Why not re-imagine barricades?

[Sir_Eldras]

Here is a suggestion which will most likely be shot down or irk people, but here goes. What would the mod be like if barricades were not deployable by players? Wouldn’t it make more sense that maps would already have fortified points before the Nords showed up? I mean, “the empire is in ruins,” so we all would know that they were coming, right? Why not have some defenses set up from the start? Each map could have two or three defense points with barricades already set up. When one fails, maybe players could scramble back to another choke/hold point. Maybe engineers could repair them instead of place them. This would help to minimize crashing/resets, people destroying barricades because they don’t like someone else’s placement, and it would just make more logical sense. Yes, players would have to give up a bit of control and freedom, but it would allow mapmakers to craft more focused maps, and (as long as it did not introduce new exploits/glitch spots,) could be interesting.

All of that wood could be turned into a new craftable like lumber. This could be used by engineers to repair barricades. Maybe higher tier engineers could craft metal into supports used to fortify the ‘cades with metal (requiring a simple re-skin to show it in-game.)

Let people have deployable shields and such, but the barricade usage has introduced bugs, frustration, reportable player behavior, and they are forcing players to only have one approach to the game. Why not let the mapmakers just place them where they seem logical?

[Hande]

It is possible to do but need to think more about this.

Keep talking.

[Senni]

Very interesting idea, maybe allow each level of engineer to get a kit to repair/build pre-placed barricades.

[Gismo]

Then those glitchers wont use cades to get up to their spots! Good idea!

[Sir_Eldras]

At the very least, I would want to make sure that engineers had replacement items for their tiers. Maybe it would be like healing kits, with various effectiveness levels (# of uses, amount of repair, etc.)

Alternately, instead of massive mat amounts being used to make such repair kits (requiring lots of $$$ to purchase them,) maybe they would simply use up wood or metal in the engineer's inventory. For example, barricade gets damaged to half of its hp, it takes x amount of wood from the engineer's stash to repair it. That way every engineer can do this from the start without having to purchase new equipment.

[Senni]

Hmm,

I don't think it should cost yourself mats or cash to repair the cades (atleast not continuously ), as that would discourage it. Very few people would then become engineers, and would rarely contribute to the team.

You should be encouraged to help the team by repairing cades, not punished .

[Kip]

Here is an idea that crossed my mind.  The engineer classes could have tool kits allowing the player to build certain types of pre-placed barricades.  Maybe the higher engineers would build/repair faster than the lower engineers (or something like that).  Edit: Crafting materials would only be used to craft the tool kits, not for each repair to the barricades.

Do heavy barricades cause servers to crash the way normal barricades do?

[lkenage]

Better yet, why not have both?

Allow for spots that allow for reinforcing. The option of player-built barricades allow for a greater degree of customization and tactics.

By including pre-determined spots that can be fortified further by people with engineering, and allowing player-built cades, you could probably build some very interesting forts. I wouldn't mind the inclusion of reinforcing pre-made points, but I also like keeping the option of player-built cades.

Being able to place a barricade nearly anywhere allows for some very interesting on-the-fly tactics.

[Galen_Thalheimer]

I love this idea. I especially like how there could be a few fortified spots to fall back to instead of one "we build this ridiculous fortress that if falls, it's all over". Now if you could escape from a doomed point, fall back to another one.

I don't see why the engineers couldn't be the same as they are now. If could equip a  barricade before, now you can repair that same level barricade with your toolbox. If you could have heavy cade, allow repair of heavy cade and upgrade of normal cade.

It would make make map design MUCH more important though.

[Punishment™]

People wouldnt repair their barricades if it would cost then mats(and thus money) all the time.