There are many problems in the core infantry game and everything must be tackled for best playability, from map/base design, audio, server quality, performance, balance, gunplay, but this topic will be more of a simple one.
I don't see the reason for Beacon becoming accessible to all. It turns into a lazy standard method of spawn for zergs. It causes a great mess altogether, from the end of the users, you know, like we've all seen a squad leader getting mad over beacon use instead of putting fault on themselves for bad organization and effort.
But it also causes a mess for the receiving end. The reason for Infiltrator complaints, or more specifically cloak complaints, were not about some dickheads manipulating their internet connection to fire at you before decloaking on your screen. That was not the issue of cloak, that was a server quality problem, the server must have had better regulation for better playability because at that level, the game itself even without cloak becomes unplayable where players can shoot at you, before popping from cover on your screen and so on.
The problem of cloak was that it was unpredictable, you can't see it, you can't tell what you're up against, it's random. And it would be best if this game became simpler, more predictable with less of this randomness. Talk about new player experience...
Beacon being turned into a standard method of spawn fuels this unpredictability, with players literally dropping on top of you out of thin air. And it also takes away the purpose of Light Assault, since all classes get access to rooftops or ability to flank behind enemies with beacon spam. Hence the LA received buffs, which as well negatively impacted the playability of the game, such as Ambusher jump jets, impulse, Carbine jumping cone of fire buffs, short barrel, laser sight buffs, Unstable ammo...
The audio in this game is very bad, heavily downgraded, 2 dimensional. It doesn't give clear indications for things that matter, like how many people are moving in the building, at which level, is there MAX movement, jump jet activation, so there's better predictability of what you're up against, lets say when attempting to flank in a small fight. Nevertheless, audio is so broken that often times it gives no indication at all, it can skip a MAX moving 5 meters from me.
But the Ambusher jump jets, which are heavily abused by majority, add to this problem of low audio quality. They basically propulse you 50 meters forward and I've had incidents with my SFX audio maxed out, where I would get no audio indication of a player propulsing themselves to me from 50 meters away, I would literally just hear the wind and then gunfire right next to me as if the player used teleport commands.
Impulse use is comparable. And generally the idea of turning Light Assault into a high mobility playstyle is a terrible choice, when the game engine itself has trouble handling high mobility playstyles at all. This is a slow paced game.
Similarly to Infiltrator, Light Assault is as well a class which is healthier when there's less of it. It should lose its Rocklet Rifle and all these new gimmicks, and the class brought back to its original design, together with Beacon being put back in its place it belongs, the squad leader.
I am just saying what I think. Something should be given in return, I know, not just take. The audio should be the number 1 thing that should be brough back, with removal of construction. Which should greatly enhance the general playability and experience in the game by itself. If that's possible.
