Building Forward Bases - Supply Bases.

[EVILPIG]

I have to be honest, I'm not super big on the Galaxy deploying to become a forward base, complete with turrets and such. What I am big on is the concept of players being able to set up and configure a Foward Base, or "Supply Base" using different support components and vehicles. As such;

Galaxy - Infantry and MAX spawn.
Sunderer - Command center with resupply points, weapon points and a shield dome or interlink like detection system.
Lodestar - Vehicle spawn.

Galaxies don't need equipment terminals, as you will be able to spawn in as any class. If you want to have resupply or rearm available, make sure you have the Sunderer HQ set up as well. Same for the Lodestar. You can spawn a vehicle, but you will need a Sunderer to resupply ammo if you have no other source. They all have a function and a limitation that creates a dependency.


Then you have your engineers who can build MANA Turrets and other defensive measures. Instead of having a single vehicle, like a Galaxy that pops open complete with turrets and such, a good Supply Base could be set up and defended by a squad. The engineers would also hang around to repair vehicles as they return from combat.

For me, this is a far more interesting way to set up a forward base. It's more open ended and it would be up to the players to decide how they would want to configure it. They could mix and match the vehicles in any number of ways and put them in close clusters or spread them out. It could be set up fairly quick by a coordinated squad and would fill the role of a forward base that could supply an assault. It's a powerful tool on one hand because as long as you can maintain the set up, you have a closer supply of vehicles and infantry. It also has it's weakness, in that the deployed vehicles can be destroyed by attacks, especially incoming enemy air. Again, it's all in the players' hands to defend and utilize it.

To simplify, I'm saying that we could have forward bases without having the galaxy be an all-in-one unit. Tailor each support vehicle to their role and use them to build the base.

*EDIT*

This is an extremely crude example of how something like this could look on the battlefield.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/843/fbugly.png/

[Stardouser]

I definitely like the idea of forward bases. Would these vehicles function independently or would you have to deploy all three to get the forward base active? Would there be a restriction on how close to an enemy capture point you can place them?

Question: I've seen some comments on this in IRC but no one seems to know for sure, will people be able to spawn anywhere they want without traveling there via drop-pod first? For example, if I'm over on Indar fighting, and someone says OMG Esamir is under attack, can I instantly respawn at one of the bases we own on Esamir?

It may not seem like it but I actually consider that quite relevant here...not the least reason being, could you therefore spawn on a forward base without traveling to it first? Personally, I would want it to work that way, a lot might not...

[PantherModern]

That's a great idea. It would add extra teamwork to the offensive and would make base attacks more dramatic since we would have to dedicate some people to setting up/defending our forward base. It would also make battles last longer because the defenders would have to destroy multiple deployed vehicles and turrets in order to push away the attackers. I also picture huge amounts of deployables forming a fortress outside the enemy base and making for a very large tug-of-war battle between the bases.
+1!

A single deployed galaxy is rather boring, now that I think about it.

[EVILPIG]

Originally Posted by Stardouser

I definitely like the idea of forward bases. Would these vehicles function independently or would you have to deploy all three to get the forward base active? Would there be a restriction on how close to an enemy capture point you can place them?

Question: I've seen some comments on this in IRC but no one seems to know for sure, will people be able to spawn anywhere they want without traveling there via drop-pod first? For example, if I'm over on Indar fighting, and someone says OMG Esamir is under attack, can I instantly respawn at one of the bases we own on Esamir?

It may not seem like it but I actually consider that quite relevant here...not the least reason being, could you therefore spawn on a forward base without traveling to it first? Personally, I would want it to work that way, a lot might not...

Yes, they would all be independent. The concept is that the building of a "base" is actually just assembling the parts necessary. You could of course make variations, like just vehicle spawns with some engineering support. Either way, we can create "bases" without having some single massive unit that performs as such.

I don't know how spawn selection will work, but if it is like PS1, then you'd be able to select the nearest base/tower/galaxy/squad leader/other bind point, but that is just assumption.

[Ale]

I like this idea.

Maybe one of these would cloak when deployed, allow friendly empire spawning and have equip terms on it? Crazy, I know...

Or, what if each of these vehicles was colour coded, shaped like a lion and could fly through space? When formed into the base they would get an ability called "blazing sword" that kills everything in the SOI's radius, but can only be used once every 22 minutes?

No, but seriously, I like this idea.

[Bags]

I'm liking this idea.

[MacTruckuLes]

i really, really like this idea. we were also talking about the lodestar today, and talking about it spawning ground vech, and being able to carray more than one tank.

my only issue is though is how balanced would it be to be able to spawn MBT's at a lodestar.

[Destroyeron]

Make it like Wulfram.

[QuantumMechanic]

Higby, please give this idea some consideration and play with it.

Instead of landing and deploying galaxy spawn points, this would allow attackers to create dynamic siege camps! Who wouldn't love this??

[Knocky]

EVILPIG....that is just effing awesome.

[Kilmoran]

Originally Posted by EVILPIG

I have to be honest, I'm not super big on the Galaxy deploying to become a forward base, complete with turrets and such. What I am big on is the concept of players being able to set up and configure a Foward Base, or "Supply Base" using different support components and vehicles. As such;

Galaxy - Deploy the Galaxy to provide an infantry spawn.
Sunderer - The Sunderer provides resuppy terminals and has 2 weapon stations.
Lodestar - Deployed Lodestar becomes a ground vehicle spawn.

Then you have your engineers who can build MANA Turrets and other defensive measures. Instead of having a single vehicle, like a Galaxy that pops open complete with turrets and such, a good Supply Base could be set up and defended by a squad. The engineers would also hang around to repair vehicles as they return from combat.

For me, this is a far more interesting way to set up a forward base. It's more open ended and it would be up to the players to decide how they would want to configure it. They could mix and match the vehicles in any number of ways and put them in close clusters or spread them out. It could be set up fairly quick by a coordinated squad and would fill the role of a forward base that could supply an assault. It's a powerful tool on one hand because as long as you can maintain the set up, you have a closer supply of vehicles and infantry. It also has it's weakness, in that the deployed vehicles can be destroyed by attacks, especially incoming enemy air. Again, it's all in the players' hands to defend and utilize it.

To simplify, I'm saying that we could have forward bases without having the galaxy be an all-in-one unit. Tailor each support vehicle to their role and use them to build the base.

First of all.. the Galaxy in this version seems to already do what you are suggesting the Sunderer should do.

And mobile vehicle spawns? Absolutely... 100% ...hell no. No.. no no no. No. There is far too much that can be abused from that... vehicles can change the entire way an operation will go, and being able to flank from all sides because of a few lodestars? Completely not in favor of this.

R&R capability, absolutely. Infantry spawns, certainly, as a couple of tank can wreck that if it is discovered. Even forward defenses, absolutely fine for holding a more open territory given how the hex system of territories will work. But having all sorts of vehicles convert in to mini R&R "villas" on their own i think is a bad way to approach it.

[Stardouser]

Originally Posted by Kilmoran

First of all.. the Galaxy in this version seems to already do what you are suggesting the Sunderer should do.

And mobile vehicle spawns? Absolutely... 100% ...hell no. No.. no no no. No. There is far too much that can be abused from that... vehicles can change the entire way an operation will go, and being able to flank from all sides because of a few lodestars? Completely not in favor of this.

R&R capability, absolutely. Infantry spawns, certainly, as a couple of tank can wreck that if it is discovered. Even forward defenses, absolutely fine for holding a more open territory given how the hex system of territories will work. But having all sorts of vehicles convert in to mini R&R "villas" on their own i think is a bad way to approach it.

Simple solution - a mobile vehicle spawn at a forward base can only spawn up to 5 vehicles at one time. Want more than 5? Bring more Lodestars.

[TheRagingGerbil]

In one of the interviews they talked about deployable towers I thought? Something about calling orbital drops for forward bases...

Damnit, going to have to go back and look...

[SkitzoSniper]

Originally Posted by Kilmoran

First of all.. the Galaxy in this version seems to already do what you are suggesting the Sunderer should do.

And mobile vehicle spawns? Absolutely... 100% ...hell no. No.. no no no. No. There is far too much that can be abused from that... vehicles can change the entire way an operation will go, and being able to flank from all sides because of a few lodestars? Completely not in favor of this.

R&R capability, absolutely. Infantry spawns, certainly, as a couple of tank can wreck that if it is discovered. Even forward defenses, absolutely fine for holding a more open territory given how the hex system of territories will work. But having all sorts of vehicles convert in to mini R&R "villas" on their own i think is a bad way to approach it.

I am absolutely for mobile vechicle spawns. As long as it is not advanced, or "tech" vehicles or air craft, i am 100% for mobile vehicle spawn.

[EVILPIG]

Originally Posted by Stardouser

Simple solution - a mobile vehicle spawn at a forward base can only spawn up to 5 vehicles at one time. Want more than 5? Bring more Lodestars.

Or the enemy could destroy it.