Engineers can place a short range radar dish

Billy_Crook_Foot · Post by **Billy_Crook_Foot** » 2007-03-08 14:42

This was inspired by the thread about a commander vehicle.

How about a new engineer ability : The ability to place (much like a squad leader's rally point) a small short-range radar dish or some kind of motion sensor. When I mean small I mean something on a man-sized tripod that comes with a battery. I have no idea if these things exist in real life or are issued as standard kit so don't give me a kicking if this stuff is better off in BF2142.

If could function similar to the old UAV (yeah I know, controversal) with the rotating scan but have a reduced range. Obviously this could only be placed by an engineer (one only per engineer and only resupply from boxes or main base) and the tripod itself should be pretty easy to destroy (another job for spec ops anyone?) Maybe just a couple of bullets from an attracker? (do it from outside the range of the scan to mask the approach of an advancing armour column - another reason to have an infantry screen or scout up front to look out for these early warning devices.)

Perhaps the approaching enemies revealed could only be seen by the commander? Or perhaps only by the placing engineer? Or maybe the whole team?

This would be a purely defensive piece of equipment as it would allow a team to monitor "the back road" to get an early warning of a sneaky attack. To get an idea, think about the lonely road out east of the city flag on Jabal Al Burj (the big dam map) - that little bunch of palm trees, NE of east beach....or even the little bunch of houses east of the bridge where the road forks.

Probably not much use on small maps, but as we move on to bigger maps these little devices could potentially add another level of strategic thinking to a game that could be interesting (or alternatively, a RETURN TO VANILLA )

Yes, we could just use a few judiciously placed landmines but these don't stop infantry. Or granted, we could just have a man or two keep an eye on it with binoculars - not sure if there are many players with the patience for this (we have a shortage of defending sqauds as it is).

I wouldn't want the thing to be too easily hidden as it might give defenders too much of an advantage but at the same time it would be man-portable and not too powerful in range (Vanilla).

Just thought it would help with put some more emphasis on defence, give a little something to the underused engineer class (marginalised a bit with the crewman kits), give another task to the spec ops class, and maybe even teach the attacking team to be slower and more deliberate with some scouting or infantry screening.

Please post your thoughts.....

DrMcCleod · Post by **DrMcCleod** » 2007-03-08 14:44

Billy_Crook_Foot wrote:
Just thought it would help with put some more emphasis on defence, give a little something to the underused engineer class (marginalised a bit with the crewman kits), give another task to the spec ops class, and maybe even teach the attacking team to be slower and more deliberate with some scouting or infantry screening.

Please post your thoughts.....

IIRC, the US used vibration sensors along the Ho Chi Min trail in Vietnam to detect enemy movement. I imagine similar technology exists today.

Billy_Crook_Foot · Post by **Billy_Crook_Foot** » 2007-03-08 14:58

Hmm, do you know if these were powered by a vehicle or something else? Solar panels for the green option? Not cool for night defence!

El_Vikingo · Post by **El_Vikingo** » 2007-03-08 16:31

so sorry, but this does belong to the 21421

My UAV is a squad member.

Darkpowder · Post by **Darkpowder** » 2007-03-08 16:39

no thanks the damn UAV is the most hateful aspect of BF2 vanilla

underused engineer class... the class is awesome.. defensive abilities top class, ambush top class, rifle good, shotgun lethal at close range.

Capabilities to drop stacks of mines, VERY useful with all the powerful Light-AT immune tanks around.

try using it, you wont regret it when those blown bridges stop your infantry getting squashed by the armoured columns.

Billy_Crook_Foot · Post by **Billy_Crook_Foot** » 2007-03-08 17:24

Hmmm, Okay. Must concede the need to send this idea back to Vanilla were it belongs in lieu of this idea:

Trip wired flares.

Anyone?

Edit: Of course perhaps even this idea is redundant when you consider the cleverly placed "bird sign" on maps (most notably Mao valley)

[DVB] TRIggS · Post by **[DVB] TRIggS** » 2007-03-08 20:09

doesnt sound like a bad idea but it should be in the officer class. wouldn't want everyone going engineer and soon the entire map is filled with them. It should only be seen by squad, if possable, or by nearby friendlies. Id say that the radius should be about 75-50%the size of the vBF2 UAV. To keep it from being continuous maybe, once it is put up, call in to the commander to activate it and keep it running for 5 min(Not to sure its possable seeing as commander assets are hardcoded). I think that would balance it out a bit.

CENINJA · Post by **CENINJA** » 2007-03-08 22:45

Darkpowder wrote: underused engineer class... the class is awesome.. defensive abilities top class, ambush top class, rifle good, shotgun lethal at close range.

God I hope you are joking....I have shot someone point blank to the face as he came up a ladder with buckshot, and he didn't die... then he proceeded to kill me.

El_Vikingo · Post by **El_Vikingo** » 2007-03-08 22:48

Can't we have them funcky helmets wih screens on like in GRAW!?

j/k

Post by **IronTaxi** » 2007-03-09 00:28

me neither..yuck..why would we wreck our stealth?

Post by **77SiCaRiO77** » 2007-03-09 00:30

UAV its a part of the modern battlefield , so yeah , i want see those babys back , only comander driver and Q-spoted , not the automaticaly **** of bf2

Gyberg · Post by **Gyberg** » 2007-03-09 00:33

Hey I like the thought of a trip-wire flare, perfect for defense and are used at least in sweden, it lights up and starts to wizzle.... would not show up on the minimap only give a sound and light effect visible to people watching that direction and it can only be heard within normal hearing range.

Teek · Post by **Teek** » 2007-03-09 05:20

77SiCaRiO77 wrote:UAV its a part of the modern battlefield , so yeah , i want see those babys back , only comander driver and Q-spoted , not the automaticaly **** of bf2

Thats kinda the commander view right now

Hey I like the thought of a trip-wire flare, perfect for defense and are used at least in sweden, it lights up and starts to wizzle.... would not show up on the minimap only give a sound and light effect visible to people watching that direction and it can only be heard within normal hearing range.

For AP rifleman maybe?

Billy_Crook_Foot · Post by **Billy_Crook_Foot** » 2007-03-09 09:51

I can understand the desire to stay stealthy and I certainly agree that a return to UAV spamming is a poor idea.

The idea came from a game I had on Jabal which is a pretty big map and our team was having trouble keeping control of both city and factory while simulataneously attacking bridge and dam. This was clearly work for 4 squads on four flags (2 on defence, 2 on attack/defence). Approximately one fifth of your team at any one time is messing about enroute to a flag, getting a kit from main or is otherwise lost. It is hard for a single squad to cap a flag on it's own and as soon as one of the defending squads left the back flag and came up to bridge to help capture it, we'd get a US squad take the back road and grey out city - one squad would then go back to city to "clean up the mess" and the bridge would be unattainable by the squad that stayed there to attack.

Now Jabal is a big map (even bigger on foot) and as we move to even bigger maps with more diverse capture points (can't wait actually), we are probably going to see more of this conundrum. Stay back and defend a flag against the odd attack while a friendly squad vainly tries to attack a flag on it's own and gets nowhere, or move up to help only to get stealthed around the side (I quite like the dynamics of this, it shows a cunning enemy and is the real "game" as I recognise it). Mind you this doesn't take into consideration fast insertions by helicopters (another good feature and tactic).

The original idea that I brought up was simply a way to perhaps add something to the strategy - most likely a commander tool or something to at least have a chance of an early warning in the instances described above.

However, I also fully concede the point that it could be more CHEESE than it's worth and when the bigger maps start to arrive then we'll see another jump in the learning curve for successful squads to STAY WHERE THEY'RE TOLD and let the fight come to them. This is also welcome as I am all in favour of a slower game with a bit more thought and planning/communication. In fact, there is nothing I like more than long range encounters between squads - allowing for bullet drop, seeing a difference in weapon characteristics, manouvering for better terrain and angles etc. (except the entire squad starts groping for a sniper kit so they can get an advantage... )

So, if we think an element like this is BS, then I'll go with that. If we think it may add something when the bigger maps come along then great. Imagine Zatar Wetlands - where the hell would you put such a short range static device and still expect to pick up anything?

Thanks everyone for the points and opinions...

Post by **77SiCaRiO77** » 2007-03-09 15:18

Teek wrote:Thats kinda the commander view right now

did the comander can spot with the view right now ?