LinkyNot only that, but they are letting people see inside how these updates occur and might even be taking ideas from the community.
Try coming up with a new unlockable for the Heavy that addresses the goal, while staying within the constraints as much as possible. The extra section includes other details that are useful when trying to compare two viable ideas.
Goal: Make the Heavy more viable when he has no Medic to pair with.
Constraints:
-It shouldn't have a cumulative effect when being healed by a Medic as well. Heavy/Medic pairs do pretty well as it is.
-It shouldn't significantly change the Heavy's role, relative to other classes. In particular, it shouldn't significantly encroach on another class's role.
-It should be understandable for both the user and the player it's being used on.
Extra:
-How much work is it? How many new models, sounds, effects, etc?
-Does it deepen the Heavy's skill curve? Is it easy to learn? Hard to master?
-Is it an interesting tool to choose relative to the base Heavy weapon it's replacing? What scenarios can you envision in which each is useful? What arguments can you raise for why each is better than the other?
-How often does the Heavy need to think about it? Is it something he uses once every 5 minutes, or is it something he needs to be constantly thinking about? A greater impact on player decision making is generally a good thing.
-How many other features of the game does it affect? Often, the best ideas are "economical", with a small set of required actions, but a wide set of resulting effects.
Finally, keep in mind the skillset required to be a good Heavy. He doesn't really rely on fine aim, since his minigun has such a wide spread, instead relying on more tactical skills, like these:
-Being in the right place before he starts firing, because he has little ability to move while firing.
-Good anticipation of enemy behavior, for both the above point and because his minigun needs to be spun up before firing.
-The ability to estimate the amount of damage he's taking. It takes time for the minigun to spin down, so he needs to be able to know when it's time to retreat several seconds before his health has run out.
-The ability to keep firing at a target while still keeping an eye out for other dangers, in particular Snipers & Spies.
Kind of an interesting exercise. How do you make the heavy work better without a medic, but not make it overpowered when he does have a medic on him?
