Just a very quick suggestion that I thought of when I was reading the latest series of threads regarding no LA love in the january patch. I posted this in another thread, but figured a dedicated thread inside the LA class section wouldn't hurt. The LA could use a new utility to put it on even footing with the other classes when it comes to team play and support in general. How about a 3rd, resource-free Timed C4 brick? ~30 seconds to detonate after placement. Firing at it to cause it to explode early would create no explosion, and just defuse it. Damage is the same as other C4, with one difference: It could be used to destroy (one-shot) generators/SCU's without giving a warning alarm. The Timed C4 counting down could give a beeping sound in ~5 meter radius to help players locate it to disarm it (by firing at it or perhaps offering an 'Press E to Disarm' option). The single Timed C4 brick would be refillable only at terminals, and fill up the current empty utility weapon slot. The Timed C4 brick would be usable in additon to regular remote detonated C4, as they each fill a different slot. Perhaps there could be an expensive cert to carry two Timed C4 bricks, but this might be harder to balance, so I'll leave this as optional. Keep in mind though, Engineers can already carry more than two C4, so allowing the LA to also do this, although in a different way, can't be too unbalanced. Especially since Timed C4 is significantly harder to use and almost impossible to kill infantry with unless they happen to be AFK. Just to throw an idea out there that fits well with the LA's current playstyle. It enhances the current LA playstyle of getting up close to the enemy, with some additional support of taking out generators more efficiently. Taking out generators/SCU's is something no class currently has any advantages in, so it is an area in the game up for grabs for a class to have some higher efficiency in. Since LA's often are the ones setting off generator/SCU's, and they also love C4, it all kind of fits. Post your thoughts?
LA needs something else, more team oriented, I think. We already carry a lot of bang(grenades, C4, underslung weapons). We're already pretty awesome at getting at sunderers, and so on. Plus the elevation advantage is a big thing with a timed charge. I would much rather see the adrenaline pump being moved to the utility slot, and add more stims, for us to use. These could be speed increases or momentary hightened senses(like increased hearing or whatever).
This seems like a decent idea, I'd kinda rather have a normal c4 brick with a 3-5 second fuse instead of this though D:
The current argument(s) on the forum shout for the lack of team utility for the LA's, so your suggestion of higher sprint speed and unique consumables don't directly solve that problem. Infact, they could serve to potentially unbalance the infantry warfare game and making LA's a bit too powerful in it. I'm also not looking forward to the endless rage threads from other classes titled "I was owning this LA until he used drugs to beat me". You know it's going to happen... Feel free to suggest alternative, team utility abilities, though. I really only just thought of the Timed C4 in a few minutes, just to throw an idea on the table.
No warning? How about no. The gen take down/rep is a big part of base defense/offense. This would make that prat of the game mostly non-existent. LA's are still the best class to take out generators and are important for team play because THEY CAN FLY. If your team can't figure that out find a new team.
Fair enough. Maybe just throw the Recon Decive infiltrators got our way, or some other way of tagging targets... wait a minute... A homing beacon. Fired much in the same way as the infiltrators recon device but rather than checking for enemies you're marking the area with a point of interest.
The warning would exist in the form of local audio produced by the Timed C4. Not saying I don't agree with you regarding generators being an important part in base defense, it is. But in an active defense situation, a good defense team defends their key locations regardless of big warning alarms. All Timed C4 would do, is potentially destroy generators that were not being defended. It also allows for plenty of creative use when placed on other things. Flying, on its own, is useful. No one disagrees with this point. However, the fact remains the LA is the only class with just one unique ability, while other classes got 2 or even 3 different abilities. This is a suggestion to solve that problem, but not intended to be the "super best and only solution". It's just something to add to the ongoing discussion. Sounds interesting, but could be annoying in the hands of bad LA players. The recon device points targets that actually exist, a beacon marker could be activated in the middle of nowhere by any clueless player without giving any solid intel. The game has to offer a bit of hand-holding in this regard.
As unique abilities go though flying is pretty damn good. You can do things no other class has a chance to. You can attack from directions no one is expecting. Lack of utility just doesn't seem to apply to the LA in this regard.
The thing with flying to places "no one is expecting", is that they only trick a player a few times before they learn all the possible hidding spots an LA could be shooting from. If each base design was actually completely unique, this would be significantly less a problem, but right now, each bio lab, amp station, tech plant, and many of the small outposts, all have the same design, making LA positions extremely predictable to any player who has been playing a little while. A tool - Any tool, it doesn't have to be Timed C4 - that contributes to team play, would solve the demand LA players have of equaling the number of available assets each class has.
