A controversial topic lately is C4. The ability to throw and alomst instant detonate it, as well as its damage versus infantry and tank while available to all classes, exspecially LA, make it a very solid, jet frustatating weapons to play against. On the other hand, Beeing killed while haveing C4 out makes it disappear. Therefore i suggest making C4 a timed bomb. Once thrown, it should feature a 5s countdown before exploding. No manual triggering is possible, besides shooting it. The change is intended to: Allow aware players to escape Allow defusing C4 by Engeneers Area denial Explosion in any case but defused Vehicles can also profit, as they are no longer doomed. Drivers can hop out and defuse, or abandon the vehicle. Other than that, on reddit a spin up machanic was intoduced for C4. Maybe make a new explosive with the suggested traits as an alternative.
The power of C4 has been a controversial topic for a long time. It is certainly powerful but there have been recent changes to reduce it's effect - a short trigger delay IIRC and better vehicle survivability. More effective infantry anti-tank weapons might make a valid case to reduce C4 power but the main problem is that C4 is irl a demolition charge and there is little or nothing to demolish in PS2. So it has become a high risk / high reward combat weapon. I'd be happy if it became a directional, shaped charge sort of weapon to reduce it's AoE when used as a super anti-infantry 'nade whilst still whacking anything it was placed on or stuck to (vehicles and Maxes, PMBs and turrets). And no, I am not a big C4 user although my Medics, LAs and HAs carry it. I find anti personnel mines more useful for my Infils and Engies.
It certainly needs something - especially now we have Ambusher Jump Jets. A countdown timer would be the best option, not 5 seconds though. 3 seconds at most and perhaps less than that - just enough time for aware people to get out of the killzone. It should attach to Maxes and vehicles so that accurate placement would mean those targets would be destroyed. I'd be cool with the option to defuse, though with a 2-3 seconds countdown the engineer would need to have his wits about him. If they have introduced a throw lag then that should be removed. that just makes the game feel sluggish.
As an avid/addicted C4 "junkie" -- cut its damage by half against infantry and let it (always) OHKO MAX's to compensate. Make it a "anti-vehicle/MAX's" thing rather than a "anti-everything".
Throwing is the same like now, but you will have to hold the trigger button for 0.4 secs in order to detonate. Holding the button will slow you down to walking speed
That's another step into 'magic' balancing. In the same way that an Archer does huge damage to heavily armoured Max suits yet cannot OHK an infantry. Having infantry take less damage from explosives makes no sense. What does make sense, to me, is that infantries aren't magnetic.
That's like comparing the Blackhand to the Daiymo and saying the Blackhand should OHKO because of (reasons) -- which doesn't make sense, "as well". I mean, I'd be totally fine if they change the C4 to be placed instead of thrown (like the engy deployables), while leaving the C4 damage as it is. That will "match" risk to the current C4 "reward".
