Here is a list of small improvements I feel are needed for Commander. #1: Grouping : Groups should be replaced by Squads. in Commander mode you can save up to 10 different groups by selecting units and creating a group. This is not helpful at all for commanders, alot of Empires revolves around squad obtaining squad points, the only use you would have for groups is if each was a squad. However in its current former that means you'd have to fine every single player of each squad every time somebody joins a different squad and as a Commander you do not have to do that. It should be changed to select squads directly. #2: Commander Building Limits Counters : Buildings/Turrets/Walls Additionnal Informations so Commanders know both how many buildings/Turrets/Walls they have placed and how many they call place. #3: Vehicle Type Restriction : Restrict certain Vehicle types. In many games it is good to have support of artillery when you are making a push on an enemy base, however in public games it is hard to coordonate your team and it often ends up with too many artillery tanks and not enough heavies. Vehicle Type Restriction would allow commanders more free time by not having to restrict the VF and create every single tank themselves. #4 and #5: Research : Saving crucial research time. As a commander it is crucial to always have a research going. But you can't open the menu until your last research is finished. I propose being able to open the research menu at all time, allowing faster research AND giving commanders time to read research notes if they haven't done that before. But who likes clicking? Binds for research would also be great. #6: Binds : Commander/General bind conflict and misplaced commands. Commander and General binds conflict, that is normal. However some commands have nothing to do in the General section, such as Squad Abilities commands, spot commands etc... You will never be able to use those as commander therefore they should not be able to conflict with Commander's binds. Exemple: Bind A to give targets as commander, you will not be able to bind A to spot targets as infantry (I had to make a workaround using custom binds in the .cfg files, check this if you're interested). more to come (maybe)... - Mr. X.
These are all excellent suggestions. However, they are deceptively difficult to implement due to the manner that the gui is currently implemented.
>#1: Grouping : Groups should be replaced by Squads. Not sure how feasible it is in the short run. But I should be able to add support for this. >#2: Commander Building Limits Counters : Buildings/Turrets/Walls I think this shouldn't be too difficult to add (though again, not sure if it can be done in the short term as I am currently just reading the code as it is). >#3: Vehicle Type Restriction : Restrict certain Vehicle types. This one is tricky, but not impossible imo. Adding a new menu would be a hassle, so I think ill just make it so that it is always shown in the comm view. (I want to get rid of most of the sub-menus and drop-down menus anyway) >Allow opening the research tree during research. This one might not be too difficult from the looks of it. I guess ill take a look at that first as far as the commander GUI goes. (Together with displaying max buildings/walls/turrets) >#6: Binds : Commander/General bind conflict and misplaced commands. I should probably add some checks if someone is a comm or not (As with squad leaders). Noted.
I like to think that, somewhere, Trickster just muttered to himself 'but it takes away from gameplay!' and he does not yet know why. And yeah, while simple conceptually some of these may prove difficult to implement. If they are super simple to implement then there are several years of gameplay that need explaining. We can always be hopeful I suppose.
The argument against a research queue is that it would make comm harassment much less effective and decrease the risk of boomtanking.
When Trickster was in control, yes. He had a point that it's a valid tactic, but it's not really great enough to oppose the idea. I don't blame him for it at all, I even agreed with him at times.
Pretty much this. Comm harassment (to stall research, or distract the comm from other areas) is a pretty valid tactic. If people want a research queue they would have to come up with a solution that doesn't negate the value of comm harassment or research stalling through a workaround. Imo having radar damage affect research wouldn't be a fix and would only further incline the slippery slope. Imagine being a defending team on Canyon, and not being able to research anything because the enemy keeps harassing your radar. What I am for though is making the research tree clearer all around so the comm doesn't spend as much time navigating the tree. (Which would make comm harassing a bit less effective, but still viable)
I just want to pop in and say the group thing is nice to tell if your base is sabbed at a moments notice, something I learned from jgf.
Why are we changing the research tree ? Any com worth their weight doesn't even read the branch's they know where to click. If you reorganize you will piss off every veteran com. Queuing research makes it easier for nub com's. It removes any advantage a veteran com has that enables them to watch their team, drop things, build, watch the clock and be there the moment the clock hits 1 second to kick up research. Putting training wheels on everything dumbs down the game. Soon we'll queue up research, wall in the com and leave it to auto-research everything. Why is that better than making a com be attentive and to be there to help the team and keep kicking up research? Fix what needs fixing but maintain balance. Add new interesting things but maintain balance. Vehicle restriction - yes ! A form of LOCK on a single item. Communications is key - I'd like to see squad toggle selection for talking to one or more groups of squads. F1 - toggle on/off squad 1, F2 Squad 2. Initially everything is ON, as it is now. Com can leave a vet squad to their own tactics and drive other squads. Teams should be able to mute squads as well, so if a strong leader is on squad 1 - mute him and work within squad 2. That enables squad 1 to work as a unit without listening to chatter of other squads, and not to talk over other squad leaders. This would require some form of red light that com blinks to request they check in with the com if they mute the com. I don't want to select individual people and assign them to a group. Get on a squad, work with your squad. This would make the game more interesting.
so just to be clear, you are for what candles suggested but did not plan to implement due to the opposition of the community? (i also love that disclaimer candles) in regards to xya's suggestion: i couldve sworn you can select a group by squad... i never tried it but i remember pickled doing something like that as a com... maybe not. all good suggestions that have been suggested countless times before. another good commander improvement would be a notification for refineries. as a text-user it is an issue quite dear to me
I think you can select squads from the unit menu, that thing I don't think any comm in the past couple years have even touched. I thought considering how much free space in the verhicle menu in comm view you could add a list with all the chassis, with numbers and arrows next to said numbers. It would start from one of those little infinite signs, and hitting the right button would first go to 0, to lock it, then upwards from that. By default it would be like now with no further input, but allow people to freely build new chassis up to whatever limit you put. I like it because I'm a kinda set and forget it kinda guy. Of course, I'd like that idea more if heavier chassis used up more vehicle slots, but that's kinda different suggestion and one I don't see much point in, people seem to like their bland heavy grinds. Oh, I didn't read whole thread, but it would be neat if instead of the research comm button bringing up those 2 options plus the timer to just open the research menu and put the timer and cancel research button right there. It would be a lot simpler.
Its not much terrible indeed, though youd need to be careful not to fuck up the values as to not make it mathpires or encourage people to make foodvehicles lategame.
