Concept Discussion - Rescue/MedEvac Squad

[StevePl4y5]

I would like to propose a discussion concerning a type of Squad, this would be a Concept Squad, named Rescue or MedEvac or something similar. How it would apply to different game modes, factions. How good of a concept is it. How it could work theoretically and in practice.



Let's look at a 8 man squad: each time one players is killed the team loses one ticket, if a whole Squad is wiped out the team loses 8 tickets, which may not sound like all that much, but more experienced players know the difference 1 ticket can make in the outcome of the round. Usually, when half of a Squad is wounded, the other half tries to get them back up, which might or not work; if it doesn't work, the whole Squad will be forced to give up and spawn if there are no friendlies in the area, and even then, Squad Leaders usually choose to spawn anyaways. This will result in that 8 ticket loss.

The solution for this could be to have a Rescue Squad on the team, which would only have one objective in the entire round: get entire friendly squads back in action without ticket loss.

But how would they operate? Well, first off, it's important to say that the players consisting on this Squad would have to be highly experienced, because a failed rescue could mean the loss of the Rescue Squad, resulting in a possible 16 ticket loss. In terms of kits, the Squad would carry regular infantry kits, being mandatory to have 2 medics, choosing other kits depending on different situations. Since it only takes 5 minutes to be "dead-dead" after being critically wounded, the Rescue Squad would have to be a Fast Response Squad , making it mandatory to have fast moving vehicles assigned to it or to have excelent coordination with transport squads.

When arriving to the Rescue Area, the medics would have to get the friendly squad up, while the others cover, they would do this by reviving the medics first, so they could help with the process. In a hot zone, some patients would have to go untreated on the ground, but thanks to the feature of being able to heal inside vehicles, those patients would be treated in the safety of a vehicle, until the whole squad was able to get back in action. To prevent the Squad from being "dead-dead" shortly after being reinserted, the Rescue Squad should have them in custody until 5 minutes have passed.

So that is my take on this subject. I now leave you to discuss my view on this, and to make your own suggestions and opinions concerning the subject.

[Nate.]

8 man wounded = 8 tickets lost.
8 man dead-dead = 8 more tickets lost.

You always lose a ticket, one for getting wounded, another one for getting dead-dead.

I think a dedicated Med-Evac Squad would not really work. Squads working and supporting each other on the frontline gives a higher chance of survivability than a dedicated squad moving in when everyone is down. (Chances are, they get fucked aswell )

[ElshanF]

I prefer the idea of a QRF type squad which reacts instantly as a important target/urgent support is required.

[StevePl4y5]

8 man wounded = 8 tickets lost.
8 man dead-dead = 8 more tickets lost.

You always lose a ticket, one for getting wounded, another one for getting dead-dead.

I think a dedicated Med-Evac Squad would not really work. Squads working and supporting each other on the frontline gives a higher chance of survivability than a dedicated squad moving in when everyone is down. (Chances are, they get fucked aswell )

I actually didn't know you lose a ticket when you're wounded, never noticed. Well, learning everyday.

[UTurista]

A 8 men rescue squad is just a waste, might as well be a normal infantry squad.~

But with a proper trans squad (at least 2 choppers) we could have a medic has a door gunner in each one, and in situations like these both choppers would land and drop the medics.

Of course this would not work due to body camping, resulting on the loss of 4 more tickets.

[StevePl4y5]

Taking into account what all of you guys said, it seems the main problem of such a Squad would be the high probability of failure, which would result in extra ticket loss. And also that such a Squad would be less efficient in its role than any other infantry Squad.
Well, considering these are both practical issues, and not theoretical, it seems the only real way of finding out if this concept would work ingame is to actually try it.
I'll try to test this concept in a more casual co-op server, where the result of failure will not be so serious to the players involved.

[Mongolian_dude]

This actually worked exceptionally well on a round of Ramiel AAS/Control & Secure, where I as the LB trans SL had one of my pilots go medic when trans requests were quiet. Small target, highly manoeuvrable.
Managed to save around 4 full squads and was shot down once (worth it in ticket terms) and was very fun.

I spent almost the entire round yelling this:




...mongol...

[boberczus]

It might work with light helicopters like LB or maybe even Huey, but i doubt it will with any of those big cows like the Mi-8.

[Arc_Shielder]

I think it wouldn't work very well. You need to incentive players to take a different kind of treatment than normal.

I am mindlessly throwing this out there, but what about ticket gain?

Everytime a soldier gets healed in a specific vehicle the team gains 1 ticket, therefore neutralizing the 1 ticket loss penalty that he caused by getting himself wounded. Problem is, other than events I wouldn't see this idea or any other work out well when the squad medic can get anyone up in no time.

[_Fizzco_]

Game is to fast, by the time you arrive to revive them the enemy squad is on top of them. Just won't work with PR

[Careless]

I would like to see it in a different way.

Well, I think it'll only work in PR 2 due to engine limitations.

But wouldn't it be interesting to have a MEDEVAC with a bigger meaning. Let's say that if you're saved by a MEDEVAC you don't lose any tickets at all as oposed to 1 ticket for being wounded. You can only get a MEDEVAC if there are no enemies within xxx-meters.

Just as a concept.


I see OP's suggesting happening only in clan based gaming where everything is settled and structured, not on public servers though

[Trekkie]

Well here's a common situation where a medevac squad would work perfectly: A whole squad gets taken out and are being body-camped. With no other friendlies nearby, the team's free to clear out the body-campers with 'nades, armor, area attack, whatever else.

But maybe instead of a specific medevac squad, we should think about medevac missions. Really, any squad with a medic or two can perform this function. If you're rescuing a squad with downed medics, even a few riflemen can do it. I guess the challenge is integrating it with your squad's other objectives.

Seems like the other problem is that communication between squads is focused so much on targets that there's no room in anyone's attention span to talk about medevac missions... so maybe having a dedicated medevac squad would actually mitigate that problem.

[Cavazos]

Having a plan to save wiped out squads is good as they can be saved. Squads don't fall back when they should, squads don't have other squads nearby supporting when they should, and having all squads acting as a normal infantry squad never means all of them are fighting 100% of the time.

A lot of those squads are walking around without contact. I think having a squad respond to this thing will not be a waste of resources.

But it shouldn't be thought if as a Medevac squad which conjures the image of a helicopter with a medic to save the day. It should be thought of a squad that can effectively kill whatever killed the friendly squad.

If everyone is moving together on a single objective, there isn't much use for this squad since everyone... Is already together.

If you're on large map with squads spread out by themselves, having a reinforcement unit will be very handy. Should in essence, the most effective unit would be a quick reaction force (QRF). They wait for reports of enemy contact.

They don't wait for squad to be dead before they react! They just move to that squad as soon as contact us radioed!

Basically they move to confirmed enemy 100% of the time providing extra firepower and even being able to save squads from time to time. They go to friendly flags under seige, enemy flags being attacked, or supporting friendly being ambushed in between.

Their objective is to go to reported enemy locations versus normal squads who objective is to take flags or defend them.

I think it's useful. The main issue is getting to the reported contact alive and quickly. Hilly forested maps with lots of anti air renders this unit obsolete as hilly forests neutralize quick ground transports and lots of anti air render air transport too dangerous.