BF2S Forums Kit Changes: Engineer, Armored Crewman, Aircraft and Command kits

some of your i dieas are good but some are not if i had to choose yes or no to all those i would choose yes!

OpsChief wrote:

The Combat Engineer has an uncomplimentary dual role in BF2 - lay mines for which he will be TK punished ad nauseum and repair materiel. It might be impossible to consider this change now but add new Kits and change the engineer kit. The Armor Crewman picks up the repair task.

Add: Armored Crewman (not required to operate any vehicle): knife, Pistol, Carbine/SMG, Smoke Grenade, Wrench, spike charge, and the ability to use Thermal Sights when in the tank. The spike charge is activated from within the driver seat and fires when the tank is abandoned, not exploding but reducing the tank to the last bar.

Add: Thermal Sights (these are used both day and night to detect targets in darkened areas and behind thin materials.

While I do like the idea of an Armored Crewman it would then make it necessary to have that kit when operating a Tank or APC. This severely limits the fluid motion of the game and prevents many people from using vehicles. However I like the idea of the Spike Charge to sabotage vehicles or at least make them inoperable when leaving it. The Thermal sights are a no go as we all know that DICE will never put such a special effect in the game unless its a dusk or night time map. And yet they already have nightvision.

Add: Aircraft Pilot: knife, pistol, smoke grenade, combo-pack 1med+1ammo (undistributable) - yep thats it but...only soldiers wearing this kit can pilot a combat aircraft and it limits piloting to twice in a row in same aircraft.

It's an interesting idea that I also came up with some time when the game first came out. It was more an idea to limit soldiers from playing a dual role of infantry and pilot. It was also linked up with a necessary Air School function that was required to pass before being able to pilot an aircraft. Which I still wish would happen.

Bascially a special training map would be opened up on Single Player mode to train in Aircraft and Helicopters. At the end of the training course there is an obstacle course you have to run which includes flying through boxes or something and also taking out targets. This all comes after an extensive tutorial BTW. If you pass this training test a script runs that contacts the stat server for EA and adds the awarding of Air Wings or Heli Wings or even make it Heli-Transport and Heli-Attack Wings separate to show you are trained to fly them. in your list of badges you would see added then training badges. Then Jets, Transport Choppers and Attack Choppers would have a Cancel Circle symbol above them for all those not trained and hence can't enter. Those with training get to fly. This does not assure that all pilots will be good but it as least assures that all pilots will be at least trained average. And it doesn't take much. It's not like you have to go above and beyond. Simply learn to fly and then play the game. Most good flyers could probably do the whole thing in a matter of minutes.

Add: Command Kit (selectable by anyone but automatically added when assuming command): knife, pistol, Laser Designator, wrench, a single distributable combo-pack 1med+1ammo at the same time. Commander is blocked from piloting combat aircraft (can be a gunner). Lets face it the commander position has no real player benefits only sacrifices since the patch. This kit allows the commander to conduct base defense and fight the strategic assets and tactical control. Also adding increased accuracy of artillery and air launched missiles with a direct line-of-sight laser targetting.

I would include at least an Assault Rifle with the commander. There is nothing about the commander position that doesn't suggest they can defend themselves or defend a location in a combat situation. To limit them to a pistol isn't good. Anyone who is a field commander would have access to a rifle. The rest looks good esspecially since you gave them a wrench.

Change: Combat Engineer knife, pistol, shotgun, Smoke pots, AT/AP mixed mines, Shovel (the ability to make obstacles and defensive positions. And that's Smoke Pots not smoke pot  o.O  i.e., a very large smoke grenade that can shield a larger area longer so the engineer can do his work a tiny bit more safely. Same effect as the armor smoke screen. If the shovel is a no/go then add C4 as the last item as engineers blow up at least as much stuff as SF soldiers do.

Add to Game: Minefield marking kit (from the "Q" menu) to block TK punishment and warn friendlies of enemy mines. If an engineer or sniper places a mine without the marking he gets a TK punish but if the marker is there then its the dude that ignored it thats at fault. This is not the same as the red skull it is a small "flag" on the ground around the perimeter of the minefield.

I see many posts complaining about tanks and aircraft. No sympathy here but nothing personal, tanks and Air are here to stay in BF2 and so am I, ARMOR!!! Mobility-Firepower-Shock Effect  (and from the incessant whining it is true here in BF2  as on any battlefield since 1916).

I like your version of the Combat Engineer. I agree that they should be given C4 charges to blow bridges and the such. These are more engineer roles that Spec Ops roles. I like the addition of AP mines which makes sense. The large smoke pot is a nice touch. However the shove isn't that good of an idea. Moving static objects would make the coding for the game too much. Might work with the HL2 enginer but not the BF2 one. And we don't need flags to mark mines fields. It's just a little too much. TKs will still happen and abuse will still happen. The sytem that is in place now is still the best they have and the stupidity of people to never look will still exist. Plane TKers who put mines in front of aircraft or vehicles so other people won't use them is still an issue and by giving them little flags they become exempt from punishment.

All in all nice ideas.

thanks for the comments!  lol and humor

New game huh? hmmmmm you got any phone numbers to the "right person" for me? These aren't so drastic are they? Some are just correcting previous over-corrections others change balance and the last reduce whoring.

The idea for specialty kits is that some come with whoring limits. Some recognize unique roles and needs. Kilroys pilot qualification is a cool idea. I was thinking of a training package but I am afraid the game would bust in the first weeks because people couldn't use all the equipment...still I would support a training  prerequisite though.

For the Eingineer the minefield marking is important and anyone present could do it not just engineers/snipers. The reason again to avoid an over-correction like removing the commanders arty TKs. Bad mistake. The better solution is to still punish a sloppy noob laying mines without warning anyone. The decision utility is the lane markers. I wouldn't want engineers moving any basic scenery but allow them to maybe emplace sandbags and fighting positions (foxholes).

As to commander's gear. I thought about this alot, even in the service. When I had an M16 in my hands I wasn't commanding anymore, my focus reduced to about 200-300 meter radius instead of a 2,000x5,000 meter engagement area. The commander's tools are communications/chain-of-command/map/planning etc.. Commanders aren't specifically issued rifles last I knew (maybe the Marine Platoon Commander has a rifle but I think the level of BF2 command asset access suggests a company commander level or even higher). Also last I knew flying officers did not command regular ground soldiers it was always aviator commands aviators, next higher ground commander has operationl control over aviation units. Ultimately I think fewer shooters would choose command with such a kit were so limiting leaving it to me and other RTS gamers to enjoy.