General FreeSpace > Multiplayer
Squadwar will return one day. Get your suggestions in now.
Androgeos Exeunt:
I want to experience SquadWar now that I have FS2 and am old enough to know what is going on.
Charismatic:
Im with AE. I came around when SW ended so I never got a taste of the glory.
Warlock:
Well...my thoughts on a few things:
If you change the default max I'd suggest no more than 6-8 but make that depend on the mission profile. Some misson set ups can be completely voided due to piloting skills of one team over another.
Now granted I've been out of the loop for longer than the game was supported offically....so please bare with faulty memories. One of the issues I recall was, the Demios mission IIRC ...I know it was one of the protect/destory cruiser missions, you could comepletely ignore your cap ship and just rack up pilot kills and win the match everytime due to point count on the caps being seriously under balanced.
Another trick was using the Ery with full load of Kysers and simply long distance gunning transports while another team mate covered you and two others went toe to toe with the enemy.
Luckily we shouldn't have to worry about the old "lag bombing" tactic anymore.
So I'd say one of the biggest things to flesh out, aside from the basic hosting/scoring system, would be mission design. Once you have a set group of missions you can then talor rules to account for possible "illegal tactics" in said missions.
I do agree that some sort of verification system needs to be in place since everythings open source now. Even down to simple table editting needs to be the same for everyone one playing in each and every match.
Random thought: instead of simply a node map that we had in the old days, how about several node maps? Each map is it's own "quadrant" for lack of a better term, each one a different tier in the competition. Once a squad performs well enough to control a certain number of nodes in quad 1, they get moved to quad 2, same for quad 3 which would be the top squads fighting for control. This would allow for a good blend of competition among newer, less skilled squads and upper level squads.
Mav:
--- Quote from: Warlock on March 24, 2009, 07:13:23 pm ---Random thought: instead of simply a node map that we had in the old days, how about several node maps? Each map is it's own "quadrant" for lack of a better term, each one a different tier in the competition. Once a squad performs well enough to control a certain number of nodes in quad 1, they get moved to quad 2, same for quad 3 which would be the top squads fighting for control. This would allow for a good blend of competition among newer, less skilled squads and upper level squads.
--- End quote ---
Good idea :) .
Personally, I'd most want the possibility to select the species a squad belongs to (Shivan :mad2: for me ;) ) , which of course might need special re-balanced versions of the original ships and weapons...
[wait - there's still no dedicated Shivan smiley? *arrgh* - *dies*...] ;)
Or at least some other sort of balancing, maybe only allowing matches with player ratios (2 Terran : 3 Vasudan : 4 or 5 Shivan) or something...
Anyway, that's what I'd like to have in, thank you for reading :) .
BlackDove:
Once upon a time, written by Lightspeed. Most of this I doubt anyone would go to the trouble of making, but here it is.
--- Quote ---IF this is to work, the following things are essential:
-> Full moderation access
-> A properly planned and working auto-forfeit system
-> Automatically generated "maps"
-> Several very dedicated people donating their time
As for throwing around ideas:
I think a fixed "Squadwar" server would be a very good idea. The idea would be a server having two functions:
1) Any SW games would be played on it via dedicated host. I realize people will scream about bad connections to the server, but it would prevent.... certain things.
2) Track the data and generate the according missions.
I also have a bit "larger" concept, I'll try going through the major points here. Note that most of it is insabe gibberish and probably beyond implementation:
Each owned system would slowly build up itself. The server stores a mission file for each system, and will auto generate content in it over time. This would mainly be:
-> Stations
-> Patrol wings with random generated waypoints
-> Cruiser/Corvette defense to blockade the jumpnodes
The ships would carry the squad tag, as in SSXI Arcadia, SSXCv Deimos, etc. The names would be picked from a random pre-generated list. A player will always be represented with the nametag as well, as in, the individual ship will carry the name (or alt name, as it was untill now).
This process is limited however, so a system may very well reach its "maximum defense".
One such system may span a distance of say, 25000 kilometres radius, the according jump nodes at each end.
Each squad will have a main system, which can be altered later on. If a squad has no system yet, they will have to conquer a system (or claim an unused one) which will automatically become their home sector.
There would be several "scenarios" alike to the multiplayer missions. The defending team will know in advance which scenario will be played; the attackers will not know until the actual mission is generated. Each mission would remain unique as there may be different variables (for instance, a shivan attack may (little probabilty however) occur or may not) which even the defending team is clueless about. The defending team will have limited support of the system's fleet (see above).
If the match would "auto forfeit", which is, the defending team does not respond to the attack, a mission will be generated which pits the attackers against the defending fleet (as seen above).
Either case, if the mission is won, the attacking team wins the system, and all ships currently in the system will be destroyed. The system will immediately begin building up defenses of its new owner.
To prevent idling squadrons clinging onto their defenses, from time to time "shivan incursions" may happen as random events. These can happen in any unchallenged system (anywhere, basically) and are, in kind, somewhat treated like a SW match. A deadline will have to be scheduled (2-3 weeks?), but it can be dealt with any time before that deadline. If the deadline is met and the incursion is not beaten back, the system will lose its owner and remain "unclaimed". The incursion itself would be a randomized coop-kind of mission (not too hard). Basically, the players spawn in the middle of their system and shivans warp in. If the shivans kill a specific target (ideally an installation) the system will be lost.
And last but not least... The members of a squad will be an imaginatory attack fleet (i.e. will NEVER appear in-game, and exist only on "paper" and the websites). They will always "spawn" at the home system if they lose a fight. A fleet may be moved at a certain rate. If the system currently containing the fleet is challenged, the defender will have a bonus in defending the system (a fair advantage). The fleet may only move through friendly territory. If the territory of a squad is split up, i.e. NOT connected through jump nodes, all systems that can NOT be reached from the home system will be considered "auto forfeit", which means they can not be defended by the players, but only the AI which currently resides in them. (see above). As soon as the systems are re-connected, the players can jump to the defense again. (which should be a lot better than what the AI can throw at intruders. However the AI is not to be underestimated. A fully built system should stand a fair chance against an attack.)
To prevent a squad from coveniently moving their home sector just around when it's split up, the home sector may only be changed to where the fleet currently is. If the fleet happens to be in the part which was cut off from the home sector, they CAN defend against attacks against that cut-off part (and ONLY that part). However, as soon as one defense is lost, the fleet will respawn at the home sector, and the part will be without players. Another possibility would be to change the home sector to the one the fleet is in, in which case they would respawn there, but in turn be unable to defend the other part.
Because it may happen that the fleet is stuck in the cut off part, and a system connected to the home sector is attacked (in which case the fleet CANNOT defend against it), another mechanism is needed, so it isn't possible to just cut off the fleet from its home sector and then swallow up the rest of the territory, knowing that they cannot return until they lose a fight. That would simply lead to the fleet attacking an adjactent system and losing on purpose. So for this not to happen, there will be the option of "returning" to the home sector, in which case the fleet is, over a short period of time, placed back on the home sector.
--- End quote ---
I liked that.
SquadWar made FS2 kind of a pseudo MMO. This would make the entire process pushed in that direction.
But an entire system needs to be built up for this. This would however be a v2 of Squad Wars.
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