Make Recon great again

Hear me out on this one.

The Recon class is designed to operate outside the main battle zone, spotting enemies, providing long-range support, and giving the team critical intel on the enemy's position. Our role isn’t to rush capture points or engage in close-quarters combat, but to help the squad hold objectives by eliminating threats before they arrive.

Why Recon Needs Distance

• We work best on the map’s edges or in hard-to-reach vantage points to remain hidden.
• Sometimes this requires transport (e.g., a helicopter drop) to reach rooftops or remote spots.
• Because we don’t capture zones or destroy vehicles often, our scoring opportunities are limited.

Loss of Marksman Bonuses

• In BF3 and early BF4, headshot bonuses matched shot distance (e.g., 700m shot = 700 points).
• These rewards gave snipers a fair way to keep pace on the scoreboard while focusing on spotting enemies and protecting our team's flank with long-range suppression and long-range kills.
• When this was replaced with a flat ~25 points, snipers dropped from top rankings to the Mid or bottom, removing incentive for long-range play.

Spawn Beacon Concerns

• Recon depends on spawn beacons to quickly return to critical positions after death.
• Moving the spawn beacon to Assault means Recon players must waste time travelling back, or finding a new spot entirely, reducing their ability to provide consistent overwatch.
• Other classes already have multiple ways to get back into combat; Recon does not. Often we do not want to spawn on team mates of capture points as snipers should not be placed in the heat of battle.
• With kill cams and auto-spotting revealing sniper positions, the beacon is even more essential.

Map Design Issues

• Beta maps seem smaller and more urban, reducing long-range sniping opportunities.
• Classic maps like Rogue Transmission, Gulf of Oman, Operation Firestorm, Caspian Border, Hainan Resort, Arica Harbor, and Wake Island offered ideal environments for Recon play. As a side point, more ideal for vehicular play also.
• Urban maps limit the Recon’s ability to contribute effectively.

Suggestions

1. Keep the Spawn Beacon with the Recon class.
2. Bring back long-range marksman headshot bonuses, either by exact distance (e.g., 700m = 700 points) or tiered rewards.
3. Consider reintroducing tools like the PLD mortar strike from Bad Company 2 for greater team utility.

Closing Point

The Recon role is about gathering intel, protecting flanks, and eliminating threats from range, not close-quarters rushing. Over time, changes such as removing mortar strike, removing marksman bonuses, moving the spawn beacon, and designing smaller urban maps have stripped the class of its purpose.

If these changes go forward, there’s little incentive left to play Recon. Let’s restore the class to its intended role and make Recon great again.