We need Nanite/Ant Drones.

Ghoest9 · 2013-03-11, 09:59 AM

I dont mean artificial AI. they could move one set path - it would be really cool if they were even trains(particularly cool would be if you had to board the the train and set a C4 charge.).

The point would be to force mobile fights in more varied areas. With one side protecting them and the other side attacking.

Gatekeeper · 2013-03-11, 11:33 AM

I really like the idea of ANT-trains, but I suspect that's not practical just in terms of development effort. Also - where would the trains run from and to? Having some kind of rail network where half the stations keep changing hands seems like a bit of a nightmare to organise

The advantage of ANTs being a player-driven vehicle is that it's all self-organising without the need to write a bunch of complex adaptive code to work out where they should be spawned, where they should travel to and what route they should take.

Plus: ANT races

Ghoest9 · 2013-03-11, 12:22 PM

The devs said in the beginning that they didnt add ANTs because most players hate being in situations where they are essentially forced to do something they dont enjoy.
And thats what ANTs caused for many people.

I remember driving an ANT because no one else would but we needed it - I resented it greatly.
On the other hand i remember flying support around an ANT drop and that was fun.

HiroshiChugi · 2013-03-11, 12:48 PM

ANT=...?

Corvo · 2013-03-11, 05:21 PM

Now that is a pretty neat idea

OCNSethy · 2013-03-11, 07:08 PM

Originally Posted by HiroshiChugi

ANT=...?

I maybe wrong but I think ANTs where some sort of resuppy vehicle... its a PS1 thing.

Vashyo · 2013-03-11, 08:10 PM

Originally Posted by HiroshiChugi

ANT=...?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXiUF-9x4cQ - Here's the ANT, sadly someone mined the front of the NTU silo so he couldn't unload his cargo. That was frustrating as hell

As boring as the ANT runs were, some people still LIKED to do them. Even I felt lazy sometimes and decided to do a run. I wouldn't mind seeing them back in some form. Was fun doing escorts for ants too sometimes, especially when going for a base that was contested.

Realmofdarkness · 2013-03-12, 04:49 AM

make sundies be able to resuply resources to bases far away from the warpgate. the more distance a base have to the warpgate the more need of resource sundies there is. also make these resource sundies mission based, rewarding alot of XP for a successful delivery, but also let enemy infiltrators mark the sundies as a mission giving away the sundies location on the map.

camycamera · 2013-03-12, 06:33 AM

oh! how about a drone from say Bad Company 2, like that mini helicopter? just sayin', on the subject of drones.

Gatekeeper · 2013-03-12, 08:26 AM

Originally Posted by Ghoest9

The devs said in the beginning that they didnt add ANTs because most players hate being in situations where they are essentially forced to do something they dont enjoy.
And thats what ANTs caused for many people.

I remember driving an ANT because no one else would but we needed it - I resented it greatly.
On the other hand i remember flying support around an ANT drop and that was fun.

Yeah, honestly I'm not saying "bring back ANTs!" but just that they do make sense as a resupply mechanic because it's down to players to plan when and where they should go - which is a lot easier than trying to have the game calculate that itself.

The optimal solution would be for players to control the deployment of ANTs in some way, but to make the actual gameplay around them more fun - rather than just a long, boring, dangerous drive.

TBH I like the idea of some kind of ANT-module for the Sunderer, that sounds like a good start to me.

KodanBlack · 2013-03-12, 08:43 AM

Long and short of it, I think that we need some kind of supply line mechanic in the game to add some strategic depth.

Whiteagle · 2013-03-12, 07:44 PM

Originally Posted by Gatekeeper

I really like the idea of ANT-trains, but I suspect that's not practical just in terms of development effort. Also - where would the trains run from and to? Having some kind of rail network where half the stations keep changing hands seems like a bit of a nightmare to organise

The advantage of ANTs being a player-driven vehicle is that it's all self-organising without the need to write a bunch of complex adaptive code to work out where they should be spawned, where they should travel to and what route they should take.

Plus: ANT races

Easy solution, Nanite pipelines connecting the bases.

I mean, they already have giant ass pipeline assets, why not turn them into an actual infrastructure network?

Then there would be hackable terminals between bases that could shut down or somehow reverse the flow of resources, making securing the pipeline just as important as securing bases!

Hamma · 2013-03-12, 08:00 PM

I would love to see actual defendable resources and things outfits could build to mine resources.. someday I hope.

Babyfark McGeez · 2013-03-12, 08:05 PM

Or maybe even more fitting for the fast paced gameplay:

How about stealing resources from the enemy? Each hex has a "mining" spot outside the actual facility that can be harvested by sundies from enemy factions owning the surrounding hexes, and vice versa.

Of course the main thing we need is a proper resource system where bases have a resource pool that can be depleted and refilled. Implemented in whatever way deemed appropriate.

Qwan · 2013-03-13, 07:28 AM

Originally Posted by Ghoest9

I dont mean artificial AI. they could move one set path - it would be really cool if they were even trains(particularly cool would be if you had to board the the train and set a C4 charge.).

The point would be to force mobile fights in more varied areas. With one side protecting them and the other side attacking.

I really like this idea, actually I suggested somthing like it a while back. Kind of like an event, were a convoy carrying nanites, lets say like a truck or train convoy, this convoy could leave a base headed to another base, moving at a certain speed, of course the vehicles would be heavily armored, the event will be announced to the faction, and defenders (not to the attackers) could come and help defend it from enemy attackers. If the convoy makes it to the destination then xp reward to the defenders, if its destroyed in route then attacker get an xp reward. The convoy would consist of three to four vehicles, with turrets and manned possitions, I think it would add some spark to the game. Imagine the battles around this mobile nanite convoy, air, ground, and armor, it would be epic. I guess the question would be, would they add capture points so that it can be captured, and would they put like a mobile spawn point for the defenders. Well Im not a dev but I really would like to see events like these. No actually they could have it start at the warp gate, and its route can be seen only by friendlys.