TL:DR
Small blutracking device (integrated compass) with friendly indicators and moving map to enhance situational awareness and tactical teamplay - displayed all the time (no switching necessary), probably for some supply points.
What does it?
Blutrackers show friendly units in your vicinity on a small map, similar to gps, but with friendly indicators on it.
Depending on settings you can zoom in and out of your map, to better see bundled up groups or spread teammates further away.
How would it look like ingame?
Standard view (overview)
Zoomed view (tactical)
Why wouldn't you use the standard map?
The problem with the standard map / tactical map is, you don't see it all the time, you have to click first. This isn't the best option within firefights and it's certainly not very clever to get out of your situational awareness (SA) to get more SA Furthermore the game map doesn't have a way to zoom in, so it's quite useless for coop-formations and your close SA.
So what advantages would a BT bring into the game?
- very good SA
- you can use formations (stick together, covering each other)
- you could divide in 2 teams, 4 players each, and you always know what's going on
- it simulates the sensual awareness you won't have in computergames (peripheral view, sounds, instincts etc.)
- you don't have to switch
- it could combine compass with map in one view
Mechanic
- a small device as shown in the pictures above
- key bindings for: 1) on/off, 2) zoom / standard
- shows the standard map of the game
- standard: your location at the center, map moving, bearing north
- zoomed: same as standard, but map is zoomed in 10 x
- teamindicators in blue (could disappear if player dies)
- small compass integrated at the top
- bearing (big number)
optional (later):
- center map / move with arrow keys
- bearing north / view-direction
- icons for roles
- tactical ping (same as in compass, enemy contact)
Balancing
This idea is mainly for coop, where balancing isn't that important.
But if you have to, this device could cost supply points.
Give examples of better gameplay!
- moving in two teams aka fireteams (where is the other team)
- moving in buddy-teams of two
- attack / breaching buildings from two sides
- defending (sectors to cover)
- throwing explosives (buddy somewhere in danger?)
- technical friendly or not?
- approach covered or not?
- is a mate on the objective already?
- has the group moved already?
- is the shadow at your 9 'o clock friendly?
- where the heck am I?
Sure, you can communicate a lot of those things, but if you have been in a firefight in ISS before or on discord with 7 friends, you know, it's not working. To much noise, to many mates shouting over each other, pure chaos. And so you could concentrate to your 12, always ready for contact. It's a little bit sophisticated and Sandstorm is displaying syrian fighters with relatively old equipment, but perhaps the advisor was so nice to get some shiny new stuff for his friends, I don't know, it would fit in well imo.
Idea?
Not mine. We used similar stuff in ArmA (DAGR, ShackTactical etc.) and it's certainly known from other games I don't remember now. In all those games it enhances SA and improves realistical gameplay aka moving together in formations. Formations are not that important for ISS, but it improves tactical gameplay if playing with more than one team (e.g. 2 x 4) and it simulates this "knowing" of the whereabouts generated by peripheral view, little noises (clothes, small metal thingies etc.) and this 6th sense we all still have if predators are around.
So what do you guys/gals think?