This is just another one of my unlikely-to-be-seen ideas for a total overhaul of the class system. I've always found the class setup of Planetside 2 a bit clunky with some classes being overly limited and others far too versatile. Light Assault Primary - Special Purpose Weapons, Carbines Tools - Rocklet Rifle, Light Grenade Launchers Abilities - Jetpacks Unique Utilities - Light C4 Unique Grenades - Quick Flash Heavy Assault Primary - Assault Rifles, Shotguns, Carbines Tools - AT Rocket/Missile Launchers, Heavy Grenade Launchers Abilities - Body Shields Unique Utilities - Medium C4, Timed Charges Unique Grenades - Cluster Combat Medic Primary - Semi-Auto Battle Rifles, Carbines Tools - Medical Tool, Reviving Dart Gun Abilities - Mobile Healing Field, Healing Field Emitter Unique Utilities - Medical Bot Unique Grenades - Healing, Revive Support Primary - LMGs, Automatic Battle Rifles, Carbines Tools - Mortars, AA/Camera Rocket/Missile Launchers, Mobile Hardlight Shield Abilities - Ammo Packs Unique Utilities - RC Bomb Bot, Shield Recharger Unique Grenades - EMP Engineer Primary - SMGs, Carbines Tools - Repair Tool, Repair Dart Gun, Repair & Sabotage Bot Abilities - Turrets, Barriers, Various Structures Unique Utilities - Heavy C4, AT Mines, Heavy AP Mines, Reserve Barrier Unique Grenades - Repair Infiltrator Primary - Sniper Rifles, Scout Rifles, Anti-Materiel Rifles Tools - Motion Sensors, Sensor Dart Gun Abilities - Cloaks, Hacking Unique Utilities - Radar Decoys, Jammers, Light AP Mines Unique Grenades - Decoy All other Grenade and Utility types are available to all classes. Advanced Specializations could be used to blur the class roles a little more the way they do now, so you could still unlock the ability to use LMGs with Heavy Assault, Ammo with Engineer, SMGs and Shotguns with other classes, etc.
Joy. 2 Dedicated AOE Launchers, if they aren't using nanites, we now have mass AOE spam, with arcing fire. Like over any spawn-room wall. Joy, a Cluster-grenade. A long-range healing option, allowing cover & healing from a mass distance. Which even if medium-range, would be miles easier to spam & use at range, without exposure. Sure, nice, but also, it's either better or worse than the normal tool. A bloody mortar launcher, for more AOE spam over distances, without nanites, over any & all cover, likely into spawn-rooms. Or from it, making it hellish. Oh Fun, a self-propelled C-4. A moving wall... infinitely better than a static one, past blocking a doorway without being there. Long-range Repairs.. With a remote controlled or AI controlled bot, that repairs? So I can sit around a corner, healing a max? Or roll an entire bot around a corner, without a risk? Infiltrator loses everything past sniper-rifles, to scout-rifles. With barely anything to use, in a world of AOE, long-range tools.. They get whatever you consider a Jammer, Radar Decoys , and the near useless decoy grenade. (Also, what is a Special Purpose Rifle? actual question) -- I have a better post coming, that actually suggests things. It's too long to risk editing this twice
--- In this post, I will be constructive on additions. As that post above, will expire too quickly, for me to risk writing a lot. I dislike the notion of adding additional explosive spam, so casually. But I do apologize for the excessive sass. We already have 1 rifle that can do it, easily: And either grenade launchers are useless, or add just more hellish AOE spam everywhere. (Not to mention, NC loses their entire Remote missile, on top of everyone getting AOE spam.) Infiltrators; Keep their weaponry. Their grenade options are expanded to include the Concussion , Smoke & Flash grenades Their Tool slot is expanded to allow a choice between their sensors, or a disruption dart that scrambles enemy sensors in radius. (Anti-Recon Tool basically, and confusion generation. ) In their utility slot, is the option to use (for stalker easy access), a recon tool that high-lights the target (Demigan's wireframing) to nearby allies in region; While the Infiltrator uses it. Effects dissipates 1-2 seconds afterwards if they stop. (Allows infiltrator the tools to coordinate a threat for allies to focus fire on - perfect for field command) Heavy-Assaults, choose between an AV \ AA Launcher, or their faction's heavy weapon. (This makes them specialize at least a bit, and gives more use to the Heavy Weapons.) Their Shield, no longer affects them as strongly, instead the effect is halved, but affects nearby allies in a 5-10 meter radius. This does not stack with other overshields, so no user will get a better %, unless the sources' ability was higher level. Which will override. Light-Assaults Not sure, what to suggest, past maybe nerfing that new Jump-jet by removing C-4 access if they have it equipped. (Removes the severe "Well ****" moment of an LA light-speeding onto tanks with explosives) Engineers: AA Turret Option -- Repair-Tool-Attachment option for Primary-Weapon; Allowing them to switch fire modes to their repair tool. (So engineers are not always so hapless.) Medics; Medi-Tool Attachment (1 mode at a time, with a choice between the two), for their primary weapon. (Operates on the same principle as the repair tool, went with 1 mode at a time, thinking maybe it'd reduce the complexity) Place-able Healing-Field (You suggested something similar. I agree on that.) Remotely Operated explosives never end well. Neither does Indirect fire, all that much: As it can't easily be responded to, and can use cover while invaliding it, at range. Let alone with AOE, in case, it's easily spammed, and hard to dodge.
... what are light c4 and light grenadelaunchers meant to do? AI? why rip the medic of his assaultrifle? .. i mean i already have no interest in the class for lack of a AV weapon to be of any help in a infantry vs vehicleflight .. as in give him that grenadelauncher infils with av grenades and explosive crossbow yes ... antimaterialrifle HECK NO!!! also no concusion or flash ... why take away smg´s? it´s an INFILTRATOR!! NOT i reapeat NOT a pure sniper! don´t see need to add an extrasupportclass when the engineer already is that supportrole .. heavy´s don´t need the precision as they are meant to be the grunts in frontline combat .. to make it short ... i disagree with this classchangesuggestion ... specialisation should be a choice, not enforced ... imho each class needs a degree of general usefulness on the field .. the suggestion of OP heavily limits that usefullness of many of the classes .... if i were to change the classes heavy: remove or change c4 to be antiinfantry (heavy has enough AV capability with grenades and rockets already) but add more effective ranged but nanitecosting AV option nerf overshield to be vulnerable from the back so other infantry have a chance to flank .. engineer: higher pitch to turrets and add additional variants ( halberd, flak, coyote f.e.) remove c4 or change it to AI and remove AP mines instead ... seriously engineers have quite a lot of consumeable tools medic: dualwielding healpistol with primary so the medic is able to defend himself .. can not ads and healing/rezzing is less efficient add primary AV option to be more helpfull in vehiclefights as well as AV grenades give reconoptions (darts and/or beacon) as additional toolslot ... the ammount of recon is laughably low in this game and only relying on infils is a massive PITA .. remove or change c4 to be antiinfantry light assault: personaly i would keep it as is .. can´t say much bout jetpacknerfs .. infil: add av grenades Max: bit of a wild idea but ... add supportoptions like radar or motiontracker, ammorefil for infantry (not as good as engineer), shieldrecharger (not as good as medics) .. maybe personal stealth ... all just examples ..
Arbitrary measures bring unintended consequences. Instead of a "revamp", expansion should be instituted. For example, jet packs available for every class.
It's a good idea that keeps reappearing I'd like to see it done in the weapon slots, so a max could equip a healing/repair option in one hand or both! Having double repair would make you great at fixing things but give you no attacks beyond max punch Would be awesome in the rumble seat of a harasser though!
