Handheld radios, comms and mortar.

General Discussion
1

Coming back after some time (before comms were in their current set up), it is noticeable that comms are much more volatile than before and are a major part of the operation.

Failure to get comms online, typically leads to a devastation on the front line due to lack of communication.

So the question comes in; Why are handheld radios not being used as a backup to comms?

Supposing every SL, FTL (can be combined with a radio pack to relay message to CIC and back), Mortar operators, dropship pilot, has one, you have an effective method of communication even when comms are down to maintain cohesion until proper comms are restored.

Similarly, it will also broadcast your voice on large letters on the textbox for an Officer, SL or FTL.

In practice however the handheld radio is a very overlooked item with great potential when comms are unreliable.

So why not standardize the handheld radio as part of the kit for these roles? Or at least why would you not equip one if you are playing any of these roles?

1 Like
2

Because this shits annoying to use.

If someone PR’d a shortcut for them, like how intercoms have :i, then it’d be fine. But to use it viable, you gotta put all settings on it on, which means everyone who talks around you also speaks into it. And if you see how annoying survivors are when they get evacuated and you hear 10 different people talking next to them all at once, you would know how bad it would get.

I have used this strategy before and told marines to ignore comms on Ice Colony 1 back during the christmas event and it got so annoying for marines that a handful of them braved going to Comms alone just to set it up even after being ordered not to since they wanted actual comms over handhelds.

Its still a viable strategy, especially on maps where comms are at fuck off nowhere and you know you are going to lose them, but just like all good tools it needs good players to use them properly, which is rare.

Same reason why we do not see more skilled usage of other items like grenade launcher baton slug into m4a3 HP; it takes more skill, prep, and game knowledge to pull off over just taking mk2 suit and buck shotgun on back.

5 Likes
3

Understandable, however in the sense I considered it, I intended it for the essential roles, and primarily as a backup to primary comms, not a replacement.

In the case comms go down, we can quickly move to a decentralized network for communication for added resiliency. It’s nice having that option if there are problems with main comms to maintain some flow of information going, even if not perfect.

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I would also agree that including some kind of shortcut or perhaps even some encryption keys for handhelds would be a decent upgrade. But then it defies the purpose of comms towers entirely, so that makes it questionable.

What kind of changes would make this more viable?

4

If handheld comms didnt pick up everyone around you and could be quickly toggled on or off then they would be superior in every way to current squad segegrated comms

Marines being gimped by the lack of a hivemind channel and all substitutes being dogshit is an intended feature

2 Likes
5
  1. You don’t need Comms - SLs can replace it by talking in person and having a phone pack.
  2. Handheld Radios pick up anything anyone says within 3 or so tiles of you, on the front it just spams the chat (like how survivors do) for EVERYONE in those 3 tiles, not just the SL.
6

Most likely the handheld radios would just get dropped on the ground instead… and if they were added as functionality to radio packs, it greatly devalues comms control for Xenos. Idk tho. It depends on how its utilized by people!

I think this is a pointless change, and will just be kinda burdensome and saddening to see. It’s not one of those soul features that would properly function I think, it’d just become a relic almost instantly like how Radios are now, and not really necessary since phone packs can call other phone packs and phones anyway (and those are common choices for rto/sl). It’s hard to imagine what it’d result in if it were successful too, except for giving faster req orders/command access when comms is down (which would just be a straight buff).

Still that’s only provable by testing

I think a better way to do it would be to make handheld radios not link to ship unless ground comms is online. Maybe the return of (tactics) channel on comms for SLs, and have it restrict shipside access when the connection from ground to ship is severed. But handheld radios do not have to be a part of that.

1 Like
7

Again, the idea here is not to replace comms, or to provide marines with a hivemind solution.

Handheld radios also do not necessarily need to be on broadcast the entire time. If you hold a radio on your hand you can use :R or :L (depending if you are holding it on right or left hand) to send a single message like a walkie talkie.

So even in their current state they can be utilized well.

While radio packs are more useful to make calls to shipside, handhelds are more useful for realtime communication.

Here are some practical examples:

Situation 1:
Comms are down.
1 handheld radio at mortar pit.
1 handheld radio with forward observer calling in coordinates.

This allows you to keep operating the mortar even when comms are impossible.

Situation 2:
Marines just deployed, and they make contact. Comms are down due to bravo being unable to get them online.
Delta SL has a radio.
Alpha SL has a radio.
Bravo SL has a radio.

Delta is ambushed and can contact Alpha SL for support and communicate flanks in real time.
Bravo SL contacts Delta SL to send his Delta Combat techs to comms.

Situation 3:
Solaris Rigde LZ1 defense. Comms are down.
CO has deployed, every SL has a handheld radio, the mortar too.
Xenos flank the west side and the Bravo SL quickly relays it via handheld radio to the CO, who can then take action on it (announce it or call another squad to support it)

Situation 4:
Comms are down.
Delta SL relays via handeld radio to the mortar pit, who have a radio pack to relay a message to CIC for a front line supply drop with rockets for the sadar.

These are hypothetical, but effective ways it could be utilized, even currently. Which could bring an advantage to the marine side, without making it a better system than having the actual comms online.

With the potential already being there it remains yet underutilized.

Having no comms at all seems to be the current preferred alternative by people.

1 Like
8

its supposed to be :l and :r depending on which hand you have it in but it broke at some point and I dont think anyone else has noticed and its such a nothing feature I havent looked into it

2 Likes
9

It still works last I tried in the past few weeks.

10

Honestly using a walkie talkie to call in a mortar strike with :r is so sick I might just have to do it

1 Like
11

Bring back vanilla SS13 custom frequencies. If that becomes a problem (due to marines abusing it and just straight up bypassing comms) make so that they can send messages only for 100, or something like that.

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12

Handheld comms aren’t used because they take up space and not many people use them. Aswell as people forget and newer player base doesn’t even know they exist. Overall outdated technology.

Sometimes when I go bravo SL I take them handheld radios and throw them around the LZ since people talk more outside of radios than they ever will in comms. + you can spy on the situation

1 Like
13

Honestly I always send shortwaves during fob sieges and request them from req when I play comtech. Having them on and around the fob has actually saved the fob before because you can call out where things are. Sure it’s a tad annoying but it’s better than no comms.

Addendum: If you see a bag of EMERGENCY FOB COMMS or SHORTWAVE RADIOS Get those radios on, use em. save the fob, command cant feed you every drip of info.

3 Likes
14

This man is a Req Legend.

15

because marines are incompatible and cannot maintain order. That’s simply it. Handheld radios were always for years an easy solution for comms problem, but because of marines not being able to use them(and stay cohesive) properly they will never be used. they can easily replace the entire comms system, but we live in a society. it is what it is.

16

I would like it if labeling my radiopack with a hand labeler would append that to my name in the radiopack’s directory so other people can quickly see what I’m doing/planning to do and call.

17

There were ideas proposed for handheld radios to be clipped to armour or uniforms so they don’t take space but I guess it’ll be too powerful. If I could code I would have made it work on a battery while being able to be clipped to armour as well as it giving out a warning noise for when it runs out of power.