How to keep squads together?
Wavesonics
Join Date: 2006-12-02 Member: 58833Members
Join Date: 2006-12-02 Member: 58833Members
So squads are one of those things that are simply very difficult to have work in a multi-payer game, even if the game rewards it and the players actually WANT to stick together, it can become very difficult to do so.
Think about NS1, you leave the base with a couple buddies, venture deep into alien infested territory far from your base. A skulk attacks, kills 2 of the 3 marines, and then the last marine is left all lone, certain to not find any more friends before he faces another skulk.
But the problem isn't being about to "find" your friends again, in NS1 we had a mini-map which worked fairly well. The problem is by the time that last marines died and respawns, his friends from the original squad have long since re-spawned and left the base again.
So how about this: all marines have the ability to revive recently fallen marines? Like a medic skill, obviously it would take some time so u couldn't do it in the middle of a fight, but if u managed to kill the skulk, you could keep your squad together by reviving them. This should create a much more cohesive squad feeling I think.
Think about NS1, you leave the base with a couple buddies, venture deep into alien infested territory far from your base. A skulk attacks, kills 2 of the 3 marines, and then the last marine is left all lone, certain to not find any more friends before he faces another skulk.
But the problem isn't being about to "find" your friends again, in NS1 we had a mini-map which worked fairly well. The problem is by the time that last marines died and respawns, his friends from the original squad have long since re-spawned and left the base again.
So how about this: all marines have the ability to revive recently fallen marines? Like a medic skill, obviously it would take some time so u couldn't do it in the middle of a fight, but if u managed to kill the skulk, you could keep your squad together by reviving them. This should create a much more cohesive squad feeling I think.
Comments
the marines revive there fallen and keep moving toward the hive, you attack again and kill another 2 marines and die,and you allies also attack the marines and get almost all of them except 1or 2. now the marines revive them all and don't even need to siege the hive because there are no aliens to defend it and your only respawning in at like 1 or 2 at a time. aliens lose <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad-fix.gif" /> . I just don't think its fair is all.
in bf 2142, a soldier gets shot/blown up/sniped in the head, then the medic comes up and zaps him, and WHOOPS like magic he's comletely healthy. get my point?
Now in ns, say a marine gets badly mutilated by alien melee, maybe limbs torn off, maybe chunks of his body missing...i think you get where im going...
as for teamspawning (spawn near team), to me, it doesn't quite fit in ns. maaaybe some marine device that teleport marines one way like meds but sounds like a longshot
there are already phasegates that help marines get around
my best solution is
A. dynamic teams, as soon as 4 players have respawned at ms, they become a team
B. if you absolutely have to hang with your wartime buddy clique, then maybe a spawn delay until the whole team can respawn
C. some indication to wait for rest of team, instead of just running out of ms 1s after respawn
this ofc presumes that the players are actually DUMB enough to not simply regroup/wait, this game is about teamwork, and its up to each player to do it
the marines revive there fallen and keep moving toward the hive, you attack again and kill another 2 marines and die,and you allies also attack the marines and get almost all of them except 1or 2. now the marines revive them all and don't even need to siege the hive because there are no aliens to defend it and your only respawning in at like 1 or 2 at a time. aliens lose <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad-fix.gif" /> . I just don't think its fair is all.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Hmm, one way to address this might be that the marine must travel a significant distance from enemy territory, then have some manner of reviving that would invoke teleporting the dead player to where the others retreated. And certainly not automatically nor cost free. As weird and unsuitable it may be for the environment, it still could be explained as being related to their various teleporting technologies.
I don't really know if I'd be fond of reviving or not. It will depend upon how the game will play. Besides, as long as marines have guns, I'm going to be playing as an alien.
The reviving concept has been brought up before. The previous topic(s) would have plenty of info on why it may or may not be a bad idea as well as ways to implement it.
Plus there's always Lua.
You would have clan, or alliance. Which you'd usually form a squad with.
Now, PlanetSide is based around capturing bases on giant continents, which gives you access to warp to other continents.
Each base has respawn points, auto defences, vehicle spawners, command consoles and... a generator.
Now, your squad would usualyl meet in safe territory, fill up 1 or 2 giant air transport ships, with mediocre guns (im talking 50 people). Then the pilots would fly over an enemy base and shout NOW! and everyone would eject and plumit down to the surface (the roof of the enemy base). At this point the squad would rush into the generator and blow the crap out of it, disabling all activity from the base, including spawns. Then the team would make their way to the command console, and hack it to gain control of the base.
Now, once you hack, you have to hold the base for 10 minutes to gain control of it. And this is where this little story becomes relevant.
If one of your squad dies... the nearest respawn point... is... a LONG way away.
However, in PlanetSide, you get points to allocate to certain things, like medicine, engineering, gun skills, vehicle skills, etc.
Every squad always has a good amount of people with the ability to revive (high level medicine). The down side to this is they may not have as good weapons, or skills in other areas. However, if when the enemy arrives and guns blaze and yuo do die, you can be suer you be back on your feet right there and then.
I think NS2 should have something similar. Perhaps an item like a welder, costing 5-10 resources, allowing marines to revive fallen allies.
Now, this obviously wouldnt be instant. Trying to revive an ally without any cover would probably result in death, as the revive may take 8 seconds to do. The marine would also come back with 100hp, but the same armor, weapons, ammo as when he died.
This will also invoke alien team work. As in "3/4 of squad at horseshoe down! rush rush rush rush!"
Nanites work wonders, gameplay > realism. I don't like the revival in every corner idea either, but I think the nanites allow kinda smooth explanations and effects if necessary.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->my best solution is
A. dynamic teams, as soon as 4 players have respawned at ms, they become a team<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
On the present system it might be a few minutes until you've got the 4 guys respawning.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->B. if you absolutely have to hang with your wartime buddy clique, then maybe a spawn delay until the whole team can respawn<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Kinda emphasises the problem that everything works slowly on pubs already. Once again, it might be 5 minutes until the whole squad is dead again. I can see myself baseguarding for 15 seconds to group up, but not for 3 minutes of valuable time.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->C. some indication to wait for rest of team, instead of just running out of ms 1s after respawn
this ofc presumes that the players are actually DUMB enough to not simply regroup/wait, this game is about teamwork, and its up to each player to do it<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Once again, you might be the only one getting picked off. The regrouping signal itself isn't at bad idea at all, but it doesn't really adress the main problem when there isn't anyone to group up with you.