Before Planetside 2 I played a lot of Section 8. It's great and I wish PS2 would take some hints, in particular that everybody gets a jetpack (or put some ladders on buildings). However, that's the LA's schtick so what could replace it? For starters, what if LA could use any weapon or utility? What else can we give this imaginary new Light Assault class when everybody has a jetpack?
-soapbox time- Section 8 was a god awful game.. I spent a lot of time in 2 betas with that game, arguing with the fanboys and instructing the devs on what they were doing wrong, and every single thing I said they were doing wrong, I was spot on about. I want no other game to ever borrow from S8. i told them it was going to fail and why, and so did a few others.. and the fanboys told me to shut up and color, and man did it feel GREAT whenever that game crashed and burned. I told the devs that they shouldnt take gaming direction/suggestions from know-nothing console kids with a limited FPS background.. but in the end, they did and the game floundered. -end soapbox- Back on topic- the jetpacks need to be the defining characteristic of the LA.. let's keep it that way.
Before Planetside 2 I played a lot of Minecraft. It's great and I wish PS2 would take some hints, in particular that everybody could build it's own base and defend it against creepers. But shovels would replace tool slots and special abilities like jetpack, so I think we should RIGHTAWAY GET TO thinking how would game classes work out in this case, because obviously change is gonna happen soon, any day now. For starters, what if LA could use any weapon or utility? Just get that diamond sword out of thin air, he's light after all. What else can we give this imaginary new Light Assault class when everybody has a shovel?
In this case, the LA should be able to cast chain lightning which would damage enemies and heal friends, teleport, fly, change into huge mechanical walker/dinosaur robot (which would breath fire, stomp on enemies, with special move "Eat" which would make the dinobot eat enemy and produce a waste after short period of time, which would come out of the rear end. Friendly infantry could use it to refill their health AND ammo at same same time, instantly to full, giving you all the exp rewards for it). LA should also be able to carry 81 different primary and 114 different secondary weapons at the same time, which means we need more secondary weapons (seriously SOE you are nowhere near 114 right now...), and unlimited amount of tools from other classes as you already highlighted. LA should also be only class which would be able to use all the upgrades you can buy at the same time. And I mean all of them, even from different classes. That goes for multiple scopes on weapon too, for example, or both high velocity/soft point ammo at the same time, which would make it ultimate at all distances. LA also must be able to not only use enemy terminals to spawn enemy vehicles and airplanes which he could control, but he must be able to spawn as any faction he wishes, and get kill exp for any faction he kills (bonus if it's his current faction, call it "Ya didnae see dat comin"). LA also MUST be able to steal enemy weapons and vehicles. Not only LA would get control of the vehicle or weapon, the player it would be taken away would not have this vehicle/weapon at all, not able to spawn it, use it, not shown in any of his loadouts etc. ESPECIALLY when the weapon or weapons on vehicle have been bought for Station Cash. After all those people have spent their SC on that weapon once, surely they will pay again to be able to play with it. SOE would also start selling vehicles, as you can get your stolen and would not be able to spawn new one until you buy the right to spawn it, and hope some LA will not take it from you straight away. You can buy it again anyway, no big deal. This would give great profits to SOE.
If I were to start taking lessons for jetpack use from another game, I would much rather go with Tribes. To this day, my greatest amount of fun has been from the original Tribes and its flavors and to a lesser degree the newer versions. Crappy graphics, but the gameplay was so dynamic.
Don't get me wrong people I love games with jetpacks for everyone or great mobility, but this is just not that type of game.
LA's schtick means it doesn't need the ability to use all weapons. Section 8 was a game built around a common theme of everyone having jetpacks. To relate that game to PS2 (which is built simply around a world war theme between 3 empires) is insane. The DEVs clearly wanted to make a game in which LA had a distinct advantage with jet packs, but lost that advantage when it came to the gear they could carry.
Well, duh. I kinda assumed people would know that coming into this thread. LA's are better at infiltrating than Infiltrators; how many times have you heard or read that? I would like more customization is all it is, or rather, most of it.
Online shooters are only successful if they have a certain tipping point of population. Call of Duty is popular because Call of Duty is popular (and has tons of marketing). I always knew Section 8 Prejudice would flounder and I still bought all the DLC cause it was fun. I'm guessing you told the devs to make it more like Unreal or Quake? Ut2k4 sucked.
