I was thinking about the way respawning works currently, and how supposedly there'll be a better system for healing later on. I'd like to propose that along with that future rework, respawning be changed to an option, and a "down" system be added instead. Having to retrieve a downed comrade after or in the middle of a firefight seems far more immersive and fun than the current wait 20 seconds respawn. You could still retain the checkpoint system, but simply disable some of the more common checkpoints for this option.
Thoughts?