The diversion camera

[InvisibleMan999]

this sounds like an idea worth to look into deeper. however, there would be complications if the spy can move the cam, and if he couldn't the mercs would simply have all their cams look in a boring spot.

Merc always has precedence. So if the cam is uncontrolled. Spy can move it. If a merc starts using it, he instantly gains control.

Alternately it could just be that the first one to gain control of a camera keeps control until he relinquishes it, similar to two mercs with camnet. That way it might lead to an interesting tactic of having your partner neutralize the camnet and point it to the floor while you sneak past.

[Farley4Fan]

papa, bullets work through walls and are really effective placed on mercs. stop thinking that a recon cam chain would work in practice.
the diversion noise ability isn't really that strong but does really suck for gameplay reasons. please stop advocating this bs gadget, we had this discussion a long time ago anyways.

why not just give spies a way to tap into camnet?

this sounds like an idea worth to look into deeper. however, there would be complications if the spy can move the cam, and if he couldn't the mercs would simply have all their cams look in a boring spot.

Effective placed on mercs?!  You really can't be serious.  They are much much more effective when placed near doors and hallways.  When you put one on a merc they hear it most of the time, then their partners disable them a little bit later.  It's a waste unless it's the last merc or if you are playing on bigger maps like Factory where the other merc can't easily leave their post to disable the bullet.  Even when they are effective, which is when they are placed near chokepoints of the map, they really aren't that effective for recon.  More useful for hacking and setting up bullets everywhere so you know when to stop.

And tell me Gawain, how is a self placed camnet system for spy NOT going to work in practice?  You can basically keep tabs on the whole map at any time.  How could you call that a "bs" gadget?

[Gawain]

papa, go back and read what me and other people contributed about this...

[Farley4Fan]

I have, and 90% of what was said was "it won't work in practice".  Says who?  I think that it atleast deserves some playtesting.

[Spekkio]

I have, and 90% of what was said was "it won't work in practice".  Says who?  I think that it atleast deserves some playtesting.

Oh, it would work...but it would be marginally useful at best. The spies already have two recon tools that do an excellent job of telling you where the mercs are at all times; there is absolutely no need or reason to spend time looking through the merc's camnet.

[Farley4Fan]

At all times?  No.  You can't detect a merc from across the map, or watch him for that matter, with any other gadget other than sticky cams.  And with stickies you can only watch 1 room at a time.  Sure hbs and spy bullets can do that, however, only at a limited range especially with bullets.  Imagine it as the spy's very own camnet system that he can set up wherever he likes.  Don't tell me that wouldn't be useful, or marginally useful.

[Westfall]

At all times?  No.  You can't detect a merc from across the map, or watch him for that matter, with any other gadget other than sticky cams.  And with stickies you can only watch 1 room at a time.  Sure hbs and spy bullets can do that, however, only at a limited range especially with bullets.  Imagine it as the spy's very own camnet system that he can set up wherever he likes.  Don't tell me that wouldn't be useful, or marginally useful.

It would be marginally overpowering...for the spy. I CAN SEE EEEEEVERYTHING. Shoot a cam down a hallway. You don't need the extra boost to see the entire map.

If you think about it a little more, the spy is entering a territory foreign to them. This is the mercenary's place to guard. He should be allowed to see in every room with a camnet system. If I had 10 minutes to get a job done as a spy, My first thought wouldn't be, "how can I hack this mother fuckers camnet so I can see EEEEEVERYTHING. You have a task with a small amount of time. You are familiar with the grounds and territory because you have intel that has shown you what you're being put up against. As you learn the maps more, you won't even second guess where you're going. Its like doing your homework...or your job in this case.

[Gawain]

at least the idea to hack into the mercs' camnet isn't as bad as the diversion camera idea lolz.

[Spekkio]

At all times?  No.  You can't detect a merc from across the map, or watch him for that matter, with any other gadget other than sticky cams.  And with stickies you can only watch 1 room at a time.  Sure hbs and spy bullets can do that, however, only at a limited range especially with bullets.  Imagine it as the spy's very own camnet system that he can set up wherever he likes.  Don't tell me that wouldn't be useful, or marginally useful.

If the merc is out of range of your radar, you should be hacking something. You can also place spy bullets at the entry points where the merc would come from, so I still fail to see how this ability would be useful at all.

[Farley4Fan]

You guys are telling me that you'd rather have 1 spy bullet in pirates than 1 net cam watching the entire room?  You can watch it, see where the merc camps, see where he plants mines, you see all his little tricks and strategies forming.  While a spy bullet you just see a blip on your radar and you can guess what exact point he is at, and it has a tiny range.

"shoot a cam down the hallway" - Keyword is "a".  Wouldn't you like to shoot more than 1 sticky at once to have more eyes around the map and sacrifice its gas abilities? 

And the problem with your argument spekkio, is that you only have a limited amount of spy bullets.  There are usually a bunch of entry points into EVERY room.  You'd waste your entire arsenal of spy bullets on 1 room.  You can do all that usually with just 1 camera.  That gives YOU the ability to watch 5 different key chokepoints or large areas at the same time.  Imagine using this on a map like Aqua, Factory, Orphanage.  It would be incredibly useful but fail at the aggro aspect of sticky cams.  It has a weakness and useless part as well as a strength and useful part.  Just like every gadget should/does.

[Gui Brazil]

While a spy bullet you just see a blip on your radar and you can guess what exact point he is at

You know he's there and most of the times, that's enough.

and it has a tiny range.

Use the HBS, then.

"shoot a cam down the hallway" - Keyword is "a".  Wouldn't you like to shoot more than 1 sticky at once to have more eyes around the map and sacrifice its gas abilities?

Not really, because as long as the merc is not near me, i'm fine with it and I'll just go hack. 

There are usually a bunch of entry points into EVERY room.

Aquarius: 2 spy bullets and you have all entries to pirates covered, sames goes for greek and maybe even tech room.
Orphanage: All the bomb objectives can be covered with 1 spy bullet (2 for cantine). The hacking objectives can also be covered with 1 spy bullet (2 in the washrooms).
Club House: 1 spy bullet for steam/jacuzzi, 1 for the gardens and another to tea/lunch.
Factory:main hall, machine room and digger, 2 for each and you're set (before someone screams at me, I know you can't have 6 spy bullets).

Do I really have to go on with the other maps?

[Farley4Fan]

No matter how "well" you think you have every room covered it still takes more than 1 to do so, and even then you can't watch the room.  There are probably some things that you'd want to know that the merc is doing and what he is placing.  You simply can't do that at all with bullets. 

I could quickly get almost half of the map covered with only 2 net cams on Aqua and on Factory.  Go to blue room, set up a cam near the ceiling on one of the pillars.  Then look into pirates and fire 1 over the deck on the side with the objective.  Just like that I have a lot of the map covered and I can watch and see where and when the mercs go and where they place things.  From there I can plan my entry point based on the things I see on the sticky and where the merc is.

[Gui Brazil]

After reading your post, it sounds to me that you want a gadget that makes your life 10 times easier. =p

[Westfall]

After reading your post, it sounds to me that you want a gadget that makes your life 10 times easier. =p

He does, which is why I had stated that it would be overpowering. I don't want t know where the merc is all the time exactly. Adds more of a thrill you know? I do not think the spy needs his own camnet system. In fact, I dub this idea at the bottom of the ideas list that I've read.

[InvisibleMan999]

"shoot a cam down the hallway" - Keyword is "a".  Wouldn't you like to shoot more than 1 sticky at once to have more eyes around the map and sacrifice its gas abilities? 

Honestly no.

I just can't imagine how useful these would be. Any reasonably competent merc is going to shoot them out if they're in his sight. If I have to shoot it that practically means I've got to be in the room. So what it does for me is sweep a room that I'm about to enter. You know what else does that and faster? Heartbeat.

Unless you've got cameras that are preplaced like a camnet, it's just not worth a spy placing his own cams, not for recon anyway.

The sound-making diversion camera has merit. The recon camera is completely useless.