[Suggestion] The q-ing system

One of the things I often find myself doing while playing infantry, is constantly spamming Q. (not literally)
And it's not exactly my choice, it's what the game encourages you to do, which is to spot potential players irregardless whether or not you can see them.

I think the spotting system in this game is nowhere close to being ideal. If I had to describe it with two words, I'd say it's unreliable and mindless. And, i have a few suggestions as to how i think DBG can improve it.

1) Have a small timer of something like 1 second (like a small reload animation) before you can officially spot someone.
2) Have a definite boundary as to which allies can see the enemy you spotted. Perhaps, limit it to your squad/platoon or have a definite radius of allies (suggestion 20m in-game, since I don't think you'd realistically hear someone outside that range in a battlefield).
3) Have some timer as to how long the enemy will remain spotted (10 - 12 seconds or so).

I find the current spotting system pretty unreliable, as I can't often see who my squad member spotted even though he claim's to do so, and vice versa. With a more defined system, we'd all feel more confident planning out crisp strategies.

Excuse me for my English, if i sounded awkward. I'm not too used to writing.

Three misses and you get put onto a short spotting cooldown. I forget if there is a "spotting too much too fast" cooldown.

Before or after latency?

All allies within about 100m of you will be updated the same spotting that you just called, getting the dorito and minimap ping, but allies outside of that radius will not get that update.

I believe it already is ten seconds, conditional to whatever else the target is doing. They will lapse back into an unspotted condition eventually.

I like the idea that some dude from far away can q-spot someone that is following you, making the hostile appear on your minimap, I wouldn't change that, it's a mechanic that adds content especially for infiltrators and LA, being able to do the "spotters" and making it easier for everyone else. distance shouldn't be a problem for "realism" since I think these kind of "target calls" would be listened via radio or whatever stuff is in the helmets xD
the sistem is not badly implemented IMHO, if you spam Q you will over-heat and be left without the Q-spot function for few seconds, which can be pretty frustrating at times.

But if the system has some bug or problems and it's not working as it's intended then they should fix it obviously.

As others said, the conditions proposed by the OP are already present.

Any changes I'd like to see to Spotting is one done by Squadmates. I'd like to see a Star appear next to targets spotted by Squad or PlatoonLeaders. And perhaps a little chevron symbol when spotted by someone in squad. The idea that a Squad lead can q target priority targets would be great.

Maybe enhance the priority target where you Hold Q and can lock a target and what this does is mark the target as a priority target that shows up under normal q-spot (doesn't show if not spotted by someone).

I know this can be done due to the bounty system.

Step 1: Pull a Galaxy with max composite armor and fire suppression
Step 2: equip the awareness implant
Step 3: fly over a heavyly contested area really low
Step 4: spotting XP for days

I think step2 should be step 1

Q-spot radial menu would work.

Hold Q-spot over an enemy, probably best if he has to be spotted first. Then you can call up the radial menu for specific strikes. Like requesting an airstrike, vehicle strike, or warning for AA.

Personally I would not force this system to be a squad/platoon only option, as players should be able to communicate with each other freely and designate targets. Some kind of limitation, such as only being able to use it once a minute as well as a maximum of X of these at the same time on your screen.
A radial-Q-spot would have a marker similar to a waypoint, visible even when people aren't looking at it directly. This way players get guided to the target much more easily and it would mark the power of this spot, even though it takes the time of using a radial menu on an already spotted target.

It would massively improve inter-unit cooperation. Aircraft requesting AA to be removed, or aircraft finally being able to be guided to a target that needs destruction, such as tanks that keep popping back into cover getting the final blow.
Infantry would be tougher, so maybe add a V-radial menu for area-spots. So someone can designate an area to contain AA, or an AV nest of infantry, or a large tank column etc.

I'd prefer it to be squad/platoon only so it isn't spammed. If everyone has an targeted icon on them it sort of dilutes the purpose. Then it comes down to which has more priority? Personally I'd want to know what my squad leader is pointing out. Not some some random zergling. Sorry to say, but I value my teammates opinion over a random player.

Anything that puts a lengthy marker down (as in for more than 10 seconds) will need to be squad or platoon only otherwise even with a minute cooldown, you'd see the minimap and HUD get cluttered quick. If anyone remembers when the population was a bit higher and how many offenive/defensive requests would be up at one time.. and those are restricted to squad leaders.

I do like your idea about an area marker for infanty. Something like a temporary marker for snipers and the like. Again if its longer than 10s, it'll need to be squad or platoon only. And allow squad leaders to delete markers set by their members as needed.

That's why there's limitations: if you can only place one for everyone to see every minute (maximum certed) people are more careful, and there's a limit of how many are shown at any one time with Squad/Platoon being the most important and taking precedence on all others. Maybe show a maximum of 3 of "public" q-radial spots.
You can allow squad/platoon leaders to place infinite one's for their own squad/platoon.

The reason why there need to be public radial-spots and not just squad/platoon based one's, is because teamplay should be happening between any group. Especially in PS2 where you can get separated from friendlies at any point and you are almost as often with randoms or people from other squads/platoons it's simply bad for the game to allow communication and higher tactics only between players in the same squad/platoon.

And what's more, squads/platoons usually are doing the exact same thing. They commit to vehicle combat together, or aircraft combat, or infantry combat. Most of the time it's infantry combat with one or two vehicles/aircraft mixed in. But if you really want to have some support from a different unit you'll have to ask some randoms/other squads nearby.

They would be limited to the length of the spot, it would be rather unfair if you could instantly lengthen a spot for I don't know how long.

Those area markers would stick to the area rather than the infantry/target. It would be nothing more than a change of color (and a striped change of color where they overlap with something else). This way players can figure out where an AV/AA/AI nests are or if there's specific units, such as aircraft or vehicle columns, in the area.

The thing is the spot system isnt very far fetched lets say its Voice command (why you hear enemys that say whoever is spotted) then your helmet using calculations and GPS to identify where the person is (why you have to be looking right at them) and then is able to track the person for a while using their electrical signal before it is lost all the while it marks the data to your allies hud.

If we are talking personal preference, id remove the system all together.
We have proxy chat and a compass on our mini-maps for a reason.
Although that would penalise players who speak a diff language, i feel the gameplay would be better, again just personal pref.


Regarding the current system:

• its far too easy to spot some1, just spam q in the direction you think some1 might be and hey presto a dorito pops up.

• You can even spot through terrain - walls, floors, trees, rocks, even entire mountains, this should have been fixed years ago (and im sure 'they' claimed it was).

• I dislike being able to spot deployables, especially when you spot them before the model has even rendered.......through half of the maps mountains .

• The 'spotted' enemies can be easily targeted, and effectively killed by using the spot icon, this negates the effects of smoke and other LOS impeding abilities, combined with other exploits and cheats this renders said abilities useless.

• 1 class gets a 'get out of spot free card' while the others have to live with a minimap icon and dorito for the next 10 seconds.

Be nice if that compass showed degrees. As well as smaller grid coordinates.

A remnant of when Europe was still a bunch of tribes (in fact you can divide which tribe is which by the name of the 'country' they are called today). They need to seriously consider losing their cultural pride and switch to using a common langauge when dealing with one another.

In the NA servers, the Japanese, Koreans, and Brazilians use English when referencing game terms such as AA, Attack Base, Generators, Gunships, and so on. Can't understand a lick of what they're saying if they're just chatting. But when they call out something important its in short concise English. The EU servers could learn from that. They don't need to learn English, just the game terms.

make it a valkyrie so you can get infantry shooting you with their peashooters

Actually the EU servers do do that, and infact most all of them speak english enough to have a decent conversation.
My outfit, which is part of a larger gaming society, as an example has English, Swedish, Dutch, German, Norwegian, Belgian, French, Polish, Spanish, Finnish. Also on the members roster are USA, a Russian, and a South African.
I dont remember a time when i couldnt have a conversation with anyone.

I was simply pointing out a possible 'problem' with removing spotting, personaly id be fine with it, but im English, i feel its a bit arrogant maybe to say 'learn my language or your stuffed' to some1 who doesnt speak my native tounge, when i myself am unwilling to learn theirs.

Ar you from the USA? No offence intended, but if so, isnt the USA big on the whole cutural pride thing, my irony sense is tingling.

There's also a wide subset of United States population who, if you ask, answer "American" unironically. It's not a conflation with native status but a disconnection with the heritage of their ancestor's country. Sure, they might know it, but it's something else for them. What you are thinking about in tems of "cultural pride" is probably not half as prestigious as you may think. It essentially is an excuse to get together, often with family, and eat food you normally wouldn't have served and, when within a larger scale of presentation, dress in clothes that aren't casually worn anymore.

this post is 50% crap and the rest is just what happens when you get spotted, isnt an issue, and shouldnt be removed.

all countries are big on cultural pride.... my dummy sense just went off the scale with this guy

I responded to a post made by Tae, who are you and what are you talking about?

my name is right there........

and what i said was pretty clear... is there cultural pride in your country? or is it one of those getting converted to islam?

Not quite sure what your trying to say.

Tae said europeans need to loose their cultural pride, i was simply pointing out that europe is no more culturally proud than the USA, and that those europeans do have a right, just as americans, just as russians, slovs, anyone on earth has, to be culturally proud.

What does Islam have to do with this?
WTF man???

Im sure you've got the wrong end of the stick here m8, try re-reading the thread through again.

Im seriously confused as to why you're so hostile........

Then again forums, ignore needs more use i suppose.