Change the Drop Pod.

[LocalizedDownpour]

Summary (a quick, 2-3 sentence summary): This won't be quick.

As it stands the pod functions as a space elevator going up and down from the Sulaco with impunity, making the Rasp all but useless late game given the MetaFob is Tcomms now. What I am proposing is a rework to how the pod works, and this comes in two forms, though one is infinitely more practical. Though likely to be unpopular.

Drop pods should NOT be multi-use space elevators, it's dumb and pretty much forces a meta as LZ2 is the best place for a fob given how easy it is to defend and move supplies relative to LZ1 and the Nexus Fob. What I propose is that the Marines MUST use the Rasp on the first drop [Though this is forced through mechanics and not rules] And this almost ensures a dynamic round every time. Consider adding one turret to the center of the pod where the console was to support a FOB in a box concept, though this isn't required of course.

Option A: With the new Whitelist for commanders make the CO have an ability on the drop pod console, replacing the one by his seat with this special one, allowing him to send the drop pod to five different areas on the map, four of them south of the river one north, likely the Tfort or storage containers. Before you scream M E T A R U S H, these points operate off of a timer, with say...current LZ2 being 15 minutes after the Rasp is launched with Tfort being say...an hour and a half after the Rasps first launch if not longer. Only the CO, XO, and BOs can send these pods, as you don't 'pilot' a prod pod after all so the PO is out of a job there. This prevents a meta fob in my opinion and even opens up for unconventional fobs as the drop pod can operate as a fob in a box so to speak.

Option B: Have these locations on 'beacons' Sort of like the handheld teleporter from vanilla. The beacons have to be set up in the same way a turret would, with a series of tool uses before it is online. These beacons can be slashed by xenos just like the light fixtures but cannot be utterly destroyed via acid. Once any of the beacons are active, the pod can be set down there. Metarush is prevented in much the same way as marines shouldn't be crossing the river early regardless.

Landing points are as follows but of course would be subject to change.

1: Current LZ2
2: Somewhere just north of Colony Storage.
3: In the Western Forest near the IA dome
4: Near Medical
5: Tfort or Cargotrain.

Benefits (How this will benefit the server and game as a whole): Prevents what amounts to a meta fob all day erry day and unmothballs the Rasputin.

Details (Description of how you think this would work, the benefits, etc): THis makes sending the pod an important choice as to when and where it is needed and actually makes it a drop pod not the Sulaco Elevator Express(tm) which I think does it a disservice.

Implementation (Optional, if you have an idea how to implement it): N/A

[Rob606]

As far as I understand the code, having it drop at different locations is going to be a huge undertaking.

[LocalizedDownpour]

Why not just code what amounts to be 5 pod LZs? Sense it is only used once it shouldn't be overly hard. Though I don't understand SS13 code at all.

[LocalizedDownpour]

Simply because as it stands. It's not a choice between the Rasp and the Vindicator. Which is a sad thing imho.

[YungCuz]

I think the pod is just quicker thats why.
And the dropship always gets raided by Xenos so thats why they usually use the pod.

[Joe4444]

this won't stop the t comms FOB,it'll just mean marines will wait 15 minutes before using the dropship.they'll just set the FOB up in that time and be done with it.

[LocalizedDownpour]

That's why I said /after/ the first drop. I'm not against the Tcomms fob at all honestly.

Though the sacrifice would be that they still need the Rasputin for airlifts to the Sulaco, and have traded away late game deploying power for that fob.

[Renomaki]

On Paradise, nuke ops have access to a drop pod that can be dropped anywhere on the station, but due to the nature of it, cannot come back up. This makes it a very expensive, tactical way to crash into the station.

Compared to that, the drop pod is just.. weird. Why does it act more like a spaceship than a pod? How can it fly back up and quietly land in the hanger after slamming down onto the surface of the planet? And why is there a landing pad for a DROP POD?

Drop pods realistically are single use, fire and forget quick deployment. You fire em off into hotzones to quickly reinforce an area or to easily flank enemies. Once they land, they have to be recovered after the battle, since they can't fly back up on their own, and in some situations may be too damaged to even use more than once.

So, if we were to make changes to it, we'd probably try to mimic the system Paradise uses, have several pods in the hanger over just the one pod (since why would a ship have only a single pod for deep strikes?), and probably make them smaller as well since the idea of cramming 30 men along with supply crates is absurd.

[Casany]

Coding wont be hard, but we have to sacrifice lotsa the map. Ever wonder why there is plating under all the LZ's? because the game replaced what it lands on with its floor but doesnt place the original floor back, so if you were to land on grass, youd leave with plating. Just my understanding of it. it could be a one use thing, but thats about it

[LocalizedDownpour]

Seeing as by its nature I want it to be one use. I just personally feel it's silly the drop pod is a space elevator in the most secure part of the map next to the most vital dome farthest Frome the hive. It's a no brainier pick over the Rasputin, which I feel needs to be the primary vessel form troop transport otherwise why have it in its current form?

[Surrealistik]

I'd only be for this if we have multiple Drop Pods that can be deployed anywhere on the map that's outdoors, or with an offset from a beacon.

Also if MTs could build more Drop Pods that would be preferable, while giving them something useful to do; basically anything built within a Drop Pod launch bay would be considered a Drop Pod, and would be sent down; naturally the thing has to travel through space first, so it better damn well be air tight.

[Eenkogneeto]

DEEP STRIKES
We have placed numerous beacons, allowing for multiple, simultaneous and devastating defensive deep strikes

[mullvad]

At this rate we should just remove the pods and parachute the fuckers down.

[Surrealistik]

DEEP STRIKES
We have placed numerous beacons, allowing for multiple, simultaneous and devastating defensive deep strikes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbRGg3e1b68&feature=youtu.be&t=56

[Derpislav]

Also if MTs could build more Drop Pods that would be preferable, while giving them something useful to do; basically anything built within a Drop Pod launch bay would be considered a Drop Pod, and would be sent down; naturally the thing has to travel through space first, so it better damn well be air tight.

I'm in love with this.

[Snypehunter007]

Irrelevant, drop pod has been removed.

Locking.