EMP for mercs

[Spekkio]

So I was thinking about how gay camnet is, and how I wish there was something useful to replace it. Then I was thinking...what if the mercs had a way to zap the spy's energy? This would prevent them from using the SS and any energy using gadgets. As a bonus, you could also have the item disable spy special visions temporarily. I always found it funny that people can talk about how OP MT is and EMF ghosting is, but no one mentions how OP spy thermal vision is.

The thing is, I can't think of a way to incorporate this that would be useful. You can't make it a grenade because a frag would be better. You can't really make it a passive security item because mines are better, and zapping a spy's energy when you're not around to take advantage of him not having a SS isn't very useful in general. You could make it some kind of beam or something, but then it'd just be better to snipe the spy.

Discuss.

[AgentX_003]

So I was thinking about how gay camnet is, and how I wish there was something useful to replace it. Then I was thinking...what if the mercs had a way to zap the spy's energy? This would prevent them from using the SS and any energy using gadgets. As a bonus, you could also have the item disable spy special visions temporarily. I always found it funny that people can talk about how OP MT is and EMF ghosting is, but no one mentions how OP spy thermal vision is.

The thing is, I can't think of a way to incorporate this that would be useful. You can't make it a grenade because a frag would be better. You can't really make it a passive security item because mines are better, and zapping a spy's energy when you're not around to take advantage of him not having a SS isn't very useful in general. You could make it some kind of beam or something, but then it'd just be better to snipe the spy.

Discuss.

well i think you could make it into a form of tazer , so then the tazer has two modes , stun and Emp :P ?

[Ion.67]

Why would you use EMP then?

[Spekkio]

Yea, exactly...if you get close enough to taze the spy, freezing him in place to kill him is better than taking away his energy.

The best I can think of is an AoE beam type weapon that has like 5 shots. It would certainly help the ensuing pursuit because the spy couldn't use SS to freeze you or thermal to see lasers and stuff.

Taking away a spy's energy can certainly be useful...it's just a matter of employing it in a way that doesn't coincide with something that is more useful, ie killing the spy.

[Cronky]

My question to further this is:

What's the disadvantage?

Sounds like a good gadget and useful if you can find a real means of implementing it. It's a hard one to think of simply because it's nonlethal and being put up against the Merc's arsenal of Lethal gadgets.

Second small question pertaining to AoE possibility:

Can the Merc get caught in it too? (System Malfunction, No Torchlight, Visions, etc)

[Farley4Fan]

Well what comes to mind is something like Sam Fisher's portable emp thing in Conviction.  It seems more like a merc gadget to me anyways.  I'm thinking that either take a back pack with gadget refills, or you take a backpack with an EMP generator inside.  You activate the blast, all spy visions are snubbed, ss energy is drained, and maybe as an added bonus it could disable alarm snares and spy bullets temporarily if you feel they are within range. 

[VaNilla]

This gadget is highly un-balanced, in my opinion. Let's take for example Cafe Outside on Museum; imagine that a spy is hacking Cafe Outside, whilst his mate guards the double doors. A merc could just activate an EMP (disabling the spies ability to retaliate/delay your actions) and clear the room with ease. Whenever a spy stops to shock you at close range, you could just activate an EMP and charge them down. This would have to be seriously limited to become balanced, but to limit this gadget as much as you would have to would make the gadget redundant to its opposition, which is why in my opinion, it's a bad idea.

[tigaer]

This seems more like a spy gadget than a merc gadget. Mercs need gadgets that help them hunt, not confuse. That's the spies job.

[frvge]

The negative side can be that it also breaks lights temporarily, creating more darkness for Spies.

[Farley4Fan]

This gadget is highly un-balanced, in my opinion. Let's take for example Cafe Outside on Museum; imagine that a spy is hacking Cafe Outside, whilst his mate guards the double doors. A merc could just activate an EMP (disabling the spies ability to retaliate/delay your actions) and clear the room with ease. Whenever a spy stops to shock you at close range, you could just activate an EMP and charge them down. This would have to be seriously limited to become balanced, but to limit this gadget as much as you would have to would make the gadget redundant to its opposition, which is why in my opinion, it's a bad idea.

It's only unbalanced if it is implemented as such.  Time to brainstorm.  This is the drawing board, not the final cuts.

I like what Frvge just suggested for a downside.

[Spekkio]

It's not a downside if the spies can't use night vision to navigate.

I like how people are calling it OP even though there isn't really a gadget, but rather just a proposed end state.

[Farley4Fan]

Yeah spek.  Like I said "This is the drawing board, not the final cuts."

Propose something to make this idea seem less overpowered then, stone.

[Spark Mandriller]

My question to further this is:

What's the disadvantage?

There needs to be one? :/


(I can't come up with any way to make this gadget useful for mercs and not annoying as fuck as spy so I can't really contribute sorry)

[Cronky]

My question to further this is:

What's the disadvantage?

There needs to be one? :/


(I can't come up with any way to make this gadget useful for mercs and not annoying as fuck as spy so I can't really contribute sorry)

Yes

[frvge]

I disagree that EVERYTHING should have a hard-counter. Most, yes.