Cal Predine
StarKnight Security
37
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Posted - 2013.01.05 13:47:00 -
[1] - Quote
Janse stopped at the edge of the clearing. TACNET showed no hostiles in range, and the suit readouts confirmed that the scanner module he had studied so hard to install was extending its electronic fingers, searching for any hint of another dropsuit or vehicle in the area.
Satisfied that it was as safe as a battlefield could possibly be, Janse broke cover and sprinted to the control terminal. His suit systems started to attack the terminal's electronic defences before he'd even come to a full halt. He glanced at TCANET as he hacked - all clear.
But then he heard a noise directly behind him - the noise of a few million joules of plasma energy entering the back of his skull.
"enemy contact detected" chimed the sensor as his corpse slid to the floor.
I came by this thread looking to post about the general problems with sensing skills and modules (namely: they're pointless). Seems you've identified most of the issues, Bojo, but just to add a voice, it seems rather silly that (playing a SCOUT, and the clue really should be in the name there) with a sensor booster and signature damper installed and good second-tier sensor and stealth skills, I find that my minimap pretty much *never* gives me advanced warning of the presence of an enemy. I actually thought that was why these modules existed...
Enemies generally only appear on my scout suit's minimap at the same time as the red flash that marks the incoming fire which ends the clone's life.
As it stands, it's utterly pointless trying to build a tactical suit that can stealth forward, since the hard-earned skills you've built up and the module slots you've sacrificed to supposedly improve your sensing and stealth have no discernible effect. Is this intentional dumbing-down, because believe me it would be far easier for me to *not* play tactically, and just fit some modules with more "tangible" effects.
So maybe stealth and surveillance skills and modules could be ramped up a bit, eh guys? At least enough that we can tell we've actually taken the time to train and fit them?
And while you're at it, as Bojo says, how about giving Information Warfare in general a little love?
While I know there's already a great deal of real-time InfoWAR stuff you can do to help your team-mates, especially if you're the squad commander (although obviously most of *those* aren't even interested in issuing basic orders properly, unless it's to use an orbital strike the instant they get it), this still feels badly neglected.
In short, to be wondering whether your modules' lack of discernible effect is a bug or a feature is really not a good place to be. And because, at the moment scouts aren't scouts - they're just hoppity-bouncy war-bunnies.
And on that same subject, whatever happened to Command suits and the Commander (as distinct from the Squad Commander) role? |