Oh, and the cover system is great when you need to use smoke or grenades.
It's also good for quickly looking.... pop out, take a look around, let go of your key and drop back down in cover.... then blind fire or toss your grenade.... then duck back down.
Of course when I use the cover system, it's only for a few actions within a few seconds, then I relocate.... unless I know I'm in a safe area where most don't know I'm there. If I have bullets wizzing by, that's my que to gtfoutta there.
Yep, something like this. I am using the cover system more and more rather than less and less. It is not meant to be a 'pop up and down repeatedly in the same spot' thing, since that will certainly get oneself killed. And this happens if one tries to lean around corners just the same. If someone acquired you and are aiming at where they anticipate you to appear, they will have a very easy one shot kill.
The cover system has lots of uses but is a bit tricky. It requires lots of training to learn to use it instinctively and quickly, and understanding exactly how it works and doesn't work.
For example, you can spin around while in 'cover' mode without disabling the mode. If you pop up over obstacles, you will automatically stand up higher and higher the more downwards you are aiming. For example, when Germans are rushing across the open on Brain Elevator, and you are a few floors up, tracking them as they run towards the bottom floor underneath you. This is a practical feature.
Another example is grenading. Being able to plain 'drop' a grenade on the other side of your wall/window when enemies are just a meter or three away. Much less conspicious than trying to lob it, and next to zero chance of grenading yourself by accident, AND at the same time not needing to expose yourself at all. I haven't tried grenading around corners yet.
Cover by corners is useful for situations where you want to have a clear view as rapidly as possible, with the ability to step back completely just as fast. Can do it with with or without your gun. Just a quick quick peek. If you happen to see someone, you can shoot them. Just the same, you can wait until you hear/anticipate one or more enemies running down a hallway or whatever, and you 'pop out' and shoot them all with your rapid fire weapon.
Blind fire I've never gotten the use of, but I always avoided CQB, rarely have SMG/assault rifles, and I keep forgetting it is there. Must be useful when they are coming at you as well as you know there are guys aiming at your 'spot'.
Sometimes the cover system makes you expose yourself more than just crouching and aiming, which is somewhat illogical. Sometimes it exposes less. The aim of the system should be to expose as little as possible, only exposing more and more if the user moves the aim in such a manner (such as the Brain Elevator behavior described above).