Here is a few ideas for everyone to chew on (some are not possible at this time I know, but are still attractive nonetheless).
1. After taking ownership of a planet (getting a tag on it), said unit permanently retains it.
2. Planets already owned by the faction can be brought by or awarded to IS units and fought for by (10v10 against AI force) or awarded to Clan units.
3. Different terrain across the planet (forest, desert, tundra, city, etc).
4. Owning unit repairs and restores any damage to the planet.
5. Unit can improve planet by building:
5a. Cities (generates C-Bills from taxes).
5b. Civilian spaceport (generates more C-Bills and accommodates, refuels and repairs Dropships (not in-game yet, I know)).
5c. Factories (manufactures components (a single type only), ammo (a single type only), mechs (a single chassis only), etc (with an actual economy, we could (among other things) help balance the three weapon types against each other)).
5d. HPG Station (generates C-Bills and allows planet to access the market).
5e. Satellite Station (gives more advance warning against invaders jumping in-system to attack),
5f. Radar Station (detects airborne and orbital units).
5g. Orbital Cannon (able to fire on Dropships in orbit and atmosphere but needs an operational Radar Station to target Dropships).
5h. Airfield (operates aircraft).
5i. Garrison Base (trains NPC units (mechs (if not enough pilots are available to defend the planet), vehicles, aircraft, infantry, etc) to help protect planet, especially when unit members are not available).
5j. Mech Bay (repairs and rearms mechs).
5k. Storage Buildings (stores components, ammo, etc).
5l. Planetary Command Center (the unit home base on-planet).
5m. Vehicle Hanger (services vehicles).
5n. Aircraft Hanger (services aircraft).
5o. Fuel Tanks (obvious).
5p. Mech Hanger (where the defenders respawn their mechs).
5q. Farms and Water Plants (to feed the population of the planet).
5r. Oxygen Tanks (allows setting up a base in a vacuum environment (moons, etc)).
6. If someone invades, their Dropship will land wherever the unit flying it decides to land.
7. If one of their mechs is destroyed, the invader will take command of his next by driving ot out of their already landed Dropship.
8. Dropships can be destroyed.
9. Instead of the same maps all the time, the terrain would be continuous (think WoW or SW: KOTOR).
10. Buildings can be damaged or even destroyed.
11. NPC personal can be taken prisoner or as bondsmen.
12. The defending commander controls the NPC units from the Planetary Command Center while the invading commander controls their NPC forces from their Dropship.
13. Have support NPC vehicles, aircraft, infantry and Dropship turrets available to both sides with the option of jumping into their cockpits if they run out of mechs.
14. Raiding and cleaning out Storage Buildings and Warehouses is possible.
15. Victory is achieved when:
15a. The enemy is completely destroyed.
15b. One side surrenders the planet in an effort to salvage what they have left in their possession.
Imagine this:
Invaders jump in-system and the Satellite Station automatically sends out the call for reinforcements ten minutes before they touchdown onplanet.
The invaders detect them and launch their aerospace fighters to destroy the satellites, knocking out the advance warning system but the owning unit is still alerted to what happened.
As the invading Dropship approaches the planet, its sensors will detect more and more of the planet facilities as they get closer and plan their attack accordingly.
Five minutes to invader touchdown, the Radar Station detects the Dropship in orbit and if there are not enough defenders, the call for reinforcements goes out again.
With the Radar Station tracking it, the Orbital Cannon starts firing at the Dropship.
Dropship Aerospace fighters are directed to attack both but are intercepted by defending aerospace fighters.
Dropship takes a few hits, but still lands as planned.
Invaders get to watch as their fire-engulfed Dropship enters the atmosphere.
Invaders proceed to their targets.
Invader scout mech is ambushed by NPC forces and destroyed.
Pilot respawns in his next mech in the Dropship and leaves just in time to run into the defender main forces who destroys him and starts attacking the already partially damaged Dropship.
The Dropship manages to destroy or damage (causing damaged units to retreat to repair) about half of the defending force but is eventually destroyed.
With the Dropship destroyed, invaders are cut off from further reinforcements and NPC forces can no longer be controlled by the drop commander and will instead come under the command of the commanders on the ground.
Knowing the defending main forces are elsewhere, the invaders change their battle plan and assault their main base, fights their way through the base defenses, and destroys the Planetary Command Center and Mech Hanger, cutting them off from further reinforcements and their commander.
Invaders tries to capture mech bays but are forced to retreat when defending main forces return.
A safe distance away, invaders direct their support vehicles setup a mobile repair bay to repair and rearm.
With chance of victory now low for the invaders, they decide spite the defenders and split up and attack various facilities before finally being hunted down and destroyed, but not before they cause considerable damage to several buildings and a high repair bill for the defenders, but they still retain control of the planet and rebuild it.
Admittedly, a lot of this cannot be implemented right now, but perhaps one day...
Edited by Jep Jorgensson, 12 December 2016 - 02:12 PM.
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