First Strike Forums — Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It...

Re: Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It...

null@example.com (ArcAngel227) — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 00:01:27 +0000

Well this is the thing I really liked about the idea. If you don't want to be ordered around, you can simply join a normal squad or stay lone wolf. If you want a special mission, then you can join. In fact, perhaps the commander can scout individual people, like a squad leader can, for the squad. People he knows want to do a mission. And with the squad being disbanded after the mission, its not like a whole round thing. Just a 15 minute mission.
I just love the possible variety. A commander might order a special team to go to the enemy airfield, and prevent them from taking off. Set up a special sniper group over a key area, for area denial. Have a team sneak around an enemy chokepoint, and hide just outside a flag, while the commander keeps the enemy's heads down with arty. Sending a team to assasinate an enemy commander. It really gives a feeling of personal style. And it makes the commander feel like hes going toe to toe with the enemy commander, how it should be.

Re: Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It...

null@example.com (sgt. fuzz) — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 23:42:20 +0000

I thought that in bf2142 you get points for doing what your squad leader or commander said... IS this not true, if it is, I thought it would be a great incentive to stop all those lone wolves

Re: Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It...

null@example.com (TY2D2) — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 22:48:29 +0000

Yea that would be cool Arc, I was thinking of something similar like 2 weeks ago, but kinda different, I was basing my idea on AofE 3

I would really like for this to be implemented... I love the idea of waypoints so squads understand what route you want them to take to get to the objective...

A+ idea man.

Re: Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It...

null@example.com (Booba Fett) — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 22:24:18 +0000

But remember, this will be unranked, so the players will care about gameplay more than points.

Yes sir!

And it's true.. commander in multiplayer is not enough helpful. Ennemy Territory:Quake Wars will have a AI commander who will suggest you a mission.. nice idea to have a better game structure..

But i still believe in human capacity

Re: Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It...

null@example.com (Talon1579) — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 20:44:42 +0000

Well like Zulu said its a good idea, but most people just don't care

But remember, this will be unranked, so the players will care about gameplay more than points.
In the Beta everyone was just scrambling to get unlocks.
Back on topic, the idea is commendable, but I doubt it would work in practice. People are just too concerned with their own agenda to follow orders to the letter.

Re: Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It...

null@example.com (MK4210) — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 20:13:18 +0000

Well like Zulu said its a good idea, but most people just don't care. I remember in the bf2142 beta I was on my team's titan and we were being boarded badly (full server by the way) and I was the only one on board. I must have called for reinforcements at least six times. No one came, and needless to say we lost.

Re: Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It...

null@example.com (Zulu) — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 19:14:16 +0000

It's a good idea Arc Angel, however, that is basically what is supposed to happen when you play with teams, it's just that no one plays with teamwork anymore:(.

Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It...

null@example.com (ArcAngel227) — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 18:23:46 +0000

I've been thinking about this one for a very long time. But its sorta an incomplete idea, so if anyone can think of any additives to it please post.
Okay this is about Commander Mode. I really like idea of commander mode, but it's implementation, meh not so much. The general idea behind it is allowing to allow the commander to organize where his troops should be, and the game makes good use of this by relaying orders down through squad leaders. But it sorta feels pretty impersonal. There are no fancy strategies, nothing to destinguish between one commanders style and another. There is no style. Its just reacting. If this flag is taken, you order these guys in. If you take the flag you order the troops to advance to the next one. Thats as far as strategy goes. Now this isn't bad for handling the mass numbers of troops, becuase it preserves their freedom to go where they want, when. But there should also be system that allows the commander some more finess. So heres my idea: Special Mission Squads.
Lets use Wake Island as an example. The US has captured the 2 north bases at the top left corner of the island, but their having difficulty holding it from the mass chinese attacks. The US commander sees this, and instead of simply dropping a defend this position order (which he also does), he forms a plan to use the battle as a distraction to nab the chinese airfield.
The idea is to give the commanders the ability to create a special squad completely under his command. He presses the button to create the squad, and this launches a mass announcement to his entire team, requesting them to join 'Special Mission Squad 1'. They can press page up to enter it, just like a normal squad invite. The squad fills up with volunteers who want to put themselves exclusively under the commander's control.
Now heres the real meat. These special mission squads have many more command options he can give them, and use a waypoint system, so these commands can be stacked. Several of the possible commands might be (instead of simply attack or defend): Spawn Here, Set Up Sniping Positions Here, Steal Enemy Assualt Vehicles, Stay Hidden Here until Area is Clear, and Destroy These Assets. But these can be stacked to create a custom strategy.
So using my previous example the US commander has created a Special Mission Squad to sack the airfield, using his mass forces as a distraction. He selects the squad and places a Spawn here beacon on the island with the boats. Now he places a Stay Hidden Here Until Area is Clear order on the area on the beach of the southern tip base, where there are alot of trees for cover. Next he places a Steal Assualt Vehicle Order on the Tank that spawns there. These three orders all stay on the battle field, instead of dissapearing after a new one is placed, forming a chain of orders. He places one more Stay Hidden until Area is Clear command in the treey area just below the airfield, and then a final attack command. After that order is completed the Squad is disbanded.
I know that was really complicated to read, but it would be utterly simplistic in practice. This allows people who want to do their own thing to not join a Special Mission Squad. Those that want to be part of the plan can. But more importantly it gives the commander a host of strategic options he can use, and entertain his own style. If the commanders an idiot, do not join special mission squads until he's impeached, its that simple.
And theres even powers teh commander can be given to facilitate his plans! He might have a parachute power, which gives the special mission squad a point they can paradrop in from, and additional stuff like that.
Now I specifically used bf2 to explain the example instead of star wars, in hopes of making it easier to understand. Obviously I'm suggesting this for FS. I used wake island becuase its base positions are well known. If you forget exactly what wake looks like, take a look at a map and it will make the idea easier to understand.
Now the only technical issues that I think could come up would be giving the commander the ability to create squads, and the ability to keep more than one order on the battlefield without disapearing. Is that hardcoded, or can it be done?
Sorry that was so long, and poorly explained. But whatcha think?!