For Backers Only: Introducing the Delta Commander

It's been said many a time before that every commander will have different stats, and that they'll try to balance it properly so you don't end up with the Drow Ranger of commanders.

I haven't finalized the plan for the differences between commanders but there will be a few differences.

The current thinking (and this could change, give me some feedback) is to basically have a palette of special abilities that commanders have. Each commander will basically get to choose a special ability for it's secondary arm and possibly a passive ability.

So for example a standard commander might be:
- quantum lathe for building
- d-gun type cannon (need a new name for this, nuclear cannon?)
- cloak

So imagine a palette of choices (probably 3-4 things) that can be chosen for each commander. So for example instead of cloak you might choose another type of passive ability. Instead of a d-gun you might have another kind of weapon etc. The choices would be fairly limited but would allow people to customize their play style a little bit by choosing a commander that has the abilities they want. Obviously we could tweak the balance of the abilities over time if there is a clearly superior commander.

Also note that all of these abilities will be available in the basic commanders so everyone is on a level playing field even if they have a custom commander.

So long as the abilities are fully distinguishable on the model itself. SupCom2 is a great example of how NOT to do commander upgrades/special abilities.

Mike

Very nice design! Don't know why exactly, but I particularly like the legs. The inspiration from Japanese mechs works surprisingly well.
About the symmetric arms, is it intended to have twin cannons? But then, where is the nanolathe gun?
Also I still have to say that the shoulder things are a bit curious, they look a bit flimsy for the massive thing that this Commander is.

About Commander abilities, did you discuss about giving them several abilities, balanced by their energy cost?

Sounds awesome.

I'm a little confused. Do I get to pick my combination of abilities and separately pick a commander model, or does the commander model infer the abilities.

Personally I prefer the first option.

As for being able to determine an opposition commander's abilities on sight, I'm less certain this is needed. There's no reason you should know what a commander's abilities are until it uses them (Unless of course there's a practical reason... ie flight requires physical jetpack)

On first glance I assumed the shoulder things were heat vents. I actually like the design, and it would make sense to have vulnerable vents able to fold down for combat. Also, a robot that size with a nuclear reactor must need a helluva coolant system.

think ive found the commander im gona be usuing in game

Foldy outy bits! Glowy bits inside the foldy outy bits!

Thumbs up from me.

Gorgeous :shock:
Damned, i looks like to me the final game is going to be so awesome

In SupCom2, Overcharge(along with some other abilities) had no visual representation on the model, so when your tank blob was attacking the ACU, you would either kill it because it didn't have OC, or your tank blob would die because it had OC, but you had no way to know unless it used OC. That is called "leap of faith gameplay" and it is very bad.

Mike

See now for me I kind of though they were Missile/Laser beam pods that folded open during combat. I mean just look at the glowing bit, it just screams lasers.

Granted but don't you, as general of your forces, observe that event, learn from the skirmish and adopt a new strategy?

Sure, if the enemy decides yo leave you along long enough to rebuild your tank blob, fact remains its a leap of faith, with NO way to scout it, it's one thing if you chose to not scout, it's another if it can't be scouted at all.

Mike

Wow these look amazing!

I really love the styling

I like it

great design ^^ keep doing a great work

love the design good work guys !

Awesome. Personally I wasn't digging the Theta commander, but this is just awesome. Personally I'm hoping that this is the third miniature that to my knowledge they still haven't actually announced.

Unless they have a more awesome design. That'd be cool too.

That's not strictly true though is it?

Whilst, true, you couldn't simply walk up and observe that a commander had a particular weapon. You would soon learn about it when he used it.

So in scouting the commander, you'd now have to provoke it rather than just look at it.

Is it as simple as a quick fly past? No.
Is it possible to determine experimentally? Yes probably.

A bit like scouting camouflaged pop up gun turrets in some other games

New techniques for new situations

The problem, particularly with Overcharge, is that it's player activated, you can't "scout" it with a single tank, you are essentially scouting with your tank blob, and having to make your tank blob vulnerable to it.

It's like saying, "I don't know if my enemy has TML launchers outside my base, so I'll park my commander outside my defenses and see if he shoots TMLs at it."

Mike