

    Stealth evolved as a big part of LA playstyle because 2/3rd of our weapons have effective range of <20m, because HA shield is OP and because we're defenseless while flying on the jet pack. All are long standing issues that need to be fixed sooner or later.
  16. PricelessBounty

    I really like this idea. It turns LA's jetpack into more of an ability. They could make the jetpack the tool and what you have described above the ability.
  17. PricelessBounty

    Alright, I really like this idea too. It also turns the jetpack itself into a tool and adds an actual ability to LA. This system you have described also allows for 9 different combinations for a more varied and mobile experience as LA which the player can tailor to their play style or their current situation in a fight.

    You really put some thought into this. This is a really good idea, I'm impressed.
  18. PricelessBounty

    Ok guys, I've been digging around in the LA forums and the idea that Iridar51 posted here in this thread is by far the best and most blanaced idea I can find.

    How do we get the devs to at least take notice of his idea, I want to see this game improve and his suggestion is a major improvement for LA without making it op. Again his idea was as follows:
  19. Armcross

    You taking for granted the tool strap to your body
  20. Corezer

    ugh, not one of these kids again... read more, post less.