Command View

Senyu · 2011-07-31, 02:52 AM

(If anyone can explain why my thread is not appearing in the PS2 Idea Vault please let me know, otherwise what do you think of this idea?)

Hopefully in Planetside 2 with more coordinated squads, outfits, empires working together with playe commanders I figured this feature would be usefull. And hopefully finnaly a use for that cool holograhpic battlefield in the base! Sorry for the long read

Command View
Players with high Command Ranks are able to access a special terminal inside bases or forward outposts(if they have em.) While in use the Commander is brought into a RTS view of the area and is able to issue orders that is visible to selected units. This would be a system similar to those who have played Savage 2.

How it works
The Commander's can only issue commands to units within spheres of influence or within range of systems that also increase range of chat. The units within range are avaliable to order if they check themselves as "Allowed" for commands. This is just like the button to find a squad on the bottem right side of PS1. With this an individual player can choose to have the commands appear to him or not at all. A squad or platoon leader has the same option if their squad or platoon will be allowed to see commands as well.

Benifits for following Orders
The Commands are only asked of the commander. Player will see various checkpoints or orders for them such as attacking specific targets or defending points. They however have full choice if they wish to follow the command or do their own thing. The benifit of following a command is experience. Upon completion of the command the players that did the mission will recieve experience as well as the commander. Experience increase as well the harder the mission. If a squad is given the command to defend a point, for every kill each player makes defending that point from enemy they will receive experience. Now this could be a bit overdone with Base defending but that can be solved such as lower xp gain when defending your own base and increased XP gain for defending points that aren't in bases.

How Units are Selected
In RTS mode the command sees all units with the following filters. Show players who are not accepting commands in a differnet color or do not appear at all. All sqauds/platoons that are accepting orders are listed on the screen with dropdown menus of whos in the group. By selecting say a single squad, all members in that squad are highlighted on the map. And by selecting a single platoon, each squad within the platoon are highlighted. Each sqaud and platoon may at the commanders discreation be colored differently for his own viewing pleasure. It is a simple drag and click for squads or simply using the dropdown menu to select units.

Specific Commanders
Individuals, Sqauds, and Platoons may at discreation choose which commander they recieve orders from. In defualt they view all orders from any person within the Command View who has access. But may choose specific players by typing in there name in the Accept Commands Search Box for only veiwing orders from a specific Commander. This can benifit in a vareity of ways. Firstly it allows choice in your commander incase you have prefrences for whatever reason. Secondly, If the person choosen by a squad or platoon is not high enough in Command Rank, they are given access to the terminal to command only their sqaud/platoon until another commander is choosen. The temp Commander however may view commands other High ranking Commanders wishes their squad/platoon to help in and may decide to order his group to follow or not.

Communication
The Commander has a vareity of orders such as attack specific target or defend point. As well as drawing routes for units to follow. They also have access to voices such as "Attack Incoming". Squad/platoon leaders also have defualt warning for their commanders to see such as a completion of a misson, discovered enemies, or other warnings. And naturally their would be voicechat as well. All commanders using the terminal(s) can voice chat with each other. A commander may also select a squad/platoon by highlighting it and voice chatting making it so the squad/platoon leaders may hear the voice chat. In responce squad/platoon leaders also have a way to voicechat with the commander that is not tied to voicechatting with their own squad/platoon.

Abilities
Now this could lead to various abilities if so choosen to be in the game. Such as orbital strike could be used in this mode. And others such as a very long cool down Radar Sweep to locate enemy positions. Im sure you can imagine things that would fit in this feature

Enemies
Now it is hard to decide how enemies play a factor into this. Should they be visable on the map as the individual players as your empire shows. Or rather just hotspots. And if they are shown individually what allows them to appear? The best bet I can think of is this. Enemies only appear on the rader if they are in LOS of allied units who are within range to see orders or chat. So some buggy way aways not within range can't just suddenly reveal the position of an airstrike coming in on the side. And Im sure a vareity of equipment could be designed to help function the map for the commander in revealing positions or viewing an area.

Also comes the question of what can enemies do? Their vehicles could eventually have a perk that makes them immune to radar sweeps. Jamming equipment can be used to distrupt communications in areas or prevent veiwing. Such as a mobile vehicle like the AMS that deploys and prevents commanders seeing anything in a area or issuing orders to units in it. Hacking the facility with the terminal in it and shutting it down thus disabling the commanders from the battlefield. Or a virus effecting what they see.

As you can see there are alot of possibilites for this. Please comment for ideas, suggestions, or balance changes.

Senyu · 2011-07-31, 05:53 AM

Bump

Xaine · 2011-07-31, 06:47 AM

I like the idea and i think it could work, they had something similar in Battlefield 2142 where a commander was selected and could give squads targets to attack/defend as well as dropping mortar strikes/supplies.

However, i'd rather it didn't enter the game. I like your idea and its well thought out. Its just that it would feel abit like cheating if someone you were on vent/skype/mumble/ts had a top down view of the area you were fighting across. They'd know ecactly where the battle lines are, where the fronts are etc and i just feel like it would take something away.

'Three guys behind this rock, tank around that corner' etc

I'd rather have an upgraded version of the map we have now, a commander can draw on it so his squad can see where they are ment to go, and what they are ment to do. But apart from that, the actual work on the ground is entirely up to the squad in terms of scouting and positioning relative to the enemy.

opticalshadow · 2011-07-31, 06:50 AM

atbest maybe have infil's have accsess to drones or markers (liek laze pointers but far less cumbersome) so they can activily point out enemy positions (like bad company) that way they can preform an active recon role, and it creates a risk/reward situation

DviddLeff · 2011-07-31, 07:06 AM

Like the ideas you present.

I have a lot of them in my command overhaul in my upgrade project but one thing I really want to see is platoon leaders giving out individual missions to his squad leaders. What I also want to see is companies of platoons, with the company leader giving platoon leaders commands.

Now for squad, platoon and company leaders I want them to have RTS controls to use via command consoles in either bases, mobile vehicles or deployable command posts. These consoles would allow them to see friendly positions and squads and direct those in their formation. Enemies would only show only if they have been detected by the equivalent of motion sensors or cameras, or directly spotted by troops. And of course they would be able to see the hex territory map as well.

Sovereign · 2011-07-31, 12:16 PM

I concour, there should be different command trees implemented into the game to account for all the different command structures.

Squad leaders get the ability to have simple attack or defend commands then platoon leaders can set diversion teams and other more advance tactics as you move up commad heiarchy.

EASyEightyEight · 2011-07-31, 12:23 PM

I like the idea. Savage was cool like that. Taking orders from someone RTS style was kind of refreshing in an FPS as the unit. Sure lots of people just ran off and did their own thing ("how dare someone boss me around!") but often times the commander had better situational awareness than any one individual. Enemy locations were based on LoS, and I forget if there was a fog of war. It doesn't need to be that way with enemy units in PS2. The commander need only pick out a location or target to capture and the troops would have to find a way to it. A cloaker could mark targets and THEN a commander could order a direct kill order however.

Mostly, a tool like this could help guide the lemmings to where they need to be in any given battle.

cashfoyogash · 2011-07-31, 03:06 PM

I also posted something about commander tools. A lot of people prefer to be front line kill everything soldiers. I myself like that but I also like the behind the lines support command and logistics part of war as well. Maybe this idea could be combined with something like mine.

Link to my post:
http://www.planetside-universe.com/f...ad.php?t=36912