Let me begin by saying that I really, really, really like this game. With that said, I think this game needs a very simple minimap.

Knowing the location of my teammates (and only teammates) at all times is necessary to cover each other's flanks, executing flank maneuvers and relaying intel. I don't need to know their exact location, I just need to know which cover they are currently in. Since all the covers are labeled (e.g. G2, U1, and so on), the game lends itself to a minimap in the form of a graph as shown below. The vertices are the covers and the edges are paths from cover to cover.

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(Minimap example of Drydock. Click to enlarge.)

Now when I say to my teammate "cover G2 from T1", by looking at the minimap, he'll know where to go and which direction to point his gun. When I say "flank hostile T2 from T3", he'll know exactly where to fly to get the drop on the enemy. Furthermore, the instructions could be elaborate while still being clear:

"Rush T1 from G1 with me on my mark."
"Two hostiles moving from T3 to T2, watch your back."
"Enemy sniper at T1 covering G1 and U1."

The addition of a minimap is not adding or removing existing game mechanics so it won't interfere with balance or alter the spirit of the game, after all, the best teams in Hybrid are already doing this since they played it enough to know the location and name of every cover. Instead, the minimap will encourage everyone in a team, no matter whether they're a rookie or pro, to communicate with one another since instructions could easily be given and understood.

Anyway, what do you guys think? I welcome comments from the community; I especially would like to hear back from actual developers in 5th Cell.