The feedback thread seems to suggest that we submit all feedback in separate threads on the specific topic? If so, I’ll be posting a lot of threads.
Return Fire in Summary
Return Fire sucks, and everyone knows it. It is not realistic, and it is not challenging to deal with so long as you suspend your disbelief and use gamey tactics which aren’t fun (snipe everything from a safe distance! Screw Assault Troops and using COVER in a GUNFIGHT!).
It would be INCREDIBLY easy to fix Return Fire, and the Devs have no excuse for launching with this broken feature, or others in the release. But the game is still good under all these bugs, so soldier on, fix them, and get the praise it deserves.
Action Points Requirement
In the original XCOM, if you had some TUs left over, you could fire at enemies who passed you by during their turn. Just DO THAT.
Give characters 1 Action Point to use when it’s not their turn. That’s enough to shoot a pistol once, when you see an enemy.
If you save up 1 AP when you end the turn, then that adds up to the 1 you get during the enemy turn, for a total of 2 AP. That’s enough to shoot a pistol at two enemies, or to shoot an assault rifle once.
This of course means you need to end the turn with at least 2 AP, to be able to shoot a Sniper Rifle or Cannon. This removes the overpowered Return-Fire Sniper and Return-Fire Heavy builds.
Get Back to COVER
After characters shoot at the enemy, they must return to any cover they were using before the enemy returns fire.
There is no excuse for characters not taking cover again, after they take their shots. If you want to imply the two character shoot at each other at the same time, just show that happening, it would be far more exciting to see than the enemy swivelling on a lazy susan to face you, then opening up on your apathetic soldier.
Back-Attacks Mean No Attack-Backs
If you flank a guy, shooting him in the back, he should NOT get Return-Fire. That is how it worked in UFO Defence (IIRC), and that is how everyone I’ve talked to assumed the mechanic would work, when faced with Return Fire.
Reduced Accuracy
This is an extra attack, not Overwatch. It should work like a Snap Shot from UFOD, having reduced accuracy.
MELEE vs MELEE
If you melee someone, they may counter with a melee attack, and nothing else.
OK so… the fact Return Fire works against Bash and Melee attacks is about the dumbest thing I’ve encountered so far. Do you know how hard it is to shoot a burst of fire into someone when they are on top of you and mashing your face in? The berserker is bad enough as it is.
Do all of the above, and this will be a solid mechanic which adds to the gameplay and immersion.