Marines are too spec dependent

[Imheretohelp]

PFCs have no solution to T3s without major xeno misplay. Ravagers corner camping charge cycling, Crushers being crushers, Usain Bolt Neuro-Machines and boiler gas, there are no PFC tools you can use to counter-play them. You have to hope that xeno T3s do a major misplay in any hopes to kill them.

However, specialists do have tools to reliably kill T3s. B18 can push through corner camping xenos, RPG can punish frontline T3s, Scout is a major DPS source and Snipers can make boilers inefficient. The problem is that you only have 4 specs. These specs can vary in skill due to the popularity of the role and if marines have bald specs then the only way for them to win is if xeno T3s are also bald.

Another problem is that xenos can gain new T3s, while a lost spec is gone forever. Not to mention if the spec loses their gun or for some reason runs out of ammo. Xeno T3s slots scale due to population while marines are stuck with a static 4 per round.

If marines are going to be spec dependent in taking down T3s, then spec slots should also scale from population. And I don't care about that one time you killed a T3 as a PFC. The Xeno misplayed, you didn't do anything special.

[Minimike]

A group of good marines with a reasonable supply can push back xenos, problem is there's not many competent marines.

[SirMandrake]

I disagree. 2 pb bs will down a ravager, and its not difficult to dodge their charge. A line of rifles can do serious damage. Rds vgrip bursts hurt most castes, and with ap they hurt everything. Ap and attachments are more accessible now. A good marine flank can devastate a hive. Etc.

Imagine if spec did scale with population, and there were multiple sadars in a fight. Xenos would rightfully be salty. Granted specs used to have the option to choose their gear regardless of what others choose, but I'm sure that was changed for balance. Dunno, not saying xenos aren't a bit stronger than they should be, but I think you underestimate the power of pfcs

[Challade]

With the exception of the Demo... Not really. The remainder specs are actually just flanderizations of PFC's.

Pyro-Flamethrower with welder pack but hotter.

Grenadier-The M41A UGL, but 6 shots, more armor, and a belt for a lot of nades. Real talk, the UGL for M41A is a better GL since you can actually just turn off the launcher and shoot whatever you stun.

Scout/Sniper- Just a long range gun with night vision. Their usage has been mostly delegated to fucking up boilers, but any PFC can do it too with good shots and a rail scope.

Specialists are litterally...SPECIALISTS of pfc equipment. The exception is Demo as stated before, but it could be said that the demo is essentially the UGL PFC on crack and PURE explosion focus without the armor of a nadier.

So in essence...No. If you want to kick ass as a spec but can't, just be a spec 0.5 and pick up a rail scope, UGL, or mini flamer etc.

[KittyHawkpilot019]

not with mutators and new pheromones

[Dolth]

Don't have much more to say than yes...

[Ventyas]

If you got a few good PFCs playing with each other, they can also win alone.

[That Happy Cat]

The solution is clear.

Add three more spec loadouts.

Increase spec slots to two per squad.

Problem solved???



On a more serious note, the issue of "having more than one of each spec of OP" really only applies to the SADAR. It's an issue of SADAR/marine balance (in the sense that SADAR is one of the few ways marines can kill xenos that didn't make major mistakes, which IMO speaks more of marine balance than SADAR OPness).

[Build_R_]

The CAS update adds marking flares to the PFC vendors I think, they could probably make creative use of those to get an edge.

[Madventurer]

IMO it would be interesting to have a few test rounds with 2 specs per squad to see how it would go.