Squad Leader Archive
Thread: Why fixing Squad Leader can fix other professions too.
Another suggestion, tho I'm not quite sure how to implement this one: Let the Squad Leader be the method of "spreading the love." What I mean by this is there are a lot of skills and abilities in various professions that would be AWFULLY nice if the rest of the group had them, so let's SHARE these abilities if the group is led by a Squad Leader. I'll give possible example, this is by no means a definitive list, I'm sure for overall game balance not ALL should be shared, but let's just get the ideas flowing:
Medic's /dragincapacitatedplayer: Dragging a body doesn't exactly require a PhD, a Squad Leader ought to be able to task just about ANYONE with that job.
Rifleman's /snipershot and accuracy mods
Pistoleer's Speed Bonus
Combat Medic's increased healing range: Under the command of a good leader, shouldn't Doctors be more efficient?
Ranger's tracking ability: Rangers probably don't wanna share this one, but an improved method of sharing their information would be nice.
I finally realized this one last night. There is a SINGLE ability (probably Master Squad Leader only) that could finally give us the status we deserve as the Hybrid Elite profession of Choice. This ability WILL make it so that EVERYONE will want a Squad Leader helping them and Master Squad Leader's will start holding their heads up high. This could very well be THE most powerful command in the game and it should RIGHTFULLY belong to Squad Leaders:
/AIMFOR
What does /aimfor do? This very simple command is a bit of a hybrid of /volleyfire and /steadyaim allowing the accomplished Squad Leader to point out the specific weakpoint of the enemy. This focuses fire on the specific HAM bar giving all combat pros the ability to target HAM, even if their profession didn't allow for it previously. You thought /volleyfire sounded good (in theory, at least)? Imagine if that entire volley was aimed right at your HEAD (mind)....or your heart (health)...or your legs (action).
This ability makes sense for the Squad Leader. We've all seen that the best attribute of a good leader is his ability to point out the weakness of the enemy. This even happened in Star Wars: Episode II, when Anakin directs the fire in the Battle of Geonosis to take down the heavy installations. Again this happens in Episode IV, again and most famous in Episode V ("Use your harpoons and tow cables"), and yet again in Episode VI ("Target all weapons at the main reactor!")
The major victories in Star Wars occassionally are due to the efforts of single Heroes, but more often than not they come from the hard work of the Leaders. This single ability will put Squad Leaders where they are supposed to be: On the map and at the head of the classes.
1. If you give Squad Leaders the /healmind ability, Combat Medics will no longer be THE deciding factor in PvP.
2. If Squad Leaders are given the ability to /extinguish, the Commando weapons that are are meant for Large targets and/or large groups will finally have a counter/balance.
3. If Squad Leaders are given EFFECTIVE group mobility bonuses (ie. not just retreat, but actual SPEED increases), we can help all the Melee classes keep up with the ranged weapons crowd by actually being FAST enough to get within 5meters of their target.
4. If you give us a /distributeRations ability, Chefs might have something people would buy! 
5. If you give us a Squad Leader exclusive repair droid (think Episode I), we can help the D.E.'s business and provide a great battlefield service.
6.If you give us our own Mission Terminal, it will give the SoE writers a focused place for advanced, high-concept adventures and answer the cry for more and better content.
7. If you give us Fortification kits, we can add value to the Ranger's camps by making them continue to be useful when Combat ensues.
And Finally, and most importantly: If you give us anything at all worth having and actually make us theElite Hybridprofession that we're meant to be, and people actually begin LOOKING for Squad Leaders, and having some reason other than a Holocron to learn the profession.... It will promote GROUPPLAY which was supposedly something the developers have wanted to be a feature that set SWG apart from other MMORPGs.
P.S. I'm intentionally being self-centered here, but the truth is there are a LOT of things that need to be fixed in this game. Instead of using that fact for an excuse to put off fixing Squad Leader, why don't they think of US first when trying to find a solution?!? We SHOULD be the most valuable profession in the game, bar none. The fact that our abilities are mostly or entirely only available to us when we are leading a group should be the only disadvantage to our class. To quote from the strategy guide: "The Squad Leader can turn a motley crew of amateurs into a serious fighting force.... Be it on the battlefield or in the wasteland frontiers, a group always functions better with a Squad Leader running it." Right now, the best we can do is turn a serious fighting force into a xp farm, and make a group function hardlyat allwith the broken /rally command.
P.P.S.Hey, we still got /sysgroup. 
I like that idea Thulium. That sounds like a great command to have. as it is now if you're in a group with a 1 carbineer, 1 rifleman, and 1 pistoleer, everyone is hitting different HAM bars and it's more of a race to who can kill the mob first than it is a team working together.
I dreamt I had a genie to make a single wish: that SOE read these suggestions.
Too bad genies don't exist, and SOE will never know the magnitude of your genious.
In all honesty though, these are some of the greatest solutions for any profession I've ever seen. Kudos.
./.\.
Got another idea to throw out there. Yes, this does come close to the squad "puppeteer" type idea, but bear with me...
/getinposition
This new Squad Leader skill allows the Squad Leader to direct a member of his/her squad to a position at the ideal range for their weapon.
Melee fighters usually have the idea of getting into range as their first priority already, so perhaps a quick burst of speed is what would help them the most. But for all the ranged combatants, this command would move them forward or back from their target until they are at the ideal range for their currently equipped weapon.
A smart fighter may already know what their weapons ideal range may be, so this will most greatly benefit inexperienced people in your group...but speaking as a Pistoleer, I think I would appreciate if my Squad Leader had the ability to push me in the right direction to get the most out of my gun.
It REALLY bugs me that I have to /bump my own thread, but the admins and devs ask for positive discussion so here it is.
As a side note, I just got REALLY frustrated so I will vent a bit here. Earlier, our Correspondent wrote a thread that actually got a dev response... Unfortunately, it was one of the many "complaining" threads that are out there and Thunderheart said as much. I tried to respond in a positive manner and explain to Thunder why we are getting so frustrated and WHY the discussion has not been positive lately...I wrote a very nice, and pretty long post, but guess what?!? When I hit "submit" the original message had been deleted!! All my work to turn a thread to a positive discussion got thrown out with the bathwater!
/emote is NOT a happy Squad Leader. You want to know why we're frustrated and not being positive? Because we have nothing to work with! You want a top 5 issues? Hm, considering we have 6 skills it might be tough, but I'll try. 1. Make /rally effective. 2. Make /formup effective 3. Make /steadyaim effective 4. Make /volleyfire effective. 5. Make /boostmorale...er..AND.../retreat effective. In those top 5 you we also need to include the DIRE need for NEW skills that can make this profession worthwhile. This thread lists a few ideas, and I'll bump another in a moment.
But anyway, consider this thread bumped. I would like to get some more feedback on these ideas, especially some developer feedback on the overall issue of "Balance". IMHO, the fact that all the Squad Leader abilities are limited to a very specific situation (we must be the leader of a group), that's about all the "balance" we need and considering the type and amount of skillpoints required to become a Squad Leader, I don't see any reason why Squad Leader shouldn't rival Commando and Bounty Hunter as the Elite Combat Hybrid profession of choice! However, the developers might see the balance differently...Do you? Let me know.
I have a theory as to how Volley fire should actually work, I will desgin a flow...computer programers loveflow diagrams so here we go:
SL targets the intended target of the volley fire ------> Volley command is issued -----> Check range to target of each party memeber (this is to see if the target is in range for them [if yes they target and fire on the SLs target, if no then they are unaffected by the command and hence not included in the equation] ---->calculate HAM cost for SL giving command formula would resemble this (intial AM cost15 per PC in group including SL + formula for armour HAM cost + formula weapon HAM cost) this would mean on average a group of 5 PCs , would cost the SL 75 AM + HAM armour +HAM weapon this should be about 110 with little and good armour and a well sliced low HAM weapon. ------> calculate bonus to hit for each party member this gives a general aim bonus (say +10) to each PC and if full column +10 volley fire bonus, and +15 more if master SL, calculate each PCs to hit based on dynamic ranged fomulasto target from them. ----------> Check the hits and apply dmg fomula as follows : dmg is based on weapon base max dmg (or another option would be average dmg of weaponmultiplied by .5 and added eg a weapon 1-100 range dmg would hit for 75dmg I believe the max dmg is better due to the PvP dmg reduction that exist the number will be reduced anyway)[note no specials can be used in conjunction with volley fire]. ----------> calculate area hit by each PC --------> do applicable reductions from armour/resist/ ect..of target -----> apply dmg to targets HAM -----> apply x2 time modifier to SL and x1.5 to other PCs that fired ----->add base weapon speed modifier proceed with combat.
I think this may be reasonable, basically a master SLand his party should hit with a full impact volley fire85% of the time. Landing a devestating blow to any sigular target. Looking at this a well rounded part of PCs in PvP could incap a target in a single volley, but have a reasonable enough delay and SL HAM cost that they cant do it every single second hence bring in some balance. This is just a rough, while I am sitting at work bored because its a day before a holiday thought so anyone who thinks this is off tinker it and post a better flow chart.
Antonio Vistcoatis
Radiant server
SL 0/1/3/4
Pistoleer 4/3/4/3
Those are some awesome ideas for our class!!! Many kudos.
I'd also like to see a new command which is similar to volleyfire, yet meant to keep the heads down. Instead of everyone targeting the same target, have everyone fire at a different target. Call it /grazingfire or something. It's use? You just used /volleyfire to take down a big nasty and the opposing side "rallies" and starts an offensive... Your SL impliments /grazingfire and your team/squad opens up on EVERY member of the opfor. Getting their heads back down and give you enough time to plan your next move (or next three moves in advance).
A little on the far fetched side, I know, but I had to include something for the /bump 
Milasio wrote:Those are some awesome ideas for our class!!! Many kudos.
I'd also like to see a new command which is similar to volleyfire, yet meant to keep the heads down. Instead of everyone targeting the same target, have everyone fire at a different target. Call it /grazingfire or something. It's use? You just used /volleyfire to take down a big nasty and the opposing side "rallies" and starts an offensive... Your SL impliments /grazingfire and your team/squad opens up on EVERY member of the opfor. Getting their heads back down and give you enough time to plan your next move (or next three moves in advance).
A little on the far fetched side, I know, but I had to include something for the /bump
This is a spectacular idea, but lets call it instead, an AoE supression fire. Meaning all enemies in the area of effect will be forced to a knee or prone position, and will take a medium amount of dmg each. Much like volley fire + supression fire combined. Make this a master ability or even better replace that stupid retreat or Boost Morale command with it.