5th Stratagem Slot for (some) Non-Lethal Stratagems?

[LethalOwl]

Saw someone else mention allowing for more stratagem slots in general in order to encourage maybe bringing more non-lethal options, but how about introducing a 5th stratagem sloth SPECIFICALLY for non-lethal stratagems?

Doesn't seem too far fetched to me, in order to bring in more use of the orbital smoke/ems, eagle smoke and the very likely future deployable physical barrier. I guess the ems mortar turret might fall under this category too, which would make this 5th slot kinda OP, so I can see why this would mean that only some non-lethal stratagems should potentially fit in this 5th slot, and not all of them.

At the moment it just feels completely redundant in many cases to bring non-lethal options when you'd rather just have the enemy die to a big explosion than temporarily blind or stun them. Exception being the EMS mortar which sees frequent use for good reason, and sometimes orbital ems on bug breaches.

What do you guys think? Too far to consider a 5th slot for "some" non-lethal stratagem options?

(If it would be relevant, I'll simply mention I've played since day-1 and I'm past rank 100 and play anything from level 1 through 9 on just about any front, and rather enjoy the game as-is and don't see this 5th slot as strictly necessary, but an interesting idea for increased use of non-lethal options)

Edit; A really good suggestion appeared in the thread in the form of "Let us spend requisition or other currency (not super credits) to temporarily buy another stratagem slot", so that's a fun idea asa well and less "OP" than just giving us a 5th slot outright.

[Khloros]

I have been saying since the first day of this game. we should be able to buy a temp 5th start slot that is only available for each mission at a time that cost requisition and then samples as well. The amount varies of type and amount based on the strat you want to take as your 5th strat slot.

Then make it so it does not go away until you extract out of a mission. This way it gives us the ability to use requisition and samples for something. Also lets them put the -1 strat modifier back in.

[LethalOwl]

Originally posted by Khloros:

I have been saying since the first day of this game. we should be able to buy a temp 5th start slot that is only available for each mission at a time that cost requisition and then samples as well. The amount varies of type and amount based on the strat you want to take as your 5th strat slot.

Then make it so it does not go away until you extract out of a mission. This way it gives us the ability to use requisition and samples for something. Also lets them put the -1 strat modifier back in.

The idea of paying Req for an additional temporary slot seems like a great idea as well, because I'm pretty much always capped on Req. That and samples, and soon I'm capped on medals again as well.

[Stewie]

that will lead to 'pay to win'.

[LethalOwl]

Originally posted by Stewie:

that will lead to 'pay to win'.

No, it won't. You can't "buy" requsition, you can't "buy" samples and you can't "buy" medals. You earn them. Therefore it's not "pay to win" in any sense of the word, because that would imply we used real money to get an advantage.

And even still, it's a co-op game. Not pvp. And if someone is capped out on Requisition, why not let them buy a temporary perk to help the squad? It's not "pay to win" when you're helping your teammates.

[Corporal_Goose]

I think adding a 5th slot would increase the diversity off loadouts a lot (wether its temporary or permanent) and with the devs wanting so much diversity I really think they should add another slot.

[Malidictus]

Agreed. Having a dedicated "non-lethal" Strategem slot would be very handy. We'll literally need that, if Arrowhead ever want us to use stuff like the Orbital Flare, or anything else fun but not necessarily lethal like that.

In another thread, someone suggested adding multiple Destroyer types for players to choose from. This can be used to give players a free Strategem slot of their choice. You could have a Bombardment Destroyer which gives you a free Orbital Bombardment Strategem of your choice, a Strike Craft Destroyer for a free Eagle Strategem, an Engineering Destroyer for a free backpack, etc.

Overall, though, I agree - right now, a lot of our Strategem choices are based more on what we "need" - like Support Weapons and/or Backpacks. Free dedicated slots would help a great deal.

[27]

I actually really like this idea, and the different destroyers adding a class system idea in the post above me. Really interesting stuff

[Malidictus]

Originally posted by PrisRad:

I actually really like this idea, and the different destroyers adding a class system idea in the post above me. Really interesting stuff

I didn't think of it in terms of a "class system", but that's not a bad way of looking at it :) Different destroyers could come with a suite of benefits beyond just a free Strategem slot, leaving players to choose the one which either matches their preferred playstyle or has the benefits they want for a build. That's actually pretty cool, thank you.

[LethalOwl]

Originally posted by Malidictus:

In another thread, someone suggested adding multiple Destroyer types for players to choose from. This can be used to give players a free Strategem slot of their choice. You could have a Bombardment Destroyer which gives you a free Orbital Bombardment Strategem of your choice, a Strike Craft Destroyer for a free Eagle Strategem, an Engineering Destroyer for a free backpack, etc.

I like parts of this idea, but if adding such a system, no one would pick the destroyer that comes with a free "non-lethal" option if a lethal option is available. Everyone would choose the "extra bombardment/eagle/turret" I think that in order to encourage use of non-lethals, it would almost have to be 'forced', by having a dedicated non-lethal slot.

[Bloody Milkman]

I'd suggest giving bonus slot for a stratagem if you specifically dive solo (nobody will be able to join). Would be a fun challenge to try.

[Hand's Hermit Permit]

There should be a 5th slot for experimental stratagems you get at random by paying, yes. They could be underpowered ones so you don't creep player power too high, and rarely could be really busted, but since they're random it could add a lot of fun without breaking the game.

[Footman]

So a slot for EMP or Smoke. Everything else is lethal.

[Netaris]

If there is a 5th slot, I prefer a "vehicle" slot instead.

[ItzPress]

Kinda so-and-so on this.
In general such a design chance will have some ramifications. Currently the game works in that you just build whatever stratagem loadout you want; inherently there's a principle to follow then that all of these are to be competing equally. This kinda of idea can have the implication that currently the non-lethals don't cut it yet. However, if they do cut it, this just increases our general power via having a well-competing non-lethal stratagem along with our lethal ones.

On the other hand it is also a "reduced" version of the general idea of a 5th stratagem being given to us wholesale, which I'm also ambivalent on. Part of me does feel like it really would help enhance variety more, but on the other hand it's also a wholesale power boost when there's always a continued feud regarding difficulty (and we're still to get more incoming content too that'll affect this). The other thing is it removes how we're currently to make deliberate choice on the stratagems we pick as well.

This is along with how on occasion we're also getting "experimental" stratagems which just wholesale give everyone a stratagem to use on top of what we already have. So randomly we're already getting a nice 5th stratagem, maybe this system needs looking into a tad since it overlaps.

[Malidictus]

Originally posted by Bloody Milkman:

I'd suggest giving bonus slot for a stratagem if you specifically dive solo (nobody will be able to join). Would be a fun challenge to try.

A long time ago, I suggested doing part of what Sanctum does for solo players. Give solo players an extra 2 Strategem slots, an extra Booster slot and some more reinforcements. A solo player is at a DRASTIC disadvantage relative to even a team of 2.