Caveat: This idea is similar to ones in the Suggestion thread, but hear me out, this is a bit different. Similar ideas: 1. http://forums.empiresmod.com/showpost.php?p=188043&postcount=85 2. http://forums.empiresmod.com/showthread.php?t=5955&highlight=doctrines IDEA: Fully embrace THQ's Company of Heroes system of doctrines as a mutually exclusive (meaning 'either/or' but not both) way of mutating the tech tree and the factions, each game. Description of that system: a tech is 'researched' which prejudices what techs of the research tree that the faction has available, and what base units are available. Doctrines included should be fully tactical, and not strategic. E.g. No doctrines would effect say--research rate, resource gathering rate. Doctrines ultimately affect tactical aspects of the factions---which weapons, vehicles it fields. Pros: Recycles the factions models and basic differences, but allow incorporation of newer ideas as separate tactical doctrines; Allow more new ideas and allow diversification of the factions without locking the game into one single faction. Gives an alternative way of balancing techs than simple costing, because now some techs would turn off the ability to have other techs. Items which were considered over-powered, etc.. (e.g. scoped rifle) can be incorporated and balanced by doctrine (basically faction trades one set of techs for another). Gives more ways to play each side, beyond the vanilla flavor of each. Additional modelling and programming of 'new' units could be avoided by very modest retexturing (doctrine insignias on vehicles/buildings) and alternate scripting of models (e.g. one doctrine would have one set of values for AFV, another doctrine might have a separate set of values, etc...). Cons: More playtesting needed to balance, because in effect there's more factions. Need to generate a list of tactical doctrines and associated techs, as well as the techs it disallows. ******************************************** Assuming there's interest, I suggest the rest of the thread be dedicated to listing *TACTICAL* doctrines and what their effects might be. A short list of doctrines would be prefered, say 3 max per faction. Followed by a short list of possible differences between the vanilla tech tree of each faction. I'd suggest (of course I'm not inventing human history here, nor trying to grandstand, just suggesting): Human Wave: (essentially infantry are cheap, but effective for overwhelming fixed positions). Mobile Warfare: (mobile operations are favored over base operations) Static Warfare: (defensive oriented---walls, turrets, mines, stronger field buildings, bunkers). Paratrooper: (when VTOL vehicles available, massive unit deployment by air, VF can air drop vehicles via the Command interface). Guerilla Stealth: (stealth in all things--vehicles, buildings, and infantry). ******************************************** Worked Examples of tech differences. Obviously many can be invented, take this just as example. The key to doing this successfully will be to take a top-down approach, balancing from the start. Human Wave: (essentially infantry are cheap, but effective for overwhelming fixed positions). 1. Additional barracks called the HQ-Barracks (slightly re-textured barracks) which acts as a spawn point, and also decreases respawn timer of players (increasing respawn rate). 2. Adds 'Conscription' tech to the tech tree with this doctrine choice. Increases the number of tickets available when researched. 3. Heavy Tanks eliminated from the tech tree with this doctrine choice. Mobile Warfare: (mobile operations are favored over base operations) 1. Additional Vehicle factory called the HQ-VF (again, slight re-texture of pre-existing model). Acts as vehicle spawn and decreases resource cost of vehicles. 2. Only one barracks may be built when this doctrine is selected. but the Command vehicle acts as an infantry spawn. 3. Advanced personnel deployment tech is cheaper to research.
