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Thread: GCW in space – Faction Controlled Space Sectors
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MrFawlty
Tue Apr 12, 2005 2:27 pm
#1
First, I dont know if anyone has posted similar thoughts, but I’ve had this ideas in my head for quite some time, and its just my vision of how space could evolve. Feel free to add/build/voice your opinions.
What we have now is: "pointless" (gcw-wise) missions, and free-for-all PvP. I mean, you can do those missions, kill other players in space, but there is no drive in it. What I propose is to bring the War back into the Stars (pun intended).
Phase 1: Faction controlled Space Sectors, just like in the ground.
I like the ability to conquer/lose planets (faction-wise) on the ground game, so I think it would be nice to have that concept in space. For that, divide space into more sectors, leaving the ones surrounding the planets as they are. These new sectors can be "empty" or preferably random, to avoid the time it takes programmers to manually create the sectors, because of all the content you have to put to fill in space (asteroids, nebulae, POIs, bases, etc).
Concept: Campaign. I got this idea from the old Gunship 2000. Basically, you were sent to some theater of war, and your missions would influence the outcome of the campaign. If you won, your lines would advance, if you lost, the enemy line would advance (and yours would retreat). You could check the status of the campaign in the mission briefing.
This concept in our scenario would mean you would embark in a campaign in some sector, and do missions (PvE) or even fight against other players (PvP) to affect the outcome of the campaign – although i dont think it would fit very well in this phase (see the next phase for pvp ideas). The drive would then be: win the mission -> win the campaign (and the sector) -> "win" the GCW. I personally find this drive much stronger and addictive than just flying "pointless" missions.
Each sector could be: Rebel/Imperial controlled or contested (neutral). Basicly, if the battle line is near the middle, no one really controls it, its contested. If one of the sides has a clear advantage over the others, they have the sector. A takeover would be something like: (Imperial/Rebel percentages): 100/0 (Imperial) -> 75/25 (Imperial) -> 65/35 (Contested/Neutral) -> 50/50 (Contested/Neutral) -> 35/65 (Contested/Neutral) -> 25/75 (Rebel) -> 0/100 (Rebel)
If you add decay to the borderline sectors (if no battles fought there, the sectors would revert to neutral), and variant difficulty settings (missions on a 100% enemy sector would have to be much more difficult than on a 10% one), i think you can keep the players fighting for possession for quite some time.
Oh, and let the player choose the difficulty of the mission. Easy missions far from enemy lines, that don’t affect the campaign that much (so that novice players could also participate), and harder deep-within-enemy-lines-missions.
Maybe a "boss" mission (capital ship/space station destroy) to really turn the tide of the battle on the sector?
Phase 2: Capital Ships (non-player controlled)
This phase is meant as a bridge to phase 3, to ease the addition of player-controlled capital ships / space stations.
With this phase, each player would be stationed in one (or more) capital ships / space stations with fighter launch capability. However, the players have no control on the ship / space stations (meaning they don’t own them), except to ask to be transferred to some other sector. Here PvP would fit in better, as each side could try to destroy each other capital ships.
Perhaps maybe each guild could be stationed in its own capital ship?
Phase 3: Capital Ships (player controlled)
Hunterstarr has some really good ideas about capital ships, much more detailled that my high level ideas in his thread: http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=lightspeed&message.id=180669
Be sure to read it.
To come: Phase 4 - Capital Ship Battles
ValiantHalibut
Tue Apr 12, 2005 3:15 pm
#2
I really like your idea for controlled sectors and it would really spice up space combat, but I keep having this nagging feeling that it's not the way to go.
If this wasn't Star Wars then yes, that would be the best way to do things. It would be interesting and exciting for players and it would grant them a sense of accomplishment. The thing is, though, that in Star Wars, at this point, the Empire is so very much more powerful then the Rebels - the Rebels, at this point, really shouldn't have a chance to out-right win in space.
I keep having ideas that really require ground/space integration - but they can't put non JTL owners at a disadvantage. The way I see it, though, there should be a system in place that revolves around supplies, search, destroy and evasion. What is the Empire trying to do? Destroy the Rebel Alliance. What is the Rebel Alliance, at this point, trying to do? Not die. They aren't as concerned about overthrowing the Empire as they are about keeping themselves alive so they can overthrow the Empire in the future. That should be the dynamic. So, basically, the Empire would be sweeping the various Star Systems, constantly searching for Rebels. The Rebels would be consistantly trying to evade the Empire while keeping supply lines to their bases open. When opportunities arise, each side would be trying to destroy a major asset of the other side.
In conjunction with your system, then, I would imagine that the conflict zones and campaigns wouldn't be about huge scale battles (occasionally they would be) as much as they would be about survival, search and destroy and espionage. So, for example, a campaign mission would be to open a supply route from Corellia to Tatooine that the Rebels can use. The first series of missions would be scouting missions in various sectors. Players would attempt to find a safe, reasonable route and they would relay back waypoints to their commanders. The second stage would involve securing the route. Players would fly missions that involve clearing out pirate presance in the area, setting up hardware to spoof Imperial droids or scans and distraction raids to keep the Empire occupied. Finally, the players would begin escorting transport ships along the route. After a certain number made it through, the supply route would be officially open - giving a boost to Rebel players on Tatooine. The Imperial players, conversly, would be tasked with knocking out the supply routes.
If this wasn't Star Wars then yes, that would be the best way to do things. It would be interesting and exciting for players and it would grant them a sense of accomplishment. The thing is, though, that in Star Wars, at this point, the Empire is so very much more powerful then the Rebels - the Rebels, at this point, really shouldn't have a chance to out-right win in space.
I keep having ideas that really require ground/space integration - but they can't put non JTL owners at a disadvantage. The way I see it, though, there should be a system in place that revolves around supplies, search, destroy and evasion. What is the Empire trying to do? Destroy the Rebel Alliance. What is the Rebel Alliance, at this point, trying to do? Not die. They aren't as concerned about overthrowing the Empire as they are about keeping themselves alive so they can overthrow the Empire in the future. That should be the dynamic. So, basically, the Empire would be sweeping the various Star Systems, constantly searching for Rebels. The Rebels would be consistantly trying to evade the Empire while keeping supply lines to their bases open. When opportunities arise, each side would be trying to destroy a major asset of the other side.
In conjunction with your system, then, I would imagine that the conflict zones and campaigns wouldn't be about huge scale battles (occasionally they would be) as much as they would be about survival, search and destroy and espionage. So, for example, a campaign mission would be to open a supply route from Corellia to Tatooine that the Rebels can use. The first series of missions would be scouting missions in various sectors. Players would attempt to find a safe, reasonable route and they would relay back waypoints to their commanders. The second stage would involve securing the route. Players would fly missions that involve clearing out pirate presance in the area, setting up hardware to spoof Imperial droids or scans and distraction raids to keep the Empire occupied. Finally, the players would begin escorting transport ships along the route. After a certain number made it through, the supply route would be officially open - giving a boost to Rebel players on Tatooine. The Imperial players, conversly, would be tasked with knocking out the supply routes.
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