There have been quite a few ideas and threads about a gunner tool that would reload the gun faster. It always seemed strange to me to give a gunner a tool like that. Then it occurred to me that there has been a push in tools and mechanics to individualize the classes. I don't mean make them more unique. I mean make them need each other less. This is a team game, and as such, all things added to the game should be teamwork orientated.
I revisited the ammo crank idea with that in mind, and thought, no, it should not be a gunner tool. It should be an engineer tool. It should have a substantial effect on reload times. And, (this is key) it should only work if someone is sitting in the gunner seat reloading normally, and a SECOND crew member is using the tool from off the gun. The tool would do nothing if the gun is not crewed. This, in effect, makes peak gun performance a two crew job.
-OR- rather than create an entirely new tool, it could be an interesting idea to give this new role to the buff hammer, while removing any passive DPS increases. Make the buff hammer increase reload speeds (this was tested and worked in DevApp already), but reduce the hits needed for full buff to 1, and make the buff last for the time period of 1 hit. This would effectively make it a constant use tool. Increased arcs and reduced recoil would also be great additions with this idea. Perhaps even leave in the DPS increase. A 'hotseat' mechanic would be all that is needed after that.
Combining two crew members in this way would drastically increase your firepower ability on a single gun. It would make the buff hammer pointless for a Gungineer to take, and would create the new virtual class 'Gun team'. Goldfish would become much more scary.
Thoughts?
