It has probably been driven into the ground but I didn't feel like rummaging through the forums search results. So this unit is probably better for mod use rather than integration by Uber because it changes the victory conditions of PA. The building is just a commander resurrection 'box', I thought it would be cool if it was an orbital facility but it could work anywhere I suppose. The principal is if your com dies but you built it then the sarcophagus begins cloning the commander, if you don't have it and the commander dies then its game over. The issue is what the victory condition would be if you did build it...maybe the sarcophagus is destroyed in the process of resurrection. It will have to either a one time use building or be a resource sink big enough to discourage people from using it over and over. I think this would be pretty useful/fun in the galactic war part of PA and for the people who like long planetary battles. Making it orbital would give incentive to incorporate orbital warfare into your strategy and add some fun and new techniques to com rushes. It would probably a thing you build in the orbital launcher so that a 'space' fab bot wouldn't be need to be created just for the sake of this building. Scenario 1: So say were fighting 1v1, I finish building my orbital sarcophagus and run towards your base with a large amount of dox's so that I can make it into the base and let your base defenses take me out. The best way would be to make it into your base and just follow the com around until base defenses take me out out and hopefully my explosion is enough to take yours out as well. Scenario 2: I build the sarcophagus and then my com gets killed. The sarcophagus then stars 'building' my com, after a sufficient amount of time, the com is done and I send him back to the planet. I don't know if we get to tell it where to drop the com or if its random. Scenario 3: I build a sarco but you're clever and initiate orbital warfare against my sarco while attacking my base and my com dies - I lose. Like I said, this changes some of the fundamentals of how the game is designed to be played so it could/should be a 'game type' mod or an option chosen by the host prior to starting the game.
I actually really like this idea. I hope that, if Uber doesn't make it, someone can mod it in. I'd just suggest that you can only build it once or twice. (Or maybe make that adjustable in the lobby before the game starts?)
I'm actually curious if the ongoing metagame of galactic war will allow for assymetrical non-balanced battles. 3 players vs 2 players who are in a fortress. or 2 players vs 1 player who's an "upgraded" veteran. Maybe we would see some sort of minimal Commander progression. Nothing crazy, but maybe an extra 5% HP on the com, slightly longer build range, or movement speed. While some may balk at the idea of a non-balanced RTS match, that's kind of how war works, it's never fair. Inevitably in war, some factions will have an upper hand in a battle. Somebody will be fighting uphill. Similar to a ranking system, the Com with the advantage would gain little, but a victory by the underdog would be a major win. Galactic War contested points could be munitions factory that give a 1% dmg bonus. Or a foundry that boosts build speed by an extra 2%. Like a game of risk, but with certain planets/maps that actually help gain your faction some in-game advantages.... So the biggie is if your commander "dies". If you gate out early, you might lose a battle that was actually winnable. Or if you risk it and stay behind, then you lose some sort of commander progression. This Sarcophagus could actually be "tech" for your faction to capture. A certain highly contested map.
I don't think I'd like this idea unless there was some sort of Commander upgrade system, which would be lost upon death. I don't like the idea of suiciding exploding commanders into enemy bases since he's basically a walking nuke -- it would trivialize most defenses. But maybe if it's an interesting choice -- keep these useful upgrades OR suicide into defenses -- then it might be reasonable. You have to give up something in order to use your walking nuke.
