Implement Farming

Discussion in 'Rejected' started by SupRore, Sep 29, 2010.

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  1. SupRore

    SupRore Banned

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    No seriously bear with me here:

    There should be a vehicle type that represents a supply truck, and can be driven to a refinery and back to the command vehicle to deposit bonus resource points into the team's bank.

    This suggestion would:

    1- Implement a way for players to build up points to get upgrades in a non-combat environment.

    2- Increase the relative value of well protected refineries over those that are simply built in or neutral enemy territory and ignored -- if your refinery is somewhere that is under enemy fire, the relatively fragile vehicle would be destroyed.

    3 - Introduce a new layer of depth in the resource battle, especially in high level games.

    4- Make empires better resemble the RTS games it imitates in mechanics.

    Likely downsides are that it would potentially confuse the combat balance, and make it awfully easy for a team to get steamrolled if too many of their players decided to drive semi trucks instead of combat vehicles. Additionally, it would be difficult to implement in a balanced fashion -- it would require mapper support, in the form of either refineries not being placed right by the starting base or multiple types of refinery notes -- harvestable/non harvestable.

    Edit 1- Possible refinement of concept:

    The 'truck driver' picks up resources that increase exponentially based on the number of refineries he hits before returning to commander. 1 is worth no resources, 2 is worth 100, 3 is worth 300, 4 is worth 600, etc. Whatever numbers work best for balance, but an exponential increase based on the number of refineries driven to. Encouraging a circuit, and dangerous driving in contested areas. A single perfect run to all the friendly refineries could potentially net your team the points they need. This would discourage exploitive farming by parking the CV by a ref, limit the need for mapper support, and be way fucking cooler and more exciting.
     
    Last edited: Sep 29, 2010
  2. Fricken Hamster

    Fricken Hamster Mr. Super Serious

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    drive comm vehicle next to refinery.
    Infinite minerals
     
  3. Empty

    Empty Member

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    Nobody wants to be the resource guy.
     
  4. SupRore

    SupRore Banned

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    Expose comm vehicle to enemy attack at the benefit of resources

    tactical option

    there could be other nuances on the implementation, too. Perhaps a 'bank' structure that costs a shitton of resources that you deposit at instead of the comm, it doesn't really matter.
     
  5. Fricken Hamster

    Fricken Hamster Mr. Super Serious

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    Refinery next to barracks.
    Refinery at main base.
     
  6. SupRore

    SupRore Banned

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    Plenty of games i've played have had players playing buss driver in an apc, or building refineries, and never really getting into combat. I think you'd be surprised how many people would enjoy taking a few turns as a trucker. I could be wrong, but i wouldn't write it off out of hand just because you're an impatient narcissist.
     
  7. ViroMan

    ViroMan Black Hole (*sniff*) Bully

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    ^ This ^
     
  8. SupRore

    SupRore Banned

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    "Additionally, it would be difficult to implement in a balanced fashion -- it would require mapper support, in the form of either refineries not being placed right by the starting base or multiple types of refinery notes -- harvestable/non harvestable."
     
  9. Empty

    Empty Member

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    Sure, maybe one or two people want to do it, but either you make it so their actions don't really affect the game and they end up useless, or the trucks become a necessary part of gameplay to the point where people who dont want to drive are forced to drive so their team isn't ridiculously behind.

    I don't even know why I have to justify this, it's so obvious this is a terrible idea.
     
  10. OuNin

    OuNin Member

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    Solution:
    Refineries locally store resources to be sent to the command vehicle. Refineries closest to the CV have the highest logistical resource bandwidth. Resources are sent in full without any resource buildup. Let's say this is +4 res/sec.

    Now, let's go to the far reaches of the map to one of the commander's lonely refineries. The refinery generates +4 res/sec. but at that distance from the CV, only 1/4th of that goes directly to the commander. Because the far ref has significantly reduced resource bandwidth, the 3/4 resources per second is stored locally.

    Now, the command vehicle could collect that himself, going by potentially dangerous area. Not too good of an idea for some unwary commanders who tend to get themselves killed. The supply vehicle, possibly truck, feasibly a jeep.

    The supply vehicle transports queued resources from refineries and transports them to the CV.


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CwD7Uo_4vs
     
  11. alucard13mmfmj

    alucard13mmfmj Member

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    you might be on to something.. logistics.. seems most FPS or FPS/RTS games neglect this. in real war, logistics is the determining factor on who wins the war.. thats why troops gaurd oil fields, shipping lanes, railways, and ports.

    to make it interesting..
    resources will be collected at the refinery. lets say 10 a second.. BUT every 5 second there would be a bonus.. of 10% of the total

    5 second = 50 resources w/ 10% = 55 resources.. then another 5 second = 105 resources w/ 10% = 117 resources

    the longer the team waits before collecting, the better bonus it can give. to make it risky, if refinery is destroyed, all res collected is gone. if an enemy scout sabatoge the refinery, all the res is given to the enemy.

    so its up to team/commander to determine best time frame to go collect the resources
     
  12. QMAN

    QMAN Member

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    Really simmilar system was used on C&C Renegade. And that really good worked. As we remember from C&C Renegade... There was exist "tiberium refinery" where harverster comming to unload his cargo after load tiberium from fields...

    To create some think simmilar in Empire that will be need it assamble "bots". Why bots? Coz that harverster/cargo truck will be going by using pathes...will be need it implement to much code to much variables, to much exceptions... what if enemy rax will be on way... what if enemy will be build turrets or just not builded wall... to much problems on create AI in empire...

    That cargo transport will be must builded manually. Idea is nice but how many ppls will be ride to that loader refinerys? :P I think not many...



    To most simple implement that only need it:
    "Refinery"<- where we unload cargo
    "load lifter" placed on special resource node where that truck load resource.
    Special recource place -> where can be builded only "load lifter" cannot be build here refinery (and on special map can be like only load lifters... 0 refinery nodes...).
    New graphic of new vechicles,and that 2 buildings.
    And new script what implement "load cargo" and "unload cargo"

    Load time -> like 30 sec;
    Unload time -> 2-5 minutes, while unload + 200 res in any 10 sec;

    1 Refinery -> limit max 1 Refinerys at map, after build fresh refinery it will show up new Cargo Transport;
    Cargo Transport will be possible to build at VF, it have litte more HP from heavy tank, have only 2 plates of any armor whatever you choice, and have only 10 mph speed (3phase -> 15 mph) when loaded, and 20 mph speed when unloaded (3phase -> 20 mph)

    Unload time 5 minutes +50-200 res per 10 sec will be fix problem where ppls "dont like been resource lifters". If 3 of that trucks will be stay alive with fully load... That will be provide resource for next 15 minutes... if they will be have chance to unload, coz is Refinery building limit "1".

    Yep 1 Cargo truck will be generate 1500-6000 res in 5 minutes;
    It is really important to make cover them, and is like second target to destroy especialy on maps where will be only "load lifters" without old refinerys.


    Another fix to still recive some resources after Cargo truck dead... we can use from Planet Side... where was "ant vechicle" what was using to get it antimater energy from gate... but Energy Cells of base have max limit of energy what can storage. So refinery can do same thing... can "storage" small part of cargo from cargo truck. Like for next 2 minutes. That "2 minutes" cargo unload time will be cut down in much more fast time, and moved into refinery "emergency resource". So while all cargo trucks down... it will be still generate some resources.




    Idea is nice on that "supplies transport" ;) But i think will be to much work on it to implement into game, and is still question, how should be that work coz players wont been cargo lifters.
     
  13. Fishstick

    Fishstick Member

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    This worked well for Planetside (ANTS), but that's because they had 1000x the players and much larger maps.

    Perhaps when we get 16x maps and 64 players per team?

    This will make rounds last a lot longer.. perhaps wages should be boosted and only allow the Commander to spend team resources on vehicles?
     
  14. OuNin

    OuNin Member

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    the bonus should scale with players so that the feature is irrelevant on small games of like 7 vs 7
     
  15. QMAN

    QMAN Member

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    Yea i know that is true, but as you remember, if generator cell was dropped to 0% team was just lost that base,and to retake base were just lossing 15 minutes after hack console, only that why players used ANTS. Not coz of that is fun XD and as most of time we used that Levathan transport, to fast transport ANT ^^ between gate and base... coz there was really large maps...
     
  16. Fooshi

    Fooshi For fuck's sake Fooshi

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    tl;dr

    Red Alert: A Path Beyond.

    It will suck if implemented.
     
  17. Fricken Hamster

    Fricken Hamster Mr. Super Serious

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    barrackes can be built. bases moved. Comm moved. infinite resources.
     
  18. OuNin

    OuNin Member

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    my implementation does not have this issue
     
  19. flasche

    flasche Member Staff Member Moderator

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    "they're driving trucks ..."
    "... on ice"

    other then that - as comm - id rather have people fight at the fronts then drive around doing nothing useful (though its somewhat useful, but u shouldnt promote uselessness :rolleyes: ) ;)
     
    Last edited: Sep 29, 2010
  20. OuNin

    OuNin Member

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    at a certain point, like in large-scale games, too many chefs spoil the broth. also, it doesn't hurt to have a guy driving back and forth making sure your lines are solid.
     
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