OK, from what I understand, we have one unit list. I personally think this is a wonderful idea and completely negates any sort of need to Nerf certain factions because they are deemed over-powered. However, I think it would be nice to have a bit of variation. Something sort of small and relatively easy to change. Something like unit modification. Basically, this allows for any sort of unit (commander, engineer, tank, etc.) to have sort of mods placed on them to enhance certain aspects of their abilities. For example: You select your commander, go into the modifications tab and select the weapon. You then select high explosive shells. This is just an example modification but you get the idea. This is just like in supreme commander. That, we are all probably quite familiar with. However, for combat units and engineers it would be a bit different. Because these units are produced on a massive scale you obviously can't go around clicking each one and choosing the mod you like. You wouldn't even be able to select a big group of them and upgrade them because you'd miss a lot (seeing as to how the battle takes place throughout an entire solar system). The only way to really select them all for modification would be to select the factory producing them and set the modification on the unit in the factory cue. This would select all units that are stacked in that unit's picture to be selected for modification. More likely is that it would be on repeat and continuously spit out modded units. Selecting and upgrading units should still be possible though, for teams that are already out in the field. This would be inefficient though as the units would all become inactive for a period of time until the modding is complete, unlike a factory modification which would cost no extra time. Now how would engineer and combat units' modifications be like? Exactly the same as the commanders! Albeit with perhaps a little less variety seeing as to how much lower tech they are using than the commander. Now, what makes this "modifications" feature better than that upgrade tech-tree thing in supreme commander 2. Well, for starters it's not an upgrade, it's a mod, meaning it changes the way the unit works, and not always positively. Here's another example: You have just encountered a new planet. Your enemy is on the other side of that planet and it is divided by a wide river. The units you sent to the planet were a bunch of non-amphibious bots. You modify the bots (spending some time waiting for the upgrade) to be able to traverse the water, though far from as great as anything truly amphibious could do. you meet on the other side a group of unmodded bots that is the same size as yours. You initiate combat. Who wins? probably the other guys. This is because your amphibious upgrade, while useful for making yourself be able to travel on the water, made your ordinary land mobility lower. Thus as a result your units were stomping around getting hit while the enemy was dodging your shots. This makes another strategic option have to open up: What kind of units will I be facing? Should I risk modifying my units this way? What terrain will I need to adjust for? This makes battles a lot more versatile and surprising rather than just "Oh, a bunch of bots, let's squish them with tanks...Oh a bunch of tanks, lets smash them with artillery...Oh a bunch of artillery let's explode them with bots." I also have a sort of idea for building modifications that I may go into later. P.S. Please leave any constructive criticism so that we may build and refine this idea into something maybe the devs might want to use. And sorry for the giant wall of text, but it was difficult to make my idea very succinct.
Nope, for all the reasons raised in prior unit customization threads. Units need to be Easily(or Extremely) readable when dealing with HUNDREDS of them at a time, Also this reeks of SupCom2 Research, which totally breaks the entire paradigm of SupCom Combat. Mike
Actually, the Supreme Commander 2 research tree was what I was trying to avoid, seeing as to how it wouldn't make sense to start out with weaker units and make them stronger, but it makes sense to start out with base units and specialize them. I get your point in the readability issue, though and suppose that's something that wouldn't be able to work with this system. Thanks for the comment though, knight.
Actually I have toyed with the idea of in-place unit upgrades similar to say mex upgrades or other. But I'm not exactly a modding wiz and the supcom engine doesn't seem to support it readily for mobile units so I couldn't get it to work. It would certainly need to be able to mass upgrade lest it become tedious.
Good. Upgrades like this are horrible. Often there is this one horribly unbalanced upgrade everybody needs. Like the barrel upgrade in Supcom2 or the AA in Supcom2.
That's all well and good, but some of us really want this: Of course, I happen to agree that mods work for that sort of thing.
Don't think we'll see Warzone 2100 style upgrades and in-game unit customization in PA...and I'm really okay with that!
I'm glad I'm not one of those "Some". This is just terrible. No "Dress-Up" mechanics for me thank you. I'm conquering Entire Planetary Systems... I'm not your nanny.
>implying turning standard tanks into laser walkers wouldn't be as cool as... something reasonably cold, like an icecube Okay. No, just kidding, unit customization beyond colors and/or particle effects is just stupid, and leads to Chess syndrome, or Starcraft syndrome, or 'OH GOD WHAT THE [expletive] AM I DOING?!' syndrome. More experienced players fall into upgrade orders, less experienced players whine on the forums, and everything becomes a boring game of rock, paper, scissors, shotgun, lizard, god, spock. 'Yes, well done, you make a column of tanks. BUT DID YOU GET THAT ONE MODIFICATION THAT YOU WOULDN'T THINK TO NORMALLY USE?! THEN TOO BAD TWINKLE TOES, I'M GOING TO STOMP THAT WITH A SINGLE BOT!' If the upgrades are cosmetic, then there's no point in the first place. 'Those were some pretty tanks I just pounded into the dirt from orbit, certainly aesthetically pleasing.'
If you say this to everyone. You will propably end with only one person left. I think it's not necessary, but could be fun. Though we will propably get the best/balanced combos anyway.
There are a lot of TA-likers here but also they have different tastes and discuss alot. Also if you like TA play that and not this -.-" boomerang?
Thank you for the compliment! If the costumizer wansn't ingame, and more like: "all bullets look like lasers" or "default" or "all bullets look like epic face" or "etc." in a menu before each game then it would be perfect!
While I can completely agree that unit upgrades are unnecessary for this game for the visual points that people have mentioned (darn it rcix, I totally remember that game but forget what it's called. Could you remind me? Please? ), I don't see why building upgrades would be a bad thing, especially since there theoretically wouldn't be as many buildings as there would be units. Though whether you would only be able to have one at a time like Com upgrades in FA or all of them like in SC2, I don't know. I guess it just comes down to that far side cartoon with the penguin shouting out "I just want to be me!" I know we'll have multiple commanders to choose from, but I like the idea of being able to visually change stuff over time, with perhaps practical benefits. Sue me Ah well. I guess that's what mods are for.
This will be a mod, whether you like it or not, at this point it is glaring reality. To deny it is to plug your ears in agony while someone attempts to convince you that 2+2 is in fact 4. That being said, the game would probably work more simply and straightforwardly without it. Like vanilla minecraft. Not overly confusing. If you want to add "buildcraft" to that and complicate it 4x over in order to add a layer of themed fun, then it will definitely be a mod so go for it.
