Engineer ONLY option for vehs

This sounds more like a "You" problem instead of a "SOE" problem.

Well if you weren't such an ***!

I am just kidding you know.
I am an ***.
I have little tolerance for the same things that may irritate you.
In my old age I have learned to be reasonable.

I have been in a squad a handful of times and nvr in an outfit.
I am starting to cert things that need more ppl to use! lol.
I am starting to fly now and I am thinking of trying to find a few ppl to get together with who are on regularly like me.

But I want to enjoy the game.
You just have to find some ppl that are on the same page as you.

There is not a whole lot 3 ppl can do when its the NC Alert at stake.
But 3 ppl can have a lot of fun if that's what they are after.

I think Lonewolf players weather change and hardship better than Squad and Outfit players.

The Lonewolf is conditioned to having to deal with constant hurdles and less advantages. They play a harder game, they cope with adversity and self reliance better because it's a constant in their game, and they're much more flexible in being able to adjust their gameplay or where they're fighting, because it's just them.

They tend to stick around in the game longer, because they've figured out ways to enjoy the game that work for them, even when the game's stated gameplay of "teamwork and combined arms" breaks down.

Try sending them a tell asking them to switch to engi. If they even know how to reply, they're probably at least moderately experienced. As a random gunner, I'll often jump in the vehicle as whatever class I happen to be at the moment, because I know the vehicle will have driven off before I can switch. However, I almost always prefer to be an engi if given the chance and would gladly do so if I knew there'd still be a spot for me when I got back.

Kinda just answered self. Doesnt matter what server Im on, NC gunners is usually a "take what I can get" kinda thing, if friends arent online. If the message of "change to engineer" doesnt register and you cant hack a terrible gunner, then GTF0. All that can be done. I find picking up the challenged LA lost in the mountains entertaining, or the guy fresh off the boat at the warp gate.

From the other end, it can be a ***** getting a ride or anyone letting you gun for them. This would add yet another way for people to exclude.

When I'm piloting my Galaxy or Sunderer or Flash, I'm extremely generous. I'm always looking out for whoever might need a ride. Doesn't matter who. I'll stop, slow down or turn around if need be. Everyone gets love. All I ask is that no one faff of in the gun seats. Otherwise, I may have to remove them so some one else can take the spot.

I have no problem tossing someone who is oblivious to critical targets, either. Has to be done sometimes. Guns are for shooting - not sighting or taking naps in. I'll be damned if I'm gonna lose a kill or get killed because some tool doesn't want to participate. I'll pitch and take over the gun myself if need be.

When it's your ride - you can set the rules.

Nevertheless, my rules are not unfair. As I said before, it takes a decent engineer to keep some vehicles alive in a fights. New players won't understand this until they've lost a few hundred tanks, libs and buggies because there was no one to repair in that crucial moment. That's why SOE needs to add this feature. So the nubs will get the hint, and pilots won't have to deal with friendly rage as often.

I know I'm kind of a jerk, but I'm still 100% right about this. The change would be good for everyone. Trust EViL.

As a lone wolf Prowler driver I give rides to anyone regardless of whether they are an engineer or not, but I can see why this would be a useful option.

I only kick if they are AFK, firing at Libs or ESFs that had no idea of my presence (my secondary is a Walker), ******* up stealthy flankings by firing constantly or (the most annoying one) giving me orders over the mic even though they are completely clueless and have far less time in a tank than me. The biggest *** I had in my tank kept whining in an early teenage nasal voice why I wasn't driving head on into an enemy infantry zerg? It bizarrely escaped him that me being in Anchor mode picking off Sunderers was a bit more productive than doing a kamikaze run that would have lasted several seconds.

And just to pretend I'm constructive here: If you like lone-wolfing, try to just hook up with some people who like it too. I know that lone-wolfing is rather opposite to couple-wolfing but in the time of need it's better to get a mate. I love to going all by myself but it's also fun to team up sometimes e.g. another LA for that pesky shielded-sundy in the mountains, another Engi to my Harasser or C4-Wraith-Flash etc.

Just speak with people throughout your playtime, add them to friends and team up from time to time on previously established rules.

If you aren't willing to lock your vehicle and find a gunner on your own, then you don't really get to complain that random scrubs are getting in your farm chariot.

After all, random scrubs make up 90% of the population, and they are drawn to tanks like flies to honey.

I am a pretty good tanker and I rarely get the chance to top gun.

Many times during a tough battle (trying to save most tankers from themselves) I'll eventually get taken out. Still alive, I'll run for a friendly tank to try and gun for them and inevitably get run over as I attempt to get in.

Most tankers are absolutely horrible at tanking.

Most top gunners couldn't find their *** with both hands.

So, most decent tankers are extremely jaded and very particular about their gunner position. While those good at top gunning are afraid to get saddled with a horrible tanker.

When you do get a good match-up it's a lot of fun.

They should have a tanker/gunner "dating" service to avoid trauma...

...or, I could join and outfit...

...nah, been there, done that.

When I am forced to run with a pub gunner, I drive differently... especially if they are not on comms at all. I've had many gunners friend request me.... cause I get them XP, even when they are bad. You just can't expect them to be a top tier gunner unless you've had experience with them before.

That said.... the above reasons are why I:

#1 Prefer outfit gunners on TS
#2 Cultivated a full friends list of decent gunners
#3 Will attempt a random, but will kick or just sit still till he leaves if he's bad, and with enough of those bads
#4 Eventually lock my Mag. (Very Very Rarely... as I have very good #1 & #2 options)

Honestly, If you find the right outfit, with the right guys willing to gun correctly and listen to the tanker... AND you are able to get those gunners very good XP runs... (If you get them killed over and over, you aren't doing yourself any good)... then you won't have an issue.

P.S.... SOE for the love of god... hurry with the options to lock the vehicle. I hate the squad only (gunner accidently jumps in drivers seat) vs unlocked (random jumps in while gunner is repairing confusion).... Seriously... It's been two years already. Sigh.

I'm too anti-social though

I speak to people all day in work so really can't be bothered talking to them online at home especially when I'm trying to shoot things at the same time. But like uhlan said it is great when you pick up a random, but good, secondary gunner who knows when to shoot and jumps out immediately to repair if you are in trouble. Had a brilliant one once who was downing ESF after ESF (was a much better shot than me with the Walker) and saved me loads of times - he even waited at the vehicle terminal at the nearest base once we were blown up and all without any communication between us.

Shame brilliant mutes like that are incredibly rare.

I'm just sitting here laughing my *** off while reading this thread.

You just need to figure out what outfits run the best squads.

I find that asking them to swap to engineer usually works.

When I'm on my infiltrator, and I sometimes hop in gunner seats.

I'm aware that an engineer would be better, but that's just not what I'm playing right now.
Still, when I see a vehicle with 1/2 pop far from infantry spawns, what I am supposed to do?
Leave the vehicle with both firepower and self-repair halved? I can at least fix the firepower part and I'm trained as a gunner.

Sure, if you stand near a spawn point, I will let a willing engineer take the seat if there is one. I'm not stupid to not understand the advantage.
But just, it's not how things are going most often. There is just not enough people wanting to play engineer for all the two-seat vehicles that are spawned, so if I see you without a gunner for long or too far to get one, I'll jump in.

And I won't be angry if you kick me out, just sad, because in the first place, this is you who spawned a two-seats without having a gunner at hand. I was trying to help YOU, not myself.

Now, I read this rent against it... Ok, you sure can ask an option to restrict the gunner seat to engineer... but let me tell you what will happen: you won't probly get even less gunners like that.

Because when this option will be there and lazy people that often don't bother to kick people out start to active it, not more people will suddently play engineer because of it... but there will be a lot more free gunner seats asking for an engineer to jump in, so you will compete harder to find one.

I've been Canister humping the last few days and one thing I've noticed is that very very few players have the presence of mind to swap to engineer once they've jumped into your tank. One thing I try that sometimes, very rarely, works is to drive up to a spawn sundy and lock the tank. Occasionally you'll get an intelligent player who "gets it" and switches to engie, but more often than not, the random will look at you and walk away.

I can tolerate someone not being an engie in my Vanguard as long as I play it safe and have an open line of retreat, what I can't and do not tolerate are players with 0 situational awareness.

I've certed out the Canister + Max Proxy Radar so my gunners have 0, none, absolutely NO excuse to be oblivious to targets.

If you are pointing that Canister up into the air while the pizza delivery boy is walking up behind us 10 meters away, you're getting locked out of the tank. Even if that means dumping you in front of a horde of hostile fire.

If you're busy pinging away at that Magrider 200 meters away while there is a sundy spawn that needs clearing in the other direction, you're getting locked out. Even if that means dumping you in front of a horde of hostile fire.

If I end up killing more LAs with my AP Cannon while you're busy swinging that Canister turret around in circles like a possessed little girl, you're getting locked out. Even if that means dumping you in front of a horde of hostile fire.

I do not require that you have good aim. I'm not going to care if you fail to kill targets that you shoot at. But I will care greatly if you are so clueless that you fail to even LOOK at the targets you should be shooting at. If you make me feel like I've wasted my Proxy Radar certs, you get the boot. Out you go.

Let's see... Complains about wrong people getting into his vehicle and getting c4'd by teammates who feel offended. Doesn't want to play in a squad because squads always lead to conflicts. Doesn't realize that vehicle can be in default state, avoiding squad only problem of other people becoming drivers, while actually working with a squad. Probably runs over friendlies with such attitude.

Yep, typical NC.

Sounds like a reasonable feature request to me... Not sure how hard would be to implement so it might not be though....

I don't think this feature request is actually necessary. Just lock the vehicle and prevent access to pubs.

I actually WANT a secondary gunner especially when in a Magrider, just to make it more viable especially against other MBTs.

Sure i'd like a good gunner who is an engineer but frankly, i'd take a random-gun-o-matic over nothing.

This does mean that you can't run stealth operations though - there are two things I really would like to see:

1. A secondary gun lock-out - just so the randomer sitting there doesn't shoot too soon and blow your cover on stealth ops
2. Some form of recognition / award / rating for gunners (maybe there is one already?)

Some secondary gunners i've had have been AWESOME and they make a massive difference; other than making them 'friends' I don't see many other options. A great gunner is a very valuable asset...