Award Points for Suppressing Fire

[=HighXplosive=]

Most of you will understand the point of suppressive fire is to allow your own troops to move unmolested; the golden rule of fire and movement being "no movement without fire".

However, many players do not employ certain weapons in a manner that replicates the use of suppressive fire, particularly machine guns or concentrated rifle fire.

Quite rightly so, players will hold fire and wait for the enemy to pop out of cover before firing again to kill or suppress them again to conserve ammunition and keep weapons cool. Often, this leads to the poor sod who is attacking the said enemy being point blanked/shot first as he moves up to take him out; rather counter intuitive to a teamwork heavy game.

I do not expect well coordinated squad/section attacks on enemy positions in this game, as it is far too dynamic for it, but I think a little encouragement for people to employ weapons such as machineguns more effectively would be useful.

In other words, once you force him down into cover, keep his bloody head down by suppressing him.

The worst offenders are those that use machineguns as a sort of "personal camping/defence" weapon, in some remote stairway or corner of the map. Bear in mind, machineguns are hugely important weapons during a firefight, whose suppressive fire allows your team to move forward, and pins enemies in.

As such, to encourage good use of cover fire/suppressive fire with all weapons, but particularly machineguns, I think points should be awarded for suppressive fire (as team points).

Everytime you suppress an enemy, you should earn a point; or something similar: I notice that the game registers when you suppress an enemy because your character shouts "I've got him pinned!" or words to that effect when you do. Taking it further is an obvious step.

 

[Jorg Biermann1]

Maybe Suppression could be added as a kill assist ?

 

[Josef Nader]

Bloody thank you.

I am learning to love the assault class, and let me tell you that having a few team mates pinging bullets near the damn Krauts really improves my ability to get in close and end them once and for all with a well-placed grenade or burst of SMG fire.

The suppression mechanics are there, and they work well. I can't wait till people figure out how to take full advantage of them!

 

[luciferintears]

It should give you suppression point only for the LMG imo, as it was their purpose to suppress targets and act as area denial tools

 

[Spec.]

Everytime you suppress an enemy, you should earn a point; or something similar: I notice that the game registers when you do suppress an enemy because your character shouts "I've got him pinned!" or words to that effect when you do.

Problem: You can detect enemies way too easy, because the "point-counter" tells you that there's an enemy even though you didn't see him; remember, you're getting points just for suppressing someone, so seeing him is no more necessary. You wouldn't fire on a position you didn't see anyone, would you?
(Well, at least I wouldn't in most cases.)

Got my point?

 

[HerrThomas]

It should give you suppression point only for the LMG imo, as it was their purpose to suppress targets and act as area denial tools

+1 This would encourage MGs to MG.

 

[Waithia]

+1

 

[HodlPu]

+1

Recently played MG and people were HAPPY I decided to suppress fire.
Too bad I wasn't really rewarded.

 

[Vyllis]

That frankly is a damn great idea.

I play often MG in RO2, and sometimes i feel useless... you see all your team doing points from capping, fighting in group and killing.

While you, at the back, delivering supressing/cover fire are awarded with nothing than some "move camper", "what are you doing ?", "your useless, look at your score" text chat.

Mehh.

 

[Reise]

Agreed and +1.

Since the game can clearly track when enemies are suppressed (your avatar often says so himself when you do it to an enemy) it only makes sense to give teamwork points to players who manage to keep it up.

To avoid abuse I think it should be limited though. Maybe 1 point per every 3-5 seconds of suppression following the first full suppression?

Maybe limit it to something only Machinegunners can get, too?

 

[ander75it]

Good points, I heartily endorse this. It will be especially important when we will get the MG42 in mods, as that thing has way more rounds to fire and is really meant for suppression.

 

[Schnitzel15]

It should give you suppression point only for the LMG imo, as it was their purpose to suppress targets and act as area denial tools

But this is the thing in battlefield 3. IMO all weapons should get suppression points, cause all of them can suppress.

That frankly is a damn great idea.

I play often MG in RO2, and sometimes i feel useless... you see all your team doing points from capping, fighting in group and killing.

While you, at the back, delivering supressing/cover fire are awarded with nothing than some "move camper", "what are you doing ?", "your useless, look at your score" text chat.

Mehh.

I feel the same way. I'm in a realism unit and my primary role is MG so I have to help my teammates by suppressing the enemy and in the end I just don't get much points.

 

[Waizer]

+1 for this idea. It really would encourage teamwork and encourage mg'ers to play as mg'ers were intended.

 

[=HighXplosive=]

Problem: You can detect enemies way too easy, because the "point-counter" tells you that there's an enemy even though you didn't see him; remember, you're getting points just for suppressing someone, so seeing him is no more necessary. You wouldn't fire on a position you didn't see anyone, would you?
(Well, at least I wouldn't in most cases.)

Got my point?

When the game gets released; hardcore realism won't report points during the game as you earn them, I believe.

 

[fredkruge]

every derp and his dog would get assist points for aimlessly spraying in the enemies general direction... its a nice idea, but kindof worthless IMO. OH and you have to remember that your allied machine gunner also supresses his teammates (happens in countdown mostly). But also happens in territory game mode if your advancing into the enemies area.

 

[Viersbovsky]

Problem: You can detect enemies way too easy, because the "point-counter" tells you that there's an enemy even though you didn't see him; remember, you're getting points just for suppressing someone, so seeing him is no more necessary. You wouldn't fire on a position you didn't see anyone, would you?
(Well, at least I wouldn't in most cases.)

Got my point?

He already screams out "He

 

[=HighXplosive=]

He already screams out "He

 

[DiedTrying]

-1 disagree

and I'm an avid MGer

The only way I could see this working is if you cause the enemy to have FULL suppression and someone kills the enemy after that.

but...you may not be the only one suppressing the enemy, potentially half the team could get points.

and what if you kill the guy you suppressed? Double points?

I think you just need to be happy with knowing you are helping the team. Plenty of points to be had mowing down people with the MG anyway.

 

[Brooks]

I love the idea, but it is really touchy. You don't want the mg getting too much points. What if you had a supression quota that you had to fill to get points? Then even when you partially supress or assist in supressing it adds to your quota. This would be tracked in the background with values tied to the amount of supression you delt to the enemy. Then it just adds a point everytime its filled.. which would then reset it ofcourse.

 

[Catalytic]

I'll +1 this.

Here's a story: So we're playing Apartments, we're russian and at the second spawn point. A german SMG has everyone stuck because he's a spawncamping ***. I dive out and by some stroke of luck get out, turn around, and suppress him enough for the team to escape. And what do I get for it? A bullet to the head!

We already have "team" points, let's add in suppressing. The only problem I can see is balance, if the bar fills and empties by a quarter of a fraction of a sliver fifteen times in ten seconds, do you get points every time?