More and better micro would be nice. Right now there is not much, and the micro that does exist does not scale with skill. Basically, they all cap out on the mechanical layer of who can play faster and spend more time on it, and don't reach the next layer of who can make the best split second decisions and reactions under pressure. Fighter dancing, dox dancing, bomber flying exploits etc. All of them are one dimensional and have very low skill cap that is only determined by whether you have it in muscle memory or not. Nothing really intelligent. There are some semi-decent ones like dodging bombs from bomber, but that's really all that i can think of. I don't like pimping my own mods, but i'm going to mention Battleships as an example of how you can implement good player interaction based micro potential within a PA context. For example microing the engagement ranges of different unit compositions in reaction to other compositions and situations. Basically linking macro with micro, where micro can act as a release valve or chaos factor to counter snowball effects from macro to a certain degree. With this kind of stuff, it's better to show instead of type/talk, so i'll just leave it at that.
Only, and really only if these new situational opportunities are supplemented with an according set of extensions to the first order command system. No cheesy "YOU MUST FOCUS ON THIS LOCATION AT THE RIGHT MOMENT!!!1111" mechanics. If you can predict what's going to be necessary in terms of more fine grained unit behavior head on, you must be able to specify your intention the moment you have made decision. You must not be forced to wait until the events actually take place. Well, there are situations where you can't know what to do next early on, such as orbital insertion maneuvers without prior scouting, but that's okay, these events just work that way and you actually can't make any meaningful decision yet. But when I can see that I'm going to need a certain, simple behavior, nothing should stop me from chaining corresponding commands forehand. And yes, that would actually even contain toggling unit settings, such as fire mode, automatically when they pass a certain waypoint. What I'm currently missing most, are actually rather simple control features: A chainable "guard/ambush" command which basically tells the unit to stop at that location, until it gets valid targets. When it does, continue command queue. Formation button... "Charge" / "Stay with allies" / "Swarm" (= Avoid allies, basically AoE protection). Basically just parameters to the flocking and guard range system which is already in place... The ability to issue the change of unit settings upon reaching a waypoint. E.g. telling units to travel individually to the frontline, and when they arrive, automatically toggle the flocking behavior and have them group during the onfollowing area attack command. Ability to break free from area commands, under the condition that follow up commands have been issued and there are no more valid targets. Replacing that quite limited patrol command with the ability to link onto arbitrary "command markers" instead. Allows to merge command queues and any point, to form loops containing *any* commands Yes, all these features are focused pretty much on little details, so one could call the micromanagement. But micro itself, in terms of "I may have control over every single detail" isn't bad. "Micro" only becomes a nightmare when it turns into a button smasher rhythm game instead, because the game denies you the ability to express your micro decisions in time invariant concepts.
See, that's the stuff that makes FAF fun to play. It does a good job of mixing the macro and micro. PA just throws the dox wiggle in your face - do it or die! There are better examples, but ya'll have been here for a while and have seen it before.
I'm sorry that I forget that. When I played chess against some members of a chess club, I lost so fast that time wasn't even a factor
