Blocks and Their Uses

Many people dont agree with the Engineer block or how its used. So I decided to start a discussion of the usefulness of the block.

The Engineer class is a fairly weak class when it comes to direct combat. None of the Engineer specific skills are directed towards benefit of the Engineer himself, save for Shield Regeneration, but are directed towards maintaining structures that take and deal damage for them. Nothing does this better than the block. It has no health, low recharge, and in-destructable except by players and Titans making the block the only of the Engineers creations capable of keeping the Engineer alive indefinitely. Vehicles keep the player safe for a while with armor to cover their health, Turrets do the same with added fire power and less mobility, Sentinels protect the Engineer, not by further shielding their armor, but by killing things before they get to do much damage. The block is the ultimate, yet simplest defensive tool at the Engineers disposal.

Blocks are great to use at choke points to block fire and hold monsters in place while you shoot them. Many people think this creates stress in high traffic areas since it is easier to walk through a doorway than to jump over a block or throw a trans over it. Blocks are a tool to be used to protect Engineers and anyone who wants a safe haven, not a nuisance to the random walking person.

aye. the way blocks are now, we only get one. it HAS to be placed carefully, and in a place where it can achieve maximum usefullness. to do that, often they must be placed in doorways.
either give us more blocks ( and therefore more places to fortify ), or change the way blocks work. threatening the people who use em aint the way to go about this.

my idea for blocks is to make them permiable for players. players would be able to walk through em, monsters wouldnt. blocks would never block poeple anymore, yet would still retain their functionality.

prob if u do that uy get too much fo the upper hand ......and also i have npo quams wiht blocks now...cept when ppl block a door in such a manner u have to trans throu the door ...i think it shuld be done in such a way as to allow players to sitllg et throu b by either jumping..or coruching..and not that only trnas can make it in...similar is the space around sents...

also blocks are destoryabel..it jsut takes a heck of alot to destroy them...

.blocks can eb allow used as shield to duck behind when shootout out of a base..or to increase sent durablity...or even range....so yeah...

I don't have a problem with blocks, turrents, and sentinels (B/T/S) per se. However, when a B/T/S is placed where escape routes are normally used, or blocking areas that are safe havens for healing and/or recovery, then I have a problem.

If I have to use a transport disc to get into or out of an area when I'm low on health or ammo, then the time it takes, even with speed switcher, could mean I died needlessly. If I cannot vault or jump over the B/T/S, but have to use the transport disc or crouch, then I have been blocked from the area where I intended to go, usually in a hurry. There lies my problem with the placement of B/T/S.

I do understand that we are still trying to find the happy medium and balance and that also we are still in beta testing of the engineer class, but I'm finding that some players using the engineer class are not quite understanding the needs of the WM, AM, or even the MM players when making their placements of the engineer tools.

I sometimes wonder if this lack of understanding comes from a new player on the server going straight to the engineer class without ever having played as a WM or AM on the DC server. I have noticed that those engineer class players who have other profiles in either or both of the warrior classes do not seem to have the same issues with their placements of the B/T/S and, in most cases, actually benefit all players on the map with the way they set up their designs.

I think we all still have things to learn about placement etc.

As an aside, I was playing as an engineer yesterday, and I couldn't escape fast enough from an open area into a room. It took me four trans shots to get in. But it was a player standing in the doorway blocking it, not a block.

I admit I am not entirely happy with blocks. I am not sure why Dru has it configured at the moment just to allow one block per engineer. More blocks would mean they could build their own structures, and not have to rely on having other walls there which they can build against - which is why the blocks end up in doors - it is a knock on effect of only having one block.

Changed in cvs so now get more blocks as you increase in levels by default - not just if configured in rpg.ini file. So, may be better after next build.

even if we had limitless blocks it would still take a bit of time to build a whole structure...

personally if i see a block blocking a door way where i nor other players cant jump over it i will telefrag it..esspecially if its a an area i know worked as a great spot even b4 the engineeer class, as a MM and engineeer i amke sure i tat when i spawn a sent, block, turrent..that its not in a way that makes it manitory to trans in..cus well..MM's like to leave a trans somewhere..go out ..shoot stuff..heall ppl...trans back...and if tehy keep having to tele in and out well....when they get cornered..theres no refuge left for them..:/....so yeah..

I'm still having problems with engineers placing blocks in doorways/entryways. Yes, I know the general feeling that if you can jump high enough to clear the blocks, engineers feel that their placement is ok. Again, my problem is if I have to take the time to double jump or use the translocator to clear those blocks, it might be too late to get clear of any pursuit.

Am I over-reacting and just need to adjust my playing style or what? I'm going to quit removing blocks that are in my way for the time being, but we, the DC community, need to come to a consensus regarding the usage of blocks in doors/pathways.

Well there are door ways which are acceptable to block some that arnt..on that sint is on in Billy barn one in the silo
it is extremely hard to get in and out without a trans if at all
Personally I think if you can double jump..<i>EASILY </i> that its fine

Also i find blocks in rlly stupid place is badd too..like hole in the ceiling spot or high up narrow spot is not place for a Block

As an engineer I dont find I use block much in maps unless i know a player can get over it..and same with sents..such as urban Rev i wuldnt block that door or place sent directly in front of it...if anything pu its so i could be side stepped

But yeah i Find the better engineers tend to think before they block..thou the one who dont block well may still score well..
but yeah..

The other day I was on UrbanBay, and my thought was spawn a sentinel just outside the door - close enough to link to from inside to be able to heal it, but still leaving room for others to get in/out and shoot past. Unfortunately, I mis-judged it, and it ended up partially blocking the door.

At this time I had two options. Immediately destroy it to leave the door fully open - and not have a sentinel for the next 90 seconds. Or leave it as it is. As it happened a titan took it out 5 seconds later while I was still pondering.

However, I wonder if sometimes items like sentinels are being left in non-ideal places just because of the spawn timer. I wonder if it would help us to have a "Delete last summoned item" artifact, which would get rid of the last thing you summoned and reset the timer. This might allow people to have multiple attempts to place things correctly.

Blocks are very difficult to place accurately, so this retry mechanism may help in some cases. However, I have no doubt that lots of doors being obstructed by blocks were done deliberately.

One extra thought to throw in the pot, to put a different slant on discussions.

Engineers tend to put blocks outside dead end doors - so they close off the door to a room. Now, apart from titan waves, dead end rooms are not a good place to run into when you are short of health and being chased by monsters. However, because Engineers block them off, they start to become safe havens and lots of people congregate there, including medics. So, the reason for wanting to get in the room is precisely that it is blocked. In that case, you can't complain about a block being in the doorway.

However, I have seen Engineers blocking both ends of a corridor. Here the same thoughts do not apply. This is obstructing a right of way that could be used to escape.

So perhaps we have a general "policy" of only blocking dead end rooms, not corridors?

However, such a "policy" could not be a rule of the server without the admins ruling so. It would be a courtesy only.
I am also not sure where telefragging blocks fits in. This is akin to shield gunning other people's pets into lava. Is this acceptable? Again, one for the admins.

Ive shield gunned pet..hey..ive done that to my won pets if they are in my way( i heal them after..)...but not into lava..(they jump in there themselves...)
But hwoever...Blocks Do Not however compared to block, Give and engineer XP, Increase their score but rather only can function defensivle.y.(unless you crush monsters with them..rather hard and ...pointless...) so I see pushing pet into lava as team killing cus the monster is jut like an AI player...no matter how much they annoy me to no end...Its team killing technically..but if a pet/player is blocking a door way ..medic /engineer w/e..i push them outtta the way..(usually only players get int eh way if they arnt at comp...in which case i push them in a corner..)

So yeah

Oh also some emphasise could be made on that engineer ALSO have small blocks..cus many areas where the norm blocks are prob ...wouldnt be a prob if they used small blocks..sure they are smaller..but so is the doorway..