Part 2



By now a lot of Commandos are freaking out over the damage bonus being given toward Assaults. Commandos were originally designed, and to a degree still are, as Suppression units. They're sluggish, high EHP nature makes them more resilient to incoming fire and their universal reload speed makes them excellent at putting the hurt on the enemy faster, but I think we can do better at making them suppressive units in a more unique way while reducing the homogenization with Assaults.

A reload speed bonus accomplishes one goal: Putting more rounds down-range, faster. There is literally no other purpose to reload speed besides this. The same goal can be accomplished by a Magazine Increase bonus. A substantial one. We're talking 20% increased magazine capacity per level.

"Whoooa, Aeon, 100% increased magazine capacity is insane! That is entirely OP!"

Not really, you see, all it is doing is taking the occasional two seconds of reload speed out of the equation. More rounds in the magazine doesn't constitute more ammunition, either, it just means that more of the maximum ammo is in the magazine and the weapon can be fired for longer. A Gallente Commando with an Assault Rifle would have the same amount of rounds as a Gallente Assault with an Assault Rifle. It also balances itself in a rudimentary way because the longer you hold the trigger the higher the recoil is. Eventually, unless you want to try your hand at duck hunt, you'll have to lay off the trigger and let the weapon settle.

There is some consideration toward specific weapons that become broken with this, however. Swarm Launchers and Mass Drivers, in particular. The Minmatar Commando's weaponry bonus would have to shift to Projectile Weaponry instead of Explosive Weaponry. But, considering how many complaints there are about Swarm Launchers from vehicle users, I can only imagine they'd unanimously support this change

The only remaining weapon that becomes broken, IMO, is the Plasma Cannon - but considering that Gallente Commando would -have- to be at least level three to get the second round in the 'magazine', assuming rounding, and would not obtain any benefit from it therein afterward, I don't see this as a particularly game breaking thing. The Plasma Cannon by itself is difficult to use and opportunistic as is and there aren't many Myro Commandos running around with which to make it a problem for infantry.

To put it simply, the Commando's bonuses under this proposal would be as such:

-Gallente Commando: 20% bonus to Hybrid - Blaster weapon magazine capacity per level.
-Caldari Commando: 20% bonus to Hybrid - Rail weapon magazine capacity per level.
-Amarr Commando: 20% bonus to Laser weapon magazine capacity per level.
-Minmatar Commando: 20% bonus to Projectile weapon magazine capacity per level.

So that is one bonus down. What about the other? If reload speed is being replaced by magazine capacity and the damage bonus is going to assaults, what unique benefits could we give to Commandos that separates them from Assaults while also hallmarking on their role as suppression?

A good bonus toward the Amarr, I feel, that compliments their suppression is either a cool-down bonus or a heat build reduction. With more rounds in the magazine and the constant threat of heat build, either of these benefits would compliment the playstyle well. A Laser Rifle with reduced heat build and a larger magazine capacity would -ABSOLUTELY- be a force to be reckoned with and I think it would define the meaning of suppression. As soon as you see that laser beam, you'd be diving for cover.

Minmatar Commandos would be a little less about suppression a bit more about cover busting, but this isn't a justification to break them. As such, a good way to go about this, I feel, is to give them an increase in Splash Radius rather than outright explosive damage. This would mean they could force players out of cover more reliably, with better ease of use, and they would genuinely be a threat that needed to be dealt with. (The Assault Mass Driver might need to be balanced in accordance with this, but the Breach Mass Driver might actually get some use as a result)

Caldari commandos are pretty easy. With an increase in magazine capacity and a focus on ranged combat, the best bet for them would be a recoil reduction in ADS, specifically. Hipfire would be, without a doubt, broken.

Finally there is the Gallente Commando, which I genuinely don't have a clue as to what sort of unique bonus they could receive that would compliment the playstyle. Given that Gallente are geared for CQC and a magazine increase would be a big benefit toward that, I have no idea what could be offered in place to make them unique.

-Gallente Commando: ?????
-Caldari Commando: 5% reduction to Hybrid - Rail weapon ADS recoil per level.
-Amarr Commando: 5% reduction to Laser heat-build per level /OR/ 5% bonus to Laser cool-down per level.
-Minmatar Commando: 5% bonus to Explosive weapon splash damage per level.