If you are looking for better trucks:
http://www.armyrecognition.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=715
The idea of having crewman driving them could be good, but ones the crate is dropped, other kits are available. But will stop "sniper"- type from rushing at start. He would go for the kit first and loose out on truck. Not really a problem though since admins sort those out usually. But yes to letting trucks have some kind of defense. Armour and/or a weapon.
Mikemonsters original idea is a good start for us here. I like it.
The notion some have that a CO would not be involved in building FOB's is really redundant. The CO in PR doesn't really have a real life counterpart. He commands 31 men (at most) but has full power over deploying UAV, airstrikes and such. Sounds a little spec-ops-ish to me.
So, in PR he is really just the concept of a higher leadership. And as such should be most involved in determing where FOBs are set up and drive his own vehicle. He would need to, with the restrictions with playernrs and the boredom with being a chauffeur for somebody. IRL, in most circumstances, a SL will not get to decide where to build a base anyways, his higher-ups will. SL will hold the shovel though.
IMO, the best way to go is to make the command-apc drivable. A model we have and that is unarmed.
Give that apc zoom and IR. Hey, give it a periscope so he can hide behind hills/(and other) peeking and mark targets etc. Commanding the battlefield! Allowing him to be the most well informed player in the field!
From the apc, he should be able to acess UAV etc. If a zone is to hot for him to peek at himself, he can fall back and deploy UAV instead. CO-APC should, when stationary, be able to deploy a fob on steriods. A big foxhole that the apc can park in. Shielding it from random attacks. A HAT will take out foxhole but not the apc. CO can then RTB sort of safe, unless its a good coordinated assault.
Should that occur, well then, thats the game. CO can still function from mainbase as usuall.
CO-apc respawn in 30 minutes more.
Steriod-fob should have a fixed repstation (like the one dropped from truck) and 1 fixed supplycrate.
So if we have a commander and he has built his little base, why wouldent he be careful with it?
Have a protective detail that also manages mortars for instance. We would finally have a guarded fob that does its job. It's job can also be to supply us players with a good fight on deploy-location.
There can only be one of these at a time and SL should still be able to setup standard fobs, maybe in a diminished capacity then current, and needing CO-approval. If no CO is present on map, only 2 fobs (got that from wicca) can be built.
Him being out with the troops, setting up a secure spawn, getting more intelwork done has to be WIN.
No doubt there is some improvement here. But as a general concept I think its good. Many agree on that a change to CO-role needs to be done. Lets try it from some new angles, it can always be reverted if it fails. And lets try and steer away from "but what if one player does this or that" abusing the system. That will always happen and the rotten few should not have the power to ruin it for the rest of us.
Btw, if anyone has complaints about my english, I'm swedish =)
Cheers