Tweet
What I think is "wrong" with the assault class in versions 1.2 onward
(I would have posted this in the smoke grenade/sprint thread, had they not specifically requested that the discussion be limited to the suggested fix in question.)
I'm taking for granted that the assault class used to overpowered and is now underpowered. I'm assuming the former to be true because the community and DICE felt it necessary to nerf the grenade launcher to such a degree, and I'm assuming the latter because aside from taking a large hit in popularity, there seems to be a general consensus on this forum that the assault class is underpowered (even useless).
There have only been a handful of changes to the assault class since v1.0.
• Less flashbangs for F2000 kit. (While we’re on the topic, addition of the F2000 kit.)
• Improved G3.
• Various nerfs to or directed at the grenade launcher (arming distance, radius nerf, inability to jump and fire).
Did I miss any? I think I got all of the changes, the important ones at least.
My point is, can any of these changes be singled out as to why the assault class is underpowered, and what could (or must) be changed to make the class more useful?
I hardly think that having one less flashbang for one of the kits can be seen as the reason (or a reason, even) as to why assault is so much weaker now. The 2nd change, the improvement of the G3 rifle, doesn't even relate to the question because it's helping the class. The grenade launcher nerf, however, is an obvious reason why assault has gotten weaker. It's unique to the assault class, so it being nerfed hurts that class singularly, and if it were to be improved, the assault class could only be better off because of it. (But who wants to see the grenade launcher become the noob tube again?)
What else has changed in BF2 (class-wise) between 1.12 and 1.22?
• Sniper rifles double in accuracy. Snipers can consistently get headshots in version 1.2+ at ranges where they were trying simply to hit period in earlier versions. In addition, snipers have 24/7 access to an improved version of the M24.
• Light machine guns see a general across the board improvement. They are more accurate, and their deviation added per shot is reduced to make short bursts highly effective. The support class, former underdog of BF2, becomes an instant hit.
• Submachine guns see a slight but significant increase in accuracy. Whereas the DAO-12 was seen as a necessity for the class earlier, many AT players are now taking the SMGs in preference over the DAO-12, which even by general standards is seen as a capable weapon.
• Hand grenades can be thrown further than they could before. Even from a stationary or even prone position, these things will still fly a mile when you press LMB.
Anyway, this brings me to my present argument. It’s not that the assault class has gotten worse since v1.0; it’s just that the other classes (their weapons specifically) have gotten so much better while assault hasn’t improved at all to keep up the pace. Three of the seven classes are heavily based in infantry combat: support, sniper, and assault. (Medic and special ops are common in infantry combat as well, but I exclude them because they do not specialize specifically in combat. Medics would be just as essential if they had no rifles, and special ops have a unique AT and asset destruction role granted to them through C4.) Coincidentally, two of these classes have had huge buffs and as such have become very popular and effective classes, while the one class whose weapons weren’t touched* has become underpowered and unpopular. The grunt class doesn’t even get hand grenades, but rather a grenade launcher that is only really useful 1) if whored at close-range (still possible, which is a problem in and of itself) or 2) in specialized and rare situations (i.e. firing down from an elevated position). The direction I’m going in should be obvious:
#1) Improve assault’s primary weapons: Make the assault rifles more accurate. I point to the G36E as an example. While some (or many) people won’t agree with me, I think there’s a very large gap in effectiveness between the G36E and the other assault rifles. If all the assault rifles were as good (or anywhere near as good) as the G36E, the assault class would play a far more prominent role than it does now. The G36E exemplifies what the assault rifles in BF2 are supposed to be like: accurate and mobile (note how accurate the G36E is, even from a standing position). On another note, I think an overhaul of the assault rifles should entail a buff of the carbines, lest they become obsolete.
#2) Improve secondary/accessory weapons: It makes no sense to me that the highly useful and versatile hand grenades are issued to most classes while the anti-infantry grunt class (that’s assault) is limited to the grenade launcher, which while useful has to be used in very specific situations. While I don’t see this as as necessary a change as #1, I think the assault class should either get some hand grenades or a more generally applicable grenade launcher. The latter makes more sense to me, as BF2 is so late in the making that having a class with both hand grenades and a grenade launcher would seem awkward; furthermore, giving all the assault kits hand grenades would raise the question of what to add to the G3 kit, which already has them (flashbangs?).
Anyway, that’s my essay (heh) on the present state of the assault class and what could be done to improve it. I don’t mean this as a rant or as flame-bait; this is just my earnest opinion. (Yes, I have too much time on my hands, so please don’t point that out.)
*I don’t recognize the G3 as a comparable buff because it was only intended to put the G3 kit on par with the other assault kits.
I'm taking for granted that the assault class used to overpowered and is now underpowered. I'm assuming the former to be true because the community and DICE felt it necessary to nerf the grenade launcher to such a degree, and I'm assuming the latter because aside from taking a large hit in popularity, there seems to be a general consensus on this forum that the assault class is underpowered (even useless).
There have only been a handful of changes to the assault class since v1.0.
• Less flashbangs for F2000 kit. (While we’re on the topic, addition of the F2000 kit.)
• Improved G3.
• Various nerfs to or directed at the grenade launcher (arming distance, radius nerf, inability to jump and fire).
Did I miss any? I think I got all of the changes, the important ones at least.
My point is, can any of these changes be singled out as to why the assault class is underpowered, and what could (or must) be changed to make the class more useful?
I hardly think that having one less flashbang for one of the kits can be seen as the reason (or a reason, even) as to why assault is so much weaker now. The 2nd change, the improvement of the G3 rifle, doesn't even relate to the question because it's helping the class. The grenade launcher nerf, however, is an obvious reason why assault has gotten weaker. It's unique to the assault class, so it being nerfed hurts that class singularly, and if it were to be improved, the assault class could only be better off because of it. (But who wants to see the grenade launcher become the noob tube again?)
What else has changed in BF2 (class-wise) between 1.12 and 1.22?
• Sniper rifles double in accuracy. Snipers can consistently get headshots in version 1.2+ at ranges where they were trying simply to hit period in earlier versions. In addition, snipers have 24/7 access to an improved version of the M24.
• Light machine guns see a general across the board improvement. They are more accurate, and their deviation added per shot is reduced to make short bursts highly effective. The support class, former underdog of BF2, becomes an instant hit.
• Submachine guns see a slight but significant increase in accuracy. Whereas the DAO-12 was seen as a necessity for the class earlier, many AT players are now taking the SMGs in preference over the DAO-12, which even by general standards is seen as a capable weapon.
• Hand grenades can be thrown further than they could before. Even from a stationary or even prone position, these things will still fly a mile when you press LMB.
Anyway, this brings me to my present argument. It’s not that the assault class has gotten worse since v1.0; it’s just that the other classes (their weapons specifically) have gotten so much better while assault hasn’t improved at all to keep up the pace. Three of the seven classes are heavily based in infantry combat: support, sniper, and assault. (Medic and special ops are common in infantry combat as well, but I exclude them because they do not specialize specifically in combat. Medics would be just as essential if they had no rifles, and special ops have a unique AT and asset destruction role granted to them through C4.) Coincidentally, two of these classes have had huge buffs and as such have become very popular and effective classes, while the one class whose weapons weren’t touched* has become underpowered and unpopular. The grunt class doesn’t even get hand grenades, but rather a grenade launcher that is only really useful 1) if whored at close-range (still possible, which is a problem in and of itself) or 2) in specialized and rare situations (i.e. firing down from an elevated position). The direction I’m going in should be obvious:
#1) Improve assault’s primary weapons: Make the assault rifles more accurate. I point to the G36E as an example. While some (or many) people won’t agree with me, I think there’s a very large gap in effectiveness between the G36E and the other assault rifles. If all the assault rifles were as good (or anywhere near as good) as the G36E, the assault class would play a far more prominent role than it does now. The G36E exemplifies what the assault rifles in BF2 are supposed to be like: accurate and mobile (note how accurate the G36E is, even from a standing position). On another note, I think an overhaul of the assault rifles should entail a buff of the carbines, lest they become obsolete.
#2) Improve secondary/accessory weapons: It makes no sense to me that the highly useful and versatile hand grenades are issued to most classes while the anti-infantry grunt class (that’s assault) is limited to the grenade launcher, which while useful has to be used in very specific situations. While I don’t see this as as necessary a change as #1, I think the assault class should either get some hand grenades or a more generally applicable grenade launcher. The latter makes more sense to me, as BF2 is so late in the making that having a class with both hand grenades and a grenade launcher would seem awkward; furthermore, giving all the assault kits hand grenades would raise the question of what to add to the G3 kit, which already has them (flashbangs?).
Anyway, that’s my essay (heh) on the present state of the assault class and what could be done to improve it. I don’t mean this as a rant or as flame-bait; this is just my earnest opinion. (Yes, I have too much time on my hands, so please don’t point that out.)
*I don’t recognize the G3 as a comparable buff because it was only intended to put the G3 kit on par with the other assault kits.
Comment