I assume this is where we should be posting about the new Cloak. Although post 1.8 I think it might be prudent to have a separate thread dedicated to Cloak discussion.

First off the Cloak seems fairly well balanced from the perspective of someone who is not using it. And by balance, I am talking about skills and fitting requirements. The equipment was designed for use by Scouts and for the most part the restrictions have kept it limited to that role with few exceptions. The level of visibility seems right, with the shimmer providing keen observers with an indication someone is there but to those who are distracted, the Cloak is a valuable tool for the Scout.

The mechanics of the Cloak need to be tweaked a bit though. First off the Cloak was designed to not allow cloaked players to fire their weapons until the unit was disengaged. There have been several instances where cloaked players have managed to get a shot or two off (usually a Shotgun) before the cloaking effect has worn off. There needs to be more of a delay in this respect.

The lack of audio cues also seems to be an issue. For whatever reason, there seems to be a lack of audible footsteps in the game. Yes your own footsteps are loud and clear but we have come to realize that you don't hear anyone else's. This is a common feature of most shooters and makes situation awareness a vital skill. Also if there is a sound when players decloak it is not very well defined and needs to be more pronounce to give us a fighting chance to react.

The one final thing that should be considered is the cloak field dropping when the player is shot at. The cloak is all about using stealth, and using it well. If a player is spotted, cloaked or not, then they are doing it wrong. If I spot a cloaked player, then shoot and make contact, then they failed their mission and should not have the benefit of remaining cloaked. Fair is fair.

You may also end up looking at the duration of cloaking times, cool down times or even how fast someone can recloak after decloaking, but it has only been one day and more time is probably needed to assess those things. All in all I think the Cloak adds a great dynamic to the game and forces us to look at approaching battle tactics in a different way. But right now the cloaked player seems a bit too powerful. One or two lurking around an objective seem a little too effective at keeping an entire Squad distracted, much like a tank or assault dropship can. And whatever Cloaks were meant to be, I don't think they were meant to be that...at least not to the degree of effectiveness they are right now.

Thanks for listening.