I know this has been brought up before (I liked Tribes 2 as much as anyone, but it was a less gritty setting).

Anyhow, I'd like a chance to throw this out there as a more completely developed idea based loosely on Starship Troopers:

Basic Jump Jets
Infantry High-Powered Module
Prerequisites: Dropsuit Command V, Combat Engineering III, Jump Jet Operation I
PG: 20
CPU: 30
Charge Capacity: 8
Magazine: 4
Reload Time: 5s

When selected (as any other infantry equipment), this module can be "fired" and consume 1-4 charges (1 scout, 2 logistics, 3 assault, 4 heavy). Firing the module provides upward thrust to around minimum "inertia dampener" altitude (not sure what that is). It does not change the direction and forward momentum of the user. Thus, if you want to clear an obstacle, you may need a running start.

This unit will not enable flight, only hopping.

It will interrupt weapons use, at least temporarily, by virtue of having to be selected. It also has a limited number of charges and must be reloaded periodically.

Yes, this will enable some obstacles to be cleared. The tradeoff is limited use and even more limited control. It will be very easy to overshoot a desired landing spot.

If this is to be implemented, it should be an Equipment module. You should have to sacrifice the ability to carry a Nanite Injector or Nanohive in order to use these.

This would make dropships only useful for transport at a longer range than these "jump jets" allow, which means the more useful the jump jets, the less useful the transport dropship. You can't have it two ways!

The way these are described, I doubt they'd be that useful for horizontal movement. Sounds like they'd be better for jumping walls and low structures to get the advantage of verticality.

Read Before expressing your hatred of this idea.

Jetpacks can be balanced, can be useful, and are inherently fun.

[HOW THEY SHOULD WORK]

Jetpacks should take 5 or 6 seconds to activate: this will prevent people from using them to cower out of gun battles.

Guns cannot be used while jetpack is active: This will keep them from being overpowered.

Jetpacks should have very limited climb: This will prevent people from being able to fly up high on top of towers to camp. EDIT: The climb is limited, but still high enough to get on a small building.

Jetpacks flight should be limited by regenerating power system similar to infantry stamina (maybe 15-20 seconds of continuous flight): This will prevent people from being in the air for too long.

Players with active jetpacks should be susceptible to swarm launcher lock-on and fire.

EDIT: It is to be a vehicle, not a module, or equipment.

[USEFULNESS]

Jetpacks would be very useful, especially for the logistics dropsuits. It could be used for flying past enemies to plant drop uplinks for his team to spawn, or flying to downed players to revive.

Jetpacks would be considerably useful for scouts to get on top of buildings to spot and call out enemy locations for their team, and provide covering fire.

Jetpacks would be useful for general travel on large battlefields if a player needs to travel alone in which extra seats aren't needed. Some might think lone travelers imply lack of teamwork, or lone-wolves, but travelling alone can be useful for the team if the player is acting as a distraction, or sneaking behind enemies to hunt them down (which prevents them from getting to objectives), or to call out their positions.

Jetpacks would NOT REPLACE DROPSHIPS, nor render them obsolete. Jetpacks would occupy a very different niche. Dropships would remain vital because of all the things they can do or have that jetpacks don't; dropships would have much higher climb, much more armor and shields, turrets, and slots to customize (like adding a CRU).

* Jetpacks don't have to look or even fly like anything like conventional jetpacks. It could even look like a more horizontal version of the inertia dampener animation with a different color effect or something.


EDIT:
They don't have to be as "nerfed" as I present them in the OP, but It would be good for them to start that way, then gradually balanced into just the right amount of power. Otherwise, they might start out too strong, and cause a massive uproar, then get overnerfed to uselessness.
Despite all the proposed limitations (which are totally subject to change), I still think they will be quite useful because of the boost of personal speed.
The low-flying nature of jetpacks would make them harder for swarm launcher users to spot them, so they're not all that vulnerable.

EDIT 2: Being unable to use guns, and having to wait 5+ seconds just to activate jetpacks may make it not fun, so those proposed limitations can be dropped.

EDIT 3: Though I use logistics as an example, it should not be limited for only one suit.

Ok... you may unleash your hate now.

This would make dropships only useful for transport at a longer range than these "jump jets" allow, which means the more useful the jump jets, the less useful the transport dropship. You can't have it two ways!

i think the opposite would be better. Heavies have 2 and scouts4-5.