Comm. Designated Squad Leaders - A Simple Solution
capn_murica
Join Date: 2013-03-01 Member: 183495Members
Join Date: 2013-03-01 Member: 183495Members
I've been playing NS1 and 2 for years, on and off, and I think that, for the sake of better organization, some kind of squad system would be beneficial. I came into the NS2 beta about 6 months before the proper release, so I think I missed the builds in which some squad systems were apparently tested, so forgive me for my ignorance regarding the details of those systems. I searched around the forum a bit and I found some similar squad feature requests that involve fixed squad affiliation or buffs for designated squad leaders.
I propose a simple feature that shouldn't require any change to balancing in the game; commanders designate squad leaders at will, and squad leaders simply appear as leaders to other players: the effect is simply that players on the ground can clearly see who the commander recognizes to be his/her eyes and ears on the ground, no buffs and no fixed affiliation necessary. One forum member mentioned that fixed affiliations make little sense in a game where respawns are so frequent, and I agree. In NS2, informal squads that form one rush at a time are generally all that can be managed and maintained in a pub game. Simply highlighting squad leaders on the map and on the HUD would give players--especially new players--a greater sense of direction and unity in battle as well as a stronger sense of where "the front" is at the given moment, even when the commander has not given a direct order.
I don't see why the feature shouldn't be applied to both sides, either, being that gameplay is not directly effected; it's just another way to make the overall experience more intuitive.
I propose a simple feature that shouldn't require any change to balancing in the game; commanders designate squad leaders at will, and squad leaders simply appear as leaders to other players: the effect is simply that players on the ground can clearly see who the commander recognizes to be his/her eyes and ears on the ground, no buffs and no fixed affiliation necessary. One forum member mentioned that fixed affiliations make little sense in a game where respawns are so frequent, and I agree. In NS2, informal squads that form one rush at a time are generally all that can be managed and maintained in a pub game. Simply highlighting squad leaders on the map and on the HUD would give players--especially new players--a greater sense of direction and unity in battle as well as a stronger sense of where "the front" is at the given moment, even when the commander has not given a direct order.
I don't see why the feature shouldn't be applied to both sides, either, being that gameplay is not directly effected; it's just another way to make the overall experience more intuitive.
Comments
A simply idea/remark on how designate a leader is to add a him in shorcut (exemple CTRL+1) What do you think ?
I think it would be important for those in leadership roles to be notified that they are in those positions so that they know to stay in communication with the Comm. as well as with other players, although, presumably, the Comm. would place someone in that position because those conditions are already being met. Either way, I think it would be best for everyone to be made aware. Also, if the leader turns into a dick because of his/her new leadership role, the Comm. can should be able to revoke the title just as easily.
I think all of those indicators would be great, especially the minimap and big map; it would be great if I could press C and, instead of seeing a sea of friendly soldier arrows, see each front represented by a squad leader's distinctly colored arrow.
The specialized requests for leaders is an interesting idea, as it would place a higher value on the requests of squad leaders over lower-level soldiers. I think a better way to phrase it, if such a request were implemented, would be "squad needs ammo." That way, the game doesn't treat the leader as an MVP; it treats the leader as a representative of the informal squad that has formed around him/her. Come to think of it, this would also add incentive to stick with a squad leader rather than lone wolfing it.
Simple is best. A keyboard shortcut and an unobtrusive button that isn't buried more than a level down in the VGUI would be ideal for designating leaders.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks this would be a cool idea. My favorite thing about NS2 is how much cooperation actually takes place among soldiers; I've never seen another game pull that off so frequently in pub matches. Hopefully a feature like this gets picked up and enhances that quality.
Simple and clear. Aliens can have "swarm leaders" to match.
Defends or attack strategic point just in follow the leader and don't spread alone in the all map.