give every class a calculator

If every class had a calculator you could 1. Divide engie skills up better (like the old give rifleman ammo box suggestion)
2.put squad powers on them.
3.make e-build more obvious

 

Ns2 did it pretty well. Everyone got a tool to build and you could upgrade for a welder that would also heal the exo's. Pretty intuitive, but requires yet another model to make it obvious.

 

It's ridiculous sounding, but I'd love to find a way to give a moderately useful calculator to every class.

Stuff like droppables & calc-related skills probably shouldn't be carte blanche, but it's really not that bad of an idea.

Building is too damn important in this game to not let every class do it. There's a reason we have e-building and the game is currently balanced around e-building & it works, but it's a pretty glaring design issue that's being propped up by a crutch.

 

Also defuse could be put on the grenade calc

 

No evidence build would just be replaced with a calculator(though the speed would still be class dependant)

 

I would want a different model instead of the calculator. I don't mind if you just give them an electro-glow on their hand (which also would be badass - making more people do it), but I'd like something different.

Mostly because while I agree building and repair (there should probably be e-repair in now) should be spread around, I think the calc is pretty integral to the engy. It's an awesome tool, and I think most of the functions of it should stay with the engy.

Also, the different model just shows the differences.

It may sound like a hokey argument, but who wants a text wall anyway?

 

Just to clarify I didn't mean to just copypaste the engie calc, I meant to give everyone a distinct calc(even if the model is the same due to lack of artists)

Also putting squad powers on them would be more intuitive I believe

 

The model is the only thing I have issue with. It may seem a tiny nit-picking thing, but...the associations with the calculator are vast, and giving an actual same calc model to everyone will have large repercussions.

I'm being all doom-mongery again. I don't know why I have this feeling, it's just...meh. I'll leave it for a while.

 

Well having a calculator with identical models is still better than the use key and some sparks

 

Give the other classes a slide rule.

 

ha... give the other classes a tool that they have to hand crank to show its a piece of shit compared to calc.

 

I like this idea but you can just buff E build and have the same result.

 

how about, buff e build, take ebuild off of use key, give every class that isn't engineer an additional weapon in the form of a power drill that does the ebuilding. Calculator would have 1.5-2.5x the efficiency of power drill. For grenadier, if defusal is taken, power drill is used instead of edefuse. Scout's power drill sabs buildings instead of esab. All that stuff should be taken off the use key. Also, why doesn't defuse have an indicator/progress bar yet?

 

Or you just buff E build and not spend several months on a model, animation, and giving it sounds.

The gren defusal should use the same bar the scout uses for sapping progress, there needs to be a visual indication for how long it takes to disarm a mine.

 

Who cares about time, it would be worth it making something stupid not-stupid.

 

Again:

Slide.
Rule.