9 replies to this topic

[Asmudius Heng]

Here is my idea for a more objective based Assault mode that will hopefully appeal to the traditional assault people and the conquest people.


Main base:

The main bases stay the same, but a few nearby objectives also provide some other bonus such as a limited range radar, or maybe it grants the information sharing between mechs, or something significant that your team can do without, but would really WANT to keep if possible.

Taking the main base can still give you a victory, but these mini objectives in the main base complex would be worth an interloper taking out then either moving on to the main base, or retreating forcing the enemy to come back, or forcing the enemy to live without some important command function.

Attacking a base is more than just a win now, it has a tactical objective. Each map might have different mini objectives in the base depending on the style of the map also.

Mini objectives on the field:

This still leaves us with a base assault mode and the usual rush or defend mentality though which is why objectives in the field also need to be added. Scattered around each map similar to the conquest points would be other objectives. these are not game winning objectives - they are purely optional, but give in game advantages worth holding, but not worth your life to hold depending on the situation.

Faster mechs might do hit and run raids to get the advantage of these points, draw enemies away, and give a team who captures all of them a much greater advantage over a blobbing enemy who sits defensively. Capture territory, get advantage in the fight basically.

Some mini objectives could include:

• Artillery batteries: Gives you arti strikes as per the consumable. I would like for the commander to use these only and be on a recharge of one every few minutes. Hardly devastating but useful certainly. (maybe smoke and napalm types too)
  
• Airfield: same as above but with air strikes
  
• Sensor node: gives radar coverage, or LoS coverage. An eye you can leave behind basically.
  
• Mining Node: Same as conquest but the amount you rack up over the battle is shared with the team and does not end the game. Extra cash basically, optional but nice to have.
  
• Capture accelerator: Holding this gives all mechs a slightly better capture rate for all objectives including the main base.
  
• UAV launch site: Allows the commander to drop a UAV on the map revealing enemy positions for a short period of time in a certain radius
  
• Turret control tower: Holding this enables a series of turrets nearby as a defensive node.

All of these things can be recaptured or turned neutral like the mining nodes. People should get XP or cbills for capturing them. Suddenly taking ground has a purpose beyond speeding up a win. You can ignore them if it is not helping your team tactics, or they might be integral to helping them.

Tactical depth, more use of the map, more use for lights and mediums, more use for the commander mode as well.

I have proposed this before but i feel they already have the assets to do this now and it would make the base level game mode much more interesting!

Your thoughts - essepcially any of the devs, I would like to hear a comment if this is even feasible!

Edited by Asmudius Heng, 23 April 2013 - 02:53 PM.

[Neolisk]

As usual, please add a poll with Yes/No/Abstain, as per poll guidelines.

[Asmudius Heng]

Added a poll for those who like to click and not discuss

[LaserAngel]

It somewhat reminds me of Assault in UT2K4 or Advance and Secure from Joint Operations. Then again Joint Operations matches could last 6 hours before later being reduced to 2 hours before map rotation. Respawns allowed, kliometer wide maps, etc.

[Asmudius Heng]

I think the idea can work with the current maps we have, they do not need to be massive. It would simply encourage going to take points not because it ends the game with a win like conquest, but because it gives tactical advantage so you could choose if you wanted to try to take them rather than having to take them.

The size of the map and the type of map should determine how many and what type of objectives there are however. River city is a very different map to Alpine and the number of points and types should reflect that.

More variety than just shooting or capping for a win - but without getting rid of these things, in fact enhancing that experience!

[Atheus]

Seems like another map idea where being a light pretty much makes you a capture machine and being an assault just makes you a death turret with limited mobility making you focus on killing rather than conquering.

I'd rather see a mode that's more about controlling territory rather than having stood in a certain square for a certain period of time. If your team advances to a certain point, you control all the resources behind your position, but if x tons of enemy mechs can sandwich you they can take control of the terrain behind you as well - something like that. Sort of a territorial tug-of war mixed with othello.

[Asmudius Heng]

Atheus, on 05 May 2013 - 10:40 PM, said:

Seems like another map idea where being a light pretty much makes you a capture machine and being an assault just makes you a death turret with limited mobility making you focus on killing rather than conquering.

I'd rather see a mode that's more about controlling territory rather than having stood in a certain square for a certain period of time. If your team advances to a certain point, you control all the resources behind your position, but if x tons of enemy mechs can sandwich you they can take control of the terrain behind you as well - something like that. Sort of a territorial tug-of war mixed with othello.

Effectively these objectives are about capturing territory. Each objective would be at different parts of the map and taking that territory gives you some sort of in game advantage. Conquest is already about controlling territory but it forces you to cap while this mode you could really pick and choose where you want to control based on the benefit that objective would give you.

Lights and mediums would indeed be good at capping these but they do not HAVE to cap these points. Assaults would still advance to attack but what points you hold might determine which would be the best approach to go for.

Light would be about taking territory and assaults about holding it just as always but there are more options and retreating has a purpose. About to get swarmed on a point - get off it, not going to hurt your team overly like in conquest but allows some back and forth fighting if the point has something you need.

Conquest the point just speed up a fight - this might allow some additional tactics to the assault game mode.

As for capturing territory, I think a respawn mode is better for that as no respawn does not really allow it - once you start dying you start dying the territory does not matter. However in this mode a light could get in behind and undermine all the points you have captured making you lose the power it gives you. Isn't that a good thing for fast lights and mediums?

I like your idea but not with no respwn but certainly something to consider with a dropship mode of some sort.

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To expand on that, i would love to see territory control and you drop into certain points if you die ... so you have a tactical option to wait until someone caps behind the lines so you can drop in your assault that is lined up with your lance - or you might decide to spawn right away in a waiting light to go help with the advance, or you could drop into the front line to hold them.

Tactical positioning VIA respawn, not respawn for the sake of respawn but that is a different conversation - thanks for the input

[Atheus]

Asmudius Heng, on 05 May 2013 - 11:03 PM, said:

...

Cheers, and I agree that territory control would require respawns to be interesting. It actually reminds me of Alterac Valley from World of Warcraft, in that sense. Graveyard (respawn points) all up and down a long valley with various resources along the way - you can push the front line forward by capturing a graveyard and win by defeating the opposing team's captain. The more I think of it that would be absolutely amazing in MWO - dropships at either end, repair bays in the middle, resources to fight over along the way. Something like that. You could put 40 or 60 mechs in there and go nuts.

[CDLord HHGD]

/yes

I like most of your ideas (no turrets!). Something worth the dev's attention and consideration certainly. This could also be used in Conquest. Kappa, Theta, Epsilon have these bonuses while the two main bases are the rigs collecting resources.

[Johnny Z]

Excellent agree on everything.