Again, you know what I am like for trying to get some frustrations removed from the game.
Recently I have been noticing one that is really quite minor but should be quite easy to address.
Health Stations, Health Packs, Ammo Stations and Ammo Packs all vanish/destroy the second a new one is placed. Obviously this is to prevent multiple of them in the map at the same time. My issue is the way these things vanish instantly and without warning. Since we had an influx of new/returning players again over the last few days I have noticed a lot more stations and packs placed in more random locations (off the beaten track) and have found myself often leaving the fight to restock, only to have them vanish right in front of my eyes inches before I grab them.
For this reason I believe that packs should fade out over 3 seconds to allow a player running towards them to calculate whether they will be able to reach the said pack or not. It may not sound like a lot but if the pack is off the beaten track that could effectively save the player running for up to 6 seconds only to return to where they previously was still with no ammo or health and there was absolutely nothing they could do about it. A simple fade of the mesh and icon should work perfectly.
When it comes to the stations I would recommend something similar. Both the Ammo and Health Stations do take a few seconds to warm up anyway so its not like you would have multiples up for very long at all. Just making them do a quick few beeps and flash red a few seconds before they are going to blow up would allow some quick decision making. While the current system is frustrating with the Ammo station it can be down right deadly with the Health Station. More then a few times today I was setup perfectly in a decent position with a health station under my feet. I would peak out feeling pretty durable and the instant I peak BOOM no more health station. Had I have known this was about to happen I would have not chosen to take these fights. Giving a few seconds notice will at least allow me to make a choice to my course of action.
Also, with a quick counter play argument. Having the destruction indicated (or even controlled by if they are using a friendly health station) to the other team there is more of a chance for synergistic assaults. It also means that when you kill an enemy who left a station you can still get a little use before they detonate it. Overall its a simple change… The results of that change could benefit multiple aspects of play.
One of the reasons I believe this is so important is due to it being directly linked to frustrations with YOUR OWN TEAM. Such a simple little change would have barely any effect on gameplay but a huge effect on decision making and frustration levels. While I do understand that “You should be communicating with your team NAB!” its not something that you can rely on happening in a public environment.