New Concept For Troops and Fighters

[Shadowstar]

There is also the fact that you can't animate the units, so your troops would essentially appear to be skiing around the planet. Course, alot of people don't care about that...

Then what about atmosphere types? Can you make oxygen-breathing troops have penalties on non-oxygen planets, for instance, they have to use enviro-suits which reduce thier speed and hitpoints (breach the suit and you're dead), and so on?

[Atrocities]

I don't think you can apply penalties like you recommended, but that would be cool if you could.

[Shadowstar]

Proper infantry would be cool but I'm not sold on it. It could potentially add to gameplay, but the existing system supports vehicles better than infantry, and there's really no reason to add infantry (aside from aesthetics), when you can pretty much achieve the same gameplay variety by modding vehicles.

Besides, from a realism angle, if you're going to be deploying your army in different environments, you end up saving yourself alot of time and money in the end by just putting them all in tanks (alien-environment battle-suits for 5 men end up being more expensive to maintain and repair than a 5-man tank). If you want to simulate the actions of special forces squads or infiltrators, that seems to fall more under the area of intelligence than armed conflict.

Now, I could possibly see the value of using unmechanized infantry for militia, since they wouldn't need to adapt to any other environment than thier home environment, which they already breathe, but then I'd give them jetpacks, skis, or some kind of hoverboards so there is some explanation for the fact that they seem to float around in battle. Hey, it may be nit-picky but I like for things to make sense when possible.

[President_Elect_Shang]

The troops sliding around; or hovering, is just something that is. Ground combat is pretty much space combat. Obvious differences aside that is. I wouldn't be willing to say that the troop idea couldn't done. Just that I don't think it could be done using the atmospheres; maybe with the planet types??? It would be very complex...

[President_Elect_Shang]

You would have split the facilities into groups by colony tech. Then give the facilities an ability that augments troops with a certain AI Tag. Then split the troop vehicle the same as the facilities, think the race selection in AST. Then give the troop vehicle that AI Tag. Set your requirement, something like increases damage for AI Tag XX. That is just a rough stab. I don't think it would really work just like I am saying, only that I think it may be possible. Now my head is hurting.

Edit: No set them using Custom Group. I think that would work better. Ok; no more tonight!

[Tampa_Gamer]

I was wondering when someone was going to get around to suggesting this Attached is one of my white papers I had repeatedly bombarded Aaron with during the beta (this one was sent back in September 2005). Anyway, what it had proposed is similar to what is being discussed in this thread. This actually formed the core of my "Ground Combat Mod" I mentioned a few times (but was rather secretive about) that I worked on/off throughout the beta. I have a score of modded files, primitive graphics, balancing spreadsheets, etc. on this if someone wants to take a serious stab at such a mod, but I honestly don't have the time anymore.

[se5a]

ahh so that's what it was!

[Suicide Junkie]

What about a fleets-for-troops feature?

Get your fighters troops and miscellaneous units to fly in formation if you want, but mostly group them so they are easier to manage in cargo.

A "Remove all damaged" button would be nice too.

[PvK]

Absolutely, SJ. I think unit groups are the most comprehensive solution here, though really only do-able by Malfador.

[President_Elect_Shang]

Suicide Junkie said:
What about a fleets-for-troops feature?

Yes that would do nicely!