How the fuck is this not metagaming? Seriously, why is it just accepted that random marines can beg the GL for his literal class-specific armor just so they can cheese Lurkers and Runners? That armor is designed for one thing, letting the grenade launcher guy actually survive long enough to do his job. It is not meant to be handed out like some kind of magic “fuck you” pass to any idiot who asks.
And yet, every round you see some PFC #3487 waddling around in GL armor, no grenades, no launcher, just the armor, because he knows it makes pouncing him a death sentence for any Xeno that tries. It’s so blatant, it may as well be a goddamn exploit. Lurkers and Warriors don’t just get countered by it, they get FUCKED. They pounce, they instantly eat shit.
The issue is not GL giving out his armor, the issue is such armor and such mechanic even existing. And frankly out of all specs GL needs the pounce protection the least lol.
frankly i don’t see how this is a issue at all. if the GL does not have the armor then, they are susceptible. what’s more xenos don’t know for a fact what roll they got… so they have to play offf visuals which… means that the issue is a non-sequitur like if don’t find spot the amour you are just as likely to face smack the GL and die as well.
kit swiping is not that big off a issue, its trade off… scout wants your helm? welp now you no longer have second chance at not geting hugged. demo wants your amour? now you are boned if lurk jumps you.
(BTW scout asking for the GLs helm is not really that meta, as one of the big reason the scout may want it is the blast sound dampening, that’s why started to ask for it in the first place and only learned about the hugger stuff later.)
I do find it funny that of all the Specs to be issued armour that has pounce resistance/immunity, high damage resistance, and hugger protection, it’s the Spec who has a IFF weapon who generally sits behind the frontline.
Logically (not balance wise), wouldn’t this gear be issued to the Pyro, RPG or even Scout? Roles who are expected to be active on the frontline?
I think the truth is simply that for the longest time the GL spec was one of the weaker ones, and was given a re-themed B18 armour as consolation a long time ago.
Could just do with the classic ID lock it unless spec is dead. Or set it to remove the bonuses if they aren’t the GL spec, yadda yadda not enough training to move properly in the armor. So you still fall over when pounced, and have aim delays and accuracy malice.
GL armor is not even the only powercrept gear you can get as a marine. Spotter sight, GL helmet, on some maps you can literally find thermals. Tactical shotguns. All of this should be removed frankly. Spotter is the most useless role existing solely for free NVGs (well, and camo if you know how to abuse it). Just like loader exists just to provide +3 free rockets out of nowhere and a pamphlet that increases endurance by 1 for no apparent reason.
It still makes me so fucking sad loader doesnt even load faster- Right now a SADAR should load every rocket themselves, because loaders are always slower. Imo the loader buff (free rockets yay :P) should’ve come with a nerf to self-rocket loading and a buff to loader loading.
Thermals- I think these basically don’t exist as loot anymore? I remember a PR nuked them, though, I can’t recall if it was merged or if it only targeted a few maps.
The idea is nice, but the execution is not. Spotter should just have NVG binocs and being able only to cloak near sniper so that solves the problem, really.
All those spec support roles could work, but they need a bit of a tought behind them so that it isn’t just PFC+ on the spot.