Squad Leader Archive

Being able to monitor multiple target HAM's. I think this would be incredibly useful if a Squad leader could make a list of enemy ham's and be able to click and redirect fire to each one etc...

I think thats a very good idea Arjun, but let me expound on a very similar idea ive had for some time.

Firstly, I believe that the biggest handicap to a large team in PvP especially is the sheer lack of methods available to target other players.

This is also a real pain in PvE when you have multiple levels. Im sure most of you who have lead parties through the warren have seen how bad this is. In effect you are limited to targeting enemies by clicking on them with your mouse, which depending on how you prefer to postion the camera can be very haphazzard at best. In close quaters with pets, and multiple players this can be a difficult task. Furthermore in a multi level environment the "Tab" targeting method is absolutly the worst possible method of targeting, but sadly the only other alternative. Since tab targeting in effect targets the "Closest" threat, but in essence on the level below you a target exists who may be spatially your closest target, he in fact is not becuase LOS(line of sight) dicatates that you cant fire through the floor thankfully.

Secondly in PvP, the biggest hadicap is not being able to target the player that presents the most potential threat to the group without being stationary yourself... Current game mechanics make it extremely difficult to target a moving player while on the move yourself. I can not begin to count the times i have tried to target a player who has suddenly appeared from out of a wall due to server lag, and the number of times i have attempted to target a player when auto defense has had me target his pet instead...just becuse the pet had attacked me first. With out the ability to rapidly target any potential threat, it seems to me that any profession is extremely hampered but especially squad leader, who as by profession must be on top of his game, and be quicker on the draw than the other guy. So far we arent any quicker, luckily for me i have a fast machine.

Lastly i propse the following dynamic changes to be availible only to squad leaders as a profession, to in effect represent our professions ability to "Strike first, and strike hard", which i currently believe does not exist in any shape, way, or fashion.

1> Enable Squad Leaders to target group leaders-

A. Create a symbol visible only to a squad leader, that would appear above a group leader much like the CON starbursts, or perhaps a special symbol for a group leader on the radar.

B. Create a special ability that would enable the squad leader to study(for s short time) the fighting and pick out the group leader. This is already possible to some degree, When studying,pay attention to the spatial text box and if you see the "Form up you slimeballs" or "We're all in this together" msgs, you should deffinitely send a volley fire towards them, but im sure smart SL much like myself change these messages when able to do so.

2> Enable Squad Leaders to target any player or npc within eyesight without relying on distance and without the finesse neccessary to target a moving player or enemy with the mouse.

A. Although enabling some type of new system would undoubtably require somthing more complex i think the results would be worth it. I propose this: enable a "Lock on" system while not it mouselook mode. Im not sure about the rest of my fellow players, but i never use mouse look mode. Enable a character using cursor mode to hover the cursor near the intended target and by pressing a keystroke to in effect "lock on" to that target.

B. Give Squad leaders the ability to target players by using the tab key method. very simple to do i believe. We can do this with NPC's already, cant be that difficult to include players as well.

C. Color Player enemies a different color than NPC enemies on the radar screen. pretty simple and easy to do as im sure we have several colors to choose from. That way you can pick out in the middle of a full blown melee the imperial player hiding behind his stormtroopers and cowardly gurreks on you radar, just in case hes not within your current LOS.

These are only a few of the methods ive thought of for simplifying the targetting process, which i believe in turn would make SL more effective but in a small way that would help the SL be more effective at doing his job, without passively making it a better profession. Ive always held to the idiom that any man can excel as long as hes given the opportunity to employ the correct tools for the job. I think this could help improve SL's abilities to fight and defend our groups. What do you think?

Tavian Brae'Monte

--Tempest Server

Squad Leader (2/4/4/3) / Gunslinger at large(2/4/3/2) / Dabbler (CH 3/3/1/3)

"The Body is the Soul. The Soul is the Body. The two are indistinguishable. Do not fear for the destruction of either." --The Way of the Samurai

--also--

CEO & President of

T & L Mercantile INC.- a resource conglomerate

That targeting idea would be very usefull

DarthMaximillian, those are very good ideas. I would pass those on the the Squad Leader Correspondent.

I love it

Matter of fact I feel we need more things like that. The fortifications are cool and all. But I think we should use our upgrade for things which are usefull for the group on the move. And also things which aren't faction specific.