Now currently the sector combat is way too slow and entirely luck based. I think another game has it pretty well down(though it has basically died since its launch in 2001). So I’m going to list a few things from it and how it can be used with Star Conflict.
First off an overview of its map.
You can see the three teams(and the neutral aliens taking over from inactivity). These fronts constantly shift depending on player activity and sometimes end up with people sitting on the capital/uncapturable home areas borders. Players can choose where they want to attack and where they are willing to defend.
How does this relate to Star Conflict?
So currently some omnipotent force chooses who gets attacked where and victors of those areas are determined by a countdown and a %. It doesn’t feel like you’re accomplishing anything. You should be able to go with a few people and attempt to brave anything being attacked/needs to be attacked.
Now for players actually interacting with the battlefield a bit closer.
Here you see two small task forces engaging corners(which in SG wrap around to other corners, don’t recommend that in SC). It is clearly visible how many each faction has in that area(5v3). When a player wants to help out they can either start attacking an area alone and hope others join in, or engage in an already active battle. When either a Commander locks a battle or the time’s low, the sector no longer accepts players. Until that point players can continue joining the battle until a player count/power level limit is hit.
How does this relate to Star Conflict?
Only way currently of “helping” is push the magic “Let me Fight” button. There is no feeling of helping a bigger cause, no strategy, no risk. Why not work temporarily with the other team to take down the faction that has 80% of the map? What about having a small 2-4 man squad distract their main force by capturing something while your main force once they’re distracted?
Now limitations that stop people from just teleporting all over the place and insta-winning.
TRAVEL TIME!
Players need to travel the map in order to actually join any battle. In SG your character will walk across all the sectors on his way to the battle unless the magic teleport mode thing is active, then you get a reinforcement timer and a bar through the territories that represent your units moving… or something. If you’re far out on the field and need repairs, you either walk to a strategic area where there’s a garage(capital and middle only) you need to either run back or teleport to capital. Either option means you need to make it back to the field before they can start the next match.
How does this relate to Star Conflict?
Unless travel time is put in, positioning is meaningless. You don’t actually have to visibly move across the galaxy, just have your ships moving out unavailable for customizing until they return and give a nice little path that your ships are “taking” to get to the battlefield.
MAP GRAB LIMITATIONS!
Shattered Galaxy has “pocs” that are not sped up by any unit or having multiple units on it. this prevents people with speedy units from going around solo capturing sectors since any idiot with fighters will stop him. There is also a 1-2 minute cooldown after a battle before the same sector can be attacked again.
How does this relate to Star Conflict?
You don’t necessarily need to change capture mechanics, but putting NPCs, turrets or other manners of slowing people down from solo-capping until the enemy team can respond(unless they don’t care) helps keep the frontlines SOMEWHAT stable.
SECTOR SECURITY!
When a sector is successfully defended it gets tactical value. When this happens two or three times the defending team gets its units repaired at the end of each battle and reinforcements on the same spot they started the battle on.
No picture!
How does this relate to Star Conflict?
In its current state more reason to keep an area defended. The longer you have it, maybe the more defenses it gains or maybe gives small buffs the the team holding it when its attacked.