Let's talk about the future of the Rider class

Mess Room
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Let’s first talk about what it is outside of premiums.
It is:

  • A class that can either equip either rifles or submachineguns;
  • that is exclusive to Tunisia;
  • is exclusive to the Rider squad (Only 2-man bikes are presently available);
  • is consequently limited to 2 Riders at a time;
  • do not confer any special effects or bonuses, apart from the relatively useless 7% repair speed perk;
  • and the squad (likely) costs the same as other infantry squads relative to ticket count.

You have an MG platform that’s fast and can dismount to provide a modicum of infantry support.

But therein lies the problem.

You have 2 soldiers in a rider squad. That’s… It.

The average squad has 7 soldiers, with a variety of 3-5 classes populating them. The way MG squads are set up, they are essentially trying to fill a niche role other classes already fulfill. Even worse, it is entirely possible to run a “Rider squad” with no riders. The game even encourages you replace them with an engineer, with the 2nd slot usually occupied by an AT gunner, so the class itself is completely unnecessary for anything other than be stand-in riflemen that are exclusive to its squad, which be stressed, only has 2 slots for soldiers.

What little niche it has in the present, is basically a way to bumrush an objective with a small 2-man squad, or attempt to flank with it.

Guess what new squad is featured in the ongoing Tunisia Paratrooper event, and what that means for the campaign, and this particular class as a whole.

Oh no.

So. Let’s open up with a discussion. How would one “fix” the Rider class?

One of the suggestions I’ve read is “Well, just make it a motorized squad” featuring trucks and/or halftracks. The caveat being that such a squad would drastically change how squad rosters are filled.

Remember, the rider class has access to both SMGs and rifles, this means that, if you bump up the squad size and fill in the ranks with regular riders, you would end up with a similar or higher number of pseudo assaulters populating a squad, creating another balancing issue.

Another is simply giving Riders an engineering toolkit with engineer squad buildables, but that doesn’t address their manpower problem due to being limited on bikes.

Naturally, we could just… Pretend the class never existed. I know a lot of people would and do, but that would be a waste of a perfect opportunity to address these concerns regarding role redundancy and usefulness. I’m personally in favor of its removal along with medics due to their similar issues.

I’d like to ask, what now?

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I would just created motorized squad and its vehicle would work as rally point. Active only when the vehicle is still and not moving. Even close to objectives (but not inside them) , high risk/high reward + make objectives similar sized to pacific ones (all of this would make those vehicles very relevant targets for AT gunnery, tanks and so)
Plus it would be very important to defend such vehicles.

And completely get rid of classic rally points or at least nerf them. Since currently it’s all the same - team which is brainlesslt spamming rally points close to objective win in 90% cases. Very boring.

5 Likes
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so… you’re afraid of upgrading them.

but not afraid to remove them.

zee irony.

outside, as discussed in another thread, rider could benefit from having the deweaponized 3 seat bike if players wants one more soldier reducing the firepower of the machinegun

( which, i mean… you will most likely use the coenders on that thing or high mag submachineguns anyway )

but i would like to point out that riders are useful how they are.
and of course, they could use some upgrades.

heck, even rework.

and that would be through motorized infantry.
that way, you can use them based on your need.

and rather than just having those as rally points ( which… i’m fine with it, but not very original in my opinion )

could always use infantry needs such as a forward ammunition box / medkit.

sure, we could argue that would be faster to place that said box / crate.
but the neat feature of having those vehicles would be that you can use it’s infinite uses or reposition the vehicle if needed.

for more, i highly invite everyone to re-read the rider rework:

which, it’s not an impossible task. and revisist the roaster surely would help:

p.s. rider isn’t necessarely about having the best squad out there.
but it’s hella fun to use.

you can be i’ll be using that in my active line up despite the tier / effiency.

because it’s perfect for attack and flee tactic.
of course, could benefit from halftrack and " logistic " vehicle.

heck, even use it like H&G with portable panzerfausts.

just one of many ideas.

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Are you willing to pernamently take this squad if you are f2p and limited to 3 inf + veh slots?

(My private way to check what is useful and what is useles.)

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Riders in their current form are shit. The Premiums lack creativity and free ones lack third crew members and most of the time people get sniped out before they can do anything.
A class with potential but lacks any oversight by the devs.

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personally, i would.

but, as i have bought slots, it’s not really an issue for me.

which, actually, you just gave me more reasons to suggest a proper halftrack / motorized squad without needing a new class or making their way with more stuff to grind.

when you can simply rework the riders.

wait… i did.

( p.s. gray camping with that is allowed due to anyone can snipe the driver / gunner. but it’s perfect to sit on the flanks and wait for the attackers / defenders. it’s actually one of the most fun classes. )

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Meta-driven Devs didnt put them anywhere outside Tunisia. This alone says something about their public “image”.

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So you took extra slots into account?

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Sorry ma’am, but devs need to do, not you, me or anyone else.

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believe it or not.

since tunisia was introduced, i wanted at all cost get the bikes. but i gave up because i couldn’t be bothered grinding them when first were introduced as it was an allied steamroll.

without premium and without slots, i instead opted to go in normandy. where i had my other favorite vehicles ( such as the m4a1 & puma )

while having good weapons relatively low level unlike tunisia.

which only recently i got the premium and slots. ( and only recently i went through tunisia just for the bikes )

when i put something on mind, i rarely sway from it.

and even now that i got them, i actually love them and wouldn’t replace them for anything.

once the merge will drop, mark my word, i will be using bikes.

people thinking i’m joking, but i’m not.

super useful for rallies or harass infantry.

if… only weren’t replaced by paras. but that’s another discussion for another time.

i mean, it is speculation but…

image

:eyes:

hot take speaking from my own ass,

but the averange :monkey: in enlisted is not able to even properly place a rally point, no wonder they can’t use a bike.

doesn’t take too long to offer fire support, reposition your self when making kills, or flank to place a rally.

also, sure, they are weak. but they are not supposed to be used as tanks or throwaway bricks to the enemy going full speed.

2 Likes
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I still dont think this means more bikes or a required overhaul.

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Yeah, most likely just another bizarre thing similar to weaponized fuel tanks. Available only through events or cash.

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well. yes it does.

if you want to use a powerful mobile rally point you have to go through bike.

as… i’d argue would be a game change the halftrack.

without creating a new class, or what else, just rework the rider.

E Z.

beside, just because something doesn’t suit majority of the meta-dogs-hounds, doesn’t mean shouldn’t be added.

i’d argue, bikes might not be for everyone, but sure are fun.

and that’s what matters the most in a game.

at least for me.

dunno about you what rate as fun.

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Well. Adding a Rider II and a APC isnt really a overhaul if you ask me and devs are known for forgetting stuff.

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actually.

i’d be fine with that.

because one problem of my suggestion, is that you wouldn’t be able to use bikes and halftracks at the same time.

vroom vrrom zee motorized regiment is coming for that point.

not to mention, useful for mods.

( especially my pves ).

so… yea… bias. but a justfiable one :wink: i promised.

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There is no irony. It’s merely nipping a balancing problem in the bud.

Fixes to imbalance shouldn’t create more imbalance.

It’s… Almost as if their introduction as an entirely new class and squad hasn’t been completely been given any real thought to.

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I want a bit more though.

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i don’t see how theoretically 5 automatic weapons in a truck / halftrcuk would become a problem when you have 9 men fgs / avts.

and the whole kit & kaboozle.

just like medics, the rider class it’s somewhat fine.
you just don’t like or know how to use them.

proves that you can’t use a bike…

nice.

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you want type II & III rider class?

careful what you fish for hun…

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That’s another can of worms, thank you for bringing it up.

And proves you can’t read that the topic pertains to the class as a whole, and not just the squad.

I’d rather not throw my team’s tickets away on an undermanned, underequipped and similar-costing squad because I like bikes. Preference isn’t a discussion point when it comes to balancing.

“I can kill even a heavy tank with a light tank” and similar arguments don’t hold any water in the same vein that doing well in a bad squad doesn’t make it any less worse. More than anything, it’s only good for bragging rights because “Haha, I did something with a handicap” doesn’t represent the issue as a whole.

2 Likes