The following thread HERE is something I've been considering lately, which involves all of you guys. If you could, please take the time to read through the huge, obsessive, rant and provide me with a little feedback...it would be greatly appreciated. It's a very extreme change to the game, to both our classes...but something I feel could work. It wouldn't provide us with everything we need, but it would be the first phase in polishing up both our classes and further defining our roles in Planetside 2. The Light Assault update would then be phase two and further polish the change.
Sorry, I've been within the test server and the Reddit post lately. Basics: - Give the role of recon to the Light Assault. - Flesh out hacking as our new defined role and provide us with better stealth tools. - Give the Light Assault back the Adrenaline Pump exclusiveness and buff it accordingly. - Give the Infiltrator a suit slot that lets us phase through anti-infantry shields and actually Infiltrate. - Give the Light Assault the Recon Tool. - Give Infiltrators a new heat based tool that nullifies the radar. - Make the Detection Darts for the Crossbow exclusive to the Light Assault. These will be the only detection device capable of nullifying our new tool. If you see us uncloaked while you're atop of those buildings...you fire this detection dart into us and it'll last for X seconds...tracking us in real time like the motion sensor does right now. It'll work like this if you shoot everyone else too...giving you a different form of detection alongside the Recon Darts. The motion sensor would probably need reworked or removed for obvious reasons...Light Assaults placing these into some devastating locations. -------- Essentially, - The Infiltrator would have an emphasis upon stealth as a whole rather than just the visual facet. Hacking would become our defined role, which would need fleshed out much further and made into a lucrative and exciting system on par with medical aid, repair, and recon. - The Light Assault would obtain our recon capabilities and take on a more bounty hunter type of role. You'll compliment us as much as counter us...and finally have a tool and role to perform in battle. The Infiltrator update becomes the Infiltrator and Light Assault update Part 1, and they work on further defining these new positions to finally polish and finish by the Light Assault update...giving us both new tools, equipment, and fully defining us within the game by the time that the Light Assault update rolls around. Ultimately, we would always be trying to avoid your detection capabilities through our new stealth oriented mechanics while simultaneously working alongside you in black ops missions beyond enemy lines. The Light Assault troops would light up the radar of a base while we take the low road and you the high...then we murder our way to the middle and victory.
This is the first time I have seen an infiltrator make a suggestion that didn't completely reek of self interest. I will extend the open hand of partnership, hesitantly, and up your post...
Thanks for the support. Everyone who dedicates themselves to a specific class is a little bias...but for this game to work, we need to all put that aside and seek the absolute best for each class. Only then will we get that lost population back, an abundance of exciting battles against challenging adversaries, and a game that has a real future. Hopefully that happens!
After reading through your self-described "rant", I found myself agreeing with your statements across the board. It's a well constructed argument and it makes complete and total sense. I approve of this heavily.
Thank you very much for the support! I just linked Higby to the Reddit thread via Twitter, so we'll see. I assume that with the more support this idea gains, the more likely they are to actually consider it. So if you, or anyone else who agrees with this, hasn't already upvoted the Reddit it would be greatly appreciated.
Welp, I guess I'll be the first negatory then. The whole first paragraph is a very glass half empty argument. The cloak ability is arguably the best ability in a game of position like PS2. That's why it has that god-awful sound and has so many counters. Actually it doesn't matter what sound the cloak makes. Most times you know an enemy is about because of the distinct weapon noises. Being able to cloak to evade the enemy is an A-list ability. I do agree they should do something about the graphics settings though. As for your tool swapping idea. You would like a tool that makes Infs even more undetectable unless an LA spots them and shoots them with a crossbow? A. If I spot you, why not just kill you? B. Would you be able to carry a Carbine along with this new crossbow? C. Will there be static XP for players detected by the new recon tool? You're also waving adrenaline pump exclusivity, but a lot of LAs would like this to be a passive ability. Is this what you had in mind or would it still take up a tool slot? BTW- I didn't think your post was a rant or even all that long. You've seem to have thought this through, but I'm obviously skeptical.
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No worries, I didn't expect to win everyone over with this. Truth be told, this thread would have been far better presented were I to have taken the time to fully theory craft and detail. With them pushing the Infiltrator update though, it's apparently being thrown into live sometime this week, I wanted to get this concept out there as soon as possible...gather a bit of support, get people thinking, etc. Basically, a quick move to try and stall the update were enough people to actually support the idea. I fear things will be much more difficult once the update goes live, because they'll be quick to simply say that they did what they could and that's that...time to move on. Either way though, I'm known for ranting and intend to work on this concept further regardless...and represent at a later date with a far more fleshed out idea. With that said... The Crossbow is a sidearm; so, unless I'm missing something, you should be able to wield it with the Carbine. There's a lot of features associated with this "pistol" that has left many Infiltrators wondering why it's not class specific...including the Detection Dart ammunition type. With that said...the Crossbow isn't exclusive to a single class, it's a sidearm that any class can use. Currently, in the test server, it kills in two headshots (one to the Infiltrator) and can equip up to a 6x scope. It's got standard bolts, explosive anti-vehicle ammunition, and those detection darts right now. What I was suggesting is that each class gets their own unique ammunition type for the Crossbow, and if the recon role goes to the Light Assault...these detection darts would become exclusive to you guys. My thoughts on what these darts should do is essentially similar to how the Motion Sensor works right now. If you tag someone with the bolt...it'll track them on the radar in real time for a limited duration. As for the Recon Tool itself, yes...I'm suggesting that it retains its experience reward when it's transferred over to you guys. The recon darts would work just as they do now...but it's likely, judging from the development teams apparent distaste of the Infiltrator, they'll provide the Recon Tool with an alternate detection dart mode similar to the Crossbow's alternate ammunition type. Why would you nail someone with a detection dart over just killing them? Same reason we spot infantry targets...because there's just always situations where you can't kill, but you can make their life hell by ensuring everyone knows they're around. As for the Adrenaline Pump, I wouldn't mind it becoming a passive perk for the Light Assault at all. My original idea for the personal Shield Diffuser suit slot that we would get was originally intended to be a passive perk for fully certifying into Advanced Hacking. So, if the Light Assault obtained a buffed version of the Adrenaline Pump by default...that would justify me going back to incorporating my original idea with the personal Shield Diffuser. Then both of our classes would have something interesting without taking away our suit slot options. Still, I'd probably provide both methods of implementation to ensure that it was better received. No matter how it's implemented, you guys should get a buff to the Adrenaline Pump Granted, it would be a long road until we both get to where we need to be...but, hopefully, by the time the Light Assault update rolls around we would both be fleshed out with our own defined rolls and unique tools to get the job done. I'll probably try to work a free based site up where I can constantly edit and alter the entire concept...incorporate ideas, flesh it out, so on and so forth...then just constantly update the threads I post here and on the Reddit.
I posted in your primary thread, but... I think almost everything you mentioned is a good idea. Infiltrator stealth should be buffed in a few ways, as there is no reason for most of the weaknesses you mentioned. I would like LA to keep some of their exclusiveness, but I don't know if recon is the best trait to give LA. I think there is a better way to split it up. As far as large suggestions, especially for both these classes (which have a decent amount of drama), this is a great suggestion.
Thank you very much for the support. When I think of reconnaissance for the Light Assault, I view it with a more predatory mindset. The way it plays out within my mind, it'll provide the mobile Light Assault with an easier time picking their battles and getting the drop on the enemy...while giving them a very vital aspect of squad support without hindering their own methods. Granted, I don't think it's the only thing the Light Assault should get in terms of interesting quirks... When CuteBeaver and I were talking about this, she mentioned that she wants to see the Light Assault take on a role similar to Boba Fett and that's how she's always viewed them. I agree, this bounty-hunter type of methodology fits pretty well in my opinion.
"snip" OK, I didn't realize the crossbow was a side arm. I heard mention of it coming and it got filed directly in "things I never want to use" section of my brain. I just assumed it was a full on crossbow...While I'd like to see LA get a tool (and the recon tool does make sense), I'm still not hot on spending too much time chasing around shadows.