Squad Leader Archive
Thread: Getting Ready for Round II...
groups as a doctor. I find that SL as a profession largely lacks the
capabilities I would expect a leader to have: Command, Control & Communications
(C3). SL abilties are now expressed entirely in terms of their Tactical effect,
which is only a fraction of what leadership is all about.
All of your bullets except #5 miss the point of leading, and #5 doesn't go
nearly far enough, in my opinion. They are expressed in terms of the individual,
not the group. "A new weapon" is an individual thing, while "/aimfor" and melee
temporary boosts still focus on tactical manuvers at the *very*bottom* of
the chain of command, the individual level. Leadership is top-down.. not
bottom up.
In my opinion you should focus on passive group coordination capabilities,
as they are the most lacking and have the greatest potential.
Ideas like "/paint" (target designation) and "/designateRole pointman"
are extremely leadership-oriented as they direct (not force like /rally) group
activity.
Other capabilities such as a SL-only 'mapboard' that composites all group
members radars together (read 'Dirigent Mercenary Corps' series by Rick Shelley
[sadly RIP]) and opens the door for EW, ambush and guile.
The ability to create 'subgroups' with their own leaders and comms channels
would allow SLs to team together compatible weapons/tactics (brawler team,
rifle team, heat weapons team) and apply SL specials to subsets of the group.
We can then envision many echelons of control & communications, alot like the
way the real military is structured. We completely lack the comms to do this
now, as you point out.
The ability for SLs to delegate SL actions like /rally or /paint to subgroup
leaders (who might not be SLs) would be very powerful and strongly representative
of a leaders' responsibility.
I realize that these are probably half-baked and a long way from implementation,
but until the Devs get beyond the notion that SL's are a tactical, HAM-expending
class, I fear you'll never be able to fully realize the abilities SLs *should*
embody as leaders, which are Command, Control & Communications.
--doogie
Indicant wrote: We all signed on to the class knowing it had no weapons. I would not put this as a top 5 issue, although I would include it as a potential improvement to the class. I think that there are other options which are truer to the original philosophy of the class though. We are a combat support class like combat medic, so it is not a stretch to use this line of thinking, but you might reconsider whether this is really a top 5 priority for us.
I've got to agree with Indicant here. I think that squad leader on it's own is NOT a combat class, but combat support and thus shouldn't get its own weapon. It's the complimentary profession(s) takenthat make the squad leader a combat NCO, non-Com tactician, warrant officer, etc.
Instead of getting a "defining" weapon, I'd much rather get skills that allow the SL to make the squad function better as individual components of a team. For instance the /ambush command that would remove members of the SLs group from the radar of everyone else. Perhaps give them a slight camo effect that works on PCs instead of NPCs. /ambush would allow the squad to gain a single surprise attack (perhaps granting a +15 to stun or a chance at double damage?) provided members don't move when the target is within 60m until the initial attack. Skills like that is what I'd like to see (granted, this is only good for PvP, but we've got a lot of imaginative folks out there).
Also, in #3 of the first post. You state "with the advent of weapons and vehicles." I think you mean "mounts and vehicles"
Does the ability for a Squad Leader to declare covert group members to overt make sense?
Is that an idea worth persuing? Criteria like, needing to be overt, and grouped to do it, would be necessary. Others suggested that one must have an advanced Ranger camp to do it as well, but I wouldn't go that far.
Very nice post doogie... I agree a lot with what you said.
A lot of SL's might not likeyour pointsbecause they feel left out of the combat loop. They want something to make them have a powerful role in combat. But really what SL's need, like you described, is the ability to lead those in the group and provide a powerful fighting force instead of a chaotic firefight.
As for the E-web/repeating blaster team weapon, the idea with that is not for the SL to wield it... but provide its use in battle. Like you said about designateing subgroups within the squad, you would create a "stationary weapons" group. They would set the weapon up in a strategic position and wail away at the target(s).
Going out on hunts most people just take it easy and thats where the simple SL skills can come into play. I mean your not going to set up a heavy repeater to take out some sharnaffs... But in GCW battles (and PA battles if those ever get put in) where the players are fighting each other tactics come into play. Setting up sandbags with a heavy repeater on the rise of a hill provides a good point to pick off targets. And other players would gladly give up their current weapon combat time to man a heavy gun like that.... and they could always abandon it and jump into the fray.
wish you woulda poste dmore about an overhaul of every branch though
we all know that every single branch needs an overhaul.
make your top 5 list those "official" discussiont hreads
1) Novice/Master
2) TerraiN neg
3) Leaderhsip
4) Strategy
5) Tactics
lol
PanzerGR wrote:
wish you woulda poste dmore about an overhaul of every branch though
we all know that every single branch needs an overhaul.
make your top 5 list those "official" discussiont hreads
1) Novice/Master
2) TerraiN neg
3) Leaderhsip
4) Strategy
5) Tactics
lol
Well, that's pretty close to what it is actually...I just doubled up on strategy and tactics so I could squeeze in more stuff (specifically the squad supported weapons)
#1. Strategy & Tactics.
#2. Novice/Master: Weapons
#3. Mobility (& snuck in Fortifications)
#4. Novice/Master: SL Missions
#5. Leadership
All the other suggestions for the basic revisions to the existing trees will be outlined in the full State of the Profession report. I will be collecting information from the official threads specifically for that purpose.
Reposted from another thread and serving to /bump the preliminary next Top Five, here is aterse summary of the collected suggestions listed by the skill tree that I think is most appropriate.
Let me know if there are ideas left out or if you think something should be moved.
Novice: /Sysgroup, *Novice E-Web Deployment Cert
Mobility: Terrain Negotiation, Burst Run Efficiency, *Terrain Bonus (speed), */engage, /retreat (new place), */ForcedMarch, */squadburstrun, *Fortifications
Strategy: */PaintTarget, */AimFor, /VolleyFire, */LastStand (offensive boost), */airdrop (group "forage"), /WayLay (AoE defensive debuff), */RadioSilence (hide from radar), */CoverFire, */Disruptionfire (state change volley), *Combine forces with another group (Raid system), /InspireHero (stat buff)
Leadership: */Boostmorale (new location, Ranged Defense, *Defense vs. intimidate, *Counterattack, *Accuracy, /boostmorale (clears more states like Intimidate and KD?), */DesignatePoint (or other role designations), *Rapport (boost to regen rate), *FP bonus, */furlough (grant covert), */Secondwind (shares ham to group), */correctposture
Tactics: /FormUp, /Rally (new location), Melee defense, *Combat Equilibrium, *Shared waypoints, *Damage bonus, *Defense bonus, *Airstrikes, */flank (damage boost based on position), */Crossfire (volley that debuffs defense), *Tactical Database (additional information in /examine), */TakeCover (defensive buff/accuracy debuff), */BattleCry (posture changing volley), */SallyForth (heavy dmg + short burstrun), */DiscernTactics (defensive bonus)
Master: *Master E-Web Cert, */PointOfNoReturn (KOBK:2x DMG & Defense )
OF_KvanCetre wrote:
And the Squad Leader Trainer on Correllia!
Thulium wrote:
On the second day of Christmas my game dev gave to me: Twoplayer weapons....
OF_KvanCetre wrote:
And the Squad Leader Trainer on Correllia!
LOL We need to start up a Squad Leader 12 days (devs) of Christmas thread!
Inthe chef response, they have new skill mod buffing food. Two of these buff either terrain negotiation or burst run. Our mobility tree is getting weaker and weaker.
irott wrote:
Inthe chef response, they have new skill mod buffing food. Two of these buff either terrain negotiation or burst run. Our mobility tree is getting weaker and weaker.
/sigh
Lovely...... 