Commando Archive
Thread: If not commando, why not Artillerist?
Keep it commando. We have heavy weapons as is, but no artillery. I think 'Combat Engineer' might be what you are looking for. Engineering has always been close to the heart of commandos. From the looks of it, rangers are getting traps that hamper rather than kill - lots of state mod stuff. I think that is fine. Hopefully, we will be given the ability to place high damage mines/demolitions, and maybe even use bomb droids as a modern twist on what has traditionally been the bread and butter of commandos - making things go boom. Adding mines to the grenade tree along with a healthyrepair of grenades would be a large step in the right direction. Another nice thing might be adding a few mark II/high level versions of entry level weapons like you see for other classes. I'd love to see a master level rocket launcher for instance. Finally, we need a few specials of our own. Perhaps a ranged armor break for instance to simulate the use of armor piercing techniques/equipment. Some sort of 'overwhelming assault' as well with a high damage multiplier but also a very long reuse timer and maybe a heavy weapon restriction could be another.
Historically, commandos have been 'force multipliers,'flexible infantry that can be used in a variety of situations to increase the effectiveness of regular units. Special weapon training and engineeer training are two great ways to do this. Recon training as well... If you want to play an infiltrator (long range recon infantry), you probably want to mix/match commando and revamped ranger. The issue is that the name commando is a bit of an umbrella term, since commando team members usually have different training in order to achieve overall objectives. Are stealthy infiltrators 'commandos?' Yes. Are 'commandos'sometimes trained in demolitions? Yes. Anti-tank? Yes? Heavy Weapons? yes.Snipers? yes. etc...It depends on the type of commando you want to play. That is what is nice about the class sytem - you can adapt and make your own archetype.
I do not think the classes have any identity confusion at all. The idea of a ranger being the fantasy style ranger is silly in a modern/sci fi setting. While I think the revised ranger would be better suited with tracking intact and the 'thieving' skill line implemented into a revised smuggler, I'll not comment to remain on topic.
Hmm, that is true. I sort of view ourselves as the equalizer when the enemy brings out something really big and bad, like AT-STs (which I heard were nerfed horrendously) and large creatures. I don't think, however, that minefields are our kind of thing. We're more the type who sticks a C4 charge on something and runs like hell before it goes boom, or hucks the big old grenade at the group of baddies charging in. Perhaps we are more of a support class, filling in the chinks in the groups force. Where they get blown away by tanks, we blast back with bombs and explosives, etc. et al.
I think in the past soldiers with a flamethrower were meant primarily for flushing out bad guys who holed themselves up in turrets and shelters, since heat and fire is difficult to run from, but thats just a tangent of mine.
Anyway, it just seems like too many people want to play the covert ops type of commando, sneaking around like Sam in Splinter Cell. Would Sam have a rocket launcher? No.
Off topic a bit: the game says we are trained to destroy enemy vehicles. what vehicles?
Sam, if need be, would have a Rocketlauncher if the mission needed one.
StarfighterKD wrote:
Hmm, that is true. I sort of view ourselves as the equalizer when the enemy brings out something really big and bad, like AT-STs (which I heard were nerfed horrendously) and large creatures. I don't think, however, that minefields are our kind of thing. We're more the type who sticks a C4 charge on something and runs like hell before it goes boom, or hucks the big old grenade at the group of baddies charging in. Perhaps we are more of a support class, filling in the chinks in the groups force. Where they get blown away by tanks, we blast back with bombs and explosives, etc. et al.
I think in the past soldiers with a flamethrower were meant primarily for flushing out bad guys who holed themselves up in turrets and shelters, since heat and fire is difficult to run from, but thats just a tangent of mine.
Anyway, it just seems like too many people want to play the covert ops type of commando, sneaking around like Sam in Splinter Cell. Would Sam have a rocket launcher? No.
Off topic a bit: the game says we are trained to destroy enemy vehicles. what vehicles?
) like rangers sneak forward and place some mines to soften the heavy target up, then the commando comes and fire some rocket launcher and blow the crap out of the thing
You do not know what lurks in the shadows. Essentially, we both could soften up...just in different ways. Sabotage rather than blowing the crap out of the target. Both are the "general" commando's abilities in Real life, but in the realm of an RPG...two different professions.
StarNick wrote:
Not entirely...because our weapons are (or in theory) heavy enough to take down the big targets or soften it up for those who can't dish out that kind of damage.
Essentially, we both could soften up...just in different ways. Sabotage rather than blowing the crap out of the target. Both are the "general" commando's abilities in Real life, but in the realm of an RPG...two different professions.
I'd rather see us have a few more high level versions of weapons and two or three special lines, like a ranged armor break (armor piercing assault or some such), some sort of delay/stun attack to represent suppression/pouring an inordinate amount of fire on a target, and a damage special. These along with a grenade revamp and the ability to use bomb droids would have us filling our shoes nicely, I think.
More: Im trying to open a discussion on the Corro boards regarding our concept. A lot of our assumptions were proved, and our concept revealed when I got a few responses a few days ago:
"Support abilities combine with primary combat abilities to produce our damage."
Wrote out a huge post of analysis of the problem and solutions that allow us to function inside that role.
This includes more variety, less redundancy among support abilities (ie all our master stuff either has nothing [proton rifle] or DoT + AoE...and most of the weapons in the profession are AoE), and our primary ability be focused on damage...not utility. Two utilities are not a substitute for damage when utility is a supplement to it.
Message Edited by StarNick on 09-24-2005 04:41 PM