[Suggestion] One item Engineers really need.

Deployable Sentry (spitfire) turrets. Motion sensing, they protect engineers while they are repairing stuff and act as flankers to divert attention. Even the ability to deploy just one would be welcome.

What we really need are wrenches and upgradable turrets. The current repair tools are unsatisfying to use with their lack of thwack, and the turrets are underwhelming, they need to be upgradable with more miniguns and rockets. And we need the option to play the guitar. And we need hats. Lots of hats.



On a more serious note though it would be nice to have a seperate turret available to cert into (ie the aforementioned spitfite) to replace the default MANA if we want.

Agreed. I would use a Spitfire. Right now the MANA turret is just an ammo pack to me.

The MANA turret is just a bulletsponge/tank trap as far as I'm concerned, far too vulnerable when using it to enemy snipers and such, everytime I decide to hop in one I'll bite a bullet very quickly. And snipers on my server just love OHHK bolt actions.

AV and AA turrets were planned for launch but never made it in, that's why each MAX starts with a burster arm.

Turret upgrades were discussed in the community design meeting on azure twilight's twitch channel.

I too would like a deployable AV or AA turret, and I would also like a less powerful automatic turret for additional area denial, which is something the engineer is supposed to be good at.

The current AI turret can be powerful in specific situations, but only when you have support from others around you, especially medics. A flanking position can really decimate an entrenched enemy position, but you will be a large target if anyone spots you.

Motion sensors. I'm not sure we need these when we have AI mines which will tell you when you get a kill, but they can be hit and miss, considering they don't always kill people and the range is relatively small. An indicator to show your active mines would be helpful, but would be another thing for the server to track and send to the client, and so would impact performance.

I would LOVE to have something else in my little tool!

However, I WILL say that the Mana Turret can be the unsung hero of Deployable Cover.... It still absorbs shots if you arent using it, so it can be pretty useful as makeshift cover in some situations. Still, something else would be MUCH nicer, especially an automated turret.

I doubt spitfires would make a return. But motion sensors really should be a deployable... and not that silly glowball the infiltrators have that I have yet to see work correctly. Having shot it in a gen room at an Amp station where enemies were camping and having nothing on radar makes me sad in the pants.

The turret should have its own cert tree...I find it very odd that almost every gun in the game has an extensive cert tree but the deploy able turret...nope...two cert spots.

Yea those would be nice too. However my issue is repairing stuff at a base. I will usually die 3 or 4 times while repairing because there is always an infil or LA in the base after the zerg has left. They are there to get engineer kills while I am repairing. I usually drop a mine or 2 but the LA are smart. They see the mine, toss in some C4 or a nade and nuke me.

I agree the turrets are more useful as cover for infantry
perhaps enabling engineers to deploy shield baricades 2-3x wider then the turret shields.
This would be handy when used on open fields etc.

Some feture to add or ommit:
They only stop enemy fire.
Timed or sustain damage until repaired.
Only one shield can be deployed by an engineer at any one time.
Both enemy and friendly infantry can move through them.
The ability to use them as tank traps or barricades would be cool.
Deliver +1-2 xp every time there fire on by enemy fire.

cheers.

I'd love for the current one to be replaced by a weak AA or AV turret, current one is just horrible.

The server already needs to know do you have 2/3 mines deployed, so if you put down anymore the oldest expires. We just need a goddamn hud marker for it.

On topic, i can see these turrets being a huge problem with people constantly spamming them in weird places. Work out that, im all for it.

It would be nice to have an upgrade that makes the turret auto-fire. Further upgrades could improve the AI.

I think Engineers need a cert tree to allow them to spend resources and upgrade phalanx turrets on bases. Maybe one cert tree allows you to spend resources to upgrade the health/armor of the turrets. Another cert tree allows them to be upgraded with more firepower. It would give the game more interesting flair, and it can't be that hard to introduce...

I've had some pretty insane kill streaks with it, it's just very situational and you shouldn't sit on it for too long. When it's cooling down just get off for a bit. At chokepoints or in nice flanking positions hidden well enough you can cause a lot of damage and death.

Personally though I'd suggest -
#1. Faster exit method, no reason we should be so attached to it, annoying when you see a rocket coming but can't get off fast enough. I think just hitting the jump button should completely free you from it instantly.
#2. Removal of the pointless hole for snipers to shoot you through - the shield is transparent FFS

I kept thinking for quite a while about the engies ACE tool. About what other battlefield abilities could be sidegrade certs instead of the MANA turret. I know original anti-tank and anti-air variants were thrown around. But I think anti-tank steps on the heavies shoes and anti-air just isn't needed anymore.
In fact that was my core problem, deployable radar...thing?--Basically the recon gun
healing tower?-medic
sheild generator?-Actually I just thought of that and I quite like it if it doesn't have a cumulative effect with other shields.

regardless though most ideas need to be carefully considered to ensure they are not stepping over a line that another class should really be fulfilling.

If they wanted to do a revamp on the mana turret I would change it to a deployable mana shield on the ground. Crouch, protected, stand, shoot, crouch again for cover. Forget the gun, its inaccurate and overheats when you need it most. I'm better off with my shotgun or carbine.

But the turret has infinite ammo! I mean, isn't it AWESOME to never need to worry about running out of ammo and just mow people down with the odd interval of time between firing?

Wait.....

In all seriousness, a barricade of some sort would also be really amazing, provided it didn't turn OP as hell

Not to mention that 15 seconds after you hit E to start using it a bolt driver round splatters your brains on the wall behind you.

Sentry down!!