Commander-less gamemode with research and buildings.

But once again this is nothing like NS combat, it retains all the functionality of the existing mode, it just does it in a less prone to breaking manner. You still build, resource, research, and command, you command a lot more than empires currently does actually, but the point is the game doesn't hurk and die without one person doing those things. NS combat cuts most of the NS classic features, you don't resource, you don't capture territory, you don't have the 3 hive mechanic, you don't build structures, you don't have any room for commanding, this doesn't cut features. It adds to them if anything by making them available for a lot more players as well as making them a lot more accessable because victory and loss of the entire team are not hinged solely on your performance in that role.

You still build buildings, but if the comm sucks it doesn't matter because somebody on your team will know what to build and where, probably a lot of people will so the buildings essentially place themselves. You still research things, but everyone chooses their own path so the progression remains the same but you don't have to progress in a way you don't want to. You still get to give orders if you want to have a command role, the difference is now you would command your squad and take a more direct role in their actions because you give them direct support powers and essentially handle their spawn point as well, you could also use the global commander mode I mentioned from the VFs if you wanted to.

Intrinsic to this suggestion is a lot of stuff which is explicitly designed to fix stability and balance issues with the current mode. Making this would balance and fix the existing gameplay.

I also don't see why it's a new mod, it uses the same research, maps, mechanics, vehicles, buildings, classes, guns, and gameplay as empires currently does, the only difference is that it adds a few new mechanics in and moves a few of them around. Research and resourcing are now per-player, the neccesary single commander is replaced by multiple optional squad commanders and a global commander who can direct everything if it is neccesary. There would be far more room for commanding in this mode than there is in the current mode, because at the moment the commander just spams attack orders and does research, a squad commander would be in a position to micromange his squad and powers, as well as affecting them by how he positions the spawn, and assuming people actually want to work in a command structure that much, he can place buildings, by ordering someone to go and get one and place it where he wants it. If nobody does want to work in that sort of hierarchy, what would be the point in forcing it? This mode doesn't require it, it works without commanders, but there is plenty of provision for them and ways for them to be fun if they are desired.

 

basically what i like about this idea is that the current command system is perfect if you have a skilled commander placed in his position for skill and leadership talents and the players respect your commander and the chain of command is set in stone


in an online game, that NEVER happens, even in clans there are deserters

in short, its easy to be counter-productive, hard to be productive

with chrisses idea, the game mechanics push the players into the right direction, being that there is ALWAYS a player thinking to build a rax in time, there is ALWAYS a player doing this and doing that

not because he is ordered, but because it gives direct satisfaction

in short, its easy to be contributive, its hard to be counter-productive

also chris basically just pulled all the things that make empires apart and rearranged them, nothing afaik was deleted but glueing it all together with minor tweaks that would be nice even in current command games (apc squad commander for example has been debated long timely)

 

well im not currently witty enough or sober enough to make a long comment on all the ways I love this idea.. but I LOVE YOUR IDEA CHRIS!

 

I think the idea of a commision based system should be looked into.

Commission could really add incentive to do things like placing buildings for your team. I think you should do more than just commission for research.

Commission for tanks from a non global VF. Commission for spawning at a non global Barracks.

Each player could get limited to how many structures they can move up and place, and handing over the structure to global control (like upgrading it, would cost res to do, and would prevent the building from ever being moved again.) would allow the player to build another, but at the cost of the commission he'd get for the building he just gave to global.

I also think that this type of game mode could also possibly work well if you could also purchase infantry skills, though certain skills, though having some skills should only be available with certain weapon sets or should come with the exclusion of others... (Repair upgrade & grenadier skills in general.). You could do this in a similar way that NS does their heavy armor and jet packs in combat games, by having them on equal levels, and have one exclude the other.

 

One thing I really like in this proposal is having a larger squad aura when the squad commander is driving an APC. This could be implemented right now without any real harm to the balance and would promote good APC deployment.

 

After reading the original post I must say that I really dislike the whole idea.
(haven't read the whole discussion)

-removing commander
This is one of the main features of Empires. There are already enough maps without commander and they often suck. I really don't want much more of these.

-"per-player money pool."
Many players don't like to drive tanks and therefore they have no need for personal resources. Of course some players are wasting tanks. But often it's a tactical need to do that (ninja tank rush).
And this will only make good players better (because they know how to keep their tank alive) and bad players worse (because they will have no ressoucres for new tanks).

-"Buying a structure would mean that the person who bought it gets income when the structure is used."
Then there will be many randomly placed structures all over the map and players yelling to use their structure.

-"I don't like the fact that while empires has a whole load of stuff to research, there isn't much choice"
Not my opinion. I see different research strategies for every map.

-"research should be personal"
This would also make good player better and bad players worse. Research is to complecated to be done by every player.

-"All players also get cash bounties for kills"
Rifle whores everywhere! Welcome to counter strike.

 

I don't think you read it very well because a lot of those points are directly countered by the content of the OP.

Blizzerd has read the OP carefully and as a result he has scored full marks in the test, he will graduate into the next year early as a result of his dilligence and go on to become a successful, attractive businessman who will retire to a private island, and die surrounded by many other successful, attractive people.

A hard cap in structures probably wouldn't hurt, I don't imagine it would be neccesary but it probably wouldn't hurt, so sure add it in if you like. An infantry based upgrade system would also be ideal for incorporation into a personal money system, there's no reason why people shouldn't be able to pimp out their infantry instead of/in addition to buying a tank.

You do get comission for players spawning at your raxes and using your VFs, you also get comission for players using your repair pad to heal their tanks, although not for refits, that's too abusable. I didn't see much of a point in having a 'global/not global' system for large structures, only for turrets and walls because turrets disappear normally when you change class, other buildings aren't class-linked so you don't need one. You place a building and anyone who uses it causes you to get money. With a bit of care to make it hard to block off allied buildings to promote your own (the wall limiting idea I mentioned for VFs and repair pads) you should get people wanting to place structures that are needed (to fill the gap in the market) while structures which are not needed would be economically inviable and wouldn't get placed, so a million raxes across the map would be unlikely.

Also I propose empires be renamed to 'Empires Tycoon' as a result of the changes.

 

*shyness*