Alright, I’ve had it. I don’t know what kind of brain rot is infecting Bravo lately, but every roundit’s the same thing.
Step 1: Bravo deploys to set up FOB.
Step 2: Half of Bravo immediately disappears into the colony to loot or get killed by a Lurker.
Step 3: The other half starts arguing over where to put cades, leading to a full squad meltdown while the PFCs build four different bunkers in completely random spots.
Step 4: Command tells Bravo to hurry the hell up.
Step 5: Bravo finally finishes the FOB just in time for a single Runner to slip in and kill three guys because nobody was paying attention.
Step 6: Someone fires a shotgun inside the FOB and the entire backline panics and starts FF-ing each other.
Step 7: First Ravager charge instantly deletes the entire FOB.
At this point, is Bravo even a real squad, or just a bunch of dudes roleplaying as construction workers before getting steamrolled? Because it sure as hell isn’t a functional combat unit.
Why is Bravo even on the FOB squad?
It is rather confusing, especially for newcomers, as nothing is indicating that, and it is only enforced by the player culture.
Bravo is not any different from any other squad, designed as a combat unit that just ends up being crammed into a FOB to mostly sit all day and do nothing.
Either Bravo must be explicitly marked as a FOB squad codewise, create another squad only centered around FOB, or make it essential for MTs to deploy or create a Field MT role like how Field Doctor exists.
Because, really, you don’t need a lot of people to run the FOB. Constructing and maintaining initial cades can take a minimum 2 people, and I think FOB only needs the next people to function:
2 ComTechs/MTs
1 Field Doctor/Corpsman
1 Rifleman to man the mortar (Optional)
And in their free time, they all can look over the cades and fight off any occasional lurker or runner. If the FOB gets attacked real bad - then probably all of the squads are already there as they fallen back.
TL;DR: Bravo being the default FOB squad is confusing since it’s not officially designated as such—just enforced by player culture. Bravo is a combat squad that ends up stuck at the FOB doing little. Either it should be explicitly coded as the FOB squad, a dedicated FOB squad should be created, or MTs should be required for deployment (or given a Field MT role). Running a FOB doesn’t need many people—just 2 ComTechs/MTs, 1 Field Doctor/Corpsman, and optionally 1 Rifleman for mortars. They can maintain defenses and fight small threats, while major attacks would already involve all squads falling back.
Basically someone has to build and maintain cades to secure the LZ. If it was not bravo it could have been any other squad. Tbh this subject was argued in another thread so if you are curious about it you should give it a read. (Its a big text wall thread so be prepared )
On the off chance that I end up in bravo as an FTL/CT/HM due to the slots being filled in other squads, some of the CT’s in bravo I have interacted are a miserable bunch. You’ve got the old guard bravo CT’s that crash out if you try to bust open walls with the new breaching shotgun. Then you have completely brand-new CT’s who build giant ass cade walls that are left undefended.
I bet you 80% of the rifleman that end up in bravo are not there by choice, but they simply did not have a preferred squad set. So, they end up running into the frontline without a reliable squad tracker and end up getting lost and dying in the backlines.
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