Development Cycle Archive
Thread: IC 1-14: Combat Roles; Squad Leader
i agree. i used to be a squad leader and i think there whould be at least 1 combat tree. with specials like group bodyshot and stuff like that. since volley fire doesnt work that good(from what i heard).
also sl needs more skills. like group wp(so everyone in the group can see the wp). i think with a sl in a group he/she should have a command that will have everyone form a formation when going into combat.
Fud25 wrote:
I hope Squad Leader gets revamped, like Chef.
It is one of the few professions thats going to. You just have to wait a bit longer.
Only one thing.
The Squad Leader should be the only role allowed to have several faction pet at a time.
I see him as a CH for faction pet.
Players could be added in the maximum level.
We are Squad Leaders and no 4 Star Generals
Remember, It's not just a game. It's a monthly Expence. Okay, I have read more posts now. And I see most of you have laready thought of squad leader troopers (pets).
Now all that needs to be done is to get the dev. Team to agree and implement it with the 7th installment.
I think thay still have time to do that. And test server it.
Now for the role of a squad leader in a group of players. There is one Basic rule for leading any operation. Eather in game or in real life. Keep the commanding officer out of the fight. In almost all command structurs the commanding office is cept away from the main operation giving orders and handling events as thay change. To do this will need to find a way to expand the raidar grid some so the squad leader can see a great distance of activities. Maybe being able to mark targets for attack.
Just a Idea.
Many of these ideas have already been stated by others... and one or two of these ideas have been outright stolen. Apologies.
What defines theSquad Leaderrole in combat?
The squad leader's purpose is to enhance a group of combatants abilities. The squad leader is unique in that a vast majority of his/her power comes from the PLAYER'S ability to lead and not the skills of the character.
I personally think this should continue. Squad leader abilities need to be more useful than they are now but it is imperative that a quality squad leader be more useful and successful than a less quality one. Aka, the specials should not even the field between a squad leader who works hard and one who does not.
What basic combat elements should they possess?
The squad leaders abilities should be divided into five types: passive group bonuses, communication aids, leadership group specials, NPC leading abilities and professional soldier abilitites.
Passive group bonuses should remain modest, but effective. They should continue to include ranged/melee defensive bonuses and terrain movement modifiers. New additions should include increases to camp healing effectiveness. Not camps the squad leaders makee, but camps the squad leader is sitting in. There should not be extra experience accrued for the scout for this increased healing effectiveness.
Communication aids are very important because communication is at the heart of what squad leaders do. While I would LOVE the ability to have spoken communication built into the game (a la Teamspeak or Alpha Centauri), i realize this may not be feasible.
First off, /sys should NOT be a standard system message. System messages are universally thought by my city, guild and squad mates to be the hardest thing to see on the screen. I know many combat medics with area stims remove system messages from their chat boxes so they dont have to see all their heals scroll past. This makes it hard for me to communicate with them. Instead of /sys we should have a more visible screen message that cannot be removed. (larger font, changing color, etc)
Also, whatever form /sys takes, it should ALSO show up as a spatial message in a special dialgoue box (like a shout) for all to see. I think this would add to the immersion similar to the way a squad leader yelling "Stay on Target..." does when he executes the steady aim special.
In addition, there needs to be a mechanism for multisquad communication. Already this can be accomplished through chat channels, I understand. How about the ability to bring up a radial menu on a friendly squad leader and select 'merge communication networks'. This will automatically create and join a chat channel for both of you. If each of you have separate networks, then the networks are joined. You can do this so that only thesquad leadershave the ability to communicate (and all can listen). This would allow squad leaders to work concertedly. Many things could be established this way. Large battles, large military hierarchies, etc.
Leadership specials should be similar to what specials the squad leader already has (though a bit more effective). Minor revisions of existing specials (and a few new ones could include):
- Retreat: If possible it would be nice to have this expanded to be a bit more complex. Give the squad leader the ability to preset up a Point of Retreat. When he orders a retreat every player not only gets additional burst run but a big fat (non blue or orange) colored arrow that points the way to this retreat way point.
- Boost Morale: Small boost to all action and mind pools for whole squad (at huge expense to self). Alternatively a small reduction to action and mind damage. Alternatively a larger reduction to action and mind damage that is temporary.
- Exhort: increasesthe squadsspeed by 10-15% fora fewseconds to allow meleers to get closer to targets and not get kited.
- Defend: causes everyone to shift fireto whatever is attacking this specific person. Others have stated a similar /coverfire special which would an interesting alternative
- Ceasefire: causes the whole group to peace.
- Call Target: allow the squad leader to designate a target for everyone in the group. Similar to volleyfire (and in fact could replace it...) but everyone chooses the manner of their attack. The target is just 'lit up'.
- Extract: Another master level (and possibly infeasible) skill would be the Extract skill. This would call a combat shuttle to land 100m away from a squad (or nearest area with no reds...) that would allow them instant transport back to the nearest city or similarly aligned city or similarly aligned base or predestined spot...
- Defensive Positions: An ability whose use is not allowed during combat. This would create a special sort of camp with a large perimeter of foxholes. Each fox hole gives those inside a high defensive bonus.
NPC leadership abilities work much like a creature handler's. Since NPCs (AT-STs aside) are much weaker than many creatures, this should not unbalance the game. Dependant upon your squad leader's abilities, you should get an increased number of NPC people allowed out. Master Squad Leaders should be able to walk around with 3 NPC soldiers. This cannot be feasible however until AT-STs become a vehicle...
Professional soldier abilities should be modest abilities that squad leaders have because they have dedicated their life to the art of thoughtful, organized warfare:
- Avery limited grenade proficiency would be nice. Just a bit more than what normal characters have... just to indicate their professional training. It's always seemed sillyto me that only commandos could use grenades.
- A small increase (3 to 10%) in how quickly you accrue faction points. OR a small share of the faction points your squad accrues as a whole. This is a representation of a squad leader's role in a regular army. They are thought to spend much more time doing there jobs as soldiers as opposed to the other 'weekend warriors' in the GCW.
- Camp Defense Turret. Created by weaponsmiths, the camp defense turret is an automatic laser defense system that targets reds nearby and is set up on an existing camp. Don't even have to give us xp for the kill...
How could/should they interact with other professions?
Again, squad leaders are professional soldiers. Others should look to squad leaders as not a crafter or combat class but as a leadership class akin to politician (perish that thought...). Squad leaders should be relied upon for a number of things, bringing cohesion to a group, getting access to SQUAD LEADER TERMINALS and for assistance raising faction points.
On the reverse side, squad leaders should depend upon all other combatants. They themselves should have little inherent combat advantage.
What defines theSquad Leaderrole in combat?
Squad Leader has to coordinate the group, he is the leader and givs the player the tasks and orders. he guids to the target and tells them who does what...
What basic combat elements should they possess?
hm i think some skills in handling a blaster and signal roekts and so things.
What offensive abilities?
some diferent teambuffs one kind could be a buff for just the first hit or some for the full fight.
surprise attack - increases the first hit in dmg and chance to hit
ability to increase a little bid the gained xp
special buffs for better effectiveness of diverent typs of weapons
What defensive abilities?
lowers defence by enemys by using special granads like smoking granads, lowers enemy hit rate
add a bonus to diferent types of defence ranged, melee... or increases special resistence buy using a shieldgenerator to save the group
increases for a little time some recharges of ham or action bar
increases effectivnes of specials in tow ways one jois would be lower the ham cost or another increase the weapon speed
slow down enemys buy using special granats too.
increases health rate of docs or just the defence skills of the team
What unique abilities?
to select a target so that it is shown to other players which one they have to hit.
divide groups in 2 or more teams so he could declare players for team red, bue, green... and then givs only orders red attack target xx and green support them, blue stay in background.
showing mission wps to all players
ability to do special events, i mean some special funny things like race leader, arena fights one vs one like a box duel
can lead some games... friendly training so he devides a group in 2 and then they can fight against the other but no one can die, just for training
to lead capture the flag games, so he can set tow or more bases and 2 or more kind of flags
to set jackpoints for races
ability to see the specials of mobs and the dmg they deal with special scaners
own mission terminals for team missions only which can be verry huge complexes in underground (sometimes own zones where only player of the team have acces)
hostage missions in which the teams have to save them.
special kind of larg houses in which he can make special events likt capture the flag or rescue missions/events
ability to show points for the teams...
to lead games with entertainers together like a dice game or so things... so some just for fun things would be verry great 
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Should add what advantage or asset in group combat?
they have to think which passive and active skills they use for the group, so they could have to jois between passive increasing hp, targeting, injury health....
or take a passive offensive bonus.
the active part is to give orders, goals, coordinates, shourt time buffs like surprise attack, or fall back... so when he think they loose he can give the troup a special burstrun.
also posible some kinds of team warcrys which makes the next hithigher as normal or so. or he can st a commando that all players attack together. so all players make attack mode on but do not attack and in the next 10 seconds or so the leader has the ability to do attack and all make a shout together...
How could/should they interact with other professions?
like above some special buffs for them. or to guid missions
to select targets for teh group and so on
What interaction / dependencies should exist with other combatants?
others have to sign up, or when the squad leader makes a jois who do what they can acccept or not ...
What should be their unique role in the Galactic Civil War?
to lead with other squad leaders together the fights
they need a monitor then with strategical information
to lead attacks on outposts to set targets to the players, to tell them where they have to attack where the pets...
they have to plan which ops they build ab soon or take over
could manage some ops by self, to defend/attack