Love the game first of all, can’t get enough at the moment.
But while playing I did think that this could do with a support role and it gave me an idea, that you guys have probably already thought of lol.
A support class but other than a helpful coherency bonus can equip something in the ranged slot that offers something like producing ammo or small healing once every so often or has some kind of draw back as well as not having a ranged weapon to use.
So my idea was like a backpack that produces ammo, or a small heal of some kind, nothing game changing but like a tiny medi pack that does a small amount of healing one dropped on the floor like a regular medi pack.
The class can also have a ranged weapon options but not with the backpack that makes ammo or med packs (Not both different backpacks for ammo and medi packs).
I just feel this would be a great option to have but the obvious cost is they don’t have a ranged weapon and would need a bit of looking after so it’s not making it easier by having that support class in your squad but if played well as a team can make it a little easier.
This game doesn’t need a “support” class nor would it likely be any good. The objective is to get to the end of the mission as efficiently as possible without dying. This is, for the most part, a function of damage dealt vs damage received, which is why all classes in this game and VT2 are built around actually fighting and killing things. The best form of support is everything being dead.
We already have a pseudo-support in the ogryn, with their shield and useful abilities.
A support class but other than a helpful coherency bonus can equip something in the ranged slot that offers something like producing ammo or small healing once every so often
This would literally just mean you had to stand around waiting with nothing happening between fights all the time on harder difficulties, and as you levelled it would become irrelevant and not used on lower difficulties.
Honestly I think a class like this would be 2-dimensional and actually make the game flow worse by incentivising constant ‘rest breaks’, instead of forging ahead to try to find more supplies before another wave or special shows up.
Psyker, Zealot and Ogryn can fill this role to a dregree.
Psyker has the Surge lightning staff -its damage is not great but it makes up for that by stunning mobs and specials in groups of 6 for around 3 seconds, allowing DPS to cut them down.
Zealot has flamer, very similar to above, it has a short actions that staggers groups.
Ogryn has shield which can create an immovable defense for people to hide behind.
All that said. Some kind of medic / mechanicus class would be awesome!
I don’t think there should ever be an actual healer in the game, since health being limited is one of the essential cornerstones of what creates the challenge in the game.
That said, there are definitely support type builds in this game.
A psyker with a surge staff is a stunning machine who can lock down dangerous enemies to make them easier to kill for their friends.
A Veteran with the covering fire perk can restore allies toughness by shooting enemies near them.
A Zealot with the Inspiring Excorigation perk can restore allies toughness by using their ability. They are also really great for clutch revives with their grenade.
An Ogryn with a shield can block tremendous amounts of damage from ever getting to their team and revive people very easily.
There are ways to play support to a small degree.
Above all else you support your team by just being a good team member though. Cover their back, tag enemies, revive people…
The second you introduce a dedicated support role it will become 100% meta and reduce variety by simple virtue of existing
Instead what we have right now is each class having a few options which either benefit themselves or benefit the others, or both
Example, i really like Kintetic Deflection
I finally completed a good “block efficiency” curio set, with a really good force sword
But i barely use it for myself
Instead i use it to res people against all odds because i can tank hits like a mf before i’m getting interrupted, only at the cost of some peril
That’s not to say balance is generally perfect and some feats shouldn’t be adjusted, they definitely do, but i largely prefer everyone having a little bit of support than making this game’s version of the mandatory Mercy main
