2 replies to this topic

[Exzander]

An interesting idea emerged when I was on the TeamSpeak with some other members of the unit I am a part of. For any mercenary unit that someone starts, the owner, or whomever he/she permits, should be able to use the Coffers to purchase/equip BattleMechs that the other members of the unit are free to use.

Think of them as Trial 'Mechs in a way. No individual truly owns them, and you personally cannot modify them, but they are free to use.

This allows for players to use highly recommended 'Mechs that the unit prefers (possibly with the unit colors), as well as builds that the unit agrees on using.

For example, we often recommend the Shadowhawks as good Medium 'Mechs, but find that most of us prefer an AC/20 or SRM build. However, not all of us own Shadowhawks, and the Trial 'Mech Shadowhawk won't be in game forever, and it is also not equipped the same way. If the unit leaders can build a Shadowhawk that is for public use in the unit, this allows for those of us who do not have a Shadowhawk yet to use one with a recommended build.

I just feel that even though the Trail 'Mechs are decent, it would be much more beneficial for new (and in some cases experienced) players to work with different 'Mechs with builds they would likely run on them.

[9erRed]

Greetings,

At current, the Unit is not 'locked' to any player or account, items that exist within it (say the coffers or as you say Mech's) can't be linked to one specific account. There was a specific reason for this design and taken from studying other games and methods of holding assemblies of players and resources.

- As with the coffers, if the unit disbands all items within the 'bank' disappear. If it's reformed, (probably by the same original founder) the coffers that existed at closure are returned. Similar to mastering out a Mech then selling it, if you buy it back, it arrives mastered as before.
- There is no method to cross transfer any items between accounts, effectively stopping any formation of a 'black market'.
- As your proposal would need to assign the actual unit entity as an in game element that could hold Mech's and parts.
- The server checks the players account for accountability of stored items and correct builds before allowing them in a match, where would the 'unit' entity reside? On the server only?
- If the unit founder/leader and creator of these 'held' Mech's goes away for months at a time, are they still usable or need to be 'assigned' to the required pilots by the unit leader?

Many questions would need to be resolved and designed before we could see a function like this.

This sounds like an idea that any real Merc unit would do, have there own inventory of operational Mech's for the units Pilots to use, depending on the mission requirements. But much more difficult to create in a multiplayer online gaming environment.

9erRed

[masCh]

This should certainly be part of the game. What's the point of joining a unit really..

But with this, it suddenly makes joining a unit a good incentive especially for new players.

All inventories should only be linked to the unit. If the unit disbands, then all the mechs linked to that unit is lost forever. It should work this way. Weapons, engines, equipment can also be purchased and stored in the unit's inventory that you can't use in your own personal mechs but can be added to the unit mechs - but let this be implemented at a later date.. having unit mechs purchasable and deployable only by unit members is the first phase - the infrastructure for this is ready - trial mechs like the OP stated.