Hello. So i have been an inconsistent player since November 18th, 2014, but I love this game to death so I play it constantly when I do. So I think im in a good position to make judgements on balance. I have crafted a theory of complexity vs depth. Essentially complexity = amount of mechanics, values, and content, while depth = how things interconnect (like how medics heal engies, engies heal maxes, and the max keeps all of them alive). So I have noticed that there are classes that lack depth like heavy assault. Heavy assault kills vehicles, and they kill people... is that it? I can kill everything? Isnt that what the MAX does? Theres literally no depth to heavy assault its basically walk up, turn on a shield, and fire some kind of weapon at a thing. It has a minscule purpose, and doesnt tie in with anything else. Heavy assault cannot act as a bullet sponge since its just a human, actually im pretty sure most people avoid firing at a shielded heavy assault as to not waste ammo. Daybreak you guys need to innovate with the classes that are made for killing. Light assault kills things with style but doesnt contribute to the team very much, same with heavy assault. IMO i think having other utility slot items for both classes would be a good start. Theres the rocklet rifle for the LA but maybe there could be a constructable jump pad as well, maybe even something like a tether that another player consents to so the light assault can get that player to a high position. For heavy assault, there should be more than rocket launchers, there could be riot style shields, or even a large shield which stops projectiles. This is just a suggestion and I heard DB doesnt pay attention to these forums much, but I think adding these elements to these classes will make them much more team oriented, light assault has mobility, and can offer mobility, heavy assault has durability, and can offer durability.
I feel the same way about HA personally, although it can be fun to play occasionally when that is all I want to do. I've been playing quite a bit of LA recently and I find they do come into their own in some fights, making a real contribution in tower assaults in particular by flipping up over the balconies to get in amongst defenders shooting down on the attack.......... as well as giving the phalanx turrest and suchlike a taste of C4 or blowing the equipment and vehicle terminals. Overall though, there is not much that encourages co-ordinated play between assault classes or between them and support classes, other than the intiative of certain outfits. I wonder what forum would think of an ability to join scratch squads as an in-game option............each one with a pre-specified mix of classes and a sundy or something to get around in/provide fire support. You sign up to a scratch squad and choose your slot in the TOE then off to battle when the squad is full (maybe bonus points for achieving certain objectivesa as a scratch squad in addition to the usual squad bonuses?). Squads whose members leave can be joined by anyone of the right class immediately when they sign up for a place ina scratch squad. Squad leaders can use a special channel to call for new members maybe? (yeah, think raids and dungeon instances from WoW). Maybe scratch squad members can only respawn on death at the squad location (to maintain coherency) but IDK how that could be made to work in practice if, say, the squad medics are all dead at the same time.
So what? Get rid of Medics and you can still use Sunderer, Drop Pods, Valks, Gals, Spawn Rooms and Elysium spawn tubes to get back into the action.
What in blazes. You'd have face-tanking or face-tanking, no one able to support at all without it being solely gun-fire, vehicles would be incredibly more limited, destroying sunderers more difficult as would defending them. Play fine? You'd break half the balance. Get rid of medics, and you'd need to use incredibly-more-vulnerable vehicles lacking repairs, no way to heal without med-kits & allied territory benefits - Implants mirror that effect, but only one does. You'd also have much more limited ammunition. Less ability to use implants, since you will not have any additional ammunition, healing, nor recon. There will be no long-range attack options. Beacons will be only on the ground for the most part, if they aren't; You'll need entire aircraft to get singular beacons. Valks loose a lot a durability, as does most aircraft, without engineers. And without Engineers, there is no tank mines - No archers either. So you remove all ability to sustain a force, a base, a vehicle, or similar. In a game where that capability was the basis for a lot of changes, stats, base layouts, and more. So no, it wouldn't still work. Not in the slightest. HA is the stock non-nanite option, with the widest selection weaponry to handle the widest amount of threats. MAXes are heavier mechanized suits of armor, with more focused weaponry, mainly on offense, and require Engineer support to reach their full capability - Maxes aka are specialized assault units, Heavy Assaults are more broad, and less specialized. However, allowing them a bit more customization would be fantastic. Riot Shields? "Form the Shield wall, to protect the medics behind" Useful.
