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This is not so much a feature suggestion as much as it is a new product request. Noone would contend that the IW is a much needed element to mission drops, me included, which stands to add great depth and enjoyability to missions. My suggestion is to isolate this IW and Command Console playability as a seperate iOS/Android mobile tablet app, borrowing from the old beloved MechCommander game interface. Though the last MechCommander game was published by Microsoft, Mr. Weismann should still own the rights to the IP.
The mobile app would be provided at a nominal price point, without the microtransaction addons. Each mission drop would have either a single MechCommander for each side, or up to a MechCommander per lance deployed per drop.
The Mechcommander would provide tactical instruction to deployed pilots that would be visible via HUD and tactical displays, as well as in-game text chat that could utilize the built-in voice-to-text engines in the mobile OS systems. Bandwidth limitations on devices that may be attached only with 3G or LTE may limit voice chat. Battlegrid notation (waypoint marker designation, orders, etc.) would be provided exclusively to the MechCommander(s) and would become read-only information sources for pilots in game.
Command options could be assigned to a specific mech or an entire lance and would include:
-Go to Location
-Defend this location
-Attack This Target
-Follow this route (drawn navigation line)
As the MechCommander experiences success, in-game credit/xp can be earned that could be exchanged for tactical commander options such as:
-orbital strike or artillery strike options (removing these module options from pilots)
-satelite observation (providing visual, but not tactical feedback of enemy troop movements)
-deployable decoy units/target lock ghosts (detectable as a fake after extended lock by pilot)
-deployable location-based ECM (short duration)
-deployable location-based UAV (removing this module option from pilots)
-support units
Pilots would still have the freedom to obey/ignore directives and commands from their MechCommander. The addition of a MechCommander should add to the gameplay experience, but not detract from it, and likewise be factored in to auto-balance mechanics (e.g. similar rank/qty commanders on each side).
As an incentive and benefit of obeying your MechCommander's orders, or being a highly effective combatant, the MechCommander should have the option to allocate additional mission XP/Credits to pilots in the drop at the end of the mission. This could be implemented as a ranking mechanism defaulting to the effectiveness rating tallied at the end of the mission that the MechCommander can re-sort based on their own opinion. This would allow mission rewards for role-based play that would be otherwise difficult or impossible to capture via an automated system.
I know of no system that currently joins multiple aspects of a round-based FPS game across platforms, but know of no technical reason it couldn't be done. Piranha Games isn't known as an iOS/Android developer, but I imagine there's no end of talented development houses that would take on the project, especially with the old Microsoft source code being mostly open sourced.
Edited by Stuffteysire, 17 November 2013 - 11:08 PM.
