The Ultra Offensive TRADER

[Dr.McNinja]

It shoots swear words.
...
It seems like trader is quite fun, but could be made a lot more fun (eventually). Switching to a tank with weapons is no longer that easy. So being a career trader is likely, but it can get fairly boring and tedious if you dont see enough or any action.

I propose: Diversifying the trader class.
Idea 1: Add special trader only items
Idea 2: Add different trader tanks (could restore old trader with tweaks)
Idea 3: Upgradeable Trader
Idea 4: Special resources
3 votes for poll
As for "ultra offensive trader", I was thinking of new things that can be traded for such as a repackable turrent/weapon/tower, items like orbital command or bomb and traps. This will add the game mechanic of a 'dangerous trader' but that will only effect a recalculation of how to deal with traders. Trading spots can be defended and lanes farmed.

Remember, each item will reduce how many resources can be traded at time.

+ Trap
- Special effects like frost, 'black hole' like hunters ulti, warning signals
- Channeling when placing, like bomb
- Automatic or manual cast

+ Warning Beacon (trap)
- Automatically pings or plays a sound when an enemy tank touches the trap. Much more useful in fog mode but can still be useful in normal games
- Size of trap's aoe could be from the factory to twice a factory so you can place it in a cp and be warned when enemies tp to it

+ Flak Turrent/Cannon Platform
- Requires a fairly large amount of gold and attack levels
- Handicaps: minimum range, higher initial cooldown time, high deployment and repacking time
- Large base size, cannot be placed inside cp areas like mid
- Can only be place on a factory (combined with a minimum range of, say, 500)

+ Teleportation Node
- Allows 1 tank to teleport onto the node
- Setup time
- Lasts a short time, health degrades

+ IED - Improvised Explosive Device
- places a small bomb hidden from minimap
- setup time
- can be triggered by allies and hurts them
- aoe is larger than mines but full damage is only given if walked into directly

Cant think of more now too tired.. Feel free to improve on my item ideas, these are 'raw' ideas.

[plonnc]

The Trader is already quite offensive.
The new Teleport skill ignores the Anti-Teleport shield of base, i think it ignores telebreakers, too.
You simply have to get speed pack, mines and orbital.
Abusing the Trader Skills, you can get almost anywhere and place your mines. (they deal good dmg against buildings in base)

[Dr.McNinja]

Hmm.. I didnt know trader could use mines.

The point of these incomplete suggestions (im updating) is to put forward ways of making trader more fun and to make it an offensive force like a normal with with weapons. The only 'offense' it has is orbital, bomb and mines. Once you pick up speed pack, huge mines and orbital, you only have 3 slots left for trading, which isnt enough imo. The suggestions i already have, dont require inventory space and would change the game a bit (traps).

Im talking about a trader that can defend itself, without needed teammates.

PS. Orbital is not very effective on a trader (no stun) and bombs arent combat effective. That leaves mines. I would consider that 'mildly offensive'.

[Princess_Bob]

Planting mines as a trader is always fun...not super effective, but fun.

[Dr.Popitz]

Imo the trader shouldn’t be able to do anything offensive at all. Not even mines. I mean, it’s a trader! Not some kind of mine planting artillery tank that additionally can trade. You can buff the defensive systems or give him new ones, but please stop making it even more offensive.

/BTW: I can choose every option of your poll. Not only three. :|

[horselance]

It would be too plain to only trading and walking around.

[Dr.Popitz]

If you want action, then don't play trader. Otherwise your only challenge should be not to get killed and to make as much money as fast as possible. Buying factories and tcc with trader is acceptable for me, but not mines and orbital control and such things.
Anyway, it is a matter of taste. So if the majority likes an offensive trader then I don't see much I can do about it...

[GooglyBoogly]

I agree that the current mix is about right. It can be offensive, but not crazily so
The trader CAN currently get mines/orbital borbardment and even adv troop command, not to mention the factories.
- the mine detonator kit seems a bit OTT in my opinion, since it is one of the few, satisfying rewards of being a minelayer - namely the trader has a much harder time reaching points with mines around.
However the trader cannot get a hull (excluding the detonator), nor any weapons and can only get bombs via trade recipies.
I wouldn't mind having the factories and the troop command recipe also become a trade-goods only thing, even if only to encourage regular use of the recipies.

[Dr.McNinja]

Well i might have said somewhere, that i wasnt aware trader could use mines. Ive done it a few times now, its quite offensive but really hurts my trading. If anything, i'd rather see more types of 'mines' or traps because against pros, mines wont be worth the investment. They can get a form of detection like wards and just walk over mines and heal; too far from their side and you risk not getting any kills. Any offensive options including ones ive written here take away from trading potential, making you less effective as a trader.

This is kinda like a hybrid trader/tank that uses unique ways to help the team and kill enemies. It WOULD not work with the current trader tank, it would need a second trader to be made. Kinda like ghost tank and guard which are similar in roles but play out different - fat ass and combat support.

"If you want action, then don't play trader."
Trader sees action, almost entirely from manourvres around resources, trademaster, terrain and enemy tanks. I mean COMBAT action, where you kill the enemy.

This hybrid trader should have weakened trading capabilities or be able to choose whether to get X defensive skill or Y offensive skill. E.g. putting points into 'trap laying' instead of blink.

Trap laying: places a trap marker on the ground
Upgrade marker:
- Frost trap: slows tank
- Mine trap: allows placement of X number of mines into a single spot
- Emp trap: causes enemy tank to lose control and move straight for X seconds until regaining control
- Trader trap: enemy trader trying to get a resource will be stunned and has 50% chance to obtain or lose the resource
- Tank trap: prevents access like impassable terrain

Costs gold to upgrade, maybe specific resources needed as well like metal for the tank trap or cheese for trader trap.

EDIT: I looooove mines and will absolutely get mines every time im trader (i.e. everytime i play bt)

[bobbob247]

I tend to go mines-orbital control/troop command, eventually going all out explosives if we end up sieging their base (trader makes a great exploder when sieging).

[Dr.McNinja]

Better yet, trader doesnt die. You put on ult shield then blink in, place mines and use orbital then use teleporter double-click to safety. NO counter while defending. The only way to stop this is to pwn the trader/traders team. This still wont stop a determined trader. I put mines next to structures, slowly destroying their base because they have mine defuser and 9999999HP. Defuser counter!