Guys, guys, do you know what I love more than smartdisc multihits? I love speculating on how the game might work. But considering that you PROBABLY owe me the illumination of the boars in the insulating pulse, since this thing appeared immediately after my post many years ago, suddenly I will bring a good idea for implementation into the game.
Let’s go.
Let’s get to the bottom of the problem, there are VERY few good perks in the game and VERY few tools to separate a group of soldiers. Technically, there are none at all. I suggest that we think about this area.
The rework of sound deceptions.
Guys, this shit doesn’t work the way it should. It DOESN’T WORK AS A TRICK, it just creates an addition to the game soundtrack.
What am I actually suggesting?
When you throw the bait on the floor, it just lies there and does nothing, (just like now, lol!), at any right moment, at any distance, you can aim at the decoy, (it should light up), hold down the emotion wheel button and select a sound from the desired category, for example, the sound of treatment/pig killing /roar , etc. This thing will still not work 100% of the time, but at least it will be more manageable.
Now let’s move on to the separation tools.
I suggest giving the predator something like shunpo from the Assassin’s Creed game series combined with a snare from AVP. This thing that you throw at the target and pull at yourself, pulling it away from the main group, a soldier after such a journey through the jungle will need 2-3 seconds to recover, receiving damage by a predator instantly interrupts the action. So, in the right hands it will be an effective tool for isolating a priority goal, and in the wrong hands it will be a free headshot.
I would also like to think about such a thing as changing the spectrum of vision. Yes, we have an infrared vision mode, it’s cool and convenient, but… Didn’t you think that predator doesn’t have a counterplay against this shit on the night maps? You either don’t see anything. either you can’t see anything and your eyes hurt. The choice is worthy of the player. In general, I suggest adding 1-2 mask options to the gadget slot, such as… you take other lenses into the gadget slot, they will cost one and will fit perfectly where you usually can’t take anything except a useless armband with missiles, and you don’t want to leave an empty slot. Conditionally, you can take the chips from the 2018 film, remember? Was there a dude who could change the spectrum of vision and pick up a heartbeat? Here’s something like this. I would fucking remove the perk highlighting traces in thermal vision, or rather I would embed it in the default version.
But we got distracted from the separation tools.
Do you remember the Wolf had laser barriers? So, I have a question - where?
No, seriously, where are they? Am I the only one who finds the gameplay style problematic when 4 trained soldiers roast marshmallows in a building? And with such a position that I can barely kick them out with a plasma cannon? No, you know what? To hell with it. I need laser barriers. The principle of operation is the same as that of a decoy, you put them in a passive state and at the touch of a button you can turn them on. You can turn them off with an EMP grenade, but this will be a resource exchange for a resource, crossing such a barrier immediately puts a soldier in a near-death state. I think it’s quite fair. Well, I also really want to lock 4 fools in a box.
It seems to me that with these tools, the predator’s game will become more immersive, and the special forces game will become more careful and thoughtful.
Now let’s go through the perks. The current state of this mechanics is screeching, cringe and pizdec, I give up.
Let’s put it this way, I SHOULDN’T HAVE A PERK FOR A QUICK CHANGE OF GEAR IN MY CHOICE. Similarly, I should not have the choice of “Faster Parkour”, for some reason it seems to me that this should be based on the classes of predators, and not on the perks they took. Well, that is, it is logical that a little scout runs through trees faster and juggles equipment in his hands better than a clumsy Viking, but for this he pays with armor, equipment points and perks. I don’t like the idea of increasing flat numbers in perks, with the possible exception of a large bag, it’s ok.
Let’s go through each perk in the game, I’ll try to suggest a replacement or an alternative.
Branch Master - in the trash. This should be tied to the predator class. I would replace this perk with less visibility in swearing on branches, that is, squatting on branches in camouflage, you are almost as invisible as when you stand still. No one uses this button anyway.
Clotted - I don’t ironically like this perk, but I would make sure that it completely removes traces of blood in the second breath state. That would make it more relevant.
Energy Cell - we have predators whose energy supply is sufficient to consecrate a small city and at the same time keep inviz, but on the other hand we have predators whose energy is not enough even for themselves. I would suggest making a bonus to the energy of the Plos so that the energy mastadons do not derive a lot of benefit from it and it helps sad guys a lot more than it does now.
Impenetrable - fuck this perk. This is the laziest shit ever, a predator and shouldn’t take all the damage in the world. If you want a strong perk for a high price, I would suggest a perk for information. For example, after scanning all the soldiers of the squad, you begin to see their task, which will give you the opportunity to prepare the territory for the arrival of soldiers, and not run after them. Well, you know, I’ve heard hunters do that.
Large Pouch - I have no problems with this perk.
Light Bender - and I have a problem with this perk, why does a predator come hunting with a shitty raincoat at all? An uncalibrated one that spends more energy? I would remake it into this version: And can no longer notice you in a raincoat, at all. They can hear you, but not see you. + it reduces the distance from which the predator remains completely invisible to players by some percentage, this will help to play at medium distances more confidently, without getting 10 sniper bullets in the head for trying to approach trees. I know that a certain config makes it so that the predator is visible always and everywhere, but I believe that in the future it will be fixed.
Medic - everything is OK, but I would just rewire the animation, and not speed it up twice, it looks ridiculous. And as an addition, it would increase the speed of eating wild boars at the cost of restoring health, that is, you eat less and recover less, it sounds logical and gives you some choice.
Modified Reserve - I would add a condition, increase the recovery bonus, but it would turn on when you move. Firstly, it supports active gameplay, and secondly, it will not frustrate console players for whom my Celtic is a turret with a plasma gun.
Resourceful - Why is it in the game? Let’s put it this way, this perk will add a capsule with equipment to the map. The squad can break it if it finds it, the predator knows where it lies initially and can replenish its stocks of what it took with it, including first-aid kits. Yes, yes, this is a synergy with the bag that allows you to throw devices at the enemy, this is balanced, for example, by not completely replenishing stocks. For example, I think it’s fair to put in 1 extra first aid kit, 2 traps, a full supply of motion sensors and sound traps, and a full rocket shooting bracelet.
Spectral Awareness - I am very glad that the game takes care of the visually impaired (hello, heat traps), but this is no good. I would suggest to redo it into something like… In spectral vision mode, you start to hear the steps of the squad. Well, you know, when a guy has a voice chat bug and he becomes a beacon for you, but with a limited radius of work. It will work through walls, unlike vision, and will allow you to more clearly track movements in the same buildings where you cannot normally use motion sensors.
Dithered Lens - I like everything, but I would make sure that this perk blurs the laser sight more from a distance, and almost does not blur up close. Well, you know, where the point is to make it harder to track you during a PC attack, and the harder it is for targets to find a laser next to them, the better the perk works.
Fearless - my opinion is that there is no place for damage perks that do not have a condition, just transfer his bonus to damage specializations, and as a perk I would add a thing that allows you to fight in a state of second breath.
Cooling Syncs - I think that a perk that reduces the punishment for an obvious mistake, allowing overheating is not quite right, it allows you not to think much about energy management. Maybe it would be better if it reduced the interval between PC shots? Or did you reduce its charging time? Both options give a strong boost, but overdoing it will lead you into overheating.
Long Jump - no problem with this perk, guys - don’t miss leg day.
Down Range - the same place as Fearless, give this damage to specializations, perks are about something else. I suggest making this perk change the mechanics of the PC, you no longer have splash damage, but a direct hit becomes MUCH stronger, and a direct loaded hit is guaranteed to drop a soldier to the floor.
Height Advantage - okay, I like the idea of a bonus derived from height, but the idea of a banal reduction of damage goes to hell. Let’s do this, those who have ever tried to shoot from the bottom up at something metallic know what a ricochet is. Let’s put it this way, this perk will make the first bullet that hits you pass tangentially, if you are HIGHER than the shooter, not necessarily on a branch, just higher, then the internal cooldown of the perk will start, which is not for me to determine. This will slightly weaken the cosmic influx of sniper rifles and does not affect the machine guns so much.
Impatient - I would reduce the bonus it gives to the cooldown of the second wind, but I removed the white glow around the predator for the battle group. In combination with the redesigned clotted, this will make it much safer to move away in case of failure.
Hanging On - I don’t like its effect. because 100 times out of 100, you don’t need that much time in the second wind state. I would prefer it to double your stamina in this state.
Observant - as I said above, this perk should be in the basic configuration of infrared vision. Instead, I would make it possible to see the bloodstains left behind by wounded soldiers for a long time. This will make tracking easier after a skirmish, if someone is left without treatment.
Adrenaline Boost is a good perk, I would make it weaker by default, but stronger within seconds of taking damage. Well, you know how adrenaline works.
Protection - what the hell? Why is my mask originally made of papier mache? Let’s make a defense - defense, you can parry a soldier’s blow with a knife in close combat. The effect will be almost the same as from parrying a predator, but the soldier also falls on his back for a second, a park created to punish thoughtlessly brandishing his toothpick insolents.
Trapper - everything is fine with the perk, it is perfectly buffed by a variety of traps.
Ascender - if all the anger I feel towards this perk could be translated into energy, humanity would no longer be looking for alternative sources of it. No, this perk should not exist, instead I propose to make the predator’s image blur during parkour in camouflage, that is, the spot becomes much less obvious to hit, and the higher the speed, that is, the faster the class, the stronger the blur.
Heated - in the same place as the Light Bender, it is not needed in the game, I should not, as a predator, have a strange limiter in the main prey search tool, IR vision, in principle, should not waste energy, as it seems to me. I propose to redo this perk into the possibility of 1 fast shot, that is, you select a plasma master in the selector, the perk begins to accumulate and triggers with a certain sound, from that moment your next shot from the PC will be instantly fully charged, and then the perk will go to recharge. Long enough that you can’t spam with this perk. This is your tool for fast and accurate attack, perfectly combined with the new Down Range.
Fast Hand - oh my God, fuck no. Guys, I’m talking to you seriously here, but can I put SOME memes in here? Fast hand is leaving. Fast Legs is coming. You accelerate and jump further after dealing damage to the enemy.
Ironside is another damage reduction perk, it goes to the trash, like all similar perks. I would replace it with the ability of camouflage not to react to water and resist EMP smoke for a while.
Of course, this means that FT should also undergo similar changes in perks, the Yautja’s Bane is so fucking bad that I don’t even dare to talk about it. But I really am not competent to speak for the FT side, maybe one of you will pick up and rebalance the perks of the soldiers. Even if none of the community managers or developers will read this, I hope you at least had fun reading it. I’m interested in your feedback, folks. I’m looking forward to it, if there is still someone alive on this forum)