[Suggestion] Light Assault Needs a Tool

Discussion in 'Light Assault' started by PricelessBounty, Sep 1, 2015.

  1. Saclo

    Chaff dispenser and/or grenade. Front line radar{x} negation. (hehe)

    • Dispenser: Would be placed like inf radar or medic shield. Negates all radar in 20-50m or so radius, lasts 3-5min.
    • Grenade: 10m radius, lasts 10-15 seconds.

    Thought about this for inf a while ago, but would work for LA too. could put it in some hard to find places to help you flank etc..
    What do ya think?
  2. Greyfairer

    How about 'seeker explosive packages' that only have a downward trajectory?

    Somewhat like an aerial dropped submunition,

    They would be placed 'above' a target area and have a forward firing arc much like an engineer turret and a locked downward firing angle (45 degree?); also a capped range although in most cases the 45 degree angle would cap the range just based on the set up location.

    Moving within the arc would activate the submunition rather like someone or some vehicle moving into an expanded radius of activation around a mine.

    The submunition could come in two flavors, AI which might be something akin to three or five grenades and AT which would approximate a C4 charge or maybe one manpacked rocket round.

    Such an item would capitalize on the mobility and potential stealth of an LA, not steal an existing ability from another class and LAs would be even more relevant as they would be needed to 'sweep the heights' as friendlies more through.

    Just an idea.
  3. asdfPanda

    You mean ability?

    Anyway, I have doubts about the stimpack idea in this thread. The tradeoff for losing your shields had better be worth it.

    I honestly have yet to see an idea that isn't borderline gimmicky.
  4. PricelessBounty

    ikr.


    anyone else have an idea?

    lets narrow this down, the idea should increase the mobility of LA without making LA op, they don't need more fire power or gravity boots, they need mobility, that's the whole point of LA, and right now they aren't much more mobile than anyone else.

    even if you idea is just a simple modification to the existing jetpack system I want to hear it. Maybe we can mash some ideas together, decide what works and what doesn't.

    I still really like Iridar51's idea but I feel the stabilizer jet would need to be tweaked or removed, the way it would let you hover just sounds like it would either be OP for the user or a deathtrap for a user, I still cant decide which but that specific part sounds kinda like a gimmick where the rest sounds like a really good idea.
  5. PricelessBounty


    You know, I was looking more for LA mobility ideas but I like this one. No other class has anything that hides themselves or allies from the radar.

    I like this one, lets incubate this idea a bit.
  6. Archard

    Light Assaults have plenty of tools. I see them running along rooftops all the time. :>


    Anyway, for real. The chaff idea would also destroy your own radar, so it would be double edged. Could help in some situations, but it would also be fairly obnoxious to play alongside too. Though some people wouldn't notice the effect since a lot seem to be blind to their own mini-map. Balanced in a way, but it would get pretty annoying overall unless it was semi-expensive to actually field.

    Something to disguise your team/squad on the enemy radar on the otherhand would be pretty scary if used well.
  7. Problem Officer

    Replace C4 with something else that LA can place on walls, something meant to be higher up.
    Camera turret, placed as consumable, toggled with secondary from a remote in tool slot, fired with primary.
    Manual-only, silent and low profile, can be switched to and back repeatedly, weapon equivalent of maybe a battle rifle with smaller ammo reserve.
    Could make it track a laser to fire from character view.
    • Up x 1
  8. JonboyX

    I once saw a suggestion for an anti-grav pad. Something with a short upward grav lift, say small wall height, with a deployment radius limit and restriction against deploying inside a building (like the spawn beacon has). I've not really thought about the balancing aspects, but it sounds interesting at least and improves the "stick with squad" aspect that the LA generally lacks.

    I also like the idea of a portal gun :) - maybe even a 5 second hole-in-the-wall tool: single fire weapon (a bit like the GSD).

    Thing is; both these fundamentally change base layouts and benefits and may well be really op.


    Short sprint option. Also good. I've often thought LA should have a basic footspeed advantage natively.
    Holographic camo changer (random shifts each 10 seconds from a selected list)? Okay, maybe that one is a bit daft, so I'll stop there.
  9. TheMercator

    Don't the devs have the model for that NS grenadelauncher laying around? Just give it to LA as a tool. Different and or faction specific launcher could follow after its effect on the battlefields has been tested.
  10. TheMercator

  11. Nogrim313

    this part i agree with, the suggestions not so much. the switch tool would be abused (for ex icaraus up on to ledge, switch, drifter over tanks) i think it would remove the choice from your load out (sort of like an HA being able to switch shield types in the field)

    the spawn beacon would just be broken, as it would allow complete zerg drops which imho would be awful all around.


    now im not a huge LA player, personally i find them boring, but some idea that might work.


    artillery spotter - similar to a motion detector but would allow Bulldogs and indirect fire weapons to see a target area and show them at what height to aim for indirect fire (raising a target marker to where they need to aim to hit people in that area) LA would get assists on any kills made in the area

    cloak disruption darts - similar to the recon darts except they disrupt infil cloaks in a small radius for a short duration (to help clear sniper nests)

    Caltrops - ****** name but it gets the idea across - would go in place of C4 for the LA, and could be dropped while using jets. would slow all infantry by say 25% while in the radius on contact, effect ends either after a set time or when destroyed (its sort of like a grenade but meant to be dropped like C4 on tanks but for infantry.

    Portable jump pads - same as the big guys but no fall damage immunity and can not catch a falling player, basically an item you deploy that gives other classes and icarus like jump when the step on it. would be used for leaping over an exterior base wall. limited jump height and easy to destroy

    better melee weapons just for LA's. dual knives maybe?

    EMP gun - something like a recon dart tool - disrupts infantry shields/mines//base turrets for a short duration
    infantry shield depleted but immediately begin to recharge.
    mines are disabled but not destroyed, reactivating after a short delay.
    base turrets are disabled or eject their occupant

    some of these are also prob a little OP but im trying to stick to things that would work well with the different types of jets, and being on the roof tops above the fight. my fav is the portable jump pad
  12. DarkWingGB

    • Personal Spawn Beacon ?
    It gives you one-time personal spawn point. With cooldown, of course.
    • Up x 2
  13. PricelessBounty

    I like some of these ideas, others sound out of place for this game. Hell some of my suggestions are bad.

    Even if they keep the jetpack the same and make it the tool and made LA's ability an enhanced sprint that makes you run faster for a duration or something. Something to enhance mobility, more firepower isn't really needed, after all, its Light Assault.
  14. Khornish

    Actually, I'd rather see LA, as a class, go away.

    Instead, I would like to see the other classes get a LA version, in that they retain their base abilities, but their loadout options are reduced. So, a LA-Medic would have say his medic tool, and a utility slot, along with main weapon and sidearm. The smaller loadout balances out the ability to get to those certain places, like the tops of walls.

    Overall, LA as a class, is severely limited as to what they can do, beyond having access to places that other class would need careful airdrops to reach. However, were each class able to select a more limited loadout, to go with the jump packs, the ability of a squad to support operations from an otherwise hard to reach place, gives both attackers and defenders a lot of options.

    Even MAXes should have access to jump jets, like the Vanu MAXes in PS1.
  15. PricelessBounty

    You know, I'm trying to be open to all ideas... but this one.


    I'm not even sure what to say about this other than you must really hate LA. Why would doing away with LA and giving everyone a jetpack be better.

    That would totally ruin the flow of combat, no one would go through doors or choke points anymore. It would be a nonstop battle for high ground, more people would ignore the objectives, and there would be less combat between infantry and ground vehicles.
  16. Xybranus

    I've always seen light assault as a typical skirmisher class, able to hit unexpected areas, leave, then hit somewhere else with ruthless precision. A lot of that comes from map awareness, which, looking historically (cardinal sin for video games, I know), scouts/skirmisher units always relay this back to other support elements or mainline units.

    The idea of an 'artillery spotter' style tool is kinda cool, though it being exclusively dependant on someone else using a Bulldog, Fury, Zephyr, or Dalton, seems very situational.

    What about a Tracer Dart pistol, kinda like the one from Battlefield: Bad Company 2? Fire the dart, and any lock-on launcher can lock onto it. It'd be a little redundant in some cases, but, it'd allow any lock-on, of any type (friendly OR enemy), to tag the target, and would provide a range increase to the lock-on distance, which would scale with improvements. Could be used as an odd, indirect way of 'artillery support' onto an area with enemy infantry, or to just tag a vehicle for destruction. Obviously the darts would have either a fixed or improvable duration (Maybe five seconds to start, upgrading to fifteen, or fifteen flat duration?)

    The darts would, for balance purposes, also have a similar sized hitbox to a Motion Spotter, so they can be destroyed as a counter.
  17. Khornish

    On the contrary, I enjoy the extra mobility of LA and would like to see it more widely available.

    As a class, LA would not really need to exist, were a jump pack/jetpack available as a utility item. Losing an item slot and filling the utility slot with the pack includes a natural disincentive for those who like to play with the extra goodies available to their classes.

    Your slippery slope argument is just that and hold no real weight. You may feel it to be true, but you have no evidence to suggest your are correct. In fact, there is plenty of evidence to suggest you assessment is flawed.

    On the contrary, high ground battles exist to allow access to and dominance of choke points. One still must go through a door in order to get to the majority of capture points.LA on top of buildings cannot shoot through that building's windows, from their position on top, and must therefore get off the high group to take the objective.

    This is also not too far removed from having an LA as squad leader dropping a spawn beacon, giving access to the hard to reach high ground to his squad mates. However, were the rest of the squad in jump packs, then the squad could sustain their efforts should a lucky grenade or rocket take out the sole beacon.

    Did you ever play PS1? Vanu MAXes had jump jets, and had longer life expectancy that the current version of the MAX suits. Fights over objectives did not suddenly were not more rare than virgins in a whorehouse, instead, all factions kept in mind the additional mobility and plan for it.

    With the preponderance of vehicles in PS2, I doubt that teams could long survive being based on top of a building, once the enemy learned to counter it. I mean, Reaver rocket spam does a number on concentrations of infantry.
  18. Demigan

    These Emergency stabilizers actually sound good. They give a great additional functionality to jumpjets. From what I understand you would be hanging still in the air while this ability is active, which is a pretty big disadvantage when you are already discovered.

    You could also create a second stabilizer type. I was thinking of adding an ability that you activate and starts burning jumpjet fuel. While active it reduces your maximum COF, and reduces your starting-COF when running, jumping or flying. That way you won't be pinpoint precise, but you can become much more mobile while fighting. Using hipfire would be much more powerful, keeping the Light Assault as mobile as his name suggests. You can also improve your accuracy while in the air, but since it burns jumpjet fuel you'd better be sure you don't use it for longer than a second or two.

    Sounds like a good amount of extra versatility. Although I would focus on teamplay tools first, the ability to be more effective in combat would be strong in itself, as we can already see in the HA.
  19. Demigan

    Heh, the LA is the most mobile class by far, but if you want something really interesting...
    a teleport gun similar to the Unreal Tournament version. You fire off a small beacon and you can teleport towards whenever you want as long as you remain in 300m distance. Teleporting for balance reasons could be on a cooldown/warmup period, such as 3 seconds warmup before you actually teleport.
    This would be the perfect ambush weapon. You place the beacon somewhere, walk to some other cover. You attract some attention and while your enemy is moving towards you teleport away, then attack from the side or back.


    Then we have the fact that the LA's primary ability of confusion actually slows him down. Using smoke means you need to go ADS to use your heat vision and you'll not be able to use all your mobility. So we need activatable goggles. Heat goggles would simply work like your HV/IR scope and help you see through smoke or darkness. But you could also add Hud enhancement goggles, if you spot an enemy with these goggles a wire-frame shows these players even if they run behind cover, allowing the LA to keep track of any enemies he spots. Additionally the ability will keep track of enemy height, and a small arrow upwards or downwards will indicate if the enemy is above or below your position on the radar. And lastly you could equip flash/EMP goggles. These would prevent you from being flashed, and the EMP effect will still knock your shields off but not affect the rest of your HUD.


    Stimulate kits? Increase reload speed, weapon switch speed, knife speed, walk and sprint speed.


    How about buffing the Flash grenade? The EMP grenade is already it's master in all it's effects, removing shields, radar, reducing vision and explodes on contact? The Flash grenade should be the one that explodes on contact, becoming much more potent and useful in one tiny upgrade.

    Talking about grenades, how about adding one that reduces the mobility of other players? We already have the concussion grenade ofcourse, but a gel grenade could work as a deterrent and teamplay weapon. Throw one grenade at a doorpost and instantly make everyone entering an easy target, or throw one in a group of enemies and wipe them out while they are vulnerable.
  20. doomedking517

    Hmm i dont play light assualt much, but heres an idea, any of you played tribes: ascend? you know the conscept of skiing and jetpacks, like you can "slide" down a hill picking up speed, and then you use a jet pack to push yourself up the slopes and into the air maintaining that speed, it would add a rather interesting dynamic to jetpacks, whilst also making it heavily skill dependant (anyone not skilled in the use usually becomes an easy target) but it can also be used to cover ground really fast. however how do we avoid the law suit XD but this is what i usually think of when i think "light assualt" i think someone going really fast from place to place, and getting the initial assualts started, they have the advantage of being able to keep their actions unique based on their enhanced movement. the idea of heat-vision goggles would be OP against infiltrators unless cloaks were buffed to prevent HV/NV seeing them (else it would be unfeasable to play as an infiltrator), and surely enhanced spotting should goto infiltrators... y'know the information class? i dunno, i dont play much LA's but i like the concept of the last one and wouldnt be soo against it.