Development Cycle Archive
Thread: Declaring overt
Holocron wrote:
We're considering adding a command that lets you /declareOvert if you are within 50m of a recruiter or within an HQ.
Reason: spawn camping in the HQ battles is rather annoying.
Alternate solutions? Loopholes with the proposed solution?
I spent some time thinking about this and I can't think of a "problem" that it would cause, since you are "near" a recruiter anyway. Suggestion is fine as is, just keeps people less concentrated.
I'm pretty against the idea of being able to make it extremely easy to declare, like just typing something or leaving that up to a PC. It might be neat for a structure like a covert detector that lets you declare, though. Like a really cheap "field base" with maybe a few low-level NPCs that hang around.
Holocron Posted:
That would let you move in armies of safe people to the location of a fight, and have them all go overt at once and ambush...
-Raph Koster,
FYI, you can already do this. Its called group tef. With 2 overt members safely situated in a remote area, I can move 38 other covert members (comprising 2 groups including the 2 overt members). The 38 covert members move to position in full and complete safety, the 2 overt members follow shortly there after giving them cover. Tada you have just moved an entire army while only risking 2 people.
Bascially the group tef system currently in place is so flawed that there is never a reason to have more then 1 overt in your group. Add to that the fact that if he is revived by a doctor if killed, he stays overt, and you have a never ending perma overt flag for the entire group.
Like some have asked, i would also like to know what counts as an "HQ" for this command to work?
The idea of allowing a high ranked player to act as a recruiter also has some merit. This would give the ranks a little more meaning than they currently do...
Kona_Combine wrote:How about allowing a higher ranking faction member too make some one Overt. Kind of like training. What I mean is, Colonel can make a Private - LT. Colonel Overt. Then you could do away with the group TEF.
Just an idea.
That's a great idea and I couldn't figure out why that wasn't in the game already. It's really tedious having to wait until someone in you group gets attack or traveling to a different planet just to get overt.
I like the idea Holo, but i understand the concerns about going overt while standing next to your target. This would destroy anyone who depends on range for safety in battle.
Would there be any way to create a time lag between declaring overt and being able to fight? It wouldn't need to be long, just 30 seconds or so. That way people would be able to see that an enemy was near and have a chance to prepare themselves before theywere attacked.
Why not put in a 1 minute delay, that way you can avoid getting ganked the second you declare overt.
Another cool idea:
Make there be a new option on factional recruiters called "Declare An Emergency".
This can be done by a covert and costs 100 faction points.
It goes like this:
I walk to the recruiter and select the option.
He tells me "This will openly reveal your factional standing and will summon [imperal/rebel] troops to aid you. Are you sure?"
I say yes.
I go overt and simultaniously 10 factional NPC's spawn right there.
They are not under my control, they just show up.
A recruiter can do this up to 5 times in 5 minutes. The NPC spawns last for 5 minutes and then go away.
This way a group can go overt and have a small army of official troops to back them up at the recruiter. Retaking the city will be up to them but the recruiter area will be a safe spot.
Perhaps it could spawn a 32m radius factional scanner, too. Otherwise 1 covert commando will just walk up and kill all 50 stormtroopers with 1 shot. I'm not kidding about that, either.
Holo,
First off, great idea. I do have a couple concerns:
1) If we cannot declare overt "relatively" easy, it is going to turn this game into DAOC like. What I mean by this is 1 minute battles, 30 minute downtime running to the recruiter. I don't think anyone would like this.
2) With regards to the "ambush" theory..which I agree totally with....Why not color code Coverts as everyone knows who is Rebel and Imperial by now anyways!! hehe Red for overt, purple for your own faction covert, and say green for enemy covert...(only a suggestion but is there really any value of being covert?? )You only become vulnerable for 5 mins doing faction missions so who cares if they know you are covert??
In short, I think there has to be a way to let faction people become overt in a relatively timely manner. Whether that is letting people with rank have the ability or putting terminals in houses , etc...
Thanks
Reddog(naritus, Corbantis)
Also this doesn't really fix the camping issue - "poof - look a red dot 50 meters away - everyone get it". But at least you have more of a chance I guess (and I can't think of a better way) - so it would be better than the situation now.
Hmmm... I might start doing PvP again if you guys keep this up :-)