M805X thruster pack

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The M805X Forward Acceleration System/Fulcrum Mitigating, also known as the Thruster Pack, is a movement acceleration system manufactured by Lethbridge Industrial. It mitigates the user’s need for a fulcrum or pivoting articulation. This ability allows the user to move quickly and aggressively in combat, whether closing the gap between the user and an enemy or finding cover.^[1]

Advantages

The Thruster Pack has the ability to propel users over short distances, an ability useful for escaping danger, dodging enemy fire, or saving oneself from falling over a cliff or bottomless pit. However, even more useful are the numerous stunts one can pull off with the Thruster Pack. The Thruster Pack enhances movement in all directions, not just forward, and as such it can be used for quickly strafe or take cover. Thrusting while in mid-air will speed one's descent, providing a small advantage when fleeing off of a ledge and onto a lower platform. While thrusting, one can still turn their view so as to be facing a different direction upon re-entering first person, a technique that can be very useful in close-quarters combat. Perhaps most notable is variety of tricks with man cannons and lifts one can perform with the Thruster Pack. On Haven, thrusting to the sides while using the man cannons can launch one into either of the adjacent lower hallways. As well, thrusting backwards can send you through the window above each man cannon, and into the upper hallway. On Solace, thrusting towards either base while in the middle lift can launch you into the sniper tower. On Ragnarok, thrusting after launching from the lake-side base's man-cannon will let the user land closer to the middle hill.

Behind the scenes

Before the thruster pack was introduced, its sandbox role was filled by a Promethean teleporter device, which would allow the user to instantly shift thirty meters from his/her location. However, this was deemed vastly overpowered and was thus replaced with the thruster pack. Originally, using the thruster pack did not prevent the player from using weapons, though this was considered unbalanced; the player cannot use weapons while using the device in the final build of the game.^[2]