I have long been thinking of something that could spice up PvP battles or would be a good base for a new game mode. The idea came when during an event alien ships appeared in PvP battles. I know many players did not like it because aliens attacked teams unevenly but to me it was always interesting to see how a random event has changed the course of a battle and the strategies of both teams. So, what I would really like to see is some kind of fire support from outside source. I am thinking of something that’s called ’air strike’ in other games and it would serve as a strategic tool for area control. And to make it fair both teams would get even number of calls for this type of support and players from both teams would be negatively affected if flying into the area that is covered by this strike attack.
This is how I think it could work:
It could be a new PvP game mode or added to already existing ones. Modes with beacons and warp gates probably would not work with this and some smaller maps should be excluded as well.
After the battle is launched one player, a commander, is chosen (just like the captain in combat recon mode) to call for areal strike support. This would give the player a special option to manage an area for a certain time by calling in for one (or a few) strike. This would probably require a new key bind or could be assigned to „C” for example that is not used in PvP mode (as default). The player picked for this job is visible to team members and maybe to the enemy too. The latter option may make it more interesting.
I came up with two ways to select an area for strike attack:
The selected player has to go to the area they want to cover, activate a signaling device, and move away until the support arrives in about 8-10 seconds. The death of the player after activation would not cancel the support. (Optional: The signaling device could be destroyed by enemy before support arrives but it should have a small hit box to make it really hard to destroy.)
The „commander” has to point to a certain object or area and activate a distinctive tracer laser. This laser should have a quite long range, 10 000 m e.g. If the laser does not hit a target at activation then the affected area is at the end point of the laser.
In both cases the spawn area should be protected. Activation should be prevented if pointing towards or flying in spawn area.
Damage: Totally devastating to any ship, friend or foe, that flies into this zone. Some chance to make it through the heavy fire could be left though.
Effect time: It should take quite long since the point of this feature is to make tactical movements and cover an area with overwhelming artillery fire. Even 3-4 minutes seems to be reasonable but of course it should be up to the number of ’support calls’ available.
Area of Effect: Big. An area with a few thousand meters radius.
Strike attack types:
1. Laser rain: Several short laser beams continuously raining down randomly to the marked area. Destroys everything on its path as well.
2. Meteor grenades: Fast moving explosives in random clusters following each other and damaging the targeted area. Destroys everything on its path as well.
3. Supernova: One devastating explosion creates a supernova-like pulsating effect that destroys everything until depleted. Missile doesn’t destroy anything on its path to the marked area.
4. Laser pillars: Several continuous laser beams destroying everything while beams fast switching positions within the targeted area. Destroys everything on its path as well.
Goal: The main purpose of this function is not to deal damage to the enemy. It is meant to take over a certain area on the map and prevent anyone going or attack from there. This could force teams to change position or it could simply break tight destroyer and frigate defense. Therefore, it should be designed such way that players could easily notice the incoming strike and they would have time to move away from it. Maybe it could get stronger gradually until reaching its full strength so there would be some extra time to get away. I can see this attack mode a good way to control destroyer movements. For example, the tactic where 3-5+ destroyers move together around the map pushing out the other team of their spawn point could be somewhat prevented and they could be forced to retreat or make a detour, especially in tournament. Also, it could add something new to the tourneys.
Visuals: It would be nice to have dreadnoughts in the background one for each team. Just like at the stations in open space. That would make up for the support and where it comes from. Maybe they could be placed above and below of the map’s main plain so obstacles would not block support projectiles or the strike attack would not wipe out half of the map.:) Exploding rocks just like in SecCon could also be an option in this mode so basically it could destroy structures, asteroids, etc. This could destroy any cover which would really make teams move instead of digging in.
Note: These attack modes could work in SecCon too. Of course in smaller scale but these could add a new weapon selection to the dreadnoughts. Or, if any than destroyers could use these in much much smaller scale.
The concept is nice, but it has some problems too. It could work very well in open areas or with low amount of places to hide. But if we use this in a map where you can take complete cover from “above” (the attack comes from that direction,right?), Players will take cover and it won’t change much. I was thinking this suggestion could improve team battle and combat recon.
It has a low or no impact over intys and fast fighters, but the slow frigates will suffer the most. I’m not against this, but i can’t see a reason to penalize more the frigates either. The problem is in the case an inty takes 3 seconds to get out of the peril zone a slow frigate will take… 6 seconds? …9 seconds?
Another attack beyond laser rain… could be some kind of fog. Anyone inside this fog will get a decreased vision of the exterior, but someone in the outside has a perfect vision of the interior.
There’s a lot of stuff going on in this concept. I’ll say too much even. Let’s try to describe the concept in one sentence to see what is it really about. What is the purpose fro the teams? What is the core difference from other game modes?
The main difference is that teams can lock down certain areas within the battlefield with a strike attack that deals significant damage for a longer period of time. And this attack would come from an outside source, e.g. a dreadnought. And this mode should not be used as an effective attack mode rather just used as an area control for covering a team’s “back”… so to speak.
It could work very well in open areas or with low amount of places to hide. But if we use this in a map where you can take complete cover from “above” (the attack comes from that direction,right?), Players will take cover and it won’t change much. I was thinking this suggestion could improve team battle and combat recon.
That is why it would be awesome if it could blow up cover like in seccon. But otherwise its true that maybe new special maps would be needed for this. Originally I too thought this would work with team battle and combat recon the best.
11 hours ago, ntboble said:
It has a low or no impact over intys and fast fighters, but the slow frigates will suffer the most. I’m not against this, but i can’t see a reason to penalize more the frigates either. The problem is in the case an inty takes 3 seconds to get out of the peril zone a slow frigate will take… 6 seconds? …9 seconds?
Well, it could prevent warping through certain sectors. Especially if it would deal damage in its path as well. But yes, the main goal is to move out frig balls and destroyers from their cover or just prevent them moving together through a certain area. Time and other detail wise it might need some fine tuning indeed. That is why I wrote it should give enough time for anyone to get away.
11 hours ago, ntboble said:
Another attack beyond laser rain… could be some kind of fog. Anyone inside this fog will get a decreased vision of the exterior, but someone in the outside has a perfect vision of the interior.
Oh, I like this fog idea. Some corrosive acid fog thing, or nuclear with thermal dmg, or em fog with electric charges. I think something like this was in suggestions already.
Anyhow, the point is to take over an area with heavy fire and not letting anyone to go there for a significant time.
That is why it would be awesome if it could blow up cover like in seccon. But otherwise its true that maybe new special maps would be needed for this.
Maybe the attack could be from all directions, not only from “above”. This way i think it could work with most of the current maps. But it is harder to explain why this kind of attack is happening.
Yes, it could come from random directions too. If that avoids certain protected zones like spawn points.
12 hours ago, ntboble said:
But it is harder to explain why this kind of attack is happening.
It would be a different type of team defense mechanism. Also:
On 8/22/2016 at 2:51 PM, Sinaka said:
The idea came when during an event alien ships appeared in PvP battles… to me it was always interesting to see how a random event has changed the course of a battle and the strategies of both teams. … it would serve as a strategic tool for area control.
It would serve a little like a random event that could mess with team positioning and may make some PvP modes more dinamic.
Effect time: It should take quite long since the point of this feature is to make tactical movements and cover an area with overwhelming artillery fire. Even 3-4 minutes seems to be reasonable but of course it should be up to the number of ’support calls’ available.
The time needed to deploy this kind of attack could be affected by kills. I have seen this kind of “artillery attack” given to the team with more kills to promote offensive tactics. Or it can be given to the team with less kills to try to get more balanced games.
Btw i think it has been a bad timing, with the release of last game patch, nobody seems to be interested in this idea.
The time needed to deploy this kind of attack could be affected by kills. I have seen this kind of “artillery attack” given to the team with more kills to promote offensive tactics. Or it can be given to the team with less kills to try to get more balanced games.
Naa. I think that is never a good idea. It has to give equal chance to both teams otherwise there would be complaints again like when aliens popped into pvp and attacked only one side. But it sure could be used for offensive tactics as well. That is why both teams needs to have this in equal numbers.
I am not worried about my bad timing. CinnamonFake have seen it already so my concept may make to other devs and may trigger some thoughts about it. And hopefully it can give ideas for future developments. That’s enough for me. There was a contest for coming up with new game modes before btw so I think these concepts are always welcome to write. Not that I would not write down my ideas anyway. If I have one I had to or else I keep thinking and make it more complicated. And as I just remembered, CF asked for one sentence to describe it but of course I have failed. I can’t do such thing. I am not wired that way. It would be a one sentence paragraph at best…
…and here we go again. New visual idea for this attack type. Attack could be delivered by some huge ships flying over the map from time to time. Like bombers in the world wars. This bomber emoticon gave me this idea: 
Maybe there could be ships or objects that are dangerous to both sides, either in No Man’s Space or maybe at a beacon. Perhaps the ships could move towards the biggest group of player ships (large battles). Not allowed to go near spawn and maybe they can cause hassle at a beacon making it “neutral” or else they do not interfer with beacons if this would cause problems.
Maybe there could be ships or objects that are dangerous to both sides
Now it’s starting to look as MOBA ”)
It’s actualy may be cool, but I’m affraid about map sizes. I think it will be much more appropriate to have bigger maps for it, but not sure is this possible.
Maybe there could be ships or objects that are dangerous to both sides, either in No Man’s Space or maybe at a beacon. Perhaps the ships could move towards the biggest group of player ships (large battles). Not allowed to go near spawn and maybe they can cause hassle at a beacon making it “neutral” or else they do not interfer with beacons if this would cause problems.
Interesting but it is rather a different mode.
55 minutes ago, CinnamonFake said:
Now it’s starting to look as MOBA ”)
It’s actualy may be cool, but I’m affraid about map sizes. I think it will be much more appropriate to have bigger maps for it, but not sure is this possible.
This is what I thought. But it may go well with a previous All vs All concept. There could be a new map stuffed with lethal things and everyone would be forced to fight against everyone.
An area with a few thousand meters radius.