Feedback about Recon: it's a flawed class (and will be even worse at release)
First off, a little question. I bet you won't guess an answer.
What is Recon's best weapon class?
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If you answered sniper rifle, you are dead wrong. If you answered DMR, you are even more wrong. These're not. The best weapon for a Recon is... a carbine. Or SMG.
Current design of a Recon seem to be in this weird position of "we need to have it in a game because all BFs had". His signature weapon doesnt work with gadgets and perks at all, neither does the overall game's design and pace. Because let's face it - Assault with a sniper rifle and carbine/SMG, and mobility, and 40mm nades, and Adrenaline, is far superior marksman class right now.
Currently, the only viable playstyle for the Recon, that seem to be pushed by the game's reality, meaning using his signature weapon and Lvl 2 perk, is to camp far far away and fish for headshots. Because with the new TTK, and the time ads take for a sniper rifle, aggressive playstyle is dead. Like, really dead-dead. Recon wont even manage to start glinting before AR or SMG rips him to shreds in any range below 50m.
DMRs are even worse - M39 needs 3 (three) headshots at any range, unless it's... 10m. Obviously, this weapon class also has ads time that will make you die of old age, or an AR. DMRs are dead in the waters, for any class, for this particular reason.
Pistol is laughable - not only the damage is reaaaaaally bad (but that's kinda expected), but the switch animation will kill you with the AR 4 bullets in 200ms TTK.
And what are the ranges that Recon wants to be in to use his kit? Close, practically on the frontlines. TUGS? Small AoE spot, best used just wall next to the enemy. UAV? Large AoE spot but... around the Recon. C4? Again, demands Recon to be face close (with a very long animation btw, especially juxtaposed against general TTK or nades). Beacon? Unless you play selflishly, as a headshot fishing **bleep**, you want to put it on the flanks. The same flanks you stand no chance with the sniper rifle, DMR, or pistol.
The real fun will start after release though - we know that already the best class in the game, and the best marksman in the game, will take Beacon away from the Recon. While Recon will get... wait for it... another frontline focused subclass. One that's almost useless at first glance (since no one ever hears any footsteps with all these explosions anyway, while sneaking without Beacon will be pointless to begin with).
So... dear Dice. Please, tell me. How is this class supposed to work? What is its ideal range? What playstyle Recon is supposed to have? If you want to disincentivize Recons from camping, to the point Recon loses his best gadget, why do you make the class unable to play aggressively with the signature weapon? If you want to tell me that after all these BFs I am expected to play Assault as well... you dont have to convince me anymore - I already started in this beta.
To provide a few solutions, aside from whining:
- If the Recon is supposed to be versatile class, its perk needs to be versatile as well - Kill Confirmed should be triggered for all weapons Recon can take
- UAV should be triggered at a position where Recon aims at
- Recon should not lose the Beacon. If you want to disincentivize the camping, it's already not going to work - campers will take Assaults anyway, for the Beacon (and all the other Assault bonuses, including the ladder - the wet dream of all the campers in any BF). Guess what, breath holding doesnt mean anything since it has never been used (outside of x40 gimmick shots at least), while faster rechambering will never outclass being able to climb and respawn in a good camping spot.
- You can alternatively slow down the game a bit, adding 200ms to all auto weapons TTK, so any other had a chance to shine
