Before everyone immediately gets in an uproar about this suggestion based off the title, let me say that this serves as BOTH a BUFF and a NERF.
CURRENTLY, the paratrooper box seems a bit overpowered as it allows the paratroopers to become the most versatile squad in the game, on top of being able to drop in pretty much anywhere.
Not only does it let you select an extra set of equipment, but that equipment is currently more ammunition than what even the standard variants of that squad would be able to carry, additionally giving extra grenades and mines, completely bypassing the fact they aren’t able to get other backpacks (due to parachutes).
SUGGESTION:
In the lobby squad screen that allows you to change the equipment on your soldiers, there needs to be equipment slots for the crate itself.
The equipment for each of these slots needs to be OWNED by the player to be allocated into the slots.
The slot types will remain the same as they are now.
Essentially rather than just HAVING the equipment, you use what is in your arsenal to customize the equipment box.
Using AT option as an example: Rather than getting m1 bazookas by default, you could instead purchase and slot in PIATs or M9 Bazookas if you have them unlocked and available.
As a NERF, this means players will still need to purchase and upgrade (in the case of primary weapons), to be able to make use of those equipment slots.
Which when the merge comes in, will require players to diversify rather than get these items in a free workaround.
As a BUFF, this means players can get access to higher grade equipment in those slots than what there originally was, as well as add a bit more personalization to the kits.
NOTE: I still do not believe the construction hammer should be allowed on ANY Paratrooper slot.
Giving them the suggested change should more than compensate for its removal.
Considering its an American weapon, and by default the American squads already have 100 round mag weapons, I don’t see how this is any different than what they already have.
Even as so, Post-merge, that just means they will be in high tier.
Also if they just allowed customization, people would just take the lowest BR stuff they could find and drop into games full of beginners who haven’t unlocked much.
Upon double checking, the Normandy Para squads don’t have an option for MGs btw, so you actually wouldn’t encounter the M1919A6.
Again, they would still be limited to SNIPERS, MORTARS, ASSAULT WEAPONS, AND AT WEAPONS.
The difference being that they could equip them with what equipment they ordinarily have access too, rather than mid tier and extra ammunition.
I don’t have the Pacific Para squads (I assumed they had the same options as the Normandy ones.)
Even so, what equipment do they have?
Would they not benefit from the suggestion?
The Pacific Paratroopers (American) have the M1918, and the Japanese have the type 11.
For the snipers the Americans have the M1C, and the Japanese have the type 99 sniper.
Other than that everything is the same for the other factions.
From my understanding of the BR system, squads will be subject to a BR ranking themselves. So if the paratroopers are higher BR, they won’t be able to get in against low levels.
Having access to lower grade AT weapons for example can be beneficial in some scenarios, even against higher grade enemies.
The PIAT for example can be quite devastating at longer ranges, especially if fired from a higher than normal angle. This angle is quite easy to obtain by Paratroopers.
So in this instance, with the implementation of my suggestion, they would be able to take higher or lower grade AT weapons, including the AT rifles, if they so choose.
Additionally, it would allow the Japanese to get the lunge mines (if they chose) in the mine slot as well.
I don’t have the German Paratroopers. Only the Normandy Ally event ones.
If they have an MG upgrade for paratroopers, then by all means they should be allowed to choose what MG they get from the crate by equipping owned weaponry to the crate.
This idea is OK.
I would like to switch out the weapons out the paratrooper crates, but this would just end up making the Paratrooper class a jack of all trades class. What I would do is instead of allowing whatever the player has unlocked to be put into the squads, I would have select options for the crate.
For example, for the Pacific US paramarines, for the assault loadout, I would have M3, M1918, and M1918A2 as options. This would allow for more balanced fighting, and for people who have paras and haven’t gotten too far into the tree a somewhat equal footing against people who have unlocked everything.
But your suggestion doesn’t change the “problem” as you see it.
It would still be the most versatile squad and since you think they’re already overpowered in the hands of a max-level player they would be even more powerful.
Your suggestions don’t “fix” any of this.
Instead:
Your nerf is more or less only a huge nerf for low-level players who haven’t unlocked everything.
Your buff is more or less only a huge buff for high-level players who have unlocked everything. To buy and upgrade equipment is pretty much a non-problem for this group.
Imagine after merge this: You bring your Krieghoff/Thompson squads (which probably will get the highest BR).
You will be sent to the shark tank, right? You will face Fedorov, FG 42 II, M2 Carbine, Tiger II, IS-2 and such…
Should you, as a new player, then have to use Sturmpistole and Breda because you haven’t unlocked anything in your regular tech tree? Meanwhile a veteran can get Ofenrohr and MG 34 patronentrommel from his supply box?