The Abysmal State of POs

[FGRSentinel]

One thing I always played around with in my head was adding a refueling system, where at round start you need to refuel both dropships and then top them up as the round goes on. As a safety measure you wouldn't be able to launch the dropship without a minimum amount of fuel. This could create a sort of 'deck crew' role for that 4th PO who doesn't have much to do on transport, or an MT.

In my mind you'd need to pick up a nozzle using the power loader and attach it to one of the engines, or maybe you could just remove empty fuel tanks using the PL, refuel them, and then put them back in. The only thing is that this would need a little sprite work and could be a bit tedious.

And for the queen we'll just say she can override the safety measures and burn the last drop of gas to get to the Almayer.

That'd fit in with the checklist idea I had, actually. Basically there'd be panels added inside the dropship for access to electrical systems, fuel cells for a small inbuilt reactor, fuses, etc. and the PO can speed up transport flights by doing checklist interactions with them before/during the flight. An example of a roundstart checklist (note that all of this can be done by anyone with engineering/power loader skill, so the PO might need some engineering ability added if this checklist is used as a template):

1. Confirm connection to shipside power via umbilical (Check the outside to make sure a cable near the engines is connected)
2. Activate electrical systems (use an emergency release on the doors to get to the cockpit, then turn on power to the doors, lights, and component slots. If this doesn't work, do repairs in the electronics panel in either the cockpit behind the pilot seats or in the passenger/cargo compartment)
3. Check battery readouts (done from the cockpit, if batteries read a certain voltage, they're good)
3A. If any battery reads 0V, remove and replace with a new one immediately (done from the electrical panel)
3B. If any battery reads below x volts, switch it to "CHARGE" and return to standby setting once at the proper voltage (done from the cockpit)
3C. Repeat until all batteries read x volts. Switch batteries off for reserves.
4. Check reactor fuel cell levels and replace if needed (can be checked in the cockpit or by pulling out the fuel cell from a panel similar to the battery/electrical panel)
5. Check engine fuel level (cockpit) and refuel if needed (by the engines)
6. Equip dropship for operation (current prep routine)
7. Computer startup
8. Engine test while the computer boots (mostly to improve efficiency in step 9 by getting fuel burn rates and thrust potential)
9. Have computer autogenerate a flight plan to the AO and back (if MT/CE/XO/CO) and set first drop/drop frequency times (as XO/CO, can be done from CIC, hangar, or Dropship cockpit) or manually program in a flight plan (if PO, takes longer but guarantees a shorter flight time on transport at the start and perhaps extends the flight time of CAS)
10. Activate reactor
11. Engine startup
12. detach umbilical cable; Dropship will now be operating off internal power generation.

[TheDonkified]

I don't think making transport PO as tedious as MT gen repair will make it more fun. It's still click simulator, except now you can't RP/play other game in your downtime. I don't know how you're supposed to make transport PO anything but click simulator unless you give the role more to do.

[FGRSentinel]

Good point, I guess. The issue is that something needs to be done or the quality of POs will still be unpredictable unless decent POs start playing it exclusively.

There is, however, a suggestion on the Gitlab to give the PO Medic-level medical skill and SL-level Engineering to better mirror real-world pilot training as well as to address the lackluster skills of the PO. (as I've described it in the past, PO is basically a PFC with SL-level leadership, skills that only matter until after evac, and a rare sidearm) Perhaps looking at it would be a good idea as it'd give Pilots more of an excuse to move around Alamo, make them more invested in the condition of their passengers, and maybe make POs understand why they shouldn't fly on a schedule when they're aware just how badly people need to go up.

[Chemical]

As I suggested in github, a new paratrooper class might help to mix things up, at least for those doing fly-bys.

[FGRSentinel]

I think Neth's adding paratrooper equipment for something coming in the CAS rework, actually.

[Build_R_]

As boring as PO currently is, I don't think a 12 point pre-drop checklist is gonna make it any more fun. Re-fueling/recharging the dropship would probably create even more inept POs or POs that launch too late in the game. I have issues loading nano UIs so I know it would take me forever to work through each item listed.

[FGRSentinel]

Maybe if the PO had some kind of radar that they could use while in flight to mark targets on CIC's tactical maps or something it'd be a bit more interesting. That way Alamo's PO has something to do during a trip and they could help spot targets or something.

[Renomaki]

You know, as much as it sucks to be a PO, it sure is better than not having POs at all...

Back when I started playing, it was back when either the CiC managed all flight times, or the odd MP decides to play the role of PO. It was a frustrating time where Commanders/Captains had to juggle both leading marines and making sure the dropship was constantly moving. Having someone take on a PO role back then was a blessing, because it meant command could focus on leading and not on managing the dropship. Hell, back then you didn't even know how long you had to wait before it recharged, which made it all the more hellish to manage...

When the PO was first introduced, it was the most beautiful of things.. But also as time went on, became one of the more boring of roles, but at the same time, so VALUABLE to the marines in that without him, Command would be even more overworked than they are now. Try a round without POs and tell me how fun it is, and you understand the importance of having POs.

But again, like being an MP, it is a very underwhelming job where you either spend 2 hours ferrying marines, or spend an hour on Air Support duty waiting for a CaS request, you do it for a minute, then you wait another hour before the round either ends or you get lucky and marines call in ANOTHER AIR STRIKE, oh goodie!

For the latter, it is clearly due to NCOs being too busy being glorified grunts instead of utilizing their tools properly. Medics also need to try and utilize it more often, since Medevacs via CaS are SO MUCH SAFER than hauling your wounded all the way to the FoB, where a lurker could easily ambush you along the dark, lonely roads.

The former, however... Well, that is gonna be harder to fix. Sure, you could slap a gatling gun on your dropship and do flybys while dropping off troops and supplies (Not sure how many POs know you can use GaUs during transport mode), but for the most part, it is a very uninteresting job with little complexity. Maybe someday they'll find a way to make transport duty interesting, but for the most part, it is going to be a job few enjoy, but many have to do due to the sheer importance of it... Just like being an MP, or a CT, or even some other boring job no one likes but does anyway.

Just like real life...

[dauntasa]

For the latter, it is clearly due to NCOs being too busy being glorified grunts instead of utilizing their tools properly.

It's really not. Let's break down CAS, and what needs to happen in order for CAS to be useful.

1: The xenos need to be massed in a position that isn't underground.
This only happens in two situations. The first is the LV river crossing, the second is when the xenos are making a major offensive push. So much of any given map is safe from CAS that the xenos never have any particular reason to gather up in a place that is vulnerable to it, unless they're attacking a marine defensive position and thus have no choice. The only time they do this defensively in an area that is vulnerable to CAS is the LV river crossing, because they have like 45 minutes to make it as annoying as possible for the marines to cross. And even then, they usually head back into the caves pretty quickly if the marines start pushing successfully.

2: An SL needs to spot this clump, pull out his binos, and spend an extended period of time remaining completely still in order to lase it. This clump also needs to be located in a position where the SL can see it from far enough away that CAS won't also splash him and his squad, so it needs to be on relatively open ground.
Since the xenos are probably advancing, this will often be impossible to pull off without getting murdered. Sitting still with your gun holstered is a great way to get killed fast. As such, this mainly only happens when the SL can lase safely from inside cades. Due to the various cade nerfs, you mostly only find cades at the FOB and the entrances to the caves/underground areas, so this will mostly only happen at the FOB(and LV river). Attempting to do this when the xenos are retreating results in them just running offscreen before you can even finish lasing, let alone have CAS actually start hitting. And, if CAS does fire on a xeno retreat, more often than not it will just cut off a marine pursuit.

3: The xenos need to sit near the laser for the significant amount of time that the CAS needs to actually impact.
This never happens. Xenos will almost always sprint away from red lasers as soon as they see them. Even if you get to the point where they think you're bluffing, and don't expect the laser to actually result in CAS, CAS still shows a green laser and a loud noise a couple of seconds before impact, giving them yet another chance to get away. Even boilers have little trouble avoiding CAS, and that's assuming extremely optimal CAS where the SL and POs are perfectly on the same wavelength and communicating telepathically. Actual CAS involves significant delay between the SL lasing, informing the PO that there's a decent lase, and the PO going in, picking the target and launching.

4: CAS needs to actually be up.
Even if the xenos have decided to form a conga line on the LV river crossing and then go AFK, CAS has limited uptime and if the perfect lase happens to come along when the ship is grounded, it's gone. The POs also need to be paying attention to be ready to fire within a second or two, which they probably aren't because they only get one or two opportunities maximum in a multiple hour long round.

So, with these factors combined, CAS only gets used as basic area denial at the LV river crossing and the FOBs on Ice and Big Red. It only gets used for this as long as the marines try to hold the FOB, which these days is about 3 minutes for reasons I've bitched about at length elsewhere. On the LV river crossing, it gets used to clear out the sticky resin if people remember it exists, which they mostly don't, and then goes unused for the rest of the round because that all takes place inside caves.

[adrenalinetooth]

SLs can open the cockpit and manually launch, as well as any CIC staff plus MPs.
If a PO is really bad and I am SL, I just simply waltz in the cockpit and force launch it, drama avoided.

Also take a look at this suggestion: https://gitlab.com/cmdevs/ColonialMarines/issues/3234