Redo Mortar: Redo Mortar, make it deployable, higher arc, more splash and or damage. This would make it less "Quake 3 deathmatch grenade launcher weapon" and more reallife like and more importantly more specialised. Original threads. 1 http://forums.empiresmod.com/showthread.php?t=7891&highlight=mortar 2 http://forums.empiresmod.com/showthread.php?t=7898 3 Page 18http://forums.empiresmod.com/showthread.php?t=6744 4 http://forums.empiresmod.com/showthread.php?p=159349 Pros: *Make the mortar less "Quake 3 deathmatch grenade launcher weapon". *Making it able to be correctly used, with higher arc and artillery feedback it would be able to kill people behind walls and in cover sence the grenades would come form such and high angle. Right now it used to direct fire, and then it can't kill people behind walls. *Making it require more team effort, because if you deploy in the open enemy riflemen or grenadiers can kill you easy, so you need cover and then you can't see the enemy, so your team needs to spot targets. And your position is still visible, sence the grenades you fire gives you away. Cons: *Could be overpowered, but that's a balance question. *People would miss their 1337 "Quake 3 deathmatch grenade launcher weapon". Alternatives: *Remove mortar give RPG alternative anti-personal high explosive rounds.
Laser-guided RPG Thread: http://www.forums.empiresmod.com/showthread.php?t=7936 First, the grenadier activates the laser-mode for the RPG. While using the laser-mode, the grenadier can't move nor do anything else. The lasermode makes each RPG-rocket travel faster. You can also lock on vehicles so the rockets will home into their target automatically. pros: Makes the RPG more useful against moving targets. Boosts the RPG. Makes up for the currently hard guiding. cons: Another thing that new players would need to learn. Might be overpowered in a way. alternatives: Make the lasermode only available when the advanced RPG has been researched (would also make that research more useful). Let a scout mark a target. RPG-rockets will home automatically into marked targets.
Infantry research station: Adding a building that gives separates research trees, thus you can research infantry upgrades at the same time as vehicles upgrades, right now we don't got so many infantry researchable upgrades, most people pick tank upgrades. But infantry upgrades should mostly be gadgets/equipment to better conserve weapon balance instead of raw damage upgrades. Like instead of buffing riflemen damage, give him an aimpoint. Original threads. 1 http://forums.empiresmod.com/showthread.php?t=4451&highlight=Infantry+Research+Station 2 http://forums.empiresmod.com/showthread.php?t=7966&highlight=Infantry+research 3 Suggestions on upgrades. http://forums.empiresmod.com/showthread.php?t=4022&highlight=doctrines Pros: *Would make infantry more fun sence upgrades was available, who wouldn't want for example a cluster bomb :p? *Making a heavy infantry force viable, right now however got heavier tanks are almost sure to win, because tanks is the only thing that gets better in the game. *Gives more decisions to the commander = more fun commanding. Cons: *What cons? Alternatives: *Make infantry research a branch in the already existing research tree. *Make upgrades already available effect infantry, like High explosive bullets allows HMG to damage vehicles, make bio mg give ordinary infantry weapons a poison effect against enemy infantry, give bio armour a slow healing effect on infantry, etc etc etc.
Doctrines: Gives a number of doctrines, 5 seem to be most agreed on, that gives bonuses to industry, resource gathering, research time, defence/guerilla or attack. With the ability to switch in game for a cost. Original threads. 1 http://forums.empiresmod.com/showthread.php?t=7655 Pros: *Gives the commander more choices = more fun commanding. *The commander can dictate his teams efforts with doctrines. *More flavour to the game! Cons: *Maybe be redundant. *Hard to balance between making it overly good or negligible. Alternatives: *Making the research tree give doctrine?
Improve order system: Dual order system: Implement dual order system. Give squad leaders a new purple(or some other colour) move objective marker that he can use to guide his squad to the best spot to solve the task given by the commander. Original threads. 1 http://forums.empiresmod.com/showthread.php?t=7672 Pros: *No conflict between commanders and squad leaders orders. *Makes the squads more usefull, sence then the squad leader can guide his squad better! Instead of just being a way to utilise squad powers *With more commands this would almost be necessary to implement, because if a commander gives a defend command at a choke point the best defence position might not be the defend waypoint that the commander gave at the choke point, the commander was just showing what to defend. Then the squad leader could guide his squad to the best place to defend from, a hill or a forrest or something. *Similar in attack, the commander attack command might make the squad players to think they are ordered to rush head long, but then the squad leader can give secondary move orders to position his squad to flank the commanders attack objective. *Less strain on the commander. Cons: *Squad leaders giving their own waypoint to a place somewhere else, ramboing, could be solved by some commander ability to switch squad leader or something similar. *Might confuse new players. Alternatives: *Give commander a second move order command. More commands: Implement more commands like defend/ambush/set up stronghold/raid. Original threads. 1 http://forums.empiresmod.com/showthread.php?t=7672 2 http://forums.empiresmod.com/showthread.php?t=7764 Pros: *Gives the commander more choices = more fun commanding. *The commander can dictate his teams efforts easier. *More flavour to the game! *Squad leaders could more rapidly adapt to a new situation, like attacking might not be the best option if 2 LT early game is coming your way. Cons: *? Alternatives: *?
Engineer visual updates Engineer visual updates. When an engineer has revive skill, all dead players on his team will receive an icon that they can be revived. The other way around, dead players that wish to be revived can see an icon over the head of engineers that have revive. Discussion thread: http://forums.empiresmod.com/showthread.php?t=8211 Pros: Easier to identify engies with rev. Easier to recognize dead players. Cons: Clutter +Alternatives: Nothing, dead bodies mean they can be revived already.
+ Vehicle Customization GUI Changes original thread: http://forums.empiresmod.com/showthread.php?t=8232 Basic Points (elaborated and justified in post): - Add a notification when armor or engine is missing from design. - Combine Armor and Engine selection tabs/pages. - Default to Customization Menu to streamline vehicle creation process. - Implement analog visual system to quickly show the stats of the loadout. This should include metrics such as armor level, top speed, heat dissipation, and overall attack strength. This should replace the current final screen where final stats of the loadout are currently displayed in text. - Give more noticeable notification about special and unique attributes, such as [WILL NOT STALL] for the Bio Engine and [DEALS HEAT DAMAGE] for Plasma weapons - (Optional) Default to lowest tech (standard) armor and engine when previous loadout's version is unavailable Example Analog Bars, Special Property Notification, and Combined Armor and Engine Tabs: Pros: - Easier learning curve for new players - No loss of functionality nor of information available - Steamlined process of customizing your vehicle Cons: - Time to implement GUI - Potential re-works of underlying programming architecture (do some of those screens serve special unknown purposes?) Alternatives: - Keep current design
Infantry PEQ Marker: Add a way for infantry to mark an area that only the com and himself can see. This can be done in the voice menu, a new bind, or a new support tool. Each person can only mark one area at a time to prevent spam. Original thread. http://forums.empiresmod.com/showthread.php?t=8309 Pros: *Helps communication with com. *Lets com know exactly where a player is talking about (A visual reference is worth a thousand words) *Reduces mic spam Cons: *Griefers can get their griefer friends to spam spam a lot of markers to confuse the com for a moment. Alternatives: *Add a "zoom to request" button that lets to com jump to the closest infantry marker.
AFV extra fire-ports: Let Seat 3 and 4 also fire infantry weapons from the left and right side respectively from the AFV. Original thread. http://forums.empiresmod.com/showthread.php?t=9029 Pros: -AFV actually fulfills its role as a fighting vehicle -A fully loaded AFV with grenadiers and/or rifleman is a force to be reckoned with -AFVs promote teamwork! Cons: -Might be overpowered early game (but honestly I would like to hear that statement just once...) -Less AFVs on the field Alternatives: -Only let the Mk II AFV have this feature
Mines don't set off mines: Don't let nearby mines set off other mines. Original thread. http://forums.empiresmod.com/showthread.php?t=9028 Pros: -Minefields are more deadly (a single infantry can't just jump on one mine to clear out a whole field via chain reaction) -Mines can cover more ground (as opposite to fear of putting them too close so that when one explodes the whole field is gone doing minimum damage to the unit that stepped on it) Cons: -No more chain reactions (although this strategy hasn't really been used much since nine-mining got removed) Alternatives: -Give mines a delay before setting them off in additionto this
Pros: -easyer to learn/see all options -takes further advantage of the Local/ global distinction -Simplifies using a comand to a 2 button key stroke Cons: -less room for additional commands ALts: -Squad voice chat -useing a command system like CS of TF with 1-8 options per menu
No Tickets Result In longer spawns not no Spawns (click above for Thread) Ever run out of tickets? Sucks huh. Your now gonna spend 7 or more minutes watching the rest of your team die. Do you deserve this? A map has to end. Do you belong in purgatory? There needs to be a penalty for dieing. My suggestion is simply to make spawning without tickets take 20-25 seconds, and the 5 minute timer starts to trigger your com(not your enemy's) into sudden death mode. Thus A penalty is served and everyone gets to play till the end. Then if both teams are in sudden death for 2 minutes the match ends in a tie. Pros: -Every one gets to play until the end of the match -End game stalemates may be shortened -The triggering of sudden death for one side encourages risky behavior(ninjas and rushes) Cons: -May cause longer stalemates then the current system -frivolous ticket spending goes less punished -Commanders may opt for barracks recycling strategy -proposed Griefers field day Alt: -map timer
Salvaging dead enemy tanks for resourses Engineers can deconstruct destroyed enemy tanks to gain resources equal to the base value of that vehicle chassis. (excluding weapons, armor, and engine costs) original thread: http://forums.empiresmod.com/showthread.php?t=9295Pros: -Allows comebacks to reduce rage quitting. -gives infantry objectives -increased duration of destroyed vehicles gives cover for infantry. Cons: -Coding -increased duration of destroyed vehicles could create roadblocks -prolongs the potentially inevitable outcome of a map Alternatives: -resourses are gained upon vehicle destruction
Plating absorbs partial damage, remainder leaks through http://forums.empiresmod.com/showthread.php?t=9339 Plating absorbs percentage damage dealt to vehicle, and leaks through the remainder. Effectiveness dependant on type of plating and amount, though hull will always receive some portion of damage. As plating degrades under attack, it will become less effective, and eventually expose the vehicle to full damage. Advantages: Increases effectiveness of even the weakest anti-tank weapons against all vehicles. Effective HP of vehicles considerably reduced, as it is now tied to hull integrity Extra dimension toward vehicle armour plate design. Disadvantages: Radically alters current game design and balance. Requires complete overhaul of existing armour, vehicles, weapons, and possibly even map design. Unpredictable, may become harder to balance than the current system ----- Alternatives: Increase overall vehicle hull strength, possibly in relation to armour being applied. Apply a high, consistent rate of damage reduction depending on armour type alone: amount will not figure into reduction.
Large List of Changes to the Scout The main idea among all these suggestions is to boost the power of the scout and change his role to Stealth Assault/Anti-Emplacement original thread:http://forums.empiresmod.com/showthread.php?t=9351 Innate changes: Changes that will be applyed regardless of skills or weapon choice Movement: All infantry move forward 5% faster, strafe 10% slower, back up 20% slower. Scouts move forward an additional 5% faster (total 10% what it is now) and have no penalty to the other movements. Pros: Scout gets a mobility boost Gives advantage to attackers, weakens running away while firing[/COLOR] Cons: non scout infantry easier targets for Mortar because of strafe reduction changes all infantr Alternatives: Give scout +5-10% speed innate or Stamina recharge increase Accuracy: All weapons of the scout suffer no accuracy penalty while moving. Pros: Gives an advantage to scouts while attacking Distinguishes them as mobile Cons: How powerful this would be is unkown Alternatives: Give a specific weapon with no penalty(smg2) Hide: A form of hide that is innate. Is hide as it is now but does not hide from turrets Pros: Gives a scout a small tactical advantage always Cons: How powerful this would be is unkown Alternatives: Only works while not moving Only works while holding Binocs [*]hide needs a shader (think of a water texture over the model) that makes it less visible the lesser you move:-Mayama- Sabotage No longer deals damage over time. A skill would be put in that does Pros: No longer skews the scouts power level, making him appear better then he is Can still half hp and production of building Cons: Can no longer destroy buildings innately Alternatives: Does incredibly little DoT Weapons Changes to weapons. Shotgun not included because that's already planned. Silenced pistol Regular pistol 1 but has the innate effects of weapon silencer Pros: Allows them to finish a weakened opponent without a kill message Can be switched to in order to hide self death messages Cons: Can't think of any Alternatives: Pistol that drains enemy stamina Pistol2 The scouts would gain access to the pistol2s. Gives them more close range firepower if they want it. Pros: Better firepower at close range More variety in weapons Cons: Not needed because of shotgun and smgs Could be to powerful Alternatives: Add them, but with less ammo then usual Add them, but with more ammo, keep scout rifle:RoboTek Scout Rifle Is moved to pistol 3 slot. Pros: Allows some amount of accuracy at range More versatility Sniper is still in, but demoted to a glorified pistol Cons: Sniper is still in Alternatives: Continue with the complete removal of the rifle Put it in pistols, but nerf it more Does bonus damage to Engineers:Alceister Smg2 Give more ammo to scouts. 120 normally Pros: Allows them to use their weapon for longer Cons: Can't think of any Alternatives: None Sticky Stuns Increase default ammo to 3 ammo increase 6. Throw range + 50%. Radius of stun Increased to mine explosion radius. Fuse removed. Throws with right mouse button, Detonates with left button. Can stick to any surface. Adds Concussion effect to turrets. Add Concussion flash. Deals 50% less damage. Can have 6 set at any time. All stuns removed on death. Pros: Allows scouts to set traps for vehicles Allows a scout to set a turret field to disable Damage reduction prevents stacking for mega damage. Cons: Stun on ground traps could be too powerful stun effect might be too deadly with the extra throw distance:RoboTek Alternatives: Reduce damage by 75-90% of what it is now Don't add concussion flash Concussion Grenades Disables turrets for longer. Drains stamina from affected people, so that they're winded Pros: Allows a scout to better disable turrets Allows a scout to cripple an enemy group Cons: Annoying Alternatives:Continued below
Hit the character limit for the first post. Split it into 2. original thread:http://forums.empiresmod.com/showthread.php?t=9351 Skills Changes to Skills "Improved Sabotage" Would add 2.23 valued DoT to sabotage. Halves time to sabotage. Would trigger "This is under attack" messages Pros: Sabotage becomes much more effective, but requires a skill slot Cons: Sabotage becomes too powerful... again. Alternatives: Reduce the Damage over time No DoT at all, reduces building hp to 33% and increases the disable "Improved hide" Would be hide as we know it now but allows short bursts of squad hide running. Amount of time spent hideing would be determined by a bar. Bar would charge while hiding normally in 20 seconds. Would start to deplete when standing up. Would deplete in 10 seconds. Pros: Would allow for faster infiltration, Stealthier actions. Cons: Can't Think of any Becomes significantly harder to secure a location against scouts:RoboTek Alternatives: Would always hide (comes off normally) Different amounts of time for the squad hide [*]hide needs a shader (think of a water texture over the model) that makes it less visible the lesser you move:-Mayama- Enhanced Senses Gets +50% range. Detects buildings and vehicles as well Pros: Increases its usefulness Cons: Cant think of any Alternatives: +25% range Gets -30% range. Gets +70% range in view cone: Ounin Radar Stealth Maybe change name to "Detection Jamming". Would render the user unable to be spotted by infantry commands, Commander targets, cameras, radars and turrets. Pros: Increases the scouts ability to ambush and assault Allows scouts to be useful while driving A counter to turret farms Would allow assaults to continue with turrets on both sides Cons: Power level unknown Could devalue turrets too much (unlikely) Alternatives: Only works while on foot "Silence Gear" Replacement for Weapon Silencer. Decreases weapon noise to 20% of regular. Removes muzzle flash. Running makes no sound. Still hides kill/death messages Pros: Silences more Harder to tell where a person is from sound Where bullets are coming from is harder to tell Cons: Can't think of any Alternatives: Allows fireing while staying hidden (muzzle flash and silencing still there) Vehicle Speed Increase to 20% speed, Increase vehicle reload speeds by 20%, Increase ammo rearm speed by 50%. Pros: Allows scouts to be useful while driving Allows for hit,run,rearm, hit tatics Cons: Power level unkown Alternatives: Values changed to 15% 15% 30% respectively 20% speed only:RoboTek
Squad Leader to Elect Successor Original post Simple Idea: Before a Squad leader leaves a squad he can optionally put someone else (in his squad) in charge. If not, it just defaults back to empire's default behavior of choosing the next squad leader. How to do this? Why not just allow him to highlight someone in his squad before he leaves? That person becomes squad leader Pros: -No more yelling at everyone to leave a squad so that so-and-so can become squad leader -No more trying to kick everyone else out so that so-and-so can become squad leader -Faster for people who want to leave a certain person in charge of squad powers Cons: -If your squad leader really really hates you despite your idea for using squad powers, you can no longer hope he accidentally leaves and the system puts you in charge. -Make it a seperate button
High Impact Weapons +High Impact Weapons original thread: http://forums.empiresmod.com/showthread.php?t=9524 Adds a MG, a cannon, and a ML that emphasize this game's physics engine. Weapons do high burst damage, but also have a long reload time, making them overall weaker than other weapons. This weapon would be considered to be a tactical weapon, like plasma, for disrupting enemy lines and rushes.(details found in original post, but does not have to be in mechanical engineering)Pros: -takes advantage of the physics engine -Provides a high degree of entertainment (which is highly important to a game) -Adds variety to 3 slot weapons. -Map Geography is given tactical value. Cons: -Highly capable of being used to exploit natural map boundaries. -Capable of being abused against the team if organized correctly by more than one person. Alternatives: -Provide toned down, two slot variants for mid game use.
Skill Swap original thread: http://forums.empiresmod.com/showthread.php?t=9736 Switch the skills "Vehicle Damage" and "Vehicle Armour". The skills seem to be out of place with the rest of the classes skills. Rifleman have dig in, Innate armour and armour squad power. Grens have 3 different types of explosives, and 2 squad powers that increase or deal damage. Pros: Skills are more in touch with the rest of the classes skills/ability's. Allows an increase in grens anti armour capability's (see below) Cons: none Alternatives: None Vehicle Damage original thread: http://forums.empiresmod.com/showthread.php?t=9736 Functionality is changed to "15% of the damage you inflict to vehicles is dealt to their hull". This change only makes sense if the skill Is swapped to grenadier(see above) Pros: Increases grens anti armour capability's Cons: Would require more balance while in vehicles Alternatives: Only works while on foot Only works while in a tank Vehicle Armour original thread: http://forums.empiresmod.com/showthread.php?t=9736 Amount of damage reduced, increased to 20%. Give this to rifleman (see above) Pros: Would increase riflemen's ability to use tanks Cons: none Alternatives: Buff this anyways if it doesn't go to rifleman Ranged Rifle->Tracer Rifle original thread: http://forums.empiresmod.com/showthread.php?t=9736 Spread while moving gets changed to 20% of what it is now. Damage gets reduced by 20-50%. With a succesful hit, the foe who gets hit would lose all stamina(so that they're winded) and would show up as a Red comm-like target for the scout. If the foe is an engineer, they lose 50 tool ammo. The person would also show up on the minimap for others (mainly so that you don't get random targets whenever a scout shoots someone). The rifle is moved to a pistol slot or 4th slot as a selectable instead of binoculars. Pros: Ranged Rifle is no longer a primary weapon. Additional disabling capability for the scout Cons: Ranged rifle is no longer a lethal weapon Alternatives: Damage is reduced to 1. The rifle is moved to 4th slot as a selectable
Cameras & Radar change. original thread:http://empiresmodforums.com/showthread.php?t=9930 Suggested changes: -Cameras reveal hidden scouts for 3 seconds every 20 seconds. -Yes, the scout gets the orange diamond on his body. -The radar reveals enemy buildings, this always shows on the minimap. Pros: Helps fight hidden scouts in your base without being a scout. Makes radars useful. Makes cameras slightly more useful. Cons: Reduces the advantage a scout has. Reduces ninjaing, but since this is 99% of the time soloing, it's not too bad. Alternatives: None.
