We’ve been throwing this idea around before. The idea of a demolition/bomb/juggernaught suit for the engineer. A hard shell that allows the engineer to take a huge beating. Having a near unstoppable player with (VERY) weak offensive capabilities is an enormous tactical asset. You can use that player to put him into spaces you want to control and he’ll be the class best suited to do objectives.
The big costs should be offensive power and speed. IE a turtle/tank class.
There’s one big problem with having a class permanently encased in a high-armour/low offfense/low speed suit: It’s utility is highly situational. Very few people are willing to play a class that trudged through inactive parts of the map to bring the suit into action. And even then it’s only a matter of context of how far the class can be of any use.
SO:
Therefore the class should be able to switch in and out of his suit.
“wait, what!?”
Yes, the player starts out as a normal engineer. A bit like proxy but bigger and at normal speed. Including a decent shotgun. The only ability the engineer has is the option to put on his suit.
Initiating the suit switch will immobilise the player and make him unable to do anything for say, 5-10 seconds (subject to balance). Then the suit is on and the player will move at 30% speed. Will only be able to use a side arm and engineering equipment, but will also enjoy a health increase and damage reduction (80-90% reduction or something).
If he wants to get out of the suit and back into ‘normal’ mode with ordinary speed health and his shotgun then he’ll have to initiate the undress sequence, which will again be another 5 to 10 seconds.
In this way we have a character that is able to be a huge asset to the team IF SUPPORTED without the risk of ever becoming a huge burden.
And don’t worry about the dressing animation, this can be something complex or something simple and abstract. The point is that he needs to freeze for a couple of seconds.
And if I may be so free, name suggestion: Hurt (from Hurt Locker).