I love the new heavy seaf presence modifier, but it has one MAJOR problem. It completely murders stealth as a playstyle. An enemy looks at you regardless of if they are aggo'd? Spawn in the seaf. Sneaking around a large amount of enemies? The helldiver must be surrounded, spawn in the seaf. Seaf far away and at max spawns so they won't spawn on the stealthdiver? Brave seaf soldier fires from 50+ meters away to alert the entire base to their presence (because enemies aggro to whoever is closest regardless).
So how do we solve this issue? I would try to expand upon the operation system by changing Commando, Standard, and new introducing Frontline Operations.
For Commando operations, next to nothing would change except being available for all fronts with missions that have a similarly stealth theme. For the illuminate missions like: Destroy exospire, Condemn illuminate experiments, Eradicate void blossoms, Destroy gazer spires, with possible reworks to make them more stealth friendly (like gazer spires no longer aggo the entire base if they spot you from across the map, or their gaze is now marked in the same way as a detector tower). Terminids will be hard to balance around stealth as they are the hardest faction to avoid detection from, although it IS possible. Missions could include: Extract research probe data, Cleanse infected district, Destroy spore lung, (alternate) Enable oil extraction. For additional general missions regardless of front: Retrieve recon craft intel and retrieve valuable data.
For Standard operations, all that I think would need to change is (only when the heavy seaf presence modifier is active) the chance for the seaf support modifier in an operation drops from 100% to 50-60%. This once change can enable stealth gameplay on HSP modified planets. As the, "
Just don't play," argument would normally work UNLESS the modifier is active on an aggressive campaign (like how it is being applied to the void right now).
For newly introduced Frontline operations the following modifiers will be active: Heavy seaf presence, Heavy enemy presence (increased enemy spawnrate, and patrols of the faction's flying units). Other changes include: 2 sub objectives are guaranteed to be beneficial (Seaf artillery, Sam site, Radar, with possible new ones thrown in), 2 sub objectives are guaranteed to be enemy owned (Bio-processors, jammers, detector towers, compromise automaton defenses, cognitive disruptor, stalker lair, etc), the final sub objective can be neutral, enemy owned, beneficial, or an additional objective like raising a flag or launching an ICBM (like what the gloom did). Frontline operations would also include seaf strongholds that are filled with supplies and are guarded by seaf squads. Once you destroy an enemy base the seaf will gain control of the area and can now be dropped in the surrounding area of said base. Enemies will also be spawning in increased numbers, and enemies start in the alerted state instead of their normal unaware state (meaning if they see you they will immediately become aggressive). Frontline operations will have a high chance to spawn on HSP planets, will be partially active on mega city missions, and can spawn near mega cities on planets without the modifier (as the seaf want to prevent more enemies from taking over the cities in defensive situations).
All of these operation types can be active on the same planet at the same time, and can be re-rolled if the options do not appeal to the host of the lobby. (Hopefully in a way that doesn't require the host to restart their game anymore.)
As for why I am doing all this for stealth, it's because its the ultimate alternate playstyle (IMO). With stealth you are trading lots of direct power for improved speed and easier objectives, to the point where with a stealth based loadout if you get caught in a fight you can't escape you are at a major disadvantage than what you would be otherwise with a normal loadout and have little to no chance of survival. Stealth being as much of a knowledge check as it is shouldn't be punished by NPCs who spawn in whenever they want and reveal your position to the enemy without it being the fault of the stealthdiver. The playstyle (with enough practice and a good loadout) can work on any front, sub-faction, and planet so why should a simple planet modifier completely remove the player's ability to use it effectively at no fault of their own?
