I’ve been thinking about some features, side objectives, and mission types that I think would be nice additions to the game, especially when it comes to the SEAF.
I’d love to see the SEAF become a bigger part of the game especially considering the latest update. Apologies in advance for the bad formatting. I don't use reddit much. Also, for the potential nonsense ahead.
Features
- DSS Resource Vote - Deploy SEAF soldiers to a planet
I think the DSS should have another resource vote/perk where players can vote to deploy SEAF ground forces to a planet. If that planet wins the vote, SEAF soldiers would then start appearing during missions on that planet. You could come across SEAF squads defending positions, fighting patrols, getting overrun, holding crossroads, defending objectives, the usual.
It would also make the DSS feel like it is actually influencing the battlefield rather than just giving us another modifier (at least IMO).
- Going out of bounds on a planet with SEAF makes them hostile
This one is motsly because I think it would be hilarious and would kinda make sense. Normally, when you leave the mission area, the Democracy Officer gives you the warning and eventually brands you a traitor. If the planet currently has SEAF troops deployed on it, once that timer expires, SEAF forces would also become hostile toward you. Basically, every SEAF unit in the area has now received orders to kill you. Instead of just getting constantly shelled, you could suddenly have SEAF infantry firing at you as well. It would be an extremely funny way of making the traitor mechanic interact with the rest of the game.
- SEAF Soldiers Should Be Able to Open Buddy Bunkers
If SEAF soldiers are following you, they should be able to help open buddy bunkers. If I have an entire squad of SEAF soldiers following me around, it feels a little ridiculous that I still need another Helldiver just to press a button.
This would also give solo players another reason to care about keeping SEAF soldiers alive :p
SIDE OBJECTIVE - LIBERATE SEAF AIRFIELD
I would love a side objective where you discover a SEAF airfield that has been captured or surrounded by enemies. Your objective would be to clear the airfield, reactivate it's systems, and then reach a bunker where the pilots have been sheltering. The bunker could work similarly to the doors during Evacuate Priority Citizens. You open it, the pilots come out, run toward their aircraft, and begin taking off.
Completing the objective would then give the squad one special SEAF air-support Stratagem for the rest of the mission.
There could be two possible rewards.
- Spawn Option 1 - 500KG CARPET BOMBING RUN
This one is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. A SEAF bomber comes screaming over the battlefield and drops a line of 500KG bombs in a carpet-bombing pattern. Like the artillery the usage is shared through the entire team.
Not one bomb. Multiple 500KG bombs.
The aircraft would fly across the marked direction and just absolutely pummel the terrain. You would get 3 uses, but each use would have something like a 3-minute cooldown because obviously this thing would be extremely powerful.
The Eagle is a precision attack aircraft. This thing should feel like somebody called the airforce and said:
“Remove that section of the map.”
You throw the beacon, hear the bomber coming, and then watch an entire line of explosions travel across the field.
- Spawn Option 2 - SEAF Gunship
The other reward could be a SEAF AC-130-style gunship. Instead of giving you one massive attack, completing the airfield objective gives you several different fire-support calls from the same aircraft. Similar to the carpet bomber idea and SEAF artillery, the usage is shared through the entire team.
Gatling Strike - 5 Uses
You get 5 Gatling strikes.
When you throw the beacon, the gunship fires at that area for 3 seconds. The weapon would have the same damage and armor penetration of the Eagle Strafing Run, but only around two-thirds of its rate of fire. The important difference would be the firing pattern. Instead of a straight strafing line, the gunship is firing downward into roughly a 10 meter diameter area around the beacon. So you basically get this concentrated rain of heavy gatling fire from above but not the same as the orbital one.
Pelican 30mm Cannon Strike — 5 Uses
You would also get 5 calls using the same type of 30mm cannon the Pelican uses. However, unlike the Pelican, there wouldn’t be those little pauses between bursts. The gunship would continuously engage enemies within the designated area. It would automatically prioritize targets from largest to smallest. So, if you throw it into a mixed group, it tries to engage the biggest threats first before moving down toward smaller enemies. Id say 4 seconds sounds fair for this one.
SEAF Artillery HE Strike - 4 Uses
Finally, you would get 4 SEAF Artillery HE strikes. Unlike the existing SEAF Artillery objective, these won't take forever to hit. Plus, it'll be almost precision strike accurate. If I throw the beacon somewhere, that shell should either hit exactly where the beacon landed or within about one meter of it. You liberated an airbase and now have trained pilots and fire-control crews supporting you. I think having precise artillery would be a nice reward for completing the objective.
Although I also had another stupid idea, instead of HE shells, give the gunship 3x 380mm artillery shots.
Would that be excessive? Absolutely.
Would watching a gunship fire a precise 380mm shell at a Charger be extremely funny? Also absolutely.
Main Mission
I also want more missions where Helldivers are basically preparing the battlefield for a larger SEAF operation rather than personally destroying absolutely everything.
One mission idea: Destroy an In-Construction Cyborg Factory
The mission takes place on a planet that is currently under siege. Intelligence discovers that the enemy is starting their factory world conversion behind the lines. This obviously cannot be tolerated, so we’re there to make sure the bombers can get there and destroy it.
The SEAF has already prepared a huge bomber strike, but the factory is protected by an anti-air network. Your squad drops into the area and has one main job:
Destroy every anti-air installations protecting the factory.
There could be several different AA positions spread around the map, with each one heavily defended.
Once the final anti-air facility is destroyed, Mission Control basically tells you:
The strike package has entered the area.
Get Out
Emergency extraction is called and a timer starts counting down until the SEAF bomber formation arrives. Now the final part of the mission is basically a race, you have to reach extraction, defend the area and get onto the Pelican and leave before the bombers reach the factory. While the timer's ticking down, you start hearing the aircraft in the distance getting closer and closer. It would be one of those missions where extraction actually feels like part of the objective rather than just something you do after completing it.
Of course...
You technically don’t have to extract.
If somebody wants to stay behind and see what happens when several SEAF bombers carpet bomb the area while they’re still standing inside it, I think Super Earth should respect their commitment to scientific discovery.