903 réponses à ce sujet

[Andaius20]

Conman, those are in a whole different section.

[Cascadus]

I was about to say that. People seriously overexaggerate how many Tali threads there are anyways.

[Scarecrow_ES]

Still... keeping this topic on the front page could be a full time job. I can't personally bump it onto the main page during the day when the site gets the most traffic. But, eh, as long as some people read it and like the ideas, I'm happy. I know the mods keep up on the topic, and I hope that means word is getting to the devs. That's really all I care about... getting a few good ideas to the guys who need them.

[Relix28]

I just finished my adept playthrough and the first problem I noticed about the caster classes is that there is just not enough assignable power buttons on the Xbox controler (the same goes for engineer and sentinel). I constantly had to bring up the power wheel to select pull and dominate (I had warp, throw and singularity assigned), wich was kinda annoying.
And then I thought the right and left stick click buttons are both used for the mission waypoint. That is a waste of control scheme potential imo. Why not make left and right stick click buttons assignable for 2 more of your or your squaddies powers (that would cover the combat classes as well). And instead make the back button press sensitive, so that if you hold it for a sec you have the holster weapon function/map, and if you just press and release it you have your waypoint. Or vice versa, either way would work.

Another annoying thing was the active squad power usage (defensive and ammo). First, let's take Jacob and his constant barrier charge. He uses his barrier so frequently that you just can't rely on his pull, thus making him, well, unreliable. The same goes for Legion and Grunt, although these two are not so shield charge happy as Jacob as far as I can tell.
The scond thing is ammo/squad ammo overriding issues. The first issue happens when you choose squad ammo for the entire team, and then for instance Thane constantly changes his ammo back to shredder rounds.
And the second issue happens when your squaddies' squad ammo power keeps overriding your previous selected ammo, or two sqaud ammo powers keep overriding each other.
All of these ammo & defensive power issues wouldn't be a problem at all, if there was an option to completely turn off squad power usage. You know, like in ME1?

Also, the huge ammo holographs are kinda silly. Why not just make a small part of your gun glow accordingly to your currently selected ammo (red for incendiary, green for shredder, purple for warp, etc...)? It wouldn't look so out of place and it would make the guns more stylish.

Some other minor things that should or could be improved are the obvious toggle helmet option, armor select screen before missions (just like the weapon select screen) and a chance to turn off those pesky Cerberus tutorial/hint messages.

Offcourse there is also room for improvement in other departments, but these issues kinda stood out for me. Other than that, the game is fine. One of the best for me.

I'm prolly stating out the obvious here, because I'm preety sure people @ BioWare are very well aware of the above issues, so I sincerely hope they can fix some of this stuff in the future. Maybe include the fixes/improvements in future DLC/expansion or release a patch addressing some of the issues? /hint, hint
Ah, one can dream right?

Modifié par Relix28, 24 avril 2010 - 01:21 .

[Scarecrow_ES]

I hate poorly implemented control schemes as well. It really irks me when there are unused buttons or control options (or multiple buttons that do the same thing), especially when the actual actions a player must take far exceed the controls they are given. This is definitely an area that can be improved, and I made a minor suggestion regarding that for BioWare if they chose to implement my charge power concept.

[yuncas]

Agreed with relix, especially the unassigned buttons part.

[Scarecrow_ES]

and the requisite bump

[Sledge454]

Alright, here's my 2 cents.

The amount of weapons carried should be reduced.  I just finished a soldier playthrough yesterday.  Assault rifle, sniper rifle, heavy weapon, pistol, and shotgun.  That's just plain nuts.

I propose (working name only) the Adaptable Weapons System.

Each weapon can only output so much energy at a given time to power the mass effect field generator.  Each weapon has three basic properties:  round stability (spread), cyclic rate (rounds/second), and round velocity (damage).  When you are at a weapons locker, you will be able to customize the balance of the three properties using slider bars.  If you prefer an accurate assault rifle, you can reduce either the cyclic rate or the velocity which will provide more energy to increase stability.  If you prefer high accuracy and high cyclic rate, the velocity will have to be greatly reduced.  During the course of the game, you will be able to acquire upgrades to the weapon's power source to unlock the upper tiers of the sliders.

With this system, you will have up to two presets for a weapon.  Using a rifle as an example, you can have an assault rifle preset and a sniper rifle preset.  If you don't have training, you can't use the preset.  Depending on what preset you use, a little holographic icon will be displayed on the weapon when drawn.

Rifle will contain assault rifle and sniper rifle presets.
Pistol will contain pistol and submachine gun presets.

We've now reduced the amount of weapons carried from four to two.  Better.

But what about the shotgun and heavy weapon?  They will be combined as well.  The combination could look like an under-over package (think M-16 w/ grenade launcher) or the heavy weapon could slide over the shotgun's barrel like an oversized rifle handguard.  The shotgun will have a fourth slider for number of pellets per shot which is customizable at a weapons locker.  The heavy weapons will have no customization options.  If you have no training in shotguns, you will only be able to use the heavy weapon.

We've now reduced the amount of weapons carried from six to three.  One is carried over your right shoulder (rifle), one is carried over your left shoulder (shotgun/heavy), and one is carried on your left hip (pistol).  Much better.

To quote a well known free software programmer "You may now flame me.  I am full of love."

Modifié par Sledge454, 25 avril 2010 - 11:41 .

[Icinix]

Sledge454 wrote...
<SNIP>

I propose (working name only) the Adaptable Weapons System.

<SNIP>

Everything you said I like.  You could also merge shotgun, assault rifle and sniper into one, while still being modifiable to a degree, then keep the heavy weapon system as a stand alone item. (Or though I would prefer the option to not take it all, perhaps with a bonus to storm speed and length.)

Be able to train all squad with all weapons, or at least get them to use their assigned weapons in video clips<<This is important for immersion, at least for me personally.

[Sledge454]

Icinix wrote...
Or though I would prefer the option to not take [the heavy weapon at] all, perhaps with a bonus to storm speed and length.

That is a good idea.

Modifié par Sledge454, 25 avril 2010 - 11:28 .

[szomszedsrac]

***If you were confused reading my first post, well sorry, I'm not improved since - however, I opened the dictionary on this one.***

Finally, I finished the game on insanity. I have to say, this is the most enjoyable difficulty. And I'm glad I could use the shotgun this time, but it's still under my expectations. I constantly found myself in situations when I was forced to use any power I can, so I wrote down some ideas about improving the system (and how do I imagine powers should work).

The first one is to separate biotic and tech cooldowns, but it was mentioned a lot before, so I don't waste your (and my) time on this one.

1. VARIOUS POWERS
There is a point of how powers could become more diverse (and further, classes too): my idea is to use the talent points to customize the power's attributes instead of just powering it generally (however, it doesn't have to interfere with the existing tier system). Each tier you buy will make your power stronger, but also give points (according to the tier's price) to customize that power. The points aren't universal - they can only be spent to the power you bought the tier for.

I'll give an example with the Pull power. It has some attributes like:
 - Speed: the time it takes to reach your target, like 3 meter / sec.
 - Area: the ring it affects.
 - Time: how much time it can suspend the target.
 - Force: how much weight can be suspended, like 300 kg ~ 3 soldiers or one heavy mech, etc.
 - Penetration: if you devote enough resources into this attribute, the power can bypass shields and barriers, suspending armored enemies.

So we have 10 points to spend (in addition to the tiers) to customize the power - just to comment here: I took the old tier system for the example, but the system is flexible. We can rely on its speed, or build up the force, or enhance all attributes generally. In the end, the same power could be divided dramatically, and this system could bring another customization factor into the game - if the changes will be noticeable.

That doesn't mean adding more confusion to the existing system: after the player maxed out an ability, the game could offer him some pre-defined versions of the power, but thorough players could customize each time after they buy a tier.

2. OVERHEATING BIOTICS
I see the point the energy meter Scarecrow proposed, but I don't agree with it completely (I just don't like adding new bars/meters into a game without a reason, though I saw the reason behind the idea). In theory, the brain never gets "tired", that means biotics can produce the electricity constantly. However, their caching will overheat eventually, if they're pulling their abilities trough its paces.
 
I think that should cause:
 - Simple damage first (loss of HP)
 - Then, serious damage (irreversible loss of HP points)
 - After that, temporary loss of biotic powers (until they fix their caching on the Normandy's sick bay)
 - In the worst case, permanent loss of biotic powers (until they replace the caching in a hospital - in a hub world, of course)
 
I think this is a believable addition with severe consequences. In addition, it could give some purpose to dr. Chakwas's and dr. Chloe Michel's existence (no offense on creating pointless NPC's though), and another money sink - or customization factor for the inventory (buying new, improved caches and so on).

3. COMBINATED POWERS
This one means that players could arrange the teammate's and their own powers into a new one for boosted effects. I will try to explain how do I imagine this system. We have limited (let's say 3) slots for creating these new powers. Each combined power is considered as one new power. Emphasis on the new: the effects won't be the same if we issue these powers in combat individually. We can arrange the powers on the Normandy, or after squad selection. The game will remember these arrangements with our different squad members, so changing our squad members could result in significant changes in our whole squad's combat purpose - every team setup will offer 3 (or more) unique "powers".

The system can work in two different ways:
 
 1. UNIFYING THE SAME POWERS
 It's easy to describe with an example: if all three squad members possess the Concussion shot power, the united skill could be used against enemies what the original skill can't handle (armored ones). The united skill has a new name (like "Takedown" or anything you want to call it), a new animation or color, and if it's used, the team will fire Concussion shot against the target at the same time, so the blast will be big enough to reduce directly the target's health, bypassing its shields. 
 Another example: three kind of shield reinforcing skill can be unified into a new one, and the result is a short time of invulnerability for the party, along with the reinforced shields.
 If a scientific explanation is needed about what is the difference between these type skills and individually issued ones, I can only reason with Shepard's commanding skills - or, if you maxed out your Paragon/Renegade score, or your class-specific skill tree (like Spectre training in ME1), this feature will unlock.
 
 2. MIXING DIFFERENT SKILLS
 This is more difficult, since some skills aren't "compatible" with the others, but a devoted team could figure out something exciting (and we're here for discussion, too).
 Mixing cause the skills to have abilities what usually they don't have. Here is one example: putting the Shockwave, the Energy drain and the Incinerate skills together will result in a Shockwave what carries the other two skills with it. Every time it hits an enemy, they will get the other two skill's attack, in other words, the Energy drain and the Incinerate become "portable" with this mixing, the final result is ideal to wipe out enemies if the team is outnumbered (like husks).
 
Of course, the use of these skills sould be highly restricted, otherwise it will ruin the balance of the game, but if it's implanted and developed correctly, that could make a good addition (and a good way out of impossible situations) to the game.

I suggest to use some kind of ammo for these skills - or simply use the existing power cells, since these skills require a big amount of energy, also forcing the player to choose between combined skills and heavy weapons -, so they couldn't be used infinitely, and add a long global cooldown to them after use (to prevent using all combined skills at the same time, even if there's enough "ammo" for it).
 
---
I think these additions aren't interfering with the existing systems, and with Scarecrow's first post. 
Thanks for reading, I hope this topic will achieve something.
(I just found out playing this game weakens my chance of succes on graduation, except the subject of English.)

Modifié par szomszedsrac, 30 avril 2010 - 03:25 .

[RT0wn]

Speaking about mixing different skills, would be cool if Concussive Shot took on the properties of the Ammo power you were using. Would be nice if you could use CS as a lesser Cryo Blast or Incinerate.

[Scarecrow_ES]

Sledge... no. I do understand how some individuals might not want to see all those weapons on the back of a soldier, but this is really the only class that has access to that many weapons, and thus is the only class with this issue. Further, the technology of the weapons in question will not allow for the sorts of combinations you're interested in. It wouldn't be possible in real-world weaponry, and it wouldn't be possible in the realm of plausible fiction. The various components in the different weapons you describe simply aren't compatible. It goes well beyond dialing in the output on a few sliders. You've got to correlate that with actual components in the weapons, and you just can't.



The combination of heavy weapons and shotguns is especially ludicrous, given that the two categories of weapons are nothing alike. Hell, heavy weapons have absolutely nothing in common in terms of technology with others in the same category, let alone with shotguns. To even think about combining them is futile. And for what? So you don't have to look at a bunch of different weapon on the back of your Soldier? It's not to say the idea isn't interesting in and of itself, but it doesn't fit within the established universe, lore, and gameplay of Mass Effect.

[Scarecrow_ES]

Szomszedsrac ...

Some of the stuff you wrote is largely similar to stuff I've already proposed, so in that way we're of like mind.  I couple of pages back I re-proposed (I'm sure I discussed it a long time ago, but I'm not weeding through 24 pages of posts to make sure ) a system for breaking up attribute points for powers in a way that allows you to customize the power the way you want it to work.  Does basically what you're looking for, but no tiers, just straight points.

You combined powers sounds a lot like my squad combined powers system, so you've got no arguement from me there.

As far as my biotic/tech power system, there doesn't necessarily have to be an on-screen "meter" to show the power timer.  In fact, ME2 manages to display the cooldown timer on-screen without having a seperate "meter" to do it, and I see no reason why a similar multi-tiered system couldn't be used under my system.  Since powers are basically divided into light and heavy (heavy draining your full energy, and light draining 1/2 or 1/3 depending on balancing), then really you just need a way to represent the 2-3 basic energy tiers (ME2 only has one such tier).  There doesn't have to be any more clutter than what ME2 already shows.

[Sledge454]

Scarecrow_ES wrote...

Sledge... no. I do understand how some individuals might not want to see all those weapons on the back of a soldier, but this is really the only class that has access to that many weapons, and thus is the only class with this issue. Further, the technology of the weapons in question will not allow for the sorts of combinations you're interested in. It wouldn't be possible in real-world weaponry, and it wouldn't be possible in the realm of plausible fiction. The various components in the different weapons you describe simply aren't compatible. It goes well beyond dialing in the output on a few sliders. You've got to correlate that with actual components in the weapons, and you just can't.

Mass effect weapons fire little shards of metal shaved off a block which aren't shaped to fit the barrel.  Other than the differences in energy used per bullet, I see no reason why this wouldn't work.

It's "doable" with today's weapons.  It's a matter of how many grains are in the bullet and if the receiver can do rapid fire.  Or you could have a receiver that could take more than one type of round (many weapons chambered for .357 can also use .38 rounds).  Of course, you can't change the number of grains in a bullet on the fly but you can switch magazines.  However, since the propulsion is external in the ME universe, it becomes easier.

Scarecrow_ES wrote...
The combination of heavy weapons and shotguns is especially ludicrous, given that the two categories of weapons are nothing alike. Hell, heavy weapons have absolutely nothing in common in terms of technology with others in the same category, let alone with shotguns. To even think about combining them is futile. And for what? So you don't have to look at a bunch of different weapon on the back of your Soldier? It's not to say the idea isn't interesting in and of itself, but it doesn't fit within the established universe, lore, and gameplay of Mass Effect.

Considering the shotgun used to have the very cool ME1 carnage power (which krogan NPCs still use in ME2), I'd say they can at least serve as the frame for a heavy weapon which was exactly my point had you read it.

You beat me over the head with this word "plausible".  What soldier can simultaneously carry a rocket launcher, assault rifle, sniper rifle, pistol, submachinegun, all their ammo, and effortlessly switch between them while wearing plate armor in combat?  How is that plausible?  Good luck plausible-izing that

Modifié par Sledge454, 26 avril 2010 - 02:56 .

[Scarecrow_ES]

You're ignoring all the mechanicals associated with making the individual weapons do what they do. You're making the statement that inside those different looking shells, the weapons are all the same, with different tweaked settings. This is not at all the case. Each weapon has unique components to allow them to be better at doing what it is they're asked to do. This is the same in real-world analogs. You cannot use a rifle with a carbine-length barrel and small-caliber bullet to perform a sniper function. Even if the basic action of a rifle or other weapon can be used for multiple applications, the weapon's components still need to be tailored to that application. Therefore, the change from an automatic carbine to sniper rifle, or pistol to submachine gun, involves much more than a simple tweak.



And given the extremely complex nature of most of the heavy weapons in the game, most of which use operating principles vastly different than standard weapons, it is a strict impossibility to base the overwhelming majority of these weapons off a shotgun platform. Carnage, as a power, is more akin to firing a sold slug or sabot from a shotgun (as opposed to multiple pieces of shot) than it is to any sort of special ability of the gun.



And as far as plausibility goes... if modern weapons weighed a mere few pounds, could fold up to occupy a space a fraction of the size of the working weapon, and could be stored on a dedicated rack system as a part of a environmental armor hardsuit without impeding the wearer (as is the case in the ME universe) soldiers would very likely carry the full compliment of weapons you see in ME2. As it stands, modern soldiers WILL carry a main firearm which can weigh in excess of 25lbs (for LMGs) loaded, a sidearm (pistol), anti-armor rockets (or similar), grenades, launchable grenades (for some loadouts), REAL ammo (in excess of 600 rounds for SAW gunners), not to mention all their kit to include meals, entrenching tool, medical supplies, communications equipment, etc etc. All told, we're talking about 80lbs of equipment carried on the soldiers' persons, not including the weight of weapons or body armor.



So yeah, if a modern soldier will go into battle like that, I think Mr. Future Space Marine can carry his paultry few pounds of weight.

[Conman013]

Andaius20 wrote...

Conman, those are in a whole different section.

Cascadus wrote...

I was about to say that. People seriously
overexaggerate how many Tali threads there are anyways.

Had only meant that as a joke fellas. I've got nothing wrong with Tali.  Granted, that was probably not the best area for that kind of joke... As a matter of fact, I've seen only 1 thread that was really focused on Tali.

Scarecrow_ES wrote...

Still... keeping this topic on the front page could be a full time job.
I can't personally bump it onto the main page during the day when the
site gets the most traffic. But, eh, as long as some people read it and
like the ideas, I'm happy. I know the mods keep up on the topic, and I
hope that means word is getting to the devs. That's really all I care
about... getting a few good ideas to the guys who need them.

That's really cool that the mods are keeping up with your thread. I seriously hope that does mean the devs are getting some info relayed to them about possible changes.

Modifié par Conman013, 26 avril 2010 - 04:53 .

[hangmans tree]

My major problem with combat (apart from other things) is that AI never miss. Only chance you get is cover. Its not the way its supposed to be. What, the enemies are omnipotent now? Its like their skill is defined by the time you spend sticking to cover, when you're in a line of sight without cover you are hit. That is just dumb.

[Scarecrow_ES]

I know that a few of the mods stop in from time to time. I've been told they like the kind of discussion here, for what that's worth.

[Sledge454]

Scarecrow_ES wrote...

You're ignoring all the mechanicals associated with making the individual weapons do what they do. You're making the statement that inside those different looking shells, the weapons are all the same, with different tweaked settings. This is not at all the case. Each weapon has unique components to allow them to be better at doing what it is they're asked to do. This is the same in real-world analogs. You cannot use a rifle with a carbine-length barrel and small-caliber bullet to perform a sniper function. Even if the basic action of a rifle or other weapon can be used for multiple applications, the weapon's components still need to be tailored to that application. Therefore, the change from an automatic carbine to sniper rifle, or pistol to submachine gun, involves much more than a simple tweak.

I seriously doubt there would be that much difference in the electronics (I don't think ME weapons have much mechanical action anymore when fired).  If barrel length is a problem, we already have collapsible barrels (sniper rifle) so that can be dealt with.

Scarecrow_ES wrote...
And given the extremely complex nature of most of the heavy weapons in the game, most of which use operating principles vastly different than standard weapons, it is a strict impossibility to base the overwhelming majority of these weapons off a shotgun platform. Carnage, as a power, is more akin to firing a sold slug or sabot from a shotgun (as opposed to multiple pieces of shot) than it is to any sort of special ability of the gun.

Again, you didn't read what I had said (for the second time) so I'm just going to go past this one.

Scarecrow_ES wrote...
And as far as plausibility goes... if modern weapons weighed a mere few pounds

That is one awfully humungous [sic] "if".   Not to mention that even folded they are still large and bulky.

BTW on the topic of plausibility, ever notice that Shep goes for his pistol and SMG from the left hip, yet there's only one item strapped to the belt?  Seems plausibility has already gone out the window.  Maybe Cerberus has portable hole technology?

[yuncas]

hangmans tree wrote...

My major problem with combat (apart from other things) is that AI never miss. Only chance you get is cover. Its not the way its supposed to be. What, the enemies are omnipotent now? Its like their skill is defined by the time you spend sticking to cover, when you're in a line of sight without cover you are hit. That is just dumb.

Yeah. Pretty crappy in my opinion. If you're in there awareness zone and out of cover you're getting plastered no matter what.

[Scarecrow_ES]

I did read what you wrote, Sledge, and I think I understand the whole "taping a shotgun to the side of a heavy weapon" concept well enough. Any way you slice it, it doesn't make the idea any better.



And of course, as far as the difference in components from one weapon to the next, I think there is, clearly, a massive difference given the fact that every weapon appears different. If the same result could be achieved from every weapon (ie the internals were exactly the same) with minor tweaking of settings, then every weapon would be pistol sized. There'd be no mechanical need to be any larger. Now, taking into account the different functions of the weapons and the real world issues those weapons face, it's clear why the weapons look different.



Even if the barrel of the weapon doesn't physically guide the round, as it would in a normal modern weapon, because the actual particles are of varying sizes and whatnot, there still must be some means of stabilizing a projectile's path prior to it leaving the weapon to ensure long range accuracy. Sniper rifles would need that stabilization more than any other weapon, hence the longer, heavier barrel in both real life and in ME... maybe in the ME universe they use some form of magnetic stabilization? Who knows.



Automatic weapons have their own sets of problems, so do boomsticks, pistols, and SMGs. You could create a one-size-fits-all package to solve most of these various problems (though not for shotguns) but you'd end up with something fairly massive and unwieldy. The reality is, it's just not possible given the scope of the universe we're looking at.



I actually marvel at the fact that soldiers don't go into battle with MORE weapons at their disposal in the ME universe. Given their hardsuits with integrated power production, nano-fiber muscle enhancements, load carrying abilities, etc etc, I don't see why these guys are going around with your basic small infantry weaponry. If I had access to hardsuit systems like those in the ME universe, you can bet that thing would be rigged War Machine style. I'd be walking death.



I mean, the US military is already working on powered exo suits for combat troops, and all the tech we need to make that work practically is standard issue in ME. Not to mention the equivelant of repulsor beams and man-portable miniguns and all that jazz. Someone needs to have a little chat with the Alliance bigwigs and get right on that.

[Dualfinger]

Although to be fair, Sledges idea of altering the fire output of your weapons sounds like quite a fine idea.



Just my opinion.

[Sledge454]

Scarecrow_ES wrote...

I did read what you wrote, Sledge, and I think I understand the whole "taping a shotgun to the side of a heavy weapon" concept well enough. Any way you slice it, it doesn't make the idea any better.

I'm sure whoever came up with the idea to sling an M203 under the barrel of an M16 has his or her face in his or her palm right now.

But you'll probably say it's not the same thing.

Scarecrow_ES wrote...
And of course, as far as the difference in components from one weapon to the next, I think there is, clearly, a massive difference given the fact that every weapon appears different.

Looking at the ME wiki, the M-4 SMG is pretty close in size and shape to an M-3 HP.

Ever hear the phrase "badge engineering"?  The auto industry is replete with examples of differing sheetmetal with the exact same underpinnings.  Detroit was infamous for this for decades.  VW seems to like the idea now as you can get pretty much the same car with a VW, Skoda, or SEAT label.  Same chassis, same range of engines, slightly different options list.  I can also point to variants of the AK-47 (China, Bulgaria, etc all made their own knockoffs) which all have the same basic receiver but look different.   Hell, go look at an aftermarket catalog for the Ruger 10/22.  With enough cash I can make the thing look like it was built by aliens yet it still fires the good ol' 22LR.

As for carrying more weapons than the Doom marine, go look at the Army's now canceled Land Warrior program.  One of the reasons why it was canceled was it weighed too much.  There's only so much stuff you can haul around before it gets in your way in a critical situation or tires you out.

Still waiting on the pistol/SMG/portable hole plausibility study.

Modifié par Sledge454, 27 avril 2010 - 08:46 .

[Scarecrow_ES]

The M203 is not a complete weapon. It's a tube with a trigger. That's really not what you're talking about. Some of these heavy weapons are massive in their own right, and we can assume that in the sci-fi future, needless size and weight is not tolerated any more than it is in the present. So honestly, unless you plan to tape a shotgun to the side of whatever heavy weapon you're carrying around a la Ripley in Aliens, this just isn't going to work.



The M-4 is a machine pistol. Just a pistol with the sear catch removed, basically. Beretta does the same thing with the 92FS (M9) pistol and the 93R machine pistol. It's not really a SMG, but like an SMG it fires pistol rounds in automatic... same as the M-4 in the game.



What you're talking about, though... with your "badge engineering" is the same machine with the exact same function with a different coat of paint. Your Vauxhall Astra and your Saturn Astra are fundementally the same car... exact same operation, 99% same parts. The same will be said of any AK-47 built in any country. You pick one up in China, and you can replace the functional parts with ones build in Romania, because no matter how you slice it, it's still an AK-47. Sure, the Egyptians might throw a thumbhole type wooden stock on there, the Iragis might prefer a stamped folding metal stock, and the Chinese prefer a bone-shaped fore-end, but all the working parts are the same.



What you're talking about is turning a AK-47 into a Dragunov SVD. Yeah, they operate on some of the same basic principles, and hell, a large number of the parts are the same. But The Dragunov has a much longer barrel, a different type of cartridge, and even a gas operating system. In a more extreme example, you're talking about turning an AR-15 pattern rifle into a Remington 700 pattern rifle. In that case, they don't even have the same operating principle. Now, I know we're talking mysterious future tech here, but I assure you that the example holds true.



As far as Land Warrior goes, I think "cancelled" is a bit strong. Further development is largely suspended, but testing on existing production equipment continues with units actively involved in combat operations. Given the significant stride the program has made since the Future Force Warrior concept days, weight is far less an issue now that it has been. Besides, there are literally dozens of programs currently running to find ways to reduce the weight of combat equipment. In 2008 someone up in the chain finally came to the realization that Land Warrior isn't the only thing you can reduce weight on, so virtually every piece of armor or kit is being looked at... even the weapons. Realistically, the Land Warrior individual package does not weight all that much, especially considering all the equipment it replaces. You're really only adding a few pounds net.



As far as the grab animation for the pistol/smg... I never noticed... I'll have to look. Might only apply to certain classes.