just an observation
I feel like squad tactics are a bit disingenuous. All ASS has done is rework the distribution of players, and while this is 100% helpful because it lets you have a backline team, FOB team, assault, etc, whatever, actual implementation of squads in strategy is… sometimes abysmal.
Paradrops. Everyone loves to shit on them. Funny, but will either end the game or turn the tides. Literally no in-between. Issue is, this is just a deployment method, not really a strategy, and they usually end up collapsing into the ball anyways.
Split drops. Another fun to shit on tactic. Again, just a deployment methodd.
Flanks. The worst fucking tactic in the game for the marines. All this does is divert manpower away from the front, and evens out xeno advantages, if you have 20 xenos all pressing 20 marines while the other 20 are halfway across the map, those 20 are getting wipe. It’s simple. The only time this strategy works is if the xenos are outright losing anyways, or if the xenos just don’t pay attention.
Now, we need to understand how both factions function in lore.
How do xenomorphs hunt? They don’t exactly fight like humans do in lore. While ingame, we have ravagers and praes and whatevers on the frontlines, most combat is actually at the warrior-drone level. A single drone is more than a match for a squad if it plays its cards right in lore. But they don’t ingame, infact, its a death sentence.
How do Marines deal with Xenomorph Infestations? It’s search and destroy, from my understanding hives don’t exactly immediately group up after first contact with the USCM, so the marines are forced to split up, and search for the hive. But, as I have said in another thread, CIC can just straight up guess.
Both factions are incentivized to do the exact opposite of what they would do in lore, and while this is certainly good for balance it doesnt feel that CM. We need to understand here that, the marines running off into one big ungaball is also odd, because the Almayer are only expecting a CLF presence.
So then, why does CIC always have squads prong off? Simple truth : No plan survives contact with the enemy. The default fighting formation is always the Battle Cube of Doom, where the marines walk and bodyblock eachother into certain doom, and xenos do the same.
Maps. The maps are just as deincentivizing. The maps are good, but they just do not support this type of gameplay. Let’s take into example, LV. LV is an very, very old map, and guess what? It gives you 3 high probability hive locations, where anywhere else is either extremely niche or an outright sell.
The same goes for all other maps. Literally. They all have an axis of engagement. LV North, most maps East, some maps West. No matter how hard you try it is impossible not to collapse onto a frontline, because if you dont, you are just actually selling the game.
While you can say “Commissar!! just go play PVE!” No. I refuse, not for me. I am also not complaining here, i am just speaking pure truth.
Why did I rant this much? I dont know. In conclusion, squad tactics dumb, ungaball good. Also, I refuse to provide any ideas to fix this. Do it yourself. OOORAH