How can we make commanding more important?

Commanders don't have enough important things to keep them busy. When a commander exits com mode, the team should suffer. Distracting the com should be an essential strategy that works on every Empires match. Inversely, a team should directly benefit from having a person in the CV in com mode.

So what other essential tasks can the commander do that require constant attention?

• Perhaps player carry-able ammo could be decreased and the commander could drop ammo pods from an unseen satellite. Footsoldiers would need constant drops to continue any operation, more than engies can currently supply.
  
• Maybe the commander could drop other pods near friendlies that function as one-use spawns (a la helljumpers).
  
• Perhaps the commander could trigger an automated (destroyable) UAV that would fly over a random part of the map, targeting all enemies below it.

I'm imagining all these tasks would be controlled by time, not money (kind of like the recharging energy on the repair tool). The com would be encouraged to constantly use these tools. If the com is distracted, the team could be severely hampered.

What ideas do you guys have that could encourage a com to increase the importance of being in com mode?

 

Destructible UAV that does autospot ftw, suggested it before. Anything to give the commander some battlefield presence is nice. It should require a radar.

Targets were poorly implemented. Targeting done correctly would strengthen the RTS-FPS player dynamic but not add so much advantage as to be over powered.

 

how to make comm more important? hes already the most important player and objective.

 

I see that your very passionate about this subject. I look forward to hearing more of your opinion. I'd like to show you a few quotes (my emphasis added) from Trickster concerning the workload of Empires commanders.

You heard from the big man. Coms have such a dearth of responsibilities, we can't even have Engy Dropable Refs because coms wouldn't be busy enough without them. Coms need more things to do.

 

You're both right, the poll could've been worded better. I was trying to talk about Trickster's com distraction strategy. If the com being harassed, he has to leave com mode and deny the team commander support (refs, research, etc.). Check it out:

 

ImSpartacus, record a game of you playing the commander. There are dozens of free recording tools, or you can even just type record <name> in-game.

 

demoing doesnt work in command mode

 

That's a good point. I agree that chatty coms can definitely improve a team's performance.

Never the less, Trickster doesn't think it's enough. Perhaps we could try to help that lone engy a little more?

Maybe in addition to dropping a few walls, the com could spend some of his recharging power bar to send a drop-able pod with a few consumable (i.e. finite) health packs.

I see com powers as an expensive way to make up for a lack of teamwork, not replace it.

I was only repeating what Trickster said:

Is Trickster a bad com? What improvements could he make? Personally, I think he's a pretty damn good commander.

So this pretty fucking effective com thinks that commanders don't have enough responsibilities. That completely eliminates skill from the discussion. All commanders, good and bad, need more to do.

 

...

I give up.

 

Don't bother Jephir.

 

Oh it seems like he's not afraid of me, only Trickster...

 

I'm not sure how you managed to pull my quote out of context, but the one in your sig was a reply to aaa50

But if it helps, I think you're equally wrong.

 

Is the commander already the most important player in a team? I mean, if he doesn't do his job, the team pretty much loses, right? Shouldn't you want to make sure that the commander alone doesn't decide whether his team wins or loses.

 

Only thing Commanders need is a reactor failure when they die that takes out everything in a 9 sector radius.

 

What about that UAV I mentioned in the first post? I admit that it was just a two minute brainstorm, but it's not horrible.

It could be triggered every minute or so.

It would fly around a random part of the map until it's destroyed or a certain amount of time has passed.

I figure most times you use it, it doesn't reveal much or gets destroyed too soon. But maybe a few times a game, you might get lucky and have it fly over a front or enemy main.