Hey guys, I would like to ask for you're own opinions on cloak operation if you can right now is a very opportune and prime time to bring your thoughts up and a refresher on how the cloaking device should work in Dust 514.

I must've missed that devblog. Withdrawn.

The second item is a Cloaking Field. This sneaky bit of kit will not only make you (almost) invisible to other combatants, it will also blind turret AI targeting systems. It isnGÇÖt perfect invisibility, scanners will still pick you up if you havenGÇÖt masked your signal well enough, motion will disrupt the field to some extent and weapon fire will cause the field to shut down. This means it will take some skill to use to its maximum potential. This item is going to be a real game changer, particularly for Scout dropsuits which have been screaming out for stealth gear.

Rather than a cloak, that seems more like some kind of TACNET hacking E-War equipment.

The problem is that it would only work once. Because the next time I see you I'm going to know who you are, either by your suit type or name, if I don't already just know your name from the kill board.

This is a terrible idea, especially if you are a well known player.

Cloaks should probably use an equipment slot

Instead, the cloak would provide an active camouflage effect; actively changing the users' dropsuit color based on the surrounding area (what color ground they're standing on, etc) and attempting to break up their silhouette with up to 25% actual transparency (similar to menu transparency in many video games. Example: Skyrim). The amount of transparency could possibly start at 15%, then being affected by trained skills, with a maximum of 25% for Prototype gear. STD gear would look more like 5%, and ADV around 10% transparency (theoretical numbers. Actual numbers will likely change after use in the field to balance effectiveness vs. OP complaints).

Operation based solely on duration would limit the cloak to somewhere between 45 seconds, with skills capping out duration at 60 seconds for Prototype gear. Standard and advanced gear would be considerably less- STD at 10 seconds base, used for single sniper shots or quick getaways, ADV at 25 seconds base, for more advanced scouting/flanking tactics. I don't prefer operation limitations based SOLELY on duration, however. I suggest a tandem duration/charge system, where the cloaking device operates on a fixed amount of "CP," or Charge Points. The cloak consumes CP at a set rate while not moving, reaching zero CP and thus decloaking at the end of the proposed duration. Moving, however, would increase the CP consumption by 25%, reduced to 10% by skills, at 3% penalty reduction per level. I would also add a HEAVY movement penalty of -90% to transparency while moving, for a meager 2.5% actual transparency if a person moves while cloaked (actual movement over ground, not turning to track targets or swap weapons, etc). Skills could soften the penalty to -65%, for an actual transparency of 8.75%, using a 5% penalty reduction per skill level. Additionally, the physical camouflage, i.e. Adaptive Color matching camouflage, would not adjust for new colors until the user stops moving for 3 seconds. This will lessen computation load on the game and servers, as well as help avoid the "easy mode" stigma, provide counter-tactical opportunities and maintain a balance. The Cloaking Unit will recharge at 1/3 of the unit's depletion rate, meaning that a unit with 60 seconds available use, once fully depleted, will take 180 seconds to fully recharge (3 minutes.) Skills can shorten this recharge time by 20%, or 36 seconds, being a 4% reduction in recharge rate per level.

My idea uses 5 skills for the cloaking device; Cloak Operation, Cloak Capacitor, Cloak Regulation, Cloak Energy Management and Cloak Proficiency. Cloak Operation allows access to and operation of dropsuit cloaking devices, and reduces movement penalties to transparency by 5% per level. Cloak Capacitor increases the duration of cloak operation by 3 seconds per level. Cloak Regulation reduces the movement penalty for consumption of CP by 3% per level. Cloak Energy Management reduces the recharge rate of the Cloaking Unit by 4% per level, for a total of 36 seconds at level 5. Cloak Proficiency would provide bonuses to physical transparency of 2% per level (base is 15%, maximum possible then being 25%). Cloak Operation Level 3 unlocks access to Cloak Capacitor and Cloak Regulation, while Cloak Operation level 5 unlocks access to Cloak Proficiency.

CPU and PG costs would need to be steep, so as to further limit the available fittings and thus limit the possible abuse and OP possibilities of the Cloaking unit. A player should have to choose between stealth and strength, which means limiting the amount of armor/shield modules a player can use in conjunction with the cloak. The only way to do that, being that they'll use separate slots, is to make the cloak wildly expensive to fit. I was thinking something in the realm of 96 CPU and 18 PG for Prototype units. I would go as high as 108 CPU and 24 PG, but I'll leave that to the Devs.

Scout suit only. 20 second cloak. Scanable with active scanner. 30 second cool down. Doesn't make you invisible just harder to see. Shooting instantly decloaks. Being shot at makes you more visible but being shot alot breaks cloak. I see it as a cloak good for moving around not killing. have it reduce first shot damage by 60%. what I don't want is a bunch of cloaked breach shotgun and damage mods running around.

Just one thing cloaks should not be limited to one class. It can be more effective with one then the other but it should never be restricted for only one class.

I like how it is done in EVE. Any ship/suit can use a cloaking unit, but only those meant for it can move well while using one. Also, no ripple, full cloak, although I guess people can't accept that and want only the shimmer , which I can usually see and shoot from across the map in most games with it.

So this means a Scout should be able, or special Black ops Scout, should be able to move around like normal with a full cloak. It would also means weapons and stuff do not work at all while cloaked. The person has to come out of cloak before they can use their weapons.

I like the idea of any unit using this, but only the Scouts using it to its full ability. Maybe an 80-90% movement penalty to non-scouts. A Scout could use it to cloak up if they think someone spots them, and then slowly creep away. It would also allow Heavies to cloak up in a defensive position, and decloak only when they see people enter the area, not knowing it has a hidden defender

For starters, give scout suits a limited cloaking ability built into the suit that activates when they stand still for a set amount of time and goes into a cooldown once they move. That would make cloaking equipment more valuable to scouts since they'll have an innate ability to fall back on. Scout suits only, not basic light frames. I'm debating on making this available for scout BPOs.