Combat engineer can no longer place FOBs in 0.9

[Maniac302]

With the addition of the need to use the Officer exclusive Radio to place Firebases, the Combat engineer kit can no longer be used by a logistics squad leader. I liked the Combat Engineer kit, because it allowed me to build, whether people joined my squad or not.

I wouldn't mind this change, but for one thing. When you create a squad named "Logistics", 90 out of 100 people will go join another squad, that's going to go kill things. Half of the 10 that do join my squad, aren't going to stick around for more than 5 minutes. So one of my favorite tasks is now very hard to even do, since I can't place AND shovel FOBs that my team will need, even if I can get another SL to get me an officer kit. Unless I happen to be super lucky, and get a second squad member, all I can do is drive trucks.

[Boris.T.Spider]

I usualy go CO at the round start, get the officer kit and hang onto it, you can get crewman with only 1 in the squad and leave them lying around as they are of no practical use to anyone beyond using the shovel.

[Celestial1]

I usualy go CO at the round start, get the officer kit and hang onto it, you can get crewman with only 1 in the squad and leave them lying around as they are of no practical use to anyone beyond using the shovel.

Whereas previously you had to still manage to get a 2nd squad member for combat engineer kit, you can now get it with just yourself. And it also means that the Combat Engineer can be used for the true purpose of minefields and clearing, rather than be lost if you get snuck up on.

Not that I'm arguing that it's less convenient; just that there is a workaround, and it's actually got some reasoning behind it too.

[Web_cole]

Lets just hope the CE gets some love in .95

[Maniac302]

Whereas previously you had to still manage to get a 2nd squad member for combat engineer kit, ...

Which you still need for an officer kit, which is relatively easy to get, as was the CE kit. All I needed was another member in my squad, once, and I had the kit I needed. I could then do the job, whether someone was willing to shovel for me, or not.

I could use the crewman kit, but that runs the risk of my Officer kit being picked up, or disappearing. I liked it when I could do the job myself, without having to switch kits all the time.

[Maniac302]

I know, but having to walk, say, 200m both ways, to go pick up the other kit after placing something is an annoyance, that's my biggest problem with it.

[Imchicken1]

The new combat engineer is much better this way:

Rather than being a 1 man FB maker, it's an explosives and light field repair kit.

Being able to use a CE to place AND build a FB just kind of ruins the teamwork idea. Get an officer kit, and get a couple squad members. This makes it so you have to work together to build up a FOB

[Zrix]

The new combat engineer is much better this way:

Rather than being a 1 man FB maker, it's an explosives and light field repair kit.

Being able to use a CE to place AND build a FB just kind of ruins the teamwork idea. Get an officer kit, and get a couple squad members. This makes it so you have to work together to build up a FOB

Currently you can just request a Crewman kit as Officer, and still build the FB solo. So I don't see the difference.

[Imchicken1]

Currently you can just request a Crewman kit as Officer, and still build the FB solo. So I don't see the difference.

Rather than being used by someone soloing to build FB's, its being used to place mines, C4, and repair light vehicles

[PLODDITHANLEY]

My opinion is that the engy should be able to repair bridges, just last night the North Bridge was down on Jabal, so no FOB's for MEC.

It could be claimed MEC should defend the Bridge against sabotage, but in reality that's not likely.

When the CSB's show up I guess the dependence on North Bridge will be over anyway.

If the engy could repair bridges with a repair station too that would make it complicated enough to avoid too much use.

To go back OT it's not an issue for me, you can always just ask someone to join your sqaud to get SL kit if you're not at main to get it via CO, in my experience most of the time someone is nice enough to join the sqaud breifly 95% of the time.

[Web_cole]

Looking through this on the Close Support Bridges I can't find any reference to Squad Leaders specifically placing the deployable bridges. So if I were to speculate wildly for a moment I might say that you'd need a Combat Engineer Kit to place them, which would make sense both from a gameplay stand point, and a realism one. Of course, I'm not the type for wild speculation

[illidur]

Rather than being used by someone soloing to build FB's, its being used to place mines, C4, and repair light vehicles

and for insurgency its used to give to the enemy to make instant infinate bombikes by people who think its used for mines, c4 and repair...

[CallousDisregard]

A little tip for when you are digging 1 man FOB's and assets.
After you place the FOB, especially if you are at the max distance from the crates, drop your Off kit next to the FOB and then run back to the crate for the crewman kit.
It can save you up to 250ms.
Also, remember that assets are built within 200m of the FOB and 2 crates.
So if you drop your crates, walk 30m north and then drop the FOB, you will not be able to place any assets past the 170m mark from the FOB.
Plan your asset locations and only then choose a spot for the FOB, not the other way around or you will find yourself shoehorning assets into places they don't work well.
Also...if you don't plan on defending the FOB, don't waste time digging because it just makes the FOB a move visible target.
IF you drop a TOW, try to place a .50 or AA next to it so if the CO needs to demolish the TOW later in the game he can find it.

[drs79]

Definition found from Googling Combat Engineer:

A sapper or combat engineer is an individual soldier who performs a variety of combat engineering duties. Such tasks typically include bridge-building, laying or clearing minefields, demolitions, field defences, and building, road and airfield construction and repair. He is also trained to serve as an infantryman when needed. A modern sapper's tasks involve facilitating movement and logistics of allied forces and impeding that of enemies.

The term "sapper" is used in British Army, Polish Army or Commonwealth military service. In the United States Army, the term sapper leader has been instituted for elite combat engineers.[1] An ordinary engineer who has completed his training is called a pioneer. The German Army uses the term pionier, while sapeur is used in the French Army.

^ IMHO The CE kit when it had the ability to build FOB's, was from my experience only being used for that purpose, and many times someone would join a squad, get that kit, and leave to build fob's (especially since it comes with a shovel), rather than to set up ambushes, work with a squad and use the kit to its full advantage.

A logistics squad with 2-3 people can do what the CE kit can in half the time.
Example:
1. SL + one player uses logi truck and goes to area where FOB will be built.
2. SL places FOB, rifleman (or other non specialty kit) shovels, SL can now request a crewman kit to also help shovel.
3. SL can either help shovel the FOB, or start putting down emplacements; razorwire, foxholes, hmg, or AA or TOW if necessary. SL can also help in the shoveling process by using previous crewman kit which was dropped to get SL kit back or request crewman kit to help shovel, or observe the area while the other member(s) of the squad shovel.

CE kit if 3 players are in the squad can now either help with shoveling or setup a minefield/lay C4 as a defensive measure if the threat of enemy infantry/vehicles is a possibility, or the CE kit is now available to an entirely different squad who needs to use it for the teams benefit.