12 replies to this topic

[Hobo Dan]

Since Paul is looking into 4v4 for CW, thought I would throw him some ideas. Not perfect I’m sure, so add to this please!

Lore: A valuable asset (could be Person of Interest, could be stolen data) was ejected from transport ship in an escape pod and has crash landed in an unknown location. Trajectory has indicated a 2 km x 2 km search zone. Mission: Locate and secure the escape pod before the enemy.

Gameplay: Using Alpine as an example. Each team starts at opposite end of the map. The Escape Pod has crash landed in a random location approximately equal distances from each team’s starting location. The Escape Pod does not show on the battle grid until a friendly has established a target lock. Using the zone capture gameplay similar to Conquest, the first team to capture the Escape Pod wins. Obviously, capture time must be much longer than capturing a Conquest point of base in Assault, I’m thinking 3 minutes total. If you are capturing a point and come under fire from enemies, the timer stops. If opponents are both in the capture zone, the timer stops. The timer does not reset, so if you took it down by :30 and need to move off to get cover, when you return, the timer will start from where to left.

First team to get the capture timer to 0 wins. 15-20 minute overall game timer. Destroying all enemy mechs does not win, you must capture the Escape Pod. Time out before the Pod is Captured equals a draw. Lore wise the data was lost or the person of interest died in Escape Pod fire.

Could be a great low tonnage mode. May also work with 8v8 and 12v12.

[Joseph Mallan]

Search and Rescue.

Find "target"
Liberate "target"
Extract "target"

Never work. Players just wanna blow stuff up!

[Hobo Dan]

Joseph Mallan, on 04 February 2015 - 11:59 AM, said:

Search and Rescue.

Find "target"
Liberate "target"
Extract "target"

Never work. Players just wanna blow stuff up!

The great part about it is, if you want to "just blow stuff up" then don't queue for this mission. There should be many different mission types that people can take part in. I'd play this mode, that's why I suggested it.

[Davers]

PGI seems very set against introducing random elements to maps. And with the caveat that it should be equal distance from both teams would actually limit it's location to a very small number of grids.

[Nori Silverrage]

Davers, on 04 February 2015 - 12:11 PM, said:

PGI seems very set against introducing random elements to maps. And with the caveat that it should be equal distance from both teams would actually limit it's location to a very small number of grids.

Which is a dumb policy. A little bit of randomness adds a lot of variety.

As far as limiting the locations, that is partly true. But using alpine as a example, you still have several km it could be in. Other maps it would be a much smaller area though.

[Davers]

Nori Silverrage, on 04 February 2015 - 12:18 PM, said:

Which is a dumb policy. A little bit of randomness adds a lot of variety.

As far as limiting the locations, that is partly true. But using alpine as a example, you still have several km it could be in. Other maps it would be a much smaller area though.

On River City the escape pod would be visible from both starting locations.

[Hobo Dan]

Davers, on 04 February 2015 - 12:21 PM, said:

On River City the escape pod would be visible from both starting locations.

Precisely why I did not use it in my example. I figure Alpine, Terra Therma, HPG, Crimson Strait and maybe Canyon Network would be good candidates for the mode.

I suggested random location, but they could very well make 3 to 5 static locations that the game chooses from to place the Pod. I just thought it’d be more fun if it was completely random. I had it land about equal distance from each team for balance purposes but that would limit where the pod could land on some smaller maps to very specific areas. I guess use those smaller maps for other more “blow stuff up” mission types.

[Nori Silverrage]

Davers, on 04 February 2015 - 12:21 PM, said:

On River City the escape pod would be visible from both starting locations.

Yeah, that map is really really small. When you can get shot seconds after the game starts there is something wrong.

It certainly can be a fun map though.

[slide]

I like it.

Could be the first step to making the target mobile, leading to capture/protect convoy type missions as well

Edited by slide, 04 February 2015 - 06:55 PM.

[Johnny Z]

Promotes scouting role, sounds good.

[luxebo]

Joseph Mallan, on 04 February 2015 - 11:59 AM, said:

Search and Destroy.

Find "target"
Kill "target"

Nailed it. No complaints now, eh CoD 360 no scope sniper thingys?

[Logal Dazlar]

I like this idea.

A variation could be a "King of the Hill" style capture and hold. Instead of a long capture to win, it could be a cap and hold for points. Win conditions would be like Conquest.

[Hobo Dan]

Let me add this as well.

While I put this proposal together in a bubble, where it could theoretically be a non-CW game mode, I do have thought out how these small skirmishes can affect the overall CW.

They should have no effect the outcome of a planet switch, but instead, what if the 4v4 missions like this one and a Scouting type one as well effected what planets the faction went after next. Say during a battle window, along with the planets targeted for capture, there were also 3-5 worlds on each boarder offering a variety of these skirmish 4v4 missions. Successfully scouting and completing missions on a certain plant would weight the algorithm that chooses what planet a faction attacks next. This would give Units and PUGs a little more control over where they go next without giving full control as the game would still determine the planets where 4v4 skirmishes take place.