Enjoying the game a lot at the moment, but it's clear it needs some fixes and changes. 
Okay, so this is a massive compilation of Ideas and changes that my friends and I feel are basically needed for the game at the moment. They arn't all ground breaking, some have been suggested by others before. They are however mostly logical changes / aditions to the game. Go ahead and discuss them, but please keep rampant arguments to a minimum. Feel free to add ideas too; I'll try to update the thread if any better ones are added.
I apologize it is a TLDR wall of text; I’ve tried to make it a bit easier to manage... I got bored...
Teamwork based changes:
Game play mechanics changes:
Weapon based changes:
Changes to help the newbies:
Possible bugs? If not, features that need changes:
Oh look, you made it to the end have an E-cookie!
Okay, so this is a massive compilation of Ideas and changes that my friends and I feel are basically needed for the game at the moment. They arn't all ground breaking, some have been suggested by others before. They are however mostly logical changes / aditions to the game. Go ahead and discuss them, but please keep rampant arguments to a minimum. Feel free to add ideas too; I'll try to update the thread if any better ones are added.
I apologize it is a TLDR wall of text; I’ve tried to make it a bit easier to manage... I got bored...
Teamwork based changes:
- Squad member re-spawn timer for squad leaders in tactical view:
When pressing tactical view, squad leaders should be able to see a list of currently dead squad members together with a re-spawn time. No one wants to sit in a corner acting as a re-spawn point with no indication of when people are going to come.
- Different colours for chat:
In the thick of battle you don't read the chat at all, especially when it's all the same colour, white none the less. RO2 needs different colours for chat to differentiate various people and get team work going just like RO1 had.
- Allies: RED.
- Axis: DARK GREEN.
- Server messages: WHITE.
- Commander: ORANGE.
- Ban/kick votes: BRIGHT GREEN.
- Squad chat: BLUE.
- Artillery smoke barrage:
Commanders should have the option to call in a "smoke barrage" on top of a marked Artillery location. This could be on a separate universal timer to the other artillery options (like recon planes), allowing smoke and explosions to be dropped together. This would be map based.
- Delete Artillery markers:
A Commander needs the ability to hover over an Art marker on the map and to press delete to remove it. Maps can become cluttered when multiple people place art locations that are redundant.
- A commander order should be final:
When a commander gives an order, it should show up as orange capital letters in chat and be marked on the map. There should be no "confirm / deny". It should be an order from your commanding officer, not the opening remark to a high school debate.
- Squad leader teamwork incentive:
Squad leaders should get kill assist points for all kills made by artillery on a location that they marked on the map. You put your neck on the line to mark that location and get no reward for it beyond helping your team out and making your commander happy. Currently, most squad leaders don't bother marking Artillery because of this (or even know they can).
After all, did you not just literally assist him in getting those kills?
- Big red writing on white background warning when reinforcements reach 10%:
To make the kamikazes slow down their banzaii charges into a more logical tactical advance. Running out of reinforcements seems to creep up on most people who don't bother to check the scoreboard regularly. This could be server side configurable.
- Incentive to follow commands:
In order to lure the swarms of headless chickens that are currently composing each side within RO2 into following orders, perhaps some incentive is needed beyond "this will obviously win us the round..."
Adding +1 team points to any person making kills within a location that the team leader has designated to "attack / defend"
- Equal scores for all tank members:
Every person in the tank should receive the same score so long as they're alive. It is completely unfair that drivers and hull machine gunners are not rewarded for being a valuable asset inside the tank. Manoeuvring the tank into correct locations in order to cause kills, or fending off AT soldiers is just as valuable as actually aiming tank shots.
There's very little incentive for people to co-ordinate as a team within a tank currently.
- Map locations show destructable environment for satchels:
Currently engineers have no idea which sections of the map are destroyable beyond satcheling every square inch of the map. Red october factory map is a prime example of this, with multiple locations that can be destroyed that almost no one knows about. It should show when these have been destroyed too.
- Death camera auto focus on your superior officer:
Death cameras should automatically switch to following your squad leader so you have some idea of where you'll be spawning if he's alive. A red dot on the map of his location would be of benefit too. Or failing that your team leader, so you can at least see if he's being useful.
Game play mechanics changes:
- No talking, or "battle chatter" while crouched or prone:
People snuck around, in groups none the less. No one needs to scream "I'm tired" "RELOADING LOL" "I'M COMMING FOR YOU IVAN!!" when they're trying to sneak about.
- Lockdown timer configurable within server. Lockdown should only work on the first capture point(s) on map:
The lockdown feature as far as I can see is to end a game that will clearly be lopsided and un-fun for one team and to also avoid attackers camping. That usually happens on the first capture point.
Beyond that it's called a STRUGGLE. And it's what makes for fun, tough, nail biting games. Too many people are being frustrated by games ending early that they found fun... before they could win. Teams clearly winning, with more reinforcements stopped short at the last cap point by an unwanted lockdown. Losing teams feeling like they got a hollow victory.
Servers should be able to config the amount of lockdown time and also remove it entirely should they wish. Lock down should only count for the first objectives and reset should the team be pushed back there again.
- Once reinforcements are depleted, all spawn protection is finished for that side:
Not a lot needs to be said on this, if people don't re-spawn anymore there is no need to protect their spawn. There are too many cases of people hiding inside of their spawns behind spawn protection when the game should be over.
- Better spawn protection / minefield warning:
The warning for spawn protection needs to last 4 - 6 seconds. Enough time to climb back through a window or off a ladder. A warning noise or voice needs to be played. The warning writing needs to be block capitals, red writing on white background. The current warning is far too brief and subtle. Before you know you've walked into a protection zone, you're dead -- this is the cause of much frustration.
- Captured point causing spawn protection deaths for defenders:
This is greatly annoying for people who feel they're being punished for being good players and not dying. Nothing makes you more annoyed than being killed by something you have NO control over. When the enemy captures a location, you shouldn't be killed instantly. You should have 5 - 10 seconds to get out of dodge before spawn protection kicks in with lots of warning to run fast from the impending doom!
- Auto balance re-think:
Auto balance should move the last person to join the server into another team, not random people. A auto team button could be of benefit. Auto balance needs to be configurable for servers. Whether they wish to turn it off, keep it on, keep a "auto team button" as well as being able to choose allies or axis or simply ONLY having a "auto choose" button.
- Battlefield Commissions need a re-think:
Battlefield commissions should not be allowed to kick players from their role who have been on the top 5 of their teams scoreboard. This feature should be to allow players the ability to enhance their team by taking over important slots that are being manned by an incompetent buffoon with a fast PC, not kick a valuable team member from his slot.
When it does kick a player from their role, the player needs to be INFORMED. Sitting there watching re-spawn timers has caused a lot of my friends to rage not knowing what's happening and why they aren’t re-spawning.
- Ability to mute ALL incoming voice / text communications:
This is a team game and that involves communication. However, no one wants to sit there listening to three 14 year olds burping over voice chat. Or 5 people having a heated argument in loud Russian. Or be forced to listen to a discussion about the valuable applications of Salami in a non-food related function.
Having to locate and mute individuals is far too time consuming and results in frustration and death. Let alone having to do it again when the round ends, especially with the currently non user friendly and buggy communication UI scroll. There needs to be a mute ALL voice communications button and a mute ALL chat options. This could be default off for every server if need be, but the button needs to be there.
The mute all text chat option would not block out orange team leader commands regarding objectives to attack / defend.
- Melee icon changed based on the weapon:
This is a minor niggle for the melee connoisseur. But there needs to be a different icon to represent meleeing a person with a rifle thump and a pistol thump and also for binoculars.
The elitist pistol whipping pimps of RO2 are currently not getting the kudos that they deserve for humiliating the enemy.
- Tank MG kill icon changed:
As suggested in this thread, like RO1, the tank MG should show as a different icon for kills.
- Easier to use banning / kicking system:
The current system and UI to handle it is, to be blunt, a nightmare at best. Players often don't show up on their respective team lists, scrolling is unintuitive, the "ban / kick" request message is lost within the flood of chat and server messages. I've yet to see someone get banned or kicked off a server via voting simply because of this.
The scroll bar needs to be clearer, the scrolling also needs to not reset (especially on choosing maps) The player list needs to be sort able by alphabetical order, score and "last to talk" for banning / muting / kicking.
When a ban request vote is issued, it should display the Persons name being banned, who's requesting it, the standard reason type "griefing / TKing" (as it is now) etc and then a brief explanation typed by the user. This all needs to appear in bright green to the rest of the chat messages so that other users can actually notice a ban / kick request is taking place.
- Show what class people are in score tab:
Pretty simple, this can be server side configurable if need be. But there should be the option to view what class everybody has chosen. This is not just a curiosity thing, it's also valuable in seeing who is currently being useless in their class for role kicking. So you can locate incompetent squad leaders for naming and shaming. Doesn’t matter if this is written next to each name or represented by Icons such as:
- Commander = binoculars
- Squad leader = smoke grenade
- Rifleman = rifle
- Elite rifleman = semi auto rifle
- Assault = sub machine gun
- Sniper = scoped rifle
- Machine gunner = machine gun
- Anti tank rifleman = AT rifle
- Engineer = Satchel
- Tank commander = binoculars next to a Tank
- Tank Crewman = Shell next to a tank
[*]Separate 'Reset stats button' / 'Reset weapon unlocks button' / 'Reset class stats button':
For a lot of people, stats are bugged out. A big portion of the community want their stats reset, and another large portion of the community don't want their stats reset.
Some people fairly gained their stats. Some peoples haven't saved at all. Some people have bugged out and gained stats they did not earn. Some people have been grinding TWI official servers and occasionally gain stats. It's all a bit of a mess -- This seems like the most logical solution that won't make everyone angry (however it will bend a few noses out of shape from people that demand everyone they don't know is reset because they would like a reset too).
Some people enjoy the game for the game and don't want to have to unlock weapons, but rather would like them already unlocked. Some people gain great joy from "earning" new weapons. Some people play casually and loath the RPG grinding that is necessary to use weapons they feel should be unlocked from the start. Some people obsess over their K/D ratio. Some people love to reset their stats once they've unlocked everything to start the "game" again as they see it.
Everyone's different, let everyone have a choice.
It's a controversial debate, lets not argue about it in this thread please -- There's more than enough on the forum.
(Irrelevant since a reset has occurred, although stats are still broken and some people didn't reset)
- Team kills and forgiving team kills:
The current system of showing and forgiving team kills seems very clumsy. It's not obvious when someone has team killed another player unless you are specifically looking for it. The TKer is even rewarded with a kill to their score so you can't look for negative score counts (I assume this is a bug...). When you forgive a player for team killing, it doesn’t inform you OR them that you have.
Team kills should be highlighted with a white or saturated red outline around the kill so that players take notice a little more. When a player forgives someone for killing them by typing NP, it should show on chat "player X has forgiven player Y for a team kill"
Weapon based changes:
- Melee button / weapon change should cancel reload animation:
The current system is clunky and unintuitive, currently only sprinting cancels.
(This has now been added to the game)
- Mauser C96 reloading mid way:
You should be able to top up the Mauser C96 while halfway through the magazine using single reload or stripper clips similar to the rifles.
- Elite assault class containing mp40/II, MKB42(H), AVT:
The wonder weapon assault weapons should be in the Elite assault class only. The normal MP40 will be available to squad leaders / commanders / assault and any un-upgraded people playing the Elite assault class. PPSH drum magazines are available to all PPSH users. For every Elite assault class added to a map, a slot from the current Assault class will be removed.
(AKA: Current assault class 8. With 2 elite assault added, the normal assault class will be 6)
- Engineer has a flame thrower:
It would be a veteran/hero level unlock and configurable based on the map. Flame throwers are actually a useful tool for attacking objectives and do not need to be implemented in an arcade fashion -- Flame throwers did only have 8 - 10 seconds worth of fuel too.
Spoiler!
Sums it up frankly, from this thread on the subject:
http://forums.tripwireinteractive.com/showthread.php?t=36340&page=5
- Removing unwanted unlocks:
You need to be able to remove upgrades on weapons if you so choose. People consider some of these "upgrades" as downgrades to their game play and immersion. Making this an option is a no brainer.(whether this is done within the Profile stats and achievements page, or within the server when picking weapons / classes).
If you've actually made bayonets on the rifles 1 mesh instead of two separate ones, then please at least let users disable upgrades (ideally a "mix and match" approach would be needed. To choose having a scope and no bayonet, for example.)
- All tanks should have smoke rounds:
Because, they actually did have smoke rounds and they're extremely tactically useful for infantry support and tank on tank warfare. It could be map based.
- Extra Stalingrad feel melee weapon for novelty:
This can be a veteran / hero unlock and added further down the line once all bugs have been removed. But additional melee weapons were rampantly used within Stalingrad , it will add flavour!
For the Axis: Trench boot knife / A sharpened shovel entrenching tool.
For the Allies: A NR 40 fighting knife / MPL-50 sharpened entrenching tool.
This could be used in combination with the pistol perhaps as a more effective melee when using the pistol, or on its own for novelty. (people in game, particularly commanders, have been using pistols only and dropping their rifles for the added movement speed -- this is exactly what soviet assault squads did in Stalingrad armed with grenades / knives / pistols / shovels to move fast and surprise German defensive positions!)
Unlock achievement "Berserker!" for meleeing 100 people with a shovel.
- Changes to hand held AT weapons:
I guess this was a little rushed when made and perhaps even done under the guise of balance, but the current AT weapons need re-doing once other bugs have been fixed. It comes across as terribly arcade and considering the work that's been put into bullet penetration and realism, this seems to let the side down.
Make German AT MAGNETIC mines have to be placed by running up to the vehicle and attaching it to the tank. Make the Allied AT grenade need to actually hit NEAR something of value on the tank to actually destroy it. Currently both weapons are just hurled at a tank for an instant win, and while the AI machine gunner is an eagle eyed laser of death, this is no excuse for the shambles that currently is AT weapons.
Making them historical actually has a balance all of its own, the magnetic mine once attached is basically an instant kill. The thrown AT grenade is safer to use but is prone to hitting the wrong sections...
- Reduce requirements for pistols upgrade:
They currently seem excessively steep for weapons that are hardly used because they are side arms. Not to mention that are limited to a few roles on most realism servers. People are currently using only pistols, hindering their team just to level them up. Perhaps having their requirements on par or slightly lower than bolt action rifles would be fairer.
- Geballte Ladung Stielhandgranate grenade hero option for assault:
As suggested in this thread, Geballte Ladung Stielhandgranate (grenade bundles) as an option for Hero Assault (possibly engineers) instead of carrying 2 grenades they would get one grenade bundle. They would have a slightly bigger blast radius, reduced throw distance and would damage tank tracks / optics and knock out smaller vehicles.
- Laying on grenades only kills you:
This is a feature that was in DH. And frankly I would appreciate it being within RO2 as well. People are nuts, I wouldn't dive on a live grenade to save the dumbasses around me, but I'm not everyone -- the option would be nice and it could save a whole squad if someone quick thinking isn't selfish.
Laying on the grenade would stop its blast radius from hitting others in the room. It could also unlock an achievement "taking one for the team!"
Changes to help the newbies:
- Tutorial added to main menu:
The first campaign level is either removed from campaign or cloned and added to a new section on the menu called "tutorial". Within the tutorial, there's an option to use Russian weapons as well as the German ones. You're taken through all stages of combat including how to work the squad leader / commander functions within a multiplayer setting and how to use tanks effectively including useful spots to aim at on the tanks.
The firing range needs an expansion adding more randomly spawning targets along with moving targets. When a target is hit, you're told the target hit range in the top right corner as you would get by killing someone in multiplayer.
An important "how to smoke a target" section needs to be implemented, where you're forced to smoke THE enemy, not just chuck it near you. A brief belittling explanation of why this method is more effective and how smoke will keep your team alive!
- "THE VOICE OF REASON" as standard to guide new players when in multiplayer:
It is human nature to throw aside the instruction manual ignorantly and say "I'll work it out as I go along!" -- RO2 is no exception. New players jump straight into multiplayer knowing nothing about what they're doing. This is compounded by the fact that the game has no instruction manual and the tutorial level is hidden within the campaign.
This is a major issue for people who chose specifically Commander / squad leader roles for the fancy weapons and are blissfully unaware that they even have smoke grenades or the ability to call in recon / artillery. Those roles are so key to the success of a team, that one newbie is detrimental to the whole game.
Any player who has 0 - 2 hours playtime in the game will have a voice over explain what they're doing wrong while they play the game in multiplayer. Not so subtle hints to make them more effective team players and help explain what their class is capable of compared to what they're currently doing (OH GOD GET OUT OF YOUR SPAWN AND SMOKE PLEASE).
This would manifest itself in a commanding voice:
- Rifleman / Assault staying still for 30 seconds = "Comrade, you need to keep advancing!" / "Soldat, get into the capture zone!"
- Squad leader / Commander not throwing smoke grenade 20 seconds after spawning = "Throw your smoke grenades to blind the enemy so we can advance!"
- Squad leader / commander not marking any artillery 2 minutes into a round = "Hold F to spot artillery targets to crush the enemy!"
- Someone who dies x amount of times in a row = "KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN! Take advantage of cover when advancing so you can see your family at the end of this!"
- AT rifles near a tank = "Aim for the ammunition or fuel tank to kill these pigs!"
- MGers = "Suppress the enemy so your team can advance on the enemy!"
These sounds would all be purely client side and not heard by other team members like the battle chatter. It could even be configurable to turn off in settings and last only 1 - 2 hours before auto turning off.
Dosen't have to be exactly like this, but you get the idea -- Something to push clueless joe blogs in the right direction.
- Two 2 day steam guest passes per account:
Once the bugs have been ironed out, and BF3 has released, guest passes need to be issued to every account. I only started playing RO1 because of this, in fact and so did most of my friends who played RO1...
- In game compass around the minimap:
New people get lost. Opening the map is fine, but people seem to have no concept of direction. This helps change that. The feature would disappear in realism servers along with the minimap.
Possible bugs? If not, features that need changes:
- Bayonets need to kill crouching / prone people:
This, I hope, is a current bug. Regardless, it needs to be fixed as well as bayoneting people behind cover.
- Auto pick up weapon bug / feature:
Remove the annoying bug that picks up weapons when you sit near them / run over them. We have a use key for that, thanks. I've had it pick up unwanted weapons on a number of occasions also dropping my current weapon in the process getting me killed. Or picking up machine guns weighting me down so I run slower before I realize.
- Map voting showing player votes / not resetting scroll bar:
This must be a bug, or an ill-conceived feature. Where not everyone’s votes are showing up, the current maps being voted are jumping up and down frantically as they gain more / less votes making it hard to click and the scroll wheel keeps resetting to the top every time someone votes making it impossible to scroll to see maps at the bottom.
This all obviously needs fixing but also voting should end within 5 - 20 second count down timer which is server side configurable.
- Bayonet / melee kills should count towards weapon progress:
Is this a bug? I hope so. Regardless, it needs changing as it's totally illogical. It takes more skill to sneak up and melee people than to shoot them. When your weapon gets upgraded, it gets better meleeing stats -- Yet when you do a melee kill with that weapon, it does NOT currently count towards the weapon progress... Another no-brainer to fix.
- Machine gunner issues:
There currently seems to be limitations to the machinegunner class when setting up in cover. The system seems to hinder your ability to aim in different directions that you clearly should be able to thus making machinegunners angry. The RO2 system is way better than RO1, but this clearly needs some work.
Oh look, you made it to the end have an E-cookie!
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