Respawn players as their last free or basic class selection

[Draken Stark]

There are many times when I frequently spend most of a game as something other than a soldier. Selecting Engineer repeatedly is taxing when it's a class that's free to switch to. I'd hope that for any class that is free, a player can automatically respawn as that class.

I'm aware that servers can change the cost of the classes in the game, so it'd be important to have a check for if a class is free and that the class' requirements are met (such as a silo is under your teams control). If that check fails, then the player will respawn as the default class (if not in every case, this should be the soldier).

Example:

Players should have their last selected free class saved as a variable (probably on the server). Should a player select engineer, that choice will be saved as the last free class selection. If the player dies or decides to upgrade to any class that costs money like a technician, which costs money on this hypothetical server, that choice will not be saved. When the player dies as their paid class, they'll respawn as an engineer since that was their last free class selection.

Notable Feedback:

... If you die and then you click to respawn, you'd respawn as you previous free class. ... However, if you press 1-5 (or 1-4 + E) you'd instantly spawn as the free class of your selected hotkey.

I feel that this would be a great addition to the game!

Edited April 15, 2014 by Guest

[R315r4z0r]

Not gonna say whether we need this or not, imo... but just to run with this idea...

What if, instead of respawning as your previously played free class, when you die you are given the choice to spawn as one of the 5 free classes?

So, when you die, you can either click your mouse like normal to spawn as a basic soldier as you already do... or you can press 1-5 (or 1-4 + E) to spawn as the free class of your choice?

[goztow]

Just add an option in the settings where you can choose which free class you spawn as. In 90 % of the time, I want to spawn as an engee. Now I need to E-E.

[omega79]

this is a nice idea

[Draken Stark]

Not gonna say whether we need this or not, imo... but just to run with this idea...

What if, instead of respawning as your previously played free class, when you die you are given the choice to spawn as one of the 5 free classes?

So, when you die, you can either click your mouse like normal to spawn as a basic soldier as you already do... or you can press 1-5 (or 1-4 + E) to spawn as the free class of your choice?

In this case, may as well ask to have an option for the purchase terminal be brought up automatically whenever you die. The idea to begin with was to add simplicity for every player and streamline the experience.

[R315r4z0r]

Not necessarily. A whole purchase terminal would defeat the purpose. There are only 5 free classes and 5 hotkeys. It would be more streamlined to just ask the player to either click their mouse to respawn like they normally do or instead they press a hotkey to spawn as a free class.

You also have to consider that players aren't always playing free classes. So if they were a sniper, when they die they wouldn't have the "respawn as their previous free character" option since their previous character wasn't free. Also, consider the fact that if you were a free class it doesn't necessarily mean you want to continue using that free class. For example, you might have been a shotgunner but when you die you intended to respawn as a soldier... but since you automatically respawn as your previous free class, you'd need to enter the PT to get the soldier. Where as if you just press "1" as soon as you die, you'd instantly be a soldier.

Perhaps a compromise? If you die and then you click to respawn, you'd respawn as you previous free class. If you weren't a free class then you'd spawn as a soldier. However, if you press 1-5 (or 1-4 + E) you'd instantly spawn as the free class of your selected hotkey.

[Draken Stark]

Not necessarily. A whole purchase terminal would defeat the purpose. There are only 5 free classes and 5 hotkeys. It would be more streamlined to just ask the player to either click their mouse to respawn like they normally do or instead they press a hotkey to spawn as a free class.

You're telling me in order to respawn you first have to select a free class, however should you wish to respawn as something that costs anything you'd have to go through two class selection screens. I don't think that's a good idea or streamlining. You also kind of point this out yourself here:

You also have to consider that players aren't always playing free classes. So if they were a sniper, when they die they wouldn't have the "respawn as their previous free character" option since their previous character wasn't free.

I should reword a bit of the original post since this isn't the idea I was trying to convey. Players should have their last selected free class saved as a variable (probably on the server). Should a player select engineer, that choice will be saved as the last free class selection. If the player dies or decides to upgrade to any class that costs money like a technician, which costs money on this hypothetical server, that choice will not be saved. When the player dies as their paid class, they'll respawn as an engineer since that was their last free class selection.

Also, consider the fact that if you were a free class it doesn't necessarily mean you want to continue using that free class. For example, you might have been a shotgunner but when you die you intended to respawn as a soldier... but since you automatically respawn as your previous free class, you'd need to enter the PT to get the soldier. Where as if you just press "1" as soon as you die, you'd instantly be a soldier.

In this case, things won't change and they really shouldn't since it's the main method of changing classes. I'm not looking to replace it, just ease on it's repeated use. I do like your next idea though:

Perhaps a compromise? If you die and then you click to respawn, you'd respawn as you previous free class. If you weren't a free class then you'd spawn as a soldier. However, if you press 1-5 (or 1-4 + E) you'd instantly spawn as the free class of your selected hotkey.

Not a bad idea. I'd be for it. I'll see about adding this to the original post with credit to you once I have some more time.

[R315r4z0r]

You're telling me in order to respawn you first have to select a free class, however should you wish to respawn as something that costs anything you'd have to go through two class selection screens. I don't think that's a good idea or streamlining.

No, you're misunderstanding and making it sound more complicated.

The way that the game works now is that when you die, you just click your mouse and you respawn. You click your mouse anywhere on the screen, it doesn't matter.

What I'm suggesting isn't any sort of menu selection screen. It's just the one-touch of a hotkey. Click to respawn normally or press 1-4 or E in place of a click to respawn as the respective free class. No menus, no buttons, no timers. Just a random mouse click or a single keystroke.

The reason why I think it's more streamlined that way is because it's not requiring you (and I realize how dumb this might sound... but it's the truth) to remember what your previous free class was. It also doesn't introduce confusion in players not understanding why they keep spawning as something different when they don't understand how the system works.

Also, you should never be able to spawn as a class that costs money.

[Draken Stark]

You're telling me in order to respawn you first have to select a free class, however should you wish to respawn as something that costs anything you'd have to go through two class selection screens. I don't think that's a good idea or streamlining.

No, you're misunderstanding and making it sound more complicated.

The way that the game works now is that when you die, you just click your mouse and you respawn. You click your mouse anywhere on the screen, it doesn't matter.

What I'm suggesting isn't any sort of menu selection screen. It's just the one-touch of a hotkey. Click to respawn normally or press 1-4 or E in place of a click to respawn as the respective free class. No menus, no buttons, no timers. Just a random mouse click or a single keystroke.

This is only what you explained as your compromise and I like the idea. I don't think much else needs to be said about this.

The reason why I think it's more streamlined that way is because it's not requiring you (and I realize how dumb this might sound... but it's the truth) to remember what your previous free class was. It also doesn't introduce confusion in players not understanding why they keep spawning as something different when they don't understand how the system works.

If you're going to do away with what this thread was originally about and introduce a completely different system, please create a new thread so you can present your complete idea as you'd like it to be (if you have already feel free to link to it here).

Also, you should never be able to spawn as a class that costs money.

I agree with this statement, however not every server has the same costs for units. It's possible for a server to modify the money any costly unit will be. That said a server may eventually make any unit they want to be free.

[Dellta_34]

While this may not be the most important thing ever,it would also be pretty easy to implement I figure.

So yea I agree,it would be nice to have a class selection menu when spawning or atleast be able to press from 1-4+E and/or spawn as the last free class you used.

[XD_ERROR_XD]

i like this idea, but how do you implement this to the start of a match? or upon joining a server? or would you just automatically spawn as a soldier then?

[Draken Stark]

I'd expect everyone to start off as a soldier in that case. Unless there could also be a client side variable saving what the last free class you were in a previous match.

Anyway at the start of the match, since you'd only need to switch once, I don't see this as a predominant problem compared to switching every time you respawn.

[Eagle XI]

Totally irrelevant question: If i buy a Rocketlauncher(costs), then have to switch to engineer(free) since a dire need of repair have arisen, can i switch back to rocketguy for free after done with repairing ?

[goztow]

No of course not.

[epicelite]

Just add an option in the settings where you can choose which free class you spawn as. In 90 % of the time, I want to spawn as an engee. Now I need to E-E.

This.

Totally irrelevant question: If i buy a Rocketlauncher(costs), then have to switch to engineer(free) since a dire need of repair have arisen, can i switch back to rocketguy for free after done with repairing ?

Maybe if you change characters you can get back %50 of your sold characters value?

[goztow]

The whole point is that your enemy forces you to change chars. getting money back for this is not fair towars the attacker.

[Eagle XI]

With that head: getting money not back for this is not fair towards the defender.

You already have to pay for the kit each spawn, so after having paid it should be free till death.(you pay again on your next respawn)

[R315r4z0r]

With that head: getting money not back for this is not fair towards the defender.

You already have to pay for the kit each spawn, so after having paid it should be free till death.(you pay again on your next respawn)

It's perfectly fair for the defender. They paid their credits to use the character. They died. They lost their investment. They have to buy it again if they want to use it again.

[SFJake]

I thought what he said was a bit like the Weapons you can buy, although nobody really uses this, if you buy multiple weapons you can always switch at the character screen until you die. (you can have like 5 weapons in the list at the top left)

So basically, if you buy Havoc, then you switch to Mobius, you can switch between the two at will, but once you die (with either) you lose access to both. This would give a bigger edge to the defender, though. I only wish I could do this. If nothing else, I wish I could give my "weapon" to someone else when switching.

[goztow]

You make a choice. If it turns out not to be the right one, you need to pay for making the wrong choice.

[Eagle XI]

I got the rocket, blown the vehicle, then switched to engi and repaired the building. (prolong this chain at will)

Now what i want to say that i made the correct choice(s) and atop all that got punished for that ? Yeah, ok...

[SFJake]

You make a choice. If it turns out not to be the right one, you need to pay for making the wrong choice.

I buy a med tank. I want a mammoth. Well, someone will take the med.

Who says it "has" to be this way. Can we not spout non-sense like this.

[HaTe]

The whole point of a choice is that there are negatives and positives, and you're attempting to decide which option has a positive that outweighs the negative. Taking decision making away from the gamer is what modern games are good at doing - no need for that here.

[goztow]

You wasted some money for changing your rocket soldier ro an engee. But you also gained some by repairing. I really do not see your point why you should get money back for changing chars.

I see a lot of people actually proposing changes that all come down to the same conclusion. They want more money in the economy. Imo there is already more than enough in it.

The more money you put in the economy the faster everyone goes to the higher tiers. Imo that is not a good thing.

[Draken Stark]

You wasted some money for changing your rocket soldier ro an engee. But you also gained some by repairing. I really do not see your point why you should get money back for changing chars.

I see a lot of people actually proposing changes that all come down to the same conclusion. They want more money in the economy. Imo there is already more than enough in it.

The more money you put in the economy the faster everyone goes to the higher tiers. Imo that is not a good thing.

That's exactly the reason why I'm only talking about automatically respawning as the free/basic classes.

@Everyone: I can see that the topic of this thread can touch on refunds, however I agree that they shouldn't exist.

[RoundShades]

I would like reimburstment for sure, but kind of quality of life feature.

Ask for auto respawn as a free class, neat idea to remember your last free class selection.

I remember legacy Renegade, where the "free soldier" you spawn as actually is a different "soldier" than the one you get at the terminal. They just look REALLY similar.