Advanced Communication Device Advanced communication device is a tool that allows coordination in squad without use of voice chat. It uses basic magic of motivational bonuses to encourage better coordination between SL and his squad. Upon switching to this tool SL will open a radial menu with different orders: Regroup - After the order is issued, the squad members will see a circle on the ground around the SL and an inscription in HUD about the need to regroup around their SL. Also, each of the squad members should get 50 XP for arriving in the circle in 10 seconds. Cooldown: 15 seconds. Assault - After the order is issued, the squad members will see a circle on the ground around the SL and will receive an additional 40XP for killing the enemy while inside the circle. Covert operations - After issuing the order, the members of the squad get the ability to detect targets without voice cues, but can not mark targets beyond the mark of 250 meters. Focus fire - After the issuance of the order, the goal marked SL receives a marker over the head in the HUD members of the squad. Killing targets brings an additional 50 XP, assist brings extra 30XP. Defence - After issuing the order, on the minimap of the squad members as well as on the ground there is an area in which killing enemies brings an additional 30XP if SL is in this area. Request airstrike - After issuing the order, the pilots of the allied ESF and Libs will receive a request to destroy targets inside the marked zone on the map. The destruction of the objectives within this area will bring an additional 50 XP. Cooldown: 300 seconds. This orders can not be used if squad size is lesser than 5.
In short, yes, those would help. Tough to code and implement though. I would love for the squad leader to have a *different* Q spot though. One that makes the dorito look different for squad members. Would really help with focus fire.
It shouldn`t be so difficult to check the distance between 2 objects in space... Different icon for targets that was spotted by squadmates can help too, especially for MBTs and harassers crews.
It's a start, but needs tweaks. For example this one is solely squad-focused, while good teamplay should for the most part be focused on anyone and everyone who is with you at that time. Squads and platoons should only make it easier to pull off teamplay. Some things could need alterations like Regroup, as any dead player takes on average at around 1 minute or more to get back to the fight the "regroup" command would need spamming and only work on the local players nearby. Most commands are also focused on the commander, should he die the commands often stop being useful. For example if you assault the SL needs to run up and not die to signal what and where to assault. The SL should be able to hold V for example to perform orders on ground area's within is LOS, allowing him to set an attack order on an area and then either die or hang back since he might be the Medic/Engineer supporting people. Focus fire and Defense are only interesting as rewards, you can improve them with the following example: When you spot an enemy you can hold Q for a radial menu on him. You can then select for example "vehicle AV" (or vehicle/infantry/air AI, or infantry/air AV etc etc). All vehicles with AV capabilities within a certain distance of the target will get a waypoint marker that guides them to the target even if it's not rendered yet. This helps them locate a target, but since the waypoint isn't visible for people not in an AV vehicle it won't clutter their HUD. The universality of the command, everyone sees this regardless of squad/platoon/random allegiance, also makes sure that communication between people actually happens without the need of a specific requirement (IE "must be in a squad to receive this message" isn't a problem). This type of communication can also happen between anyone, and be allowed to be used by all players and not just platoon/squadleads. Ofcourse a few limits would need to be put in to prevent cluttering and players having the option to set the maximum visible special waypoints as well as rewarding people with more prominent and faster cooldown waypoints to set. IE if you set an order for an airstrike and the airstrike succeeds, your waypoints will get higher priority on people's screens and you can set a new one faster.
Yep, we need to promote teamwork outside of squads but we need to start somewhere and step by step improve overall gameplay atleast at squads. Squads are just more suitable for teamwork: you have leaders, waypoints, additional rewards, fireteams and overall better communications. Battles outside of squads are just too chaotic... Also PS2 can benefit from simple objectives system: go to X, capture YZ, find enemy spawnpoint, etc.
The reason why teamwork outside of squads is non-existant is because there are little to no incentives to do it and most mechanics arent favorable for teamplay. You can see this reflected in squads. You have teamspeak, leaders, waypoints, fireteams and overall better communications, yet the best "teamwork" is still "everyone go there" and then have a mob of individuals fall on the target. The individuals are for the most part even in competition with eachother, rather than in support. This is why you should start not with the higher teamplay, but with the actual basis: two players meet, they should be able to teamplay. Reward this most basic form, create mechanics for them to play together rather than next to eachother, then go from there. Reward how three players can work together, reward different class/vehicle compositions etc. With a basis you can then move on: players join a squad not as a requirement for teamplay, but because they enjoyed teamplay with the locals and decided to stick together. From there you can go larger and larger until eventually players see a need for electing a leader. But if done right, a leader isnt even necessary for good teamplay. Starting from the top with leaders is the exact reverse of how it happens in a natural setting, and without any teamplay mechanics to use as a leader all you do is tell a mob "go there" and hope they do so.
