US Specialist equipment and portrayal

[Lange]

Hi all,

Want to make a point that the PR setup for the specialist really doesn't fit with being historical accurate from my research. One thing is from what I can tell it was pretty rare or just didn't happen that US troops carried a M16 and a shotgun. Plus on top of that the shotgun in PR the Mossberg 590 was not used in the Vietnam war. Various shotguns were used, but probably the Remington 870 or Mossberg 500 to narrow it down. Maybe that shotgun is a placeholder I am not sure. However really I feel a different idea may benefit the gameplay.

Was thinking that white phosphorous gernades could be used in place of a secondary weapon and when thrown could work like normal smoke but have a burning effect to maybe simulate use of such mutitions in the war.

Also shotguns also were used mainly by a "point man" but with the limited player count and ability to have kits in BF2 I think maybe making the specialist have a role like that would be fun and benefical.

Also maybe have the shotgun as a alt weapon for specialist and M16 for primary?

[Unhealed]

Good suggestion IMO, but why it is in general discussion?

Was thinking that white phosphorous gernades could be used in place of a secondary weapon and when thrown could work like normal smoke but have a burning effect to maybe simulate use of such mutitions in the war.

Good idea, you can throw these at caches instead of closing in, it's good becouse right now Vietnam insurgency mode is a real pain for the blufor. They have no body armor, no scopes and vechicles are not as effective as in regular PR.

Also maybe have the shotgun as a alt weapon for specialist and M16 for primary?

I love that idea, but I think shotgun should be main and M16 should be alt, it's gonna look so sexy on a spawn menu
Do Vietnam maps even have any doors to breach? I think not, so there will be no situations when you need to breach a door but you took a M16 instead of a shotgun.
And yeah current shotgun is a placeholder.

[SShadowFox]

I love that idea, but I think shotgun should be main and M16 should be alt, it's gonna look so sexy on a spawn menu

You'll be able to select both Alt or Std versions on the spawn menu in 1.0.

[Unhealed]

You'll be able to select both Alt or Std versions on the spawn menu in 1.0.

I know, just want everyone to see how sexy shotgun is

[Eddie Baker]

Snip

Keep in mind, I am retired, but re: Mossberg 590, it's most assuredly a placeholder. Didn't you bring this up in another thread?

"Specialist," frankly, has always been a stupid name that I never agreed with and the class should have just been called "Point Man" or "Breacher" depending on the map or faction. What it became was just a dumping ground for every "cool-tool" deleted from or didn't seem to belong in another class.

Good idea, you can throw these at caches instead of closing in, it's good becouse right now Vietnam insurgency mode is a real pain for the blufor.

White Phosphorus grenades were not used to quickly destroy equipment, but to agonizingly and demoralizingly destroy people. It was sometimes called a "suicide grenade" because it has a bursting radius of 35 meters when the average soldier could throw it only 30 meters. Otherwise, they were used to screen, mark positions (yours or the enemies) in the dense jungle, or start fires.

[Spec]

Thank you all for your input, but I'll lock this as a suggestion outside of the appropriate forum. Also please keep in mind that equipment-related suggestions may not be made for factions for which we have Military Advisors on the team. Gameplay-related ones can of course be made.