[Suggestion] Infiltrators AV EMP ability

Give infiltrators something of a pseudo AV ability. No "hard" combat capability, strictly support. Possibly something like an EMP device that can be placed onto vehicles, similar to C4, which can be activated with a remote. What it would do is stop the vehicle in it's tracks and disable the HUD and any function save for exiting and entering. This makes the Infiltrator viable as a class which can support in anti-vehicle/armor operations, without giving it the "suddenly boom dead" effect that most classes already have with C4. If it does not have an AoE. then perhaps allow multiple devices per certification. Also give an exp bonus for assists in this manner.
The device would allow for an infiltrator to help lock down a kill for his or her team, or at least a tank destruction. It would require timing and awareness on part of the infiltrator, since it only would disable the vehicle and must be used in coordination with teammates to secure a kill.

Any thoughts?

stopping any vehicle entirely like you suggest is pretty much the same thing as killing it. i would be ok with the HUD being disabled along with any special abilities like NAR, radar, fire suppression or any of the faction specifics (prowlers should only be allowed to return to standard movement mode and not be able to deploy when effected by EMP). the only abilities that should remain functional should be armor plates and chassis upgrades for the tank itself and weapon systems should lose the ability to use any form of optics.

if infiltrators get an ability like this it should take away most of the tanks tools and leave it for the most part with the same capabilities as an uncerted tank, BUT they should still be allowed to move around and defend themselves.

Maybe not a complete stop, but the idea is that the EMP makes it dramatically easier to secure a kill if used in conjunction with non-infiltrator teammates, while preventing the infiltrator from solo killing armor.
I'd be all for allowing the tank to shoot, and possibly move with hindered mobility, but not full acceleration or top speed. It would also have to despawn if the infiltrator is killed. I'm not sure if would be a good idea to allow it to be destroyed/defused like C4, since it would render it either pointless or overpowered depending on the situation.

The intended scenario is that the infiltrator sets up the device behind enemy lines, and when the main force approaches, the infiltrator activates it to prevent the tank from escaping easily.

One idea I have is to make it so that for 1-2 seconds, the tank becomes incapable of accelerating and is set to auto-brake, while the device is consumed in the process. Once the duration is up the tank would have to re-accelerate to top speed. This idea is to make it more of a clutch-support device, freeze the enemy armor for a split-second to have a better chance at a secured kill.

I agree with the last point though, the tank should have some form of self defense. However the main utility of the device should come from interfering with the tank's mobility in some way.

An EMP AV grenade that reduces the fire rate/reload speed for 30 seconds.

How about like an EMP like device that makes it harder for the driver to control his vehicle because of uncontrollable or
really difficult to control swerving wheels making the driver disoriented and annoyed.
This could last around 10 to 20 seconds after detonation and also allows you or your team to damage the vehicle if it doesn't
Damage itself like fall off a cliff because of your device ( You still get your certs and it counts as a kill ) .
If not the vehicle will be easy prey for C4 users or HS with rocket Launchers

I'm all for complete immobilization. I want to knock some ESFs out of the sky.

plant it on a high rock or some tower, and then just set it off as an ESF passes by. that would be hilarious.

Was thinking more of waiting for someone to repair on a tower, then sticking the EMP device to them. Wait until they fly away and activate it. Watch them fall helplessly out of the sky.

if you do something like that you need to yell something very epic at them just before you trigger it.

i have thought about doing the same thing a few times with the C4 my heavy assault carries.

The idea is that it only has the AoE of a C4 or smaller, while not dealing direct damage, meaning it will require precision and teamwork, and is more of a support AV tool rather than a hard counter. Considering how much easier it is for infiltrators to sneak up on things than infantry in general, it needs to be incapbale of allowing the Infiltrator to destroy [most] vehicles on its own, the ESF's crashing into the ground being an exception, while being powerful enough to allow a kill to be secured when it would otherwise be lost from either the vehicle escaping or using a clutch save tool.

I can imagine some badassery as a result of this being added.



A galaxy takes of from the warpgate and heads south across the deserts of Indar. The destination? The frontlines of the war, the crown, an important tactical position. Little do the passengers of the troop transport know they will never arrive. As the pilot brings the galaxy over the J908 impact site, a lone scythe positions itself high above the galaxy, and matches its speed. The stealthy fighter never even shows up on the radar of the gunners. The pilot of the scythe ejects, he is an infiltrator and his mission is to stop the flow of troops to the battle. He readies himself for impact with the hulking metal transport and prays to Vanu that his aim is correct. Luck is on his side and he connects. Swiftly, he places 2 EMP charges on the vehicle, and slides off the ship. Still protected by the Nanite Systems Ejection System, the lone operative hits the ground unscathed. The troops in the galaxy are still unaware of their perilous situation. As the Vanu operative detonates the charges, all electrical systems in the galaxy shut down. The passengers are thrown into darkness and the pilot struggles to regain control. It's no use. The plane is now pitched downward towards the desert floor. The pilot tries to order an ejection, but his voice is cut short by the impact and the sound of a massive explosion. The Vanu operative boards a Wrath equipped flash to return to his base, he needs to rearm and repeat.

I'd only be okay with it if the EMP effect was pretty temporary. I'd say it should definitely be less than 20 seconds, but more than 4-5. Off the top of my head I think 10 seconds would be great. That way it wouldn't completely remove the vehicle from combat (more or less), instead it'd open a short window for your allies to come in and kill it.

10 seconds is easily enough for an allied tank to gain the upper hand (2+ shots from a vanguard, 6+ from a prowler in 10 seconds. That's a pretty big boost.) and even an allied heavy can drop a couple of rounds into a tank in that time, which would at the very least cause the tank to pull back and repair.

And it'd also be nice to not only auto-spot enemies affected by it, and cause enemies affected to have arcing lighting cover them, so that your allies know that it's disabled for a short time so that they can act.

The only other concern I have is double EMPing a target. Maybe they should be immune for 60 seconds after getting EMPed the last time.

Yeah, there should be no stacking of the devices, and some kind of EMP immunity grace period IF the target survives seems fair. Personally I think 3-7 seconds of disabling effect seems like a good option since in the heat of battle even 5 seconds feels like an eternity (trying to use fire suppression to save oneself during a clutch moment), where as it should give enough time for at least a fully aimed shot from any weapon + a reload, but still allows for an escape if the using team does not capitalize on the disable.

Also, a visual effect is a must, since the entire purpose of the device is to greatly increase the vulnerability of a vehicle, it needs to be easily distinguishable from non-affected ones.

There's also the question of how it should affect deployed sunderers. Removing the ability to spawn would be useful, but could easily unbalance the game, since 2 C4 alone cannot destroy a sunderer, why should 1 device remove it from combat? Even if only temporarily.

Can any tankers give input on this?

EMP grenades actually used to be able to do this in beta but they removed it. EMP grenades have been pretty useless since then too.

• no xp for deployable kills
• no xp for assists
• no hit markers
• rarely takes down heavy overshields and infil cloaks
• doesn't do anything to LA jetpacks or medic area heals.

Giving the infiltrator, the only class without interaction with armor except with explosive bolts, a method of hacking a tank has been discussing and I'm not sure why but hasn't been implemented. Certing into hacking speed has always been pretty pointless and allowing infils to actually hack a vehicle to slow it down or stop it would actually make it worthwhile.

You don't need a special item, just an ability to have some kind of hacking interaction.

Hacking a virus into a vehicle to make controls go inverted, minimap non functional, and disabling utilities might be an interesting little function.

inverted controls will only screw new players. as someone who has been playing a lot of old super nintendo games lately, inverted controls are incredibly easy to adapt to once you recognize they are there.

we could add a slight control lag like a drunk driving simulator. your other suggestions seem pretty solid though.

My only thought is to give it to Light Assault as a Tool. Infiltrators have more toys than any other class except maybe Engineer. LA has zero tools or abilities that synergize with a squad / platoon.

Cool idea tough!

OOHHHH yeah! Give the LA something like the crossbow with EMP bolts so they could hit aircraft with it! =) Then a squadmate can ruin it with some AA. Wouldn't have to imobilize it.... just make it hit the air brake and hover irratically for a few seconds.

I'm all for this AV EMP = vehicle immobilization. Shut the turret down and the movement too- perhaps even shut the optics down severely as well. That way, we infantrymen actually have an incentive to go out and hunt vehicles with infils and c4. Coordinated rocket spam doesn't work out very well, and it's extremely boring. And make it so if I am able to toss one at a strafing ESF, it'll crash into the ground. Because if you are low enough for me to hit you with a nade, you deserve it.