While the defense points could be a fun addition, I hope they make it optional. Sometimes you just want to jump in and shoot some baddies without extra delay or complexity.
Also, while the nature of Gears is to defend a position, defending the same spot round after round can get repetitive. I would like to see levels that have multiple good defensive positions with something to motivate you to switch occasionally. Maybe they could have ammo pickups and other bonus items that regenerate quickly if they have not been used for a while but regenerate more slowly if they keep getting taken. It is sort of like a cool-down mechanic. A pick-up spawn "overheats" and spawns less frequently if it gets used a lot, but if you leave it for a few minutes (or maybe a whole round), it will cool down. Another option is to simply have one or two defensive positions per round get bonuses (additional item spawns, turrets, blockades, etc). I think the "objectives" they mention could serve this purpose too.
