Is it conceivable that we could have this as an custom game option at some point in the same way we'll be able to set up various other custom options, bit like supcom?
I would guess yes, once they implement more game modes. A no rush timer is pretty easy to implement, so I can't see why not.
I think a more elegant solution would be to just stick everyone on different planets. But I won't argue my point, as a no-rush timer is pretty easy to do.
Hahaha. True. Like in GTA5 passive mode and you sit there holding a shotgun up to his face daring him to take it off just for a fraction of a second. Anyway, release date having tons of custom game mode settings is fine. No rush timer is ok. I hope considerations are made to make "turrets" fire during no rush but not units. I could see ant armies walking into bases past the turrets, and once no rush is off destroying it from inside out. Should the commander attack during no rush? He is an important defensive unit early game, but also can attack. ...nah, let him attack, in any normal scenario where he did then he would just get killed by turret beginning of game OR get sniped the second the timer ends.
it would act the same as how it does in supcom, where each army has a dedicated start area where you cannot move units out of the start zone for x-amount of minutes. This is to specificlly prevent just loading up enemy bases with your units till timer is gone. Starting on different planets is going to be in the game which you can say is basically a no rush timer of sorts anyway, I'm just thinking for games where I might only want to create just 1 big big planet with lots of tiny asteroids/moons to fly into it, think after awhile starting on different planets might get a little tiresome as it will essentially be the same strategy every game almost in my eyes.
That works, it just feels criminal to endorse a system that limits how long before you can go rush mexes. I mean the mexes are the game, rushing them is harmless expansion and isn't technically rush-attacking, although one can lead to another if you want the same metal spot. But as I can avoid games using it in the options, I endorse adding this for those who want it.
Why not just skip the 15 minutes and get to the good stuff? Spawn with an army of T2 fabbers, mexes and pgens and get that war machine rolling from second 0:01!
The egg is partially what you ask for except without T2 stuff but a different game mod could certainly allow spawning of any kind of units.
Pretty sure the OP wasn't asking for something that would need to be modded in, by modifying a feature that is still only theoretical.
Rise of Nations handled no-rush really well... I can't remember how. I think it was with the attrition mechanic - I may reinstall next weekend and find out. You could fortify your borders, but you couldn't sneak units into their territory pre-emptively. I think no-rush would need a territory system of some kind. I'm not really sure... Hmm.
A really COMPLICATED way would be to use the "flowfields" to do it. Basically, for the beginning of the game, make enemies have a flowfield obstacle that's really large against each other and cover land and air. If I am not mistaken, this would cause pathing to outright refuse to go near where another enemy unit is, so it becomes whoever physically goes somewhere first has it because there is an early game invisible travel barrier around every enemy unit/structure. If a unit was approaching an enemy unit, wouldn't one/both of them start dragging against an invisible wall against each other or outright refuse to go in that direction?
That would work. It would work best if you spawned with the Egg. The Egg makes territory appear over the whole planet. So you can't leave your territory. Where multiple territory barriers collide, flowfields form. The trick is not only spawns, but also metal distribution of mexes would have to be equal.
