1
Suggestion:
Most people want to play as a team, even in PUGs, but it is often difficult to share information with the team through chat, especially while fighting. Plain chat messages are also easy to miss.
Implement canned communication system, similar to that found in the Battlefield series of games.
Canned communication options could include useful information, to either team, squad, or nearby friendlies. Some examples, include:
Team wide:
* Enemy Spotted.
* Need help at my location.
* Respond to help request.
Squad wide, or nearby:
* Follow me
* Focus fire, my target
* Roger, Negative
These messages would be reported over chat text, as well as through pre-recorded audio files. Each message, may also create markers on the map, and on player HUDs.
As for details of implementation:
Enemy Spotted
* Contextual, based on information known:
When only the enemy position is known: "Mech spotted at D3".
When detailed info is known: "Assault mech spotted at D3".
When an enemy is at a flag: "Assault mech spotted at Bravo"
Need Help
* Reports player's position to team "Need help at B2".
* Player would show a different icon on the battle/mini maps, for x period of time, or until dead.
Respond to help
* Only available when request for help initiated within last x time.
* Reports position of responder "On my way, coming from C7"
Follow me
* Broadcast to nearby mechs.
* HUD could show icon above mech.
Focus fire, my target
* Place indicator above requesting mech.
* Either allow target-of-target targeting, or place icon above requesters target (in similar fashion to missile icon).
By limiting report information to either class, co-ordinate or flag name, audio files wouldn't have to be created for every single mech type, or change based on map landmarks.
This isn't a new concept by any stretch of the imagination, as mentioned before, it is used *very* successfully in the Battlefield series of games (maybe others too).
Edited by EvoMike, 19 January 2014 - 04:05 PM.
