Squad Leader improvement ideas

[BeardedWall]

Really instead of it being orders, why not just give them a passive effect as long as you are in a certain radius?

"Inspiring" presence and all that. Make it apply to everyone but them, so people are motivated to keep them alive and not just be them.

You could do other minor things like make their light better, have them clear weeds faster, etc.

I would be hesistant to give them buffs like hp... because then you would just have people pick SL to be tougher and not lead.

[Alfred-Rattling-Reach]

Really instead of it being orders, why not just give them a passive effect as long as you are in a certain radius?

"Inspiring" presence and all that. Make it apply to everyone but them, so people are motivated to keep them alive and not just be them.

You could do other minor things like make their light better, have them clear weeds faster, etc.

I would be hesistant to give them buffs like hp... because then you would just have people pick SL to be tougher and not lead.

I want a Staff Sarge like the Sarge from MnB or Skirmish line, but without the OP weapons or health buff
I want a Sarge that buffs, and not only buffs, but with VISIBLE indicators they are a source of buffing and marines affected can see when they are buffed.

Or for short, like xeno pheoromone indicators.

[BeardedWall]

I want a Staff Sarge like the Sarge from MnB or Skirmish line, but without the OP weapons or health buff
I want a Sarge that buffs, and not only buffs, but with VISIBLE indicators they are a source of buffing and marines affected can see when they are buffed.

Or for short, like xeno pheoromone indicators.

God damn, that really would be the easiest implementation... pheromones for marines, based on ranks.

Why didnt I think of it..

[Madventurer]

God damn, that really would be the easiest implementation... pheromones for marines, based on ranks.

Why didnt I think of it..

The pheromones are sweat, testosterone and adrenaline.

Sweat makes marines shoot better, testosterone increases pain/damage resistance, adrenaline increases movespeed.

Easy.

[CABAL]

I want sweet, sweet estrogen for better recovery. Hehe.

[Alfred-Rattling-Reach]

I want sweet, sweet estrogen for better recovery. Hehe.

BE

Anyway, yeah, while that might be a tad too xeno-like, passive buffs would be a nice touch to the SL too
Active buffs would still be useful though, Hold order alone prevents paincrit, Move order minimizes FF (ever seen a minigun swarm MISS 5 Marines? With Move order you can!)
The only order so far that seems a tad useless is Focus.
While it does grant extra accuracy, considering the two others grant more than that
(Hold granting anti paincrit, and with that, removing move debuffs)
(Move not only granting speed, but dodge chance)
Maybe Hold should also boost aiming speed (some weapons take ages to use a scope), for that nice long range barrage.

[Damous]

Right now, as it stands, the SL is really not much more than a guy with enlarged text on the radio, jack of all trades stats and a free flamer, no strings attached.
While they CAN issue orders, their fellow marines really have no indicator other than randomly chosen dialouge to warn them the SL is even USING an order.
As such, there really is no visible incentive to stick to your squad leader.

So here i am, once more, writing a forum post, about some minor stuff, just because i feel like it.
Let`s get to it.

Make "Issue Orders" an action key
Unless you`re a real key-bind monster, issuing orders is a painful process trying to press some tiny text that randomly decides to jump around whenever you move, combine it with being under the IC tab (who uses IC tab IN COMBAT apart from meme-resting) and theres a good reason that sweet sweet HOLD YOUR GROUND text is so rare.
As such, like with attachments and suit lights, we should get a nifty, visible button to press, for all us non-key-bind noobs.

Make it much clearer an order has been issued
No, not SO orders, they already pester us too much, the BUFF orders.
As stated earlier, the only indicator one is in effect is by (at times) pretty obscure words suddenly being yelled by your SL.
Much like Xenos have, marines being affected by an order should have a visible icon over their head, showing they are in fact buffed.
As for what the icons for each order should look like? Go nuts, i ain`t no spriter.

Replace the M240 Flamer/Make it a choice rather than obligatory
Yeah, its nice, toasts runners, marines and predators.
It also have zero IFF, meaning you gotta stand IN FRONT of the squad to use it safely, which means an easy pick, which means a very dead/bursted SL.
An idea could be offering the SL a choice between the M240, an experimental IFF SMG or a special Grenade Launcher with a range like the M92, but single-shot (Think M79, but CM-style)
Even if the SL wants none of them, he/she/unga can still give it to a fellow squad member.

Make the SL a more obvious target
Sounds strange eh?
SLs really don`t stick out alot, the only indicator being an abysmally small antenna on the side of their helmet.
In CM, where XvH combat is dominated by indicators dictating targets (A crusher versus a drone being an obvious example), the SL simply blends in too well with the horde.
Engineers get their packs, medics their crosses, specs their gear and even stuff like PFCs with flamers get an obvious indicator.
Perhaps give the SL a bigger antenna, a special backpack WITH an antenna, a stripe on their helmet or even visible rank markers on their shoulder?
Either way, this also helps locate the SL in case they end up in a pile of bodies.


Anyways, thats all i got, alot of these ideas sounded better in my head, anyway, feel free to criticize, suggest or just discuss these ideas.

Dude, you dont have to use the F240 Flamer, you are free to use whatever gun you like, just remember to put it in some place that someone can pick up.

SL, right now after spec and tank, IS the biggest killing role out there...You can get whatever attachments, you have first access to m15 granades, you have free access to motion detectors, you can order entire box of M40 on req(normaly they never refuse), you can get yourself a free MOU and a HPR...Do you want to know more?.

But anyway, SL's dont need change...besides the "Make the SL a more obvious target", it would be good to have xeno's suiciding rushing, trying yo kill SL's.

[Alfred-Rattling-Reach]

Dude, you dont have to use the F240 Flamer, you are free to use whatever gun you like, just remember to put it in some place that someone can pick up.

SL, right now after spec and tank, IS the biggest killing role out there...You can get whatever attachments, you have first access to m15 granades, you have free access to motion detectors, you can order entire box of M40 on req(normaly they never refuse), you can get yourself a free MOU and a HPR...Do you want to know more?.

But anyway, SL's dont need change...besides the "Make the SL a more obvious target", it would be good to have xeno's suiciding rushing, trying yo kill SL's.

Which kinda defeats the purpose of the SL
Right now, they are just a glorified Unga PFC with free gear
Not the Buff aura/Leadership role they are supposed to be
There is no incentive to stick near your SL, there is no incentive FOR the SL to even use orders, as they just "Seem" to be yelled words

Too little visual feedback to even tell whos buffed, when a buff is active, etc.

If you want an unga prime class, it shouldn`t be the SL

[Sakuyoi]

SL is in a good spot. People dont maximize the SLs capability. The SL can give pills, Build shit, Repair cades and has a decent tact bino laze time and issue-orders help a lot.
To me people think SL is "bad" because they either unga instead of maximizing these things. Its usually once in a blue moon in where an SL tries to use CAS/OB.

t.tryhard

[Damous]

Which kinda defeats the purpose of the SL
Right now, they are just a glorified Unga PFC with free gear
Not the Buff aura/Leadership role they are supposed to be
There is no incentive to stick near your SL, there is no incentive FOR the SL to even use orders, as they just "Seem" to be yelled words

Too little visual feedback to even tell whos buffed, when a buff is active, etc.

If you want an unga prime class, it shouldn`t be the SL

No it doesnt, the SL is meant to be a NCO veteran, thats why he is leading a squad, he got the experience.
If you can still make Ungas follow you around and KILL, thats a different case...
If you have 0 skills in combat, you shouldn't be SL either, SL is about surviving and rallying is your squad at any time, because im pretty damn sure that the Spec and SG will always stick next to you.