Perimeters

If it's within radar range, and "enemy force detected" would make a bit more sense than "perimeter breached", and I think an "enemy force detected" is already on it's way.

I like the idea in principle, but I can see it being exploited for intel purposes. If your perimeter is able to be drawn, this would allow players to draw an infinitely large perimeter early-game and make early harrassment very, very difficult or even impossible.

If the game used some sort of fuzzy logic to draw a perimeter around your outermost structures, that wouldn't be a bad idea. Though, like Brian said, my base is constantly expanding and I don't have a defined 'perimeter' in one place for very long.

Interesting idea, but I'm not a big fan.

I kind of cheat to get this effect but I do a Attack area around my base and have at least one or two factory's pumping out units just for this command. usually AA and T1 Tanks they will then move to attack any force that moves into this area. Also works for early aggression as I spam T1 units in a attack area that covers the planet and plop a good number of radar

But a alarm to incoming attacks that go off before your buildings are blown up would be nice.

It seems to me you just don't want to understand the idea...





Btw. I had an idea on how to fix the "constantly redraw the perimeter because of expanding base"-issue:

The game takes the average distance between the perimeter and the structures that are closest to it (namely the outer structures of your base) at the time you draw the perimeter. Then it automatically expands it when you build a new structure closer to the perimeter than the average distance calculated before, to keep the distance to that new structure the same as the average distance.


Like that:



Note that I have only chosen circle shapes for convenience!

Also, the perimeter line itself could consist of a chain of movable points to easily just drag and drop those points for reshaping it.

Why not have the t1 radar structure initially establish a perimeter the same size as it's radar range and is 'extended every time a building is constructed on the outer edge of the perimeter, also scouts like fireflies and skitters aren't reported in the notifications section when they cross the perimeter

Automatically enumerate bases in the greek alphabet?

Whereby "base" would be any structure formation except for sole mexes. Bases are kept separated even when they eventually grow together. Individual base size is limited in diameter, so base names are sufficient to go to the correct area. Mexes are excluded from forming bases on their own.

"Alpha base perimeter breached!" - Units are about to enter firing range.
"Gamma base under attack!" - Buildings in the perimeter are taking damage.
"Structures near Yota under attack!" - Buildings outside the core perimeter (e.g. mexes) are under attack.

On the other hand: You could just as well keep your outposts open in additional perspectives (or holodecks, as Uber appears to call them internally).

That might get a bit confusing, considering we have backer commanders going by the same system. (Alpha, delta, theta)

So...? I don't see any potential for confusion what so ever. The one has nothing to do with the other.

I imagine there would be, but don't expect a feature like that to come quickly. It would be pretty fiddly to program.

Can you overlay vision/radar range and (potential) weapon range onto that? Because if the perimiter is outside of the vision/radar range, then that's a bit OP for enemy detection, if it falls within or is equivalent to that range, an "enemy force detected" alert will be just, if not more effective than a perimeter breached alert...

That automatic circles idea and base perimeter is great stuff. I would add to this list of structures that player wants to establish perimeter. Do not want some alert every time enemy fabber goes near my single mex somewhere in middle of desert. I rather would have choice to make base only around t2 power plants or factories, or artilery.

Or best if we could select bunch of structures (like units) and toggle "establish perimeter" flag for them. With radius being bit more than size of pelter range.

Edit: Another idea: first we toggle Establish perimeter flag, then pick voiced name from some predefined list, like alpha base, beta , gamma. Also instant camera, zoom all and focus move to predefined base.

Look, it's really not a complicated idea:


You have your radar coverage. Fine. You have you visual coverage. Okay. And you have your perimeter. Now... Your perimeter can cover either a subsection of you visual coverage only or the whole damn planet. In the first case you ALWAYS get the notification when the specified thresholds for the alarm are met (because it is within your visual coverage). In the latter you get the notification ONLY if you also have either visual or radar coverage over the area you have defined as being within your perimeter. Nothing OP.


Also, if you have radar coverage over the whole damn planet you might not even care for some of the areas that are covered by your radar. For those you do care about you put a perimeter around. And you make the radius so large that in case of an alert you have enough time to react and send forces, or at least to zoom in onto that area an get ready to micro your stuff that is already there, before already haven taken the first losses (which is the normal situation) due to no early warnings.


Really intuitive idea. I don't see what you don't understand about it.

I just don't see the difference between this and "enemy detected alerts", and why make the extra effort for a tiny distinction...

Because you may have a significant portion of the planet covered by radar, but you are really only worried about attacks from a few angles. Creating a "Perimeter" alert line in these key areas allow you to focus on other areas while still have a quick warning if raiders or any kind of force is incoming.

Enemy detected alerts only give you a heads up when a new enemy appears on your radar, but if your radar covers a portion of their base or an outpost, do you really care if an extra fabricator walks into your radar range?

And if enemy detected alerts are limited to visual only, then it will be too late to respond to any sort of attacking force as they will already be within firing range.

... I pointed out the difference already:

"if you have radar coverage over the whole damn planet you might not even care for some of the areas that are covered by your radar. For those you do care about you put a perimeter around. And you make the radius so large that in case of an alert you have enough time to react and send forces, or at least to zoom in onto that area an get ready to micro your stuff that is already there, before already haven taken the first losses (which is the normal situation) due to no early warnings."


Edit: ninjaed.

Combining this idea with radar towers seams like a good idea, basic radar towers aren't too expensive so they can be used liberally. But what happens when you have radar coverage of your opponent's base?

Why not give these towers a 'perimeter ability' with which you can select a perimeter you want watched, the same way you issue other area commands. (perimeter should be within the radar towers range btw).

This way you should get a message when your enemy tries to penetrate your perimeter but won't get you spammed to death when your enemies base is within your radar's range.

Proximity alarms seemed to work well enough in dungeon keeper 2.

Even sent you a little notification about it too.

So basically it's exactly the same as the "enemy force detected" alert, except it doesn't show up if you don't want it to. Why don't I just go with the "enemy force detected" alert, since they are pretty much the same, just that one doesn't involve weird drawing stuff, or other options? The intel that I've seen an enemy is more useful than something saying I've seen an enemy only some of the time, since I can cast a quick glance and see the enemy army composition and prepare myself for their attacks on areas that actually are important...

Also, the "enemy detected" alert is going to trigger even if the "perimeter breached" alert doesn't...

Right, so why not just trigger an "enemy force incoming" alert when a large amount of units starts moving into radar range?

Exactly. But you might not even be interested in that alert! That's the point! The perimeter allows you to filter relevant from not so relevant notifications.

Because it is less filtered (you might still not care in an FFA situation) AND you end up with the problem of defining "large", which is very much dependent on your situation in the game. I mean, a fore threatening an outlying base can be large compared to the forces at that base, but small compared your forces at another base that is within the coverage of the same radar station... with perimeters you could define "large" per perimeter.
Yes you could also add that functionality to radars. But what if your radar covers also the areas for which already a smaller force might be considered large?

Ok, so how would you go about defining that you "care" about a location in such a way that it doesn't take a while to draw out a shape or something?