Remove Personal Shield Generators from basic NPCs and suits.

[JTFireblaze]

Why does everyone in the galaxy have a personal shield generator?

Would it make sense if there were NPCs that didn't carry one around? Scientists, maybe grunt tier soldiers?

Make the shield generator unique to the Dominator suit, as an upgrade.

It could make time to kill on regular foot soldiers a bit quicker, and then once we get to higher tier missions you can start to get attacked by elite squads with shield generators and stuff.

EDIT:

(from my reply further down)

I don't want combat to be easier, or harder. (Well, maybe harder in some situations).

I want there to be more interesting and varied scenarios.

Currently every enemy has a shield generator. And at higher level settlements every shield generator becomes bigger numbers. If there were different "classes" of soldier, some shielded, some not. Maybe different classes of shield (like we have in ships). Bi-weaves, prismatics, regular shields, even making a no shield suit build viable.

A tanky Juggernaut in a Prismatic that requires focussed laser fire to take down the shields.
A sniper with a bi-weave, or even no shield at all for extra mobility. Once you find them they're easy to take down, but they're stealthy and fast.
Scavs that have stronger armour and weak/no shields because they're just looting and scrapping up their own gear. Go in with kinetics and explosives to take care of them.

Giving every foot soldier a standard shield and armour means you know how to deal with most situations. "Shoot with laser and then swap to kinetic" or "Just use plasma". Having variation and promoting things like no-shield builds is good and keeps things fresh.

Just look at ships and the builds that can be done there. So much variation. Cold orbiting Thargoids with hull tanks. Bi-weaves in REZ so you can quickly recharge between encounters. Prismatics in combat zones so you can tank a load of continuous damage.

 

[Factabulous]

Uh, civilians don't have shields right now do they?

 

[JTFireblaze]

Uh, civilians don't have shields right now do they?

Perhaps not, but every single actual threat does. If shields were reserved for tougher enemies the game could be much better balanced.

Like, if you saw an elite squad coming towards you with shield generators you'd know they mean trouble.

Meanwhile, regular grunts and scavs wouldn't have them, they're ragtag and desperate, cobbled their kit together out of salvaged stuff. Maybe they only have one shield generator for their "Captain"

 

[Factabulous]

You may not have realised, but the NPCs have different ranks offering different threats. So it's all fine as is.

As usual we have some calling for NPCs to be nerfed, some calling for them to be buffed - the balance of the game must be good

 

[JTFireblaze]

I'm not calling for a nerf, I'm not calling for a buff.

I'm asking if every enemy in the game having a shield generator is good. I'm also asking if every commander suit should have shield generators by default. In the ship game there are hull tanks, you can fly shieldless if you want, some NPCs could be flying shieldless.

Is every enemy on the ground having a shield "good"? Is every player having a shield generator by default "good"?

Would having certain enemy types that are shieldless and making shields reserved for tankier captains and elite combat squads make for more interesting combat scenarios? If some juggernaut soldier with a heavy weapon and a shield generator spawned into a combat zone how could it encourage new gameplay?

 

[Jmanis]

Perhaps not, but every single actual threat does. If shields were reserved for tougher enemies the game could be much better balanced.

Like, if you saw an elite squad coming towards you with shield generators you'd know they mean trouble.

Meanwhile, regular grunts and scavs wouldn't have them, they're ragtag and desperate, cobbled their kit together out of salvaged stuff. Maybe they only have one shield generator for their "Captain"

I'm not sure why any combat - assigned personnel wouldn't have shields.

I mean, if you take away shields from what you've called an "actual threat"... then, well, they aren't a threat anymore.

Corollary; only thing that I'd consider an actual threat right now are enemies with laser weapons.

 

[Artean]

So you want ground combat made easier? No thanks. In my opinion, it is pretty good as is.

Edit. Reading your latest reply, perhaps 'easier' is not your intention. I still believe it is good as is and would not spend expensive development hours on such a change.

 

[JTFireblaze]

So you want ground combat made easier? No thanks. In my opinion, it is pretty good as is.

Edit. Reading your latest reply, perhaps 'easier' is not your intention. I still believe it is good as is and would not spend expensive development hours on such a change.

I don't want combat to be easier, or harder. (Well, maybe harder in some situations).

I want there to be more interesting and varied scenarios.

Currently every enemy has a shield generator. And at higher level settlements every shield generator becomes bigger numbers. If there were different "classes" of soldier, some shielded, some not. Maybe different classes of shield (like we have in ships). Bi-weaves, prismatics, regular shields, even making a no shield suit build viable.

A tanky Juggernaut in a Prismatic that requires focussed laser fire to take down the shields.
A sniper with a bi-weave, or even no shield at all for extra mobility. Once you find them they're easy to take down, but they're stealthy and fast.
Scavs that have stronger armour and weak/no shields because they're just looting and scrapping up their own gear. Go in with kinetics and explosives to take care of them.

Giving every foot soldier a standard shield and armour means you know how to deal with most situations. "Shoot with laser and then swap to kinetic" or "Just use plasma". Having variation and promoting things like no-shield builds is good and keeps things fresh.

Just look at ships and the builds that can be done there. So much variation. Cold orbiting Thargoids with hull tanks. Bi-weaves in REZ so you can quickly recharge between encounters. Prismatics in combat zones so you can tank a load of continuous damage.

 

[Artean]

Sorry for misunderstanding your intention. I agree that variation is a good thing and this could perhaps be something for the future expansion of on foot combat.

 

[Kissamies]

Yeah, I do find it a bit odd that personal shield generators are as ubiquitous as they are. However, I suspect that they are too baked in to the balance to remove at this point. Still, I can't help suggesting my own variant: Make the shields standard issue for Dominator and available as an upgrade for the other 2 suits. None for flight suit as it can't be upgraded.

 

[dm06]

Uh, civilians don't have shields right now do they?

I guess the post is from the area "I have not played the game but already have my own opinion".

 

[JTFireblaze]

Yeah, I do find it a bit odd that personal shield generators are as ubiquitous as they are. However, I suspect that they are too baked in to the balance to remove at this point. Still, I can't help suggesting my own variant: Make the shields standard issue for Dominator and available as an upgrade for the other 2 suits. None for flight suit as it can't be upgraded.

I don't believe they are too baked in to the balance right now to be honest. Or at least, nothing that couldn't be rebalanced if needed.

I just think it could be more interesting to have a few different enemy types or "classes" if you will.

I guess the post is from the area "I have not played the game but already have my own opinion".

Alpha tester, and have played a good few hours of Odyssey including some combat stuff. "I have played the game and I am allowed to have an opinion", thanks.

 

[Flippimonkey]

I don't know. I think on-foot combat game play is forced. The switching weapons is a cheap gimmick. I would rework most if not all of it to make sense. Shields I am okay with if used appropriately. Atm they aren't so I can take the or leave them. Depends on the approach.

This is my suggestion on the topic.

Guns and My 2 Cents

So I have to admit the weapon switching is a terrible idea. I don't care about the aesthetic of the guns. They look fine. It would be nice if ship weapons were given an updated look, but I digress. I think the types (smg, rifle, etc) are forced and were not given much thought. Mods at this...

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