60 replies to this topic

[9erRed]

Greetings,

I understand that some of the advanced features of the CmdMap, (arc's,overlays.) would normally only be used as a ROM after-action feature for playback of the battle. [and then at the Upper Command level or for company training] And possibly something PGI could/might think about for there recording options.

- Use of this Command Console needs to bring a large benefit to the Company to actually mount this asset.

Having access to elements that no other Mech or Pilot has, elements that could play a pivotal role in the battle if used correctly. Abilities to see what single Mech's cannot, and the reason for the restriction on what Mech's can mount this feature.

I can understand why PGI has held back development of this item, as it could be a game changer if given too much. And most of the strategic assets that it requires are not fully designed yet.
- Once Planetary Warfare is brought into the game we will need many of these Command abilities that this element should have.

The OP's idea for a maintained list of enemy chassis is great, but should not be a function of the Command Console.
- An advanced C1/C3 option would be a better location to place it and would fall into the player specialization roles that will soon be arriving. (possibly under the scout/command role, to be relayed back to the company for all to use. - loose you scout/s loose the update/info feature)
- So your enemy Mech info now becomes a two phase requirement and not a single mech all info gather.

In our current battles most of this info on chassis types is not used as it should be, mostly due to the small battle fields, types of match's. [Conquest, Assault, Skirmish] and lack of Comms. And the battle normally flows too fast to be of immediate relevance, but as we move into extended battles and multi missions we are going to need current enemy elements identified and shown.

9erRed

Edited by 9erRed, 03 February 2014 - 03:01 AM.

[Perjel]

The simplest way to make it useful: The "B" key is for battlegrid. Only command console equipped mechs-pilots have acces to that key, no other.

[Adran]

Perjel, on 05 February 2014 - 08:15 AM, said:

The simplest way to make it useful: The "B" key is for battlegrid. Only command console equipped mechs-pilots have acces to that key, no other.

That just nerfs everyone, it doesn't make the Command Console useful.

[Shepherd]

I'd love to see the command console extend the lance information pane that's in the upper left of the screen. It could add two more boxes for the other two lances in the company.

I'd also like to see an "in between" view of the battle grid. You have the little one in your HUD, and you've got the big one that is the proper battlegrid. But what if Command Console gave you a grid that's just as big as the battlegrid one, semi transparent and "on an angle" as though you're viewing it from a 45 degree angle as opposed to 90 degrees overhead. That way you can still see and potentially fight with the grid up, for those situations when you really need to put down an order on the battlegrid but can't afford to go totally blind to do it.

[Dorian Corona]

Interesting thread Crackerbox (OP). I think that since they're developing a compass, that should take care of some of the comms issues. The original post goes a step further though, and I like it.

[Throtter]

Hello all,
Adran made a good point that in the lore th C3 is used by w second person in the mech (remember the Cyclops assault mech).
The diea of having a person not piloting a mech himself, but being the tactical commadner has been mentioned before as well and I like that very much. You could even combine it and virtually put that person in the mech with the command console. So one person piltoing, the other is doing the tactical work and when the mech goes down, the commander is gone as well.
As for what it could do (provide additional enemy informaiton, satellite uplinks, etc.) there have been many great ideas, and I hope we will see a few of them soon.

[Mao of DC]

I like this idea very much. I have been asking about possible CC functions since closed beta. Both on the forums and to the devs directly if I catch them in a match with me. You guys did forgot to mention one other chassis that traditionally was a commander's mech, the Battlemaster!!! I quote http://www.sarna.net/wiki/BattleMaster below.

BLR-1Gbc
A variant of the 1Gb, this model dropped three heat sinks to incorporate a Command Console.

[Perjel]

At this point, I think the Command Console is too big bite for the developers. If they want to put all necessary data what we need and/or want, that woud be a game in game. Some kind of Mechcommander in the Mechwarrior Online. I think this game is not capable to deal with this console. Too much time and resource to develope, and very little percent of users will use it. And at least, I think the command console could be useful very little in company vs. company gameplay, but the true value of this console comes out, when divisions match each other in a much longer (in time) and bigger (in area) skirmishes.
Planning, and reacting in this kind of game requires time. And there is no time in this kind of gameplay. If you stop to think, an entier lance (or squadron, not sure which is the english version for four mechs), could be killed, and you can't avoid the other 8 to be killed. If you know what I mean.
I would be very happy to see any kind of use of this command console. I've already bought a DC Atlas, but stripped down the mech once, and now I can't even find where is it (I could sell it, because that is showing up in my inventory), so I can't even mount it...

[OldCowboy]

I really like the idea of throwing two people in a mech with one as the commander. I think this would be very useful in a match and an extra skill tree would obviously be put in place for this kind of use with higher rankings giving you more advanced features.

Basic could be just simply having the map overlay we have now by pressing b with all the normal functions we have now. The only advantage you have here is a 13th warrior that has eye's on all this data all the time with the ability to give commands individually or too specific lances and so on. Which I believe we have now but u pretty much have to park your mech to do it.

An unlock able skill with a possible module required could add the functions the OP mentioned.

More unlock able abilities could include:
No line of site required for dropping standard arty/airstrike(commander launches it from his map)
Ability to reposition upgraded uav's at the cost of UAV duration
Ability to view weapon load out(and ammunition levels with an upgrade) of teammates
Able to view paper doll damage on teammates not just %


It doesn't all have to be about more enemy info. You should know at least as much or more about your own team if you want to command them against an enemy.

[Colby Boucher]

Dirus Nigh, on 13 November 2013 - 01:50 PM, said:

This is a good idea for either the command console or the C3 slave network.

The devs have stated that the C3 slave network is assumed to be on all mechs allready. But yeah, the OP's and Carrion Crow's ideas seems like a cool way to tie things into cannon and give coordinated teams a genuinely useful piece of equipment. PGI, PLEASE USE THIS! I BEG OF YOU!!

Edited by Colby Boucher, 24 February 2014 - 02:53 PM.

[Girth Fillmore]

It sucks that amazing ideas like this most likely end up fading into memory rather than seeing any sort of encouragement from the dev team. Have they seen this thread? No idea.

They're obviously planning SOMETHING for the command console but it's probably so far down the list that it's been forgotten and remembered a number of times during the cycle.

[phalanx]

Crackerbox, on 13 November 2013 - 10:52 AM, said:

A lot of us around here want to have the scoreboard populate when you see and enemy mech. A lot of us want a way to the Command Console to be useful.

So here's my line of thinking:

Last night I was involved in coordinating 12 man drops and we were - for the most part - able to focus fire fairly effectively and have a good idea of what enemy composition was on our own, but it would have been easier with a way built in to keep track of it without looking at a scoreboard (like proposed in other threads)




I mocked up an example of my idea. It's simple (at least to make sense of) and I would definitely give up 3 tons of my mech for the ability for this kind of information to be at my fingertips.

With the way things seemed to be balanced in MWO, I had some ideas on how to make it work without overproviding information on the enemy team (and contribute to the pillar of Information Warfare):

- The Command Console only displays information to the mech that has the CC installed. No brainer.
- The Command Console display is populated when a friendly target lock is held long enough to provide information on a target.
- The Command Console display only updates while an enemy mech is targeted. For example, if the Atlas in the scene lost its target lock on the Commando and the Commando took damage from another source, the % HP left would not be updated in the Command Console display until a friendly target lock was established again.
- While under the effect of enemy ECM, targeting information will not be updated in any way.

While I'm sure more features could be implemented using the Command Console, this alone would provide field commanders with the information ammunition to make critical battlefield decisions without having an game-breakingly significant advantage over commanders that choose not to use it.

This.

Along with +1 Module Slot would make the cost of the Command Console worth it.

[dak irakoz]

Yeah!

[phalanx]

Let our powers combine!

Carrioncrows, on 13 November 2013 - 04:41 PM, said:

Tack this on as well.

While in the battlegrid you would be able to see all 'Actively targeted and scanned enemy mechs" so you could see where they are at (So long as your team has them targeted or spots them) and see what loadout they have.

All in the battlegrid.

Then you could prioritize enemy mechs. For example, Atlas - Highest priority, public enemy number 1, and then down on the list.

Or even assign a lance to engage particular targets. Whenever those friendly mechs had that priority enemy target within view their icon would should purple or Red + yellow around the target letting them know that your commander wants them to go down first.

phalanx, on 03 June 2014 - 07:01 PM, said:

This.

Along with +1 Module Slot would make the cost of the Command Console worth it.

I only removed that which I think that can be dealt with by the command wheel that is in development.

With all of this, the CC will no longer "Targeting Computer Lite",

For the sake of balance, perhaps the higher tiers of Targeting Computer should be able to provide this benefit to Clan Mechs.

[Anyone00]

My opinion on what the command console should do(not all ideas are original; all values are semi-arbitrary); All of the following:
1) Increased internal structure hit points of the cockpit.
2) Passive command "aura" that extends out 300m and is only active if the mech with the CC is the designated lance/company commander; only affects lance mates.
Sensor range: +5%
Time to gather target info: -15%
Lock on target time: -10%
3) Active ability (requires being the designated lance/company commander): Designate Target
Designate a single target and all lance mates that attack (or tag/narc) it recieve a small C-bill and XP bonus.
4) Active ability (requires being the designated lance/company commander): Saturation Point
Sets a point on the overview map that can be locked onto by lance mates; any lrm fired at the Saturation Point will have their spread will be greatly increased.
5) Command Module Slot
Instead of a generic or preexisting type of module a new class of module. For example:
i) Bärenjäger - lance mates withing the command "aura" do 10% extra damage and 20% critical rate to the rear sections to a designated enemy also within the command "aura".
ii) Kaninchen-Jäger - lance mates withing the command "aura" have a much higher chance to hit the legs of a designated enemy also within the command "aura" that go faster than 100kph with SSRMs.
iii) Fire Base Uplink - Lance mate activated artillery strikes will track a tag laser from a lance mate within 90m of the smoke plume.
iv) Active Missile Tracking - Lance mates' AMS within the command "aura" are 20% more effective.
v) Improve Info Sharing - increases the effect of lance mate's TAGs and NARCs among the lance.

Edited by Anyone00, 25 July 2014 - 11:23 AM.

[phalanx]

Carrioncrows, on 13 November 2013 - 04:41 PM, said:

Tack this on as well.

While in the battlegrid you would be able to see all 'Actively targeted and scanned enemy mechs" so you could see where they are at (So long as your team has them targeted or spots them) and see what loadout they have.

All in the battlegrid.

Then you could prioritize enemy mechs. For example, Atlas - Highest priority, public enemy number 1, and then down on the list.

Or even assign a lance to engage particular targets. Whenever those friendly mechs had that priority enemy target within view their icon would should purple or Red + yellow around the target letting them know that your commander wants them to go down first.

phalanx, on 03 June 2014 - 07:01 PM, said:

This.

Along with +1 Module Slot would make the cost of the Command Console worth it.

Crackerbox, on 13 November 2013 - 10:52 AM, said:

A lot of us around here want to have the scoreboard populate when you see and enemy mech. A lot of us want a way to the Command Console to be useful.

So here's my line of thinking:

Last night I was involved in coordinating 12 man drops and we were - for the most part - able to focus fire fairly effectively and have a good idea of what enemy composition was on our own, but it would have been easier with a way built in to keep track of it without looking at a scoreboard (like proposed in other threads)




I mocked up an example of my idea. It's simple (at least to make sense of) and I would definitely give up 3 tons of my mech for the ability for this kind of information to be at my fingertips.

With the way things seemed to be balanced in MWO, I had some ideas on how to make it work without overproviding information on the enemy team (and contribute to the pillar of Information Warfare):

- The Command Console only displays information to the mech that has the CC installed. No brainer.
- The Command Console display is populated when a friendly target lock is held long enough to provide information on a target.
- The Command Console display only updates while an enemy mech is targeted. For example, if the Atlas in the scene lost its target lock on the Commando and the Commando took damage from another source, the % HP left would not be updated in the Command Console display until a friendly target lock was established again.
- While under the effect of enemy ECM, targeting information will not be updated in any way.

While I'm sure more features could be implemented using the Command Console, this alone would provide field commanders with the information ammunition to make critical battlefield decisions without having an game-breakingly significant advantage over commanders that choose not to use it.

Bump for Great Justice!

Edited by phalanx, 03 October 2014 - 11:22 AM.

[Aeromaxout]

Another bump for this idea. Simply love the idea!

[Rho Treska]

A bump for this idea, and an opening for speculation.

How hard would it actually be to:
1) Allow a spectator to join a match as Commander if one of the Mechs carries a CC, and bind him to that Mech? (Updated models and visuals for a dual cockpit Mech can come later.)
2) Give him access to that teams comms and Battle Grid, maybe with target's designations and chassis displayed once scanned by a team member?
3) Add a simple Draw Tool or LMB/RMB circle menues so he can give orders, priorize targets, and speculate about enemies nobody can currently see?
4) Restrict the number of CC equipped Mechs to one for each team?

In my eyes, point number 3 is the vital part. No fancy new map, no grossly extended information, just a guy or gal who does the brain work while everybody else is dodging (and hopefully returning) fire. The Commander has to work for his CBills too.

A skilltree for commanders has been mentioned earlier. Unlocking abilities like a Satelite Sweep or Saturation Point doesn't sound half bad. The latter could be visualized by the Command Mech firing a Marker in an arc over the map, which is hostile and therefore targetable for the team.

I hope there's some fight left in this old thread.

[Cptn Goodvibes Pig of Steel]

From what I understand in regard to the command console, I'm more inclined to look to exactly what the extra crewman in the mech cockpit would actually be doing? So yes, whilst I agree with above idea, I am not altogether sure about the availability and viability of having the odd spectator. Though not sure whether this is practical, but could we somehow automate this function? Let's assume that there is an extra crewman in the command console who is constantly communicating and relaying information back to other mechs within the unit. This crewman in the command console has a link to other mechs within the formation and monitors those mechs, in addition to his own mech. From this, we consider that whilst functional upon the battlefield, all extended lock advantages, seismic sensors and target detail information gained by any individual mech in the formation is not just limited to that mech, but available to all the mechs in the respective formation. This is instantly shown the mini-maps of all the mechs within the formation. If the command console is destroyed, then things drop back to normal. Nice, neat and simple. This way, the command console becomes very valuable and well worth the three tonnes.

[Greyhart]

I think this is good idea.

Also like the idea that it is a way that things like radar enhancements like seismic sensors are shared within the lance.

This would allow greater team co-ordination