Project Reality Forums

Are there any plans to reduce the usefulness of the commander's UAV?

As it is now, I find that it spoils the tactical nature of many PR matches because it completely removes the fog of war (so to speak) of the battlefield.

On any 2km map, the team which establishes a mortar base first (and which also has a commander that knows how to operate a UAV) is almost guaranteed complete domination over the enemy team, because there is a 90% chance that the enemy mortars are within 1500m of that team's own mortars. No matter where the enemy team's mortars are relocated, the commander can just immediately relocate his UAV to find it and then have his mortars destroy them as they attempt to set up. It's a reliable way to win, but very boring and predictable, and I don't think it really fits that well into the gameplay of PR to have such perfect knowledge about enemy logistics and operations.

As it is now, with the UAV having unlimited uses and no cooldown timers, it is basically never a guess where the enemy is building his mortars. On a 50v50 server on a 2km map with equally-competent teams, the team that can make a mortar base first will win.

I can't speak to the influence of the UAV on tank/APC/CAS squads, but as someone who does mortars quite often I just think the UAV is way too useful. It sucks the element of surprise right out of the game.

I completely agree, the commander (and mortars imo) need real nerfs to bring back the enjoyable elements of defense and tactical movements/flanking etc.

Yeah, I personally think UAVs are something that should be removed from PR along with Attack Helicopters.

my opinion is:
Remove UAV in AAS maps, only available on INS maps or versus unconventional armies (militia, hamas and taliban)

BlackGus wrote:my opinion is:
Remove UAV in AAS maps, only available on INS maps or versus unconventional armies (militia, hamas and taliban)

I kind of agree with this, even realism wise, think about it: on a big battle, a conventional high tech force against another conventional high tech force, UAV's would be useless. The other force could easily detect and destroy the enemy's UAV, also having 2 UAVs, 1 from each team, peacefuly flying in the same airspace is kind of duvious.

I'd like to be able to fly and control the UAV. Both sides should be able to shoot it down

Nightingale wrote: I can't speak to the influence of the UAV on tank/APC/CAS squads, but as someone who does mortars quite often I just think the UAV is way too useful. It sucks the element of surprise right out of the game.

They benefit from it even more as there are but a few options that counter IFVs, Tanks and CAS - and out of these only HAT and handheld AA can slip past the UAV god mode if the terrain allows it. The rest sticks out like a sore thumb, FOBs, Vehicles, etc. I've said it plenty of times how it's ruining the game, but I assume that the Devs think it's more important to make the CO role attractive than it is to maintain balance and fun.

Make UAV planes cost tickets if they are shot down by e.g anti-air vehicle.

UAVs grant superior coordination and situational awareness not just because of the eye in the sky itself, but also because it actually brings players to the commander role. Having a commander makes a huge difference one way or another and we need to keep in mind the UAV can't see the entire map all the time.

Sure the UAV mortar fights are kind of lame, but then again mortars are the other half of the problem. I say since we have presented only one solution to the issue I can propose another.

Remove mortars because they are OP and can reliable hit anywhere within 1500 meters in a moments notice. Don't remove the UAV, it's one of the only reasons anyone takes a team leadership role anymore.

Let's not forget both teams have this available other than INS, and I believe if we remove the UAV from any single game mode it should definitely be insurgency.

Murphy wrote:Remove mortars because they are OP and can reliable hit anywhere within 1500 meters in a moments notice.

I honestly think this is a pretty good alternative suggestion. It's not particularly exciting to man a mortar pit, but I feel the need to do it just because I don't want my team to lose the game.

Murphy wrote:UAVs grant superior coordination

...

if we remove the UAV from any single game mode it should definitely be insurgency.

I totally agree with everything you've said; especially that insurgency would benefit from a nerfed/removed UAV.

I think that mortars should only be on 4km maps, if any. That way, there is some risk involved as you can't just squirrel away in the corner of the map and hit 75% of it like you can on 2km maps. 30/45 minute area attacks could compensate for this to alleviate stalemates.

My ideal would be:

1km maps:

• No UAV
• No Mortars

2km maps:

• Nerfed UAV [X Minutes uptime, Y minutes downtime where Y>=X]
• No Mortars

4km maps:

• Less nerfed UAV
• Mortars

Murphy wrote:UAVs grant superior coordination and situational awareness not just because of the eye in the sky itself, but also because it actually brings players to the commander role. Having a commander makes a huge difference one way or another and we need to keep in mind the UAV can't see the entire map all the time.

All the UAV needs to see is where the counters to your CAS or Tanks are. Doesn't matter where the hostile INF goes, if you've managed to deny the opponents AT/AA-capabilities they're bound to lose their held ground sooner or later, and the emplacements on FOBs aren't exactly cutting it since they can be dealt with your infantry and are defensive rather than aggressive.

I would also argue that the UAV does, in fact, see the entire map because all it takes is a mere second or so and you can go to a different portion of the map, so I fail to see how that is a relief of any kind. Especially since you really, really only need to know where the counters to your assets are, I can't stress that enough.

I also much rather have nobody in the CO seat than having the UAV in it's current shape. Upping the relocate timer by 2-3 minutes would totally mitigate the issue but who cares about good suggestions here anyways?

Frontliner wrote:I also much rather have nobody in the CO seat than having the UAV in it's current shape. Upping the relocate timer by 2-3 minutes would totally mitigate the issue but who cares about good suggestions here anyways?

You can disagree with the dev team but there's no need to be an *******

I agree with Frontliner, the UAV is too good combined with a tank/ifv squad, you almost cant lose when a commander is overhead telling you where the enemy tanks/ifv's are.
It also ruins mortar gameplay, just today in the PRT battle the enemy commander had constant eyes on our mortar squad and it was impossible to get it up before being mortared.

Also pointed out by others is the unrealistic use of the UAV in conventional warfare, it'd get shot down straight away, something which cannot be done (obviously) in pr.

It's too powerful an asset and can seriously ruin gameplay at times.

On insurgency i don't see a problem with it, part of the asymmetrical gameplay.

Murphy wrote:
Remove mortars because they are OP and can reliable hit anywhere within 1500 meters in a moments notice. Don't remove the UAV, it's one of the only reasons anyone takes a team leadership role anymore.

Anyone who is willing to take a teams leadership role would do it without UAV aswell, the only additional players attracted by the UAV are nothing more than spotters who mark all the stuff they see and work with mortars and CAS. For a year now i cannot remember a single public round where our commander actually commanded instead of just spotting.

Yes. CO seat and UAV is just a tool for superior coordination of said team. Get the UAV up. Tell the tank squad and HAT where the tank is. Mark FOBs for Recon Squad, Mark AA for CAS Squad, warn Inf about APCs that are coming etc etc...

It benefits the team with the better communications & increases teamplay, yet the mortar issue remains on 2km maps.

Maybe like this:
UAV can be relocated only X (3) amount of times in a round (to adapt to flag progress). This would define a primary area where the CO has eyes on and you no longer can go and check on the other side of the map really quick to search for mortars or that lonely APC that is flanking your forces.

Nate(GER) wrote:Yes. CO seat and UAV is just a tool for superior coordination of said team. Get the UAV up. Tell the tank squad and HAT where the tank is. Mark FOBs for Recon Squad, Mark AA for CAS Squad, warn Inf about APCs that are coming etc etc...

It benefits the team with the better communications & increases teamplay, yet the mortar issue remains on 2km maps.

Maybe like this:
UAV can be relocated only X (3) amount of times in a round (to adapt to flag progress). This would define a primary area where the CO has eyes on and you no longer can go and check on the other side of the map really quick to search for mortars or that lonely APC that is flanking your forces.

I somehow agree with this suggestion. It makes sense, doesn't take away from the gameplay and even promotes teamplay. But I don't think there should be a restricted number of UAV relocations.

Just imagine one commander CTD'ing or just leaving, making the UAV useless in some sense because 1 or 2 of the relocations have already been used.


Side suggestion; I think this already has been suggested numerous times, but making an Commander vehicle that can move on map with an UAV/drone that has a certain max range (500 meters is enough if counting in the view distance on some maps) from the CO-vehicle is one of the best ideas/solutions imo.

Spook wrote:Anyone who is willing to take a teams leadership role would do it without UAV aswell, the only additional players attracted by the UAV are nothing more than spotters who mark all the stuff they see and work with mortars and CAS. For a year now i cannot remember a single public round where our commander actually commanded instead of just spotting.

You're wrong, fiction is tasty but I have seen many people take CO on US servers so don't try to tell me no Europeans want to take the role. Most of the time EU players are ahead of the NA curve and we all kind of know it.

UAV is used for? Spotting. The commander spotting for CAS and Mortars is kinda, you know, what he is supposed to do. Do you want him to micromanage every INF squad and tell the APC squad of every single AT threat on the map at every moment? No. The Commander is the eye in the sky keeping things moving forward, if he chooses to interact with certain squads more or less is going to be based on the teams overall needs. Even if the Commander is only spotting targets for CAS he is also, by extension, marking things on the map for every other squad on his team.

Please have an actual argument next time.

I really like Psyrus' suggestion for different levels of UAV and Mortar capabilities depending on map size. But I would take it even one step further:

1km maps:

• No UAV
• No Mortars

2km maps:

• No UAV
• No Mortars

4km maps:

• UAV can only be relocated once every 5 minutes.
• Mortars can be built

They could almost use the UAV from vBF2... just make it a bit higher up.