Missile Launching Pad

- This hasn't been suggested before.
- It isn't on the what-not-to-suggest-list.
So I'm going to suggest it.

Idea: Missile Launching Pad
What it does: It is a structure that the commander can place which contains missiles, such as cruise and ballistic missiles. The commander can select a target on the map and a missile can be fired.
Isn't this overpowered? It would depend on how it is implemented. A possible solution to this could be to make the structure cost 5000 to 10000 resources and make it so that a missile can only be fired once every 5 to 10 minutes.
Will it have its own research? Yes, it could be built containing a standard missile, however research could result in better missiles being created.
Can it be destroyed? Yes, and it would probably be in the enemy's interests to take down the Missile Launching Pad as it could be detrimental to their success of winning.
How would the enemy know of it? Well other than seeing it their could be a warning when the structure is built, for example a message saying "An enemy missile pad has been detected" or something along those lines. There could also be a countdown timer at the top of the screen, in which when it reaches 0 allows the commander to fire the missile.
Empires is already chaotic (), why would we want more chaos? This is war, since when is it not chaotic?
One more thing: The commander would only be able to build one MLP and the timer will only begin once the commander has selected a target on the map.

Pros:
- The commander can have a direct influence in the battlefield.
- It could result in turret farms not being built due to the risk of them all being destroyed.
- It could prevent stalemates in games.
- It could enhance teamplay and tactical thoughts, such that the team would want to attack when the missile has been fired and the commander would have to create strong base defenses form incoming enemy attacks.

Cons:
- The commander can only build one MLP.
- The MLP costs a lot of resources.
- The MLP would require a Radar structure to be built.
- The MLP would be a prime target for the enemy.
- The enemy team is alerted when the MLP is built, which could result in a large attack.
- The MLP requires research to obtain very destructive weaponary.
- Once the commander has selected a target, the countdown begins and the target cannot be changed.

What do you think?

 

I think this could work if the range wasn't unlimited (though with 16x maps this would be even better) Maybe just half the map.

Who gets to fire it though, the commander? As of now, the commander doesn't have a direct impact on battles, which would be changed by this.

 

Yup the commander has the control of this structure

 

this is pretty much a superweapon and a seige weapon all rolled into one. whats more, it's a cowardly attack not much fun to use and certainly not fair to be victim to. instead of being given a reasonable chance to fight off the attackers, you're just losing important buildings to something that may well be impossible to attack. doesn't sound fair or leading to exciting games to me. i still need to be convinced.

 

Perhaps there should be a much cheaper, altough not 100% reliable defensive structure to counter it? It would be initially available (no need to research). The cost could be around 2000.

 

I think the scare factor is what will bring the most enjoyment from this. Knowing that the enemy has created an MLP would be enough to make anyone sh*t themselves, and will cause people to make drastic changes quickly. I forgot to mention this so I will now: The commander would only be able to build one MLP and the timer will only begin once the commander has selected a target on the map. Not knowing where the commander has chosen to attack could cause mayhem and people may begin building a second base. The thrill of not knowing where the missile is going to hit, but knowing that it is going to hit imo is very fun. On the other hand people may decide to put all effort into attacking and destroying the enemy's MLP. I think this is no less fair than enemy heavies attacking your light tanks.

 

This idea is basically a superweapon, and it would be much better if it is placed by the level designer, and capturable & sabotagable.

 

Why would this be? I can't understand why leaving this down to the mapper would make this worth implementing.

 

Because that would make it fun to use, you know the enemy commander can't just plop it down anywhere, and you can use it against the enemy by capturing it, or sabotage it to prevent them from using it.
The commander would still have control, but the level designer will be able to change the map to be balanced, and not just a race to who can destroy the enemy CV with the turret first.

 

oooh, how can we make map entities like that controllable by the commander? or is that a suggestion to add the ability to have map entities like that?

 

It's a suggestion, i'd love to be able to tell the game that a commander can use a func_tank.

 

I think it's a cool feature, but you really have to limit it's range to stop it from being a super weapon.

 

Rather than restricting the MLP to one position, how about restricting it to one area? That way the enemy can have a rough estimate of where the MLP is but not precisely so that if the enemy launches a missile it will not always hit the correct target. Or maybe it must be built within a specific radius of the radar (which would make sense for a missile that depends on following a target).

 

I think it would work as a tech structure, with a range limitation, and possibly a bunch of teritary systems required to make it operate, resulting in a sort of objective based game, but as a buildable I don't know.

 

The limitation of range would be a major factor to consider, also to stop inst win u would need to have it so the missle takes time to go all the way up (like an ICBM) and come all the way done which would make some skill required to fire it and interprite the move of the enemy also this would be a good way of implamenting the air raid sirens that have been previosly talked about, when a ICBM has been lanched the siren goes off on both teams speekers which would also give the enemy time to move makeing balance not so much of an issue.

Also if this is going to be implamented there should be diffent types of missle to recherch, here's a few:

Basic ICBM: your standed ICBM

HE ICBM: greater dmg and area attack better agnst tanks

Chem ICBM: very good agnst infatary doesnt affect tanks (mabe the passangers?)

Cluster HE ICBM: When comeing down breaks into severl missles good area affect weapon good VS tanks.

Cluster Chem ICBM: Same as 'Cluster HE' but does greater area affect than nomal Chem ICBM.

Nuke!: WIN + Perm ban for sujesting lol :p

As a counter you could have anti-ICBM buildings like in 'Enemy Territory Quake Wars' this could stop the enemy comm building one close to your base and launching a 'First Strike' wipeing you out. Could be a good balance and a race for eather like in Rise of Nations theres a race for ether ICMBs or Missle shield which stops nukes being thown at your territory.

So here are just a few to chew on :D D

 

Suggestion: This is basically nukes from Starcraft, isn't it? So, why not make it more like nukes from Starcraft? (I don't mean to say we should just steal from Starcraft; the overall feel and effect would be vastly different in Empires.)

Instead of just being able to shoot it anywhere, you need a scout sitting in one place targetting for it with their binoculars (holding down the button) for it to launch. The scout has to keep targeting for a while for the missile to hit. If the scout stops, dies or moves too long before impact, the missile is wasted, so defenders can search for them to defend (additionally, they get a warning and a marker at the targeted location, so they have a general idea of where to search.) Of course, the scout is likely to be hidden, but this still gives defenders some chance even without anti-air defenses.

In any case, a warning would usually let tanks and infantry escape the blast, which would be good. Not to mention the CV. I would recommend a big red marker on the minimap for the comm at the very least, probably also for everyone else. Possibly you would need radars nearby to get the warning; this would encourage forward radars at vital bases (and would mean that 'quick' forward bases are less solid, since they can be nuked more easily without anti-air and a radar -- I think this is a good thing, right now rushing and getting a quick forward fortification is worth too much. Missiles would have a good impact on gameplay if they can help take out forward positions, but are less effective on entrenched main bases.)

Also, the damage of one missile shouldn't be enough to one-hit important buildings (like barracks.) This way, you'd need multiples (with multiple scouts), it could be repaired between hits, or you could use them just before an assault. Of course, it could take out turret farms easily (although see the suggestion below this one). And needless to say, it shouldn't be able to one-hit a CV, even if they don't run away! These things would mean that a missile would generally be used to weaken the enemy just before a massed assault, encouraging teamwork rather than replacing it.

It should be able to one-hit turrets, APCs (which can run when they get the warning, though), smaller/lighter-armor tanks (ditto), and possibly armories or refineries. Maybe it could also take out walls. It shouldn't one-hit barracks, radars, VFs, and vital buildings like that. (Ok, refineries are vital, but you don't usually lose a vital location just because your refinery went down... it can be replaced as long as your barracks or whatever survives so you still have people in the area.)

Another alternative: Make it so the missiles can be shot down by the anti-air turrets we're getting soon. Then, a scout could sneak in and sabotage those turrets to let you attack a base... but the enemy would have defenses, could catch the scout or notice anti-air turrets being sabotaged, could build more anti-air turrets to make it harder to sabotage all of them when they see the missile being built, etc.

Also, perhaps the missile could be intercepted and shot down by planes, or even infantry surface-to-air defenses could be used on it. Unrealistic, perhaps, but 'cinematic', fun, and would balance it by giving people multiple ways to defend against it.

I think that with these suggestions, it could work very well (the scout targeting may not even be needed, as long as anti-air defenses can shoot the missile down)... but it should wait until after aircraft (which any big suggestion probably has to wait for anyway, since that's what's being done now.) Many key defenses and so on that relate to it also relate to aircraft.

With all these limitations and countermeasures, cost should not be too high. Enough to cut into things, but not so much that the losing team can't afford to give a missile a shot... it shouldn't become just a "win more" thing, that's pointless. It should be useful against people who rush too fast and spread themselves too thinly without laying down radars and anti-air defenses... at the moment, I think the game rewards "spreading yourself thinly" a bit too much.

 

We also shouldn't forget that aircraft are going to be implemented so taking down the MLP won't be an impossibility.

I like the idea of having the war sirens sound when a missile has been launched It adds to the fear.

 

Thats what you have to do in ET quake wars to fire the field gun. But doing this would take the whole idea of giveing the comm a more direct affect on the battle makeing it more fun to be comm.

 

Exactly what I think. It is time that the comm actually has a direct effect on the battlefield and be a class that people want to play.

 

How about making the missile destroyable by aircraft and AA vehicles?So the in has to be coupled with at least partial air superiority during the Missiles fly-time