Update Discussion thread (14FEB18)

[Solarmare]

If you can walk, you should walk back. Yell at them to run to the alamo if they've only got fractures, medevac should only be for priority such as IB, organ damage, or larva. A more robust medevac wouldn't necessarily solve the issue of lightly wounded not doing something for themself, whether that's getting to the alamo or continuing the fight until organ damage, multiple fractures, or IB occur.

[spookydonut]

CASEVAC is really only meant for front line evacs of people where its too dangerous to drag them LZ and/or there's not enough time to stabilise them with QC/Peri. I feel like 2 per cas flight is fairly balanced right now given the rate of serious casualties.

Currently stasis bags are meant for when medics have more patients than time, not to just say "welp they have IB/organ damage, in the bag they go!"

You have QC and peri pills, use them to stabilise those cases for self-evac and save the stasis bags for the one you literally just brought back via defib with 2 IB, 5 broken bones and burst lungs.

[Peachy2912]

New update:

"Marines no longer have access to the common public frequency on their headset, and they now talk on their squad channel with ";". Other crewmembers of the Almayer still keep their access to the public frequency. Command still need to use :q,:b,:c,:d to talk in squad channels through their headset."

Discuss.

[GenericUsername]

Can we get gameplay updates that are actually needed? So far most updates are cosmetic or unnecessary nerfs, this recent one being the biggest example.

[Surrealistik]

New update:

"Marines no longer have access to the common public frequency on their headset, and they now talk on their squad channel with ";". Other crewmembers of the Almayer still keep their access to the public frequency. Command still need to use :q,:b,:c,:d to talk in squad channels through their headset."

Discuss.

I can see this being an attempt to encourage squad communication, but it's more likely to do harm than good in the end.

Also dat station bounced radio meta.

[Sulaboy]

I can see this being an attempt to encourage squad communication, but it's more likely to do harm than good in the end.

Also dat station bounced radio meta.

They still have intercoms to talk on ship with :i . Also station radios should be a part of the game, we should give the SL one. It's stupid that we are unprepared for the case that telecommunications is down.

[Peachy2912]

I can see this being an attempt to encourage squad communication, but it's more likely to do harm than good in the end.

Also dat station bounced radio meta.

Perhaps, but i'm not sure the way to go about encouraging communication is to remove the ability for one half of the team to talk to the other half. It's a pretty regular occurrence that squads are decimated and this new update just makes them impotent. There a numerous other examples where speedy communication to everyone is vital, such as calling out the location of a Xeno or reporting that the LZ is under attack. It seems little thought went into removing a vital communication tool from a team that requires communication in order to win/be fun.

On another note, I thought the whole idea of certain staff members having larger text on the comms was supposed to prevent vital orders from being drowned out. In my opinion it worked very well, why fix it if it wasn't broken?

[Skimmy2]

Each squad has a SL and SO who's job it is is to relay information, and each squad is still connected through Command net. I personally dont see this as a big deal, if it becomes an issue, give the Specialist a SL radio and make him into an official Assistant Squad Leader roll that he already is.

[Gnorse]

for the love of god, can we stop the queen buffs ?

[thatguyfromlife]

New update:

"Marines no longer have access to the common public frequency on their headset, and they now talk on their squad channel with ";". Other crewmembers of the Almayer still keep their access to the public frequency. Command still need to use :q,:b,:c,:d to talk in squad channels through their headset."

Discuss.

Makes me want a squad RTO role even more now. Someone with constant access to general, squad and command comms. Would help reduce the clutter like this update, but keep all marines informed, as long as the RTO is alive.

[Sulaboy]

Perhaps, but i'm not sure the way to go about encouraging communication is to remove the ability for one half of the team to talk to the other half. It's a pretty regular occurrence that squads are decimated and this new update just makes them impotent. There a numerous other examples where speedy communication to everyone is vital, such as calling out the location of a Xeno or reporting that the LZ is under attack. It seems little thought went into removing a vital communication tool from a team that requires communication in order to win/be fun.

On another note, I thought the whole idea of certain staff members having larger text on the comms was supposed to prevent vital orders from being drowned out. In my opinion it worked very well, why fix it if it wasn't broken?

The only thing I've ever seen the common chat help with is telling the location of a Xeno onboard or a threat. The rest of the stuff on that channel is just people talking and filling up chat box with stuff I don't need to read. When you are on the ship you can hear it through the intercoms, and as a marine you can still talk into it through them. General coms is just filled with ship side roles talking and having departments work together. If the CO needs to send an order immediatly then he could always send an announcement. If and order is being sent in the traditional way then the CO tells the XO then the XO tells the SOs and then the SOs tell the SLs who tell their squads. This way all of command is filled in with what is happening and the orders get sent to their squads. If you are trying to inform another squad about something as a pfc then you tell them by mouth or tell your SL to relay the information to command, who need that information to help the troops ground side.

[Trench007]

Makes me want a squad RTO role even more now. Someone with constant access to general, squad and command comms. Would help reduce the clutter like this update, but keep all marines informed, as long as the RTO is alive.

There's a suggestion for that on GitLab: https://gitlab.com/cmdevs/ColonialMarines/issues/2397

[Park]

The removal of the public comm channel is a massive blow to the marines there are times, most often during massive pushes, where you not only have to communicate to your own squad as an SL but to the squads around you. I can not emphasize the times I had to tell on gen coms for everyone to push a specific area. The elimination of the public comm makes it ten times harder for marines to push because now as an SL I have to tell my SO to relay info to the XO/CO to make an announcement to encourage the standards to push when I could have just yelled in their ear previously on public comm. The formula for a marine victory is always good communication, good leadership, and good logistics. The new update makes it harder for marines to communicate effectively outside their squads making it even harder for marines to win in the current landscape.

[GenericUsername]

new skin tone is good, I almost thought last round was the real deal

[Ttly]

If you can walk, you should walk back. Yell at them to run to the Alamo if they've only got fractures.

Running back alone from one end to the map to LZ is pretty suicidal, not to mention one hit takes off the splint.
And asking for escort means less people pushing/scouting/whatever they were doing before, also not a lot would bother to escort a PFC.

[Heckenshutze]

Not gonna miss the general comms, it was full of useless shit chit chat anyway

[zoboomafoo]

I didn't like calling for help and being ignored anyways.

Side note, marines planetside can't hear the general comms now. So no more PO's telling us the alamo is leaving/arriving.

[completelynewguy]

Man, I sure love watching marines suddenly pick up and carry around a station-bounced radio for their radio headsets. Only to watch those said station-bounced radios get nerfed into oblivion because "marines are trying to powergame".

[4thsurviver]

I'll miss general comms. Was always nice being able to follow the battle when I was stuck in the FOB or trying to get help from anyone nearby when I was stuck in a nest. Not to mention how important it was in the end game when all leadership has been wiped out and the marines form mixed units to continue the fight. I loved the atmosphere of general comms whether during a lull being able to shoot the shit with another squad or listening to the panicked cries for help from lost marines.

Makes me realize that now when I SO I'll have to turn the other squad channels on to try and keep my squad updated on the other squads since they'll have less clues what's going on with them.

[WinterClould]

I don't think more work on the communications side of things was something the SO needed at all. They're already silent enough as is. This is gonna be pretty rough for squads without SO or commands that don't have enough staff officers to man each squad.

[Sulaboy]

Not gonna miss the general comms, it was full of useless shit chit chat anyway

This is true

[davidofmk771]

I think with a few additional well placed intercoms (such as outside the req line windows) this update could ultimately serve to help the marines.

[Nyeshivuu]

Everyone calm down, whenever a big update like this happens the game will suck for a bit. My complaints are that the current state of the medic is awful and has been for awhile and all the skin tones are all cm griefer brown.

[Sulaboy]

Hey just nerfed Xeno starting population. Neat.

[Rio]

The Marines comms nerf is one step too far. Sure, general comms was filled with hot soppy sewage most of the time, but it did allow for someone to very quickly send out a message for something urgent. It was a mechanic that made clutch saves possible if one utilized it properly.

The marine nerfs need to stop. It's gotten out of hand to the point where pill bottles have been skill-locked.

I've been playing religiously since around august of last year (even though I registered on the site last week). This is the straw that broke the camel's back for me. I'm not sure whether this is a step on the way to a greater gameplay change, but until that change is implemented and Marines stopped getting child-locked out of features, I'm on hiatus.