New Game Mode Suggestion: Field Commander

[G_Hosa_Phat]

Prequel Edit: See the proposal outline in post #11 for details.

 

Okay, after spending a lot of time and getting all excited about a suggestion to add an "Onslaught" game mode to SWTOR (something that has been traditionally the purview of FPS games), I started thinking about whether SWTOR might be able to take anything from other gaming genres. All of my thinking led me to come up with an idea for another new game mode (I'm calling it "Field Commander" at this point). I realize this post may be a bit TL;DR, but the gist is that this new game mode would basically be an RTS mini-game similar to Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds, StarCraft and others that players can engage in directly from within SWTOR. Now, this might be a totally stupid idea, and the concept still hasn't been totally thought out yet, but please reserve your judgment until you hear me out just a bit (wall of text incoming).

 

Think about these points:

• All of the storylines end up with the character being hailed as some sort of leader in their faction's ranks, or at least a person of high rank with considerable influence.
  
• The Republic and Empire are still at war (temporary peace treaties notwithstanding), so battles between these two factions will still be fought on contested worlds.
  
• Most of the actual war is generally fought by the "boots on the ground" (not the player character) who need leadership.
  

 

So, what about giving the player the ability to take command of certain battles on the front lines? The player is actively participating in the war effort, trying to seize control of planets and resources by sending their troops against an opposing military force. The player issues orders to their soldiers in an attempt to eliminate the enemy threat on that planet.

 

This could be worked in with the Planetary Conquest stuff that we have now, including the accumulation of resources that would count towards the player's contribution to their guild's Conquest Points and such. My thought is that, the player goes to a specific area on their faction's fleet station (like where the Flashpoint and Operation entrances are) where they can talk to an NPC to take control of a specific battle. This could even be a quest line where the player is required to prove their ability to command by going through some smaller battles before being afforded the opportunity to command larger battles on more "important" worlds.

 

I envision something almost replicating the "Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds" game from many years ago. The player is shown a top-down view of a map, and is started out with a small force and base of operations. They are granted a limited amount of resources, but must find ways to acquire more in order to increase the size and power of their forces. Just like in most traditional RTS games, there is a sort of "research tree" that enables the player to build and train better and better units by researching certain technologies and building specific structures.

 

This could be implemented for both PvP and PvE in that a player can choose to play it either way. If they choose PvP, they enter a queue to find a suitable player of the opposing faction. Once two players are paired up against each other, a random planet is selected and they can begin the battle. Both players receive some measure of reward based on their performance, but the winner will obviously receive a greater reward than the loser. This could even be set up for 2v2, 4v4, or other size battles (just like other RTS games).

 

PvE games would pit the player against an AI opponent(s). These could range from "training simulator" types of scenarios to actual Conquest-affecting missions. Rewards for PvE might be less spectacular than those for PvP, but still worth playing for.

 

I realize this idea is still a little "scattered" right now as I haven't fully thought through all of the details yet, but I wanted to see if anyone else out there would be interested in something like this before I spent too much time hashing it out. Your feedback is certainly appreciated. If enough people like the idea, I'll work on a more "formal" proposal outline like I did for the Onslaught game mode suggestion.

Edited January 19, 2015 by G_Hosa_Phat

[G_Hosa_Phat]

Okay, it's been a long time since I played SWGB, so last night I reinstalled it and played a little bit. I admit, I had forgotten how "cheesy" some of it is. Even so, that still doesn't diminish my interest in this idea. I've always enjoyed RTS-style games, and, while I know that SWTOR is most definitely not an RTS game, I think adding this as a "mini-game" within the larger scope of the main game would be a fun diversion for those times when you've run all of your dailies and want to do something other than Warzones/GSF.

 

I know there have been numerous calls for other mini-games to be added (like Dejarik, Sabacc, etc.) because people want to have as many options for how they spend their time in SWTOR as possible. The more of these "diversions" that this game has, the more time people will spend playing it. I know there could be a tremendous outcry over my next statement, but, perhaps these mini-games could be subscriber only with CM unlocks similar to what's in place for accessing Warzones, Flashpoints and such.

Edited December 31, 2014 by G_Hosa_Phat

[G_Hosa_Phat]

Consider this a /bump if you like, but I've been thinking about this idea a bit since I posted my first thoughts on the concept and wanted to expound a bit on why I believe this would be something good to add to the game.

 

For BW/EA: As I said previously, this could be a potential extra source of revenue by building it with similar limitations for non-subscribers as are in place for Warzones, Flashpoints, etc. If these players want access to more than a couple of matches a week, they can either subscribe for unlimited access, or they can purchase a temporary unlock from the CM.

 

For the player: Not only does this provide the player base with yet another diversion to keep them interested in being online (which is also a benefit for BW/EA), if done correctly and tied in with the Planetary Conquest system, it can give players more of a sense that they are actually contributing to the Galactic War Effort, creating greater immersion. They are actually commanding armies that are fighting the battles that they otherwise only ever hear about from NPC's.

 

Perhaps it would be possible to make a new planet or two with special resources or other nifty perks that can only be accessed when members of your faction have been able to win more of these "Fleet Commander" games than members of the opposing faction, or they've simply won a set number of games. Make it refresh every month (or whatever) so that the status of that planet is always in flux.

 

I can see, however, this being an issue if one faction consistently dominates the other, so add to this idea the possibility to access the planet for a "smuggler's fee" (similar to visiting a GSH on the opposing faction's capitol world). In this case, since your faction doesn't have a presence on the planet, you don't have any sort of base, and you're open to PvP attacks as long as you are on the planet.

 

These are just thoughts that have been knocking around in my head, and I wanted to get them out in the open to see if they might strike a chord with anyone else. As always, any feedback is definitely appreciated.

Edited December 24, 2014 by G_Hosa_Phat

[Lecto]

I'm okay with this, & would prefer that it be an element of the current conquest content. Maybe there would be an instance on each planet "conquest-able" where Guilds could Q for the battle field? I think it would be cool if you could add conquest points to your Guilds over-all score by doing well in matches? I think you'd have to allow for BOTS though....unless you made it X-server though. I just don't think Conquest is all that popular, moreover, I feel like most Guilds don't even have a Flag Ship -- too expensive.

PS: Just a tip, but you may want to try dropping this idea into the "official PvP suggestion" thread.

[G_Hosa_Phat]

I'm okay with this, & would prefer that it be an element of the current conquest content. Maybe there would be an instance on each planet "conquest-able" where Guilds could Q for the battle field? I think it would be cool if you could add conquest points to your Guilds over-all score by doing well in matches? I think you'd have to allow for BOTS though....unless you made it X-server though. I just don't think Conquest is all that popular, moreover, I feel like most Guilds don't even have a Flag Ship -- too expensive.

PS: Just a tip, but you may want to try dropping this idea into the "official PvP suggestion" thread.

Thanks for the support, Lecto! I hope we can attract even more attention and support along the way.

 

I really like your idea of using individual planetary instances. I think these could be a much better way to implement this, rather than doing it from fleet. That could help to drive players back to some of those under-populated starter planets. I mean, it makes sense... You have to physically be there to provide the kind of direct command implied by this game mode.

 

I really like making it part of the Conquest objectives because it gives smaller guilds something they can do other than craft a ton of those silly War Supplies things (don't get me started on my crafting rant here ). I don't think, by any means, that Conquest points should be the sole reward for doing well in this game mode, but it should definitely be a part of the rewards. The better you do, the more Conquest points you earn. Perhaps base it on a number of factors, including tech researched, time to win, units produced, resources gathered, etc. I'll try to grab a screenshot of the SWGB "summary" page that appears at the end of a mission to try to get some ideas from there.

 

I definitely want to make this an either/or type of thing, though. I think players should be able to either play against AI "bots", against other players, or against a combination of both. Just like with the Onslaught mode, I think giving players the opportunity to play solo or as a group just opens up the path for a ton of new SWTOR subscriptions. Like I said, people want a variety of ways they can spend their time while logged in. The more options they have, the more likely it is that at least one of those options appeals to their play-style, and the more likely it is that they'll stick around to try other things.

 

I'll try to put together a full outline like I did for the Onslaught mode and post it here. Even though the basic idea is relatively simple (make a clone of some RTS game out there and slap the SWTOR logo on it), I want to think it through a bit to determine if there are any specific ideas to include to make this suggestion as well thought-out as it can be. Thanks again.

[Lecto]

Thanks for the support, Lecto! I hope we can attract even more attention and support along the way.

 

I'll try to put together a full outline like I did for the Onslaught mode and post it here. Even though the basic idea is relatively simple (make a clone of some RTS game out there and slap the SWTOR logo on it), I want to think it through a bit to determine if there are any specific ideas to include to make this suggestion as well thought-out as it can be. Thanks again.

 

Not a problem Hosa, you've been cool over the last while....so I'll back you. When you were talking about Star Wars Battlefield I had assumed you were talking about making this mode similar to that....not sure how I feel about a full RTS. I mean obviously this game can't be exactly like Battlefield given this is an MMO & won't be as action-y.....more like a HUGE war-zone.

 

If you'd really like to tackle RTS elements, I'd recommend checking out the game "Savage". In my opinion it is the PERFECT mash up of RTS & FPS elements. Kinda similar to what you're suggesting....I think Savage had one sequel.

[G_Hosa_Phat]

Not a problem Hosa, you've been cool over the last while....so I'll back you. When you were talking about Star Wars Battlefield I had assumed you were talking about making this mode similar to that....not sure how I feel about a full RTS. I mean obviously this game can't be exactly like Battlefield given this is an MMO & won't be as action-y.....more like a HUGE war-zone.

 

If you'd really like to tackle RTS elements, I'd recommend checking out the game "Savage". In my opinion it is the PERFECT mash up of RTS & FPS elements. Kinda similar to what you're suggesting....I think Savage had one sequel.

I appreciate it, Lecto. Like I said earlier, my thought process here was primarily trying to think of adding new variety to the way that players can spend their time while logged in to SWTOR. There have been plenty of suggestions for mini-game versions of Sabacc, Pazaak and Dejarik (which I think would definitely add some fun diversions to the existing gameplay), but I'm wanting to "think outside the box" a little and try to incorporate things that nobody else is really doing. I realize this idea may be a little more "out there" than most of the other suggestions, and maybe I'm the only one, but I think it would be a lot of fun.

 

BTW, thanks for the link to Savage. I've never played that one. I hadn't really intended the idea to go into the FPS/RTS hybrid idea (SWGB and the others I mentioned earlier are all purely RTS games, although SWGB never really got that much recognition), but I'll definitely take a look. I'm not sure, though, if you're thinking of Star Wars: Battlefront (more of an FPS action style game), but Galactic Battlegrounds is a completely different game. I don't think I'd ever call SWGB "action-y", although I certainly got a lot of enjoyment out of it. There are no first-person elements to it, and for those who aren't into the gameplay style of the RTS genre it can be perceived as somewhat boring. Even so, and even though I was never all that good at it (most games of StarCraft I ever played online ended with my elimination very quickly), I still think of RTS games as one of my favorite genres.

[G_Hosa_Phat]

So, after going back and reading through some of the old game manuals for a few different RTS games, I think that SWGB is probably NOT the model I would choose for Field Commander. It seems overly complicated for a mini-game, and, although I would probably still enjoy it, would probably turn people off pretty quick.

 

I think I may have found the one that would best "fit" with SWTOR (although I still haven't looked at Savage yet): HALO Wars. The resource and base management is much simpler, yet it still has the basic elements of RTS gameplay that I'm going for here. It implements base construction in a way that makes sense within the Star Wars universe, and doesn't require a bunch of "workers" to be micromanaged, sending them out to harvest and gather resources or build structures.

 

One thing I've been thinking about, though, is whether to make the player character an active combatant, or to relegate them to the "command tent". Introducing the character to the battle could produce some interesting effects, but could also introduce some serious imbalances and complications into what is supposed to be a relatively simple game mode.

[Lecto]

One thing I've been thinking about, though, is whether to make the player character an active combatant, or to relegate them to the "command tent". Introducing the character to the battle could produce some interesting effects, but could also introduce some serious imbalances and complications into what is supposed to be a relatively simple game mode.

 

I would say to just have one player be in the "command tent", while everyone else on the ground benefits from the research & progress of the commander. Most of the players would experience a huge War-Zone of sorts, while commanders conducted research, laid down way-points, & built defenses around the map within their spear of influence. Now, people in the field could help build buildings once the commander put them up for construction. Savage did this flawlessly & was A LOT of fun.

 

PS: Commanders were typically elected from the pre-game lobby. There was also a "vote-kick" mechanic for booting bad commanders from the top spot...if successful they'd just join the rest of the team.

 

2nd PS: Halo wars was great -- my opinion. Just deep enough for strategy, but casual enough for anyone to play.

[G_Hosa_Phat]

I would say to just have one player be in the "command tent", while everyone else on the ground benefits from the research & progress of the commander. Most of the players would experience a huge War-Zone of sorts, while commanders conducted research, laid down way-points, & built defenses around the map within their spear of influence. Now, people in the field could help build buildings once the commander put them up for construction. Savage did this flawlessly & was A LOT of fun.

 

PS: Commanders were typically elected from the pre-game lobby. There was also a "vote-kick" mechanic for booting bad commanders from the top spot...if successful they'd just join the rest of the team.

 

2nd PS: Halo wars was great -- my opinion. Just deep enough for strategy, but casual enough for anyone to play.

Thanks, Lecto. I'm still thinking of this as more of a pure RTS game, where each player is in command of their own separate force, and not directly participating in the combat (I think I've decided on that). The RTS/FPS mash-up could work, but I think it introduces a little too much complexity into what I'm envisioning here.

 

I've been working on the outline, and I've been taking a lot of implementation ideas from the HALO Wars user guide and other online sources for the game. I've been looking at a bunch of other games as well, but I really think that the simplicity of that one is what fits best with the "mini-game" design I'm going for. I don't really want this to be a huge, super-complex game that requires the micromanagement of every little detail. I think that would really detract from the fun.

 

One thing I'm thinking of, though, is something they implemented in HALO Wars, which was the idea that different "leaders" or "commanders" would provide different abilities or special units. Unfortunately, my lack of imagination (which I'm sure is obvious from my inability to come up with decent special abilities for Onslaught) is going to limit me as I work on finishing up my outline, but I like the idea of each mirror class providing a special "something" to aid their forces.

Edited January 12, 2015 by G_Hosa_Phat

[G_Hosa_Phat]

I think I'm starting to overthink my outline, and I'm trying to make it a bit too detailed. So, in order to try to keep from driving myself crazy over it, I'm going to go ahead and post it now, even though it isn't as complete as I might like. I believe that it should provide enough actual detail at this point to give a reasonably clear picture of the vision I have for this game mode. As I said above, I shamelessly lifted a large amount of specific implementation ideas straight out of HALO Wars because I feel that they did an excellent job in making an RTS game that moves along at a good pace while still providing enough depth of strategy to make it more than just a "hack-and-slash" game. Because this is just a suggestion at this point, and the final result would likely be considerably different anyway, I don't feel too bad about that.

 

This outline still needs a fair amount of "finalizing" work. I haven't really gotten much together for the special abilities for the player, and I didn't include specific names or detailed descriptions for many of the units. Even so, I think the overall descriptions for much of the implementation suggestions should be sufficient for a jumping-off point at the very least.

 

Once again, C.Y.A. bit: All property names, copyrights, trademarks, service marks, etc. are the property of their respective owners and are used in this document solely for reference purposes.

 

SWTOR Field Commander

Field Commander Overview

 

Field Commander is a proposed new game mode for Star Wars: The Old Republic to add to such existing game modes as Warzones and Galactic Starfighter. This game mode is designed as a sort of "mini-game" to be included within the larger scope of SWTOR that allows players to take an active role in the conflict between the Empire and the Republic by taking control of a military force on the front lines of the Galactic War in an effort to lead them to a combat victory against an opposing military force. The player's military strategy and leadership abilities will be tested as they train and deploy their troops to overcome the enemy.

 

Field Commander is played in the style of a traditional Real-Time Strategy (RTS) game (a la Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds, StarCraft, Command and Conquer, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, HALO Wars, et al). This game can be played by 1 to 16 players (or more, depending on game engine limitations) of level 10 or greater in a variety of combinations: a solo player against one or more AI opponents, a team of 2 or more players against the same number or more AI opponents, two teams of equal number of players (1v1, 2v2, 4v4, 8v8), or even a combination of players and AI playing against an opposing team of similar composition. Teams of two or more players can either be a pre-made group entering the queue together, or individuals can indicate that they are "LFG" to play together.

 

Players participating in a game of Field Commander will receive rewards of in-game currencies (credits and Basic, Elite and Ultimate Commendations) based on their performance during the game. Additionally, by playing a game of Field Commander, any and all players/teams will be contributing to the overall Planetary Conquest goals for their guild(s). Other rewards may also be granted, depending on final implementation.

 

 

Field Commander Gameplay

 

Field Commander is an RTS-style game mode where players are given command of a military force that has been deployed to combat the encroachment of an opposing force on a particular planet. The goal is for the player/team to defeat any enemy forces within the field of battle through either total annihilation or surrender. Each player in a game of Field Commander will receive rewards based on their performance (see the "Rewards" section below).

 

Players will travel to the planet on which they wish to play a game of Field Commander, and will need to find the appropriate NPC in one of the established field bases to join the queue. The specific base from which the game is started will define the specific map that is used during the game. Of course, while Field Commander may be played on any of the currently existing planets available in SWTOR, this will mean that certain planets and maps will not be available to certain characters due to faction or level restrictions (e.g., a level 10 character will not be able to get to the bases on Balmorra to play those maps, and an Imperial player will not be able to travel to Tython to play those maps).

 

Some exceptions may be made with regards to the faction restrictions by making the faction-specific planets available from the character's fleet station, or these planets may strictly be used for "training" purposes – helping players learn the basics of the RTS style of play.

 

Upon initiating an instance of Field Commander, players are presented with a top-down view of a battlefield on which they and their enemies (and possibly allies) have been randomly positioned. Each team is given a base of operations with a small initial force to defend it. A "fog of war" will conceal the majority of the battlefield so that the player does not initially know exactly where their enemy has set up their camp, and the player will need to explore the map to locate the enemy base. For teams of two or more players, all allied players will share their map view with the other players on the team. This means that, whatever one player on a team has explored can be seen by the other members of that team.

 

At the start of a game of Field Commander, players are granted a limited amount of supplies (see the "Supplies" section below) to start building their army, but will quickly need to begin acquiring more of these supplies in order to continue expanding their base and their forces by training/building different types of structures and units (refer to the sections on "Field Commander Structures" and "Field Commander Units" in Appendix A), as well as researching new technologies (see the "Research" section below). These supplies are consumed in the process of training, building and researching, so a player needs to be continually harvesting them to keep up with the demand.

 

Supplies

In order to expand the military force the player controls, they will need to acquire supplies. Supplies in Field Commander are obtained by building Supply Drops where the player's faction can deliver supplies. Once a Supply Drop has been constructed, and as long as it remains intact, the player will continue to periodically receive additional supplies.

 

Constructing additional Supply Drops will increase the overall net production of supplies. However, there is a diminishing return for each Supply Drop as more are built. For example, one regular Supply Drop will bring in approximately four (4) units of supplies per second, but three regular Supply Drops will only bring in about ten (10) units per second. Upgrading the Supply Drops to Supply Depots will offset this imbalance slightly, but the upgrade comes at a cost.

 

Additionally, supply crates may be found on the battlefield that can be collected as well for a quick, one-time boost to the player's available supplies. These supply crates, when available, will spawn in random locations around the map. Players can send one of their units to retrieve the supply crates, but will need to have that unit return the scavenged supplies to the Operations Center, giving their opponent an opportunity to kill the unit and acquire the supplies for themselves.

 

Population

The overall size of a player's military force will be limited to the player's current maximum population. Each player begins with a population limit of 30. Once the population limit has been reached, no new units can be trained until either an existing unit is destroyed, or the maximum population is increased by researching the "Reserve Garrison" upgrade at the Command Center.

 

Victory

In order to achieve victory in a game of Field Commander, a player/team must defeat all of the enemy forces – whether other players or AI "bots" – on the map. This can be achieved by either totally eliminating all units and structures that enemy controls, or by getting that enemy to surrender (see the "Surrender" section below). As long as a player has not surrendered and still has at least one unit on the battle field, they can continue their fight to win. Once one side of the conflict has been defeated, each player will be granted their rewards based on their participation and performance during the game.

 

Surrender

If a player decides that they do not wish to continue fighting the current opponent during a game of Field Commander, that player may opt to surrender. Surrendering counts as a loss for that player and a win for their opponent in the Field Commander ladder ranking system (see the "Rankings" section below).

 

Additionally, choosing to surrender rather than completing the game will have a negative impact on the rewards earned by the player. The penalty for surrendering will be a total forfeiture of Planetary Conquest points that would be earned for playing Field Commander, as well as a 10% reduction of the player's individual reward earnings. This penalty is intended to promote competitive participation.

 

Players wishing to surrender will be able to use the "Exit Area" button connected to the mini-map. This will display a confirmation message box giving the player the opportunity to return to the game if they do not wish to be penalized for quitting the game early. A player that gets disconnected from SWTOR during a game of Field Commander will not be penalized as if they surrendered, but the game will continue to run giving opponents the opportunity to eliminate the player with limited resistance.

 

Rewards

A game of Field Commander will reward each individual participant with varying amounts of in-game currencies of credits and/or Commendations based on their accomplishments during the game. Among others, players will receive rewards for the following events:

• Reaching a new Support Level
  
• Researching upgrades
  
• Building the largest military force during the game
  
• Acquiring the most supplies during the game
  
• Each opponent that is eliminated or surrenders
  

In addition to the individual rewards granted, a game of Field Commander will also contribute to the player's guild's Planetary Conquest Objectives.

 

Rankings

One additional element to the Field Commander game mode is the competitive ladder system that will rank players based on their how well they have done playing the game. This ranking is based on a combination of the number of games a player has played, as well as their current win-loss ratio. Similar to the existing PvP Warzone tournament seasons, these statistics would be periodically reset so that all players are able to start out on equal footing at the beginning of a season.

 

I can imagine that players will want to see a "total" for all of their participation in Field Commander, so each player will also have cumulative statistics that can be seen from their character sheet, and may be used for certain awards and achievements in the overall SWTOR game.

 

Edited January 13, 2015 by G_Hosa_Phat

[G_Hosa_Phat]

Appendix A – Units and Structures

Field Commander Structures

 

When starting a game of Field Commander, the player is positioned in a random location on the map with a Listening Post, which includes a Command Center and is surrounded by three "build sites" on which other structures may be constructed. Listening Posts provide the primary base facilities from which a player will begin to build up their forces.

 

Additional Listening Posts can be built by the player, but only in specific locations. This may be useful in establishing a location closer to an enemy's base to reduce the amount of time it takes for new units produced to reach the battle. Sites suitable to construct a new Listening Post will appear highlighted on the terrain when a player's unit approaches them.

 

Listening Posts can be upgraded to larger bases called Forward Bases, which can then be further expanded into Operations Centers. Each level of upgrade provides two additional build sites for expanding the capabilities of the player's military force. Additionally, Forward Bases and Operations Centers include four turret points on which players can construct defensive turrets to improve the security of their base.

 

Besides the Command Center, players will have the opportunity to build a variety of other structures, including a Supply Drop, Power Core, Armory, Barracks, Mech Factory, Air Base and Turrets. However, these additional structures can only be constructed on one of the building sites attached to a Command Center, so players will need to be strategic in their decisions regarding what to build. These structures are discussed in greater detail below:

 

Listening Post: The Listening Post is the primary structure required to build all other types of structures for building up a player's military force.

Construction Cost (Supplies): 500

Minimum Required Support Level: None

 

Upgrades Available for the Listening Post

Forward Base: Increases the toughness of the Command Center, increases the number of build sites to five and adds four turret points. Requires 250 supplies/Support Level 1

Operations Center: Further increases the toughness of the Command Center and increases the number of build sites to seven. Requires 400 supplies/Support Level 2

 

Upgrades Available from the Command Center

Reserve Garrison: Increases the player's current population limit by 10. This upgrade can be researched multiple times, up to a maximum population limit of 100. Requires 800 supplies/Support Level 2

Improved Training: All units are trained/constructed faster. Requires 800 supplies/Support Level 2

 

Supply Drop: Supply Drops provide a drop point for the player's faction to deliver a constant stream of supplies.

Construction Cost (Supplies): 100

Minimum Required Support Level: None

 

Upgrade Available for the Supply Drop

Supply Depot: Increases the amount of supplies per second generated by the Supply Drop. Requires 225 supplies/Support Level 1

 

Power Core: Building a Power Core provides players with the means to advance their current technological capabilities (or "Support Level"). Certain units and upgrades will require specific Support Levels. Power Cores can be upgraded to Advanced Power Cores to increase the Support Level without the need to build a separate Power Core.

Construction Cost (Supplies): First – 250, Second – 500, Third – 750, Fourth (and additional) – 1,000.

Minimum Required Support Level: None

 

Upgrade Available for the Power Core

Advanced Power Core: Increases the current Support Level for the player by one but does not require the construction of a separate Power Core, freeing up a build site for another structure. Requires 1,200 supplies/Support Level 1

 

Armory: Building an Armory is necessary to unlock certain upgrades for units and structures.

Construction Cost (Supplies): 150

Minimum Required Support Level: 1

 

Upgrades Available from the Armory

Advanced Infantry: Increases the base health and toughness of all infantry units. Requires 300 supplies/Support Level 1

Adrenaline Boost: Increases movement speed of all infantry units. Requires 250 supplies/Support Level 1

Medium Turret: Increases the damage and durability of all Turrets. Requires 500 supplies/Support Level 2

Heavy Turret: Further increases the damage and durability of all Turrets. Requires 800 supplies/Support Level 3

 

Barracks: The Barracks is where the player can train, upgrade and research new variants of infantry units.

Construction Cost (Supplies): 150

Minimum Required Support Level: None

 

Mech Factory: The Mech Factory is where the player can build, upgrade and research new variants of ground-based vehicle units.

Construction Cost (Supplies): 150

Minimum Required Support Level: 2

 

Air Base: The Air Base is where the player can build, upgrade and research new variants of aircraft units.

Construction Cost (Supplies): 150

Minimum Required Support Level: 2

 

Turrets: Turrets can be built as fixed defensive systems for an Operations Center or Forward Base. Individual turrets can be upgraded with specialized weaponry to defend against specific enemy unit types. Additionally, constructing an Armory provides access to upgrades to the turrets damage and durability. Turrets must be built on specific building points reserved for them around either the Operations Center or a Forward Base.

Construction Cost (Supplies): 250

Minimum Required Support Level: None

 

Specialized Turret Options Available

Anti-Infantry: Increases the turrets' effectiveness against infantry units. Requires 100 supplies/Support Level 1

Anti-Vehicle: Increases the turrets' effectiveness against vehicle units. Requires 100 supplies/Support Level 1

Anti-Air: Increases the turrets' effectiveness against aircraft units. Requires 100 supplies/Support Level 1

 

 

Field Commander Units

 

At the beginning of a new game of Field Commander, each player is provided with a small force of two (2) Trooper Squad units for initial defense of their Operations Center. As the player accumulates supplies and improves their Support Level, they will be able to train and create more units of varying type. The available unit types are described in greater detail here:

 

INFANTRY

Republic/Imperial Trooper Squad: A squad of three Troopers are the primary infantry units deployed during combat. While Trooper Squads are not especially effective against any particular type of enemy unit, they are an excellent "all-purpose" unit due to their low cost and requirements, as well as their overall versatility. Trooper Squads are capable of attacking any other type of unit, including aircraft.

Minimum Required Support Level: None

Production/Training Cost (Supplies): 100

Production/Training Facility: Barracks

Population Requirement: 1

 

Trooper Squad Upgrades Available (Barracks)

Medic: Adds a Medic to each Trooper Squad that can heal the squad during and after combat. Requires 700 supplies/Support Level 3

Reinforcements: Increases the number of Troopers per squad trained by two. Requires 200 supplies/Support Level 1

Anti-Air Troopers: Individual Trooper Squads can be upgraded to Anti-Air Troopers, giving them increased effectiveness against air vehicles. Requires 400 supplies/Support Level 2

 

Republic/Imperial Commando Squad: An anti-infantry squad of two Commandos armed with specialized, close-combat weaponry designed to devastate other infantry squads. Commando Squads are less effective against ground vehicles and structures than other units, and cannot attack aircraft due to their weaponry.

Minimum Required Support Level: None

Production/Training Cost (Supplies): 100

Production/Training Facility: Barracks

Population Requirement: 1

 

Jedi Knight (Republic)/Sith Warrior (Empire): Carrying personal shield generators, these Force-wielders are powerful units capable of dealing substantial damage to infantry, vehicles and structures alike. Introducing these units into a combat zone will also increase the morale of all other nearby units, improving their combat effectiveness. Additionally, these units are capable of detecting cloaked enemy units.

Minimum Required Support Level: 1

Production/Training Cost (Supplies): 300

Production/Training Facility: Barracks

Population Requirement: 0 (players are limited to a maximum of 3 Jedi/Sith units in their army at any given time)

 

SIS Operative (Republic)/Imperial Agent (Empire): These units use stealth to infiltrate enemy lines and inflict damage to enemy structures. They can also use their sniper rifles to attack enemy infantry units from a safe distance, although their cloaking will deactivate as soon as they begin firing.

Minimum Required Support Level: 2

Production/Training Cost (Supplies): 250

Production/Training Facility: Barracks

Population Requirement: 1

 

GROUND VEHICLES

This list will not attempt to give specific names to the individual vehicles (I'm probably not the best person to try to come up with "appropriate" names), but will instead provide a general description of the vehicle's capabilities and usage.

 

Scout Vehicle: Very fast but light armor

Minimum Required Support Level: None

Production/Training Cost (Supplies): 150

Production/Training Facility: Command Center

Population Requirement: 1

 

Scout Vehicle Upgrades Available (Mech Factory)

Blaster Cannon: Adds a forward-firing blaster cannon to the Scout Vehicle.

Shield Generator: Enables the Scout Vehicle to deflect a portion of incoming damage.

 

Tank: Heavy armor but slow - Vehicles

Minimum Required Support Level: 2

Production/Training Cost (Supplies): 500

Production/Training Facility: Mech Factory

Population Requirement: 2

 

Tank Upgrades Available (Mech Factory)

Explosive Shells: The Tank's rounds explode on impact, doing area damage to any other nearby units.

Repeating Cannon: Increases the firing rate of the Tank's main cannon.

 

Mobile Artillery: Moderate armor, but very slow - Structures

Minimum Required Support Level: 3

Production/Training Cost (Supplies): 350

Production/Training Facility: Mech Factory

Population Requirement: 2

 

Mobile Artillery Upgrades Available (Mech Factory)

Shield Generator: Enables the Mobile Artillery to deflect a portion of incoming damage.

Improved Motivator: Increases the Mobile Artillery's movement speed.

 

Anti-Air Vehicle: Fast and moderately armored - Aircraft

Minimum Required Support Level: 3

Production/Training Cost (Supplies): 300

Production/Training Facility: Mech Factory

Population Requirement: 2

 

Anti-Air Vehicle Upgrades Available (Mech Factory)

Barrage: Increases the effectiveness of the Anti-Air vehicle against ground units.

Improved Ordinance: Increases the amount of damage done by the Anti-Air vehicle.

 

AIRCRAFT

This list will not attempt to give specific names to the individual vehicles (I'm probably not the best person to try to come up with "appropriate" names), but will instead provide a general description of the vehicle's capabilities and usage.

 

Fighter: Fast but light armor

Minimum Required Support Level: 2

Production/Training Cost (Supplies): 250

Production/Training Facility: Air Base

Population Requirement: 2

 

Fighter Upgrades Available (Air Base)

Chaff Pod: Increases the Fighter's ability to avoid missile fire.

Repeating Blasters: Increases the firing rate of the Fighter's main weapon.

 

Destroyer: Moderate armor but slower

Minimum Required Support Level: 3

Production/Training Cost (Supplies): 400

Production/Training Facility: Air Base

Population Requirement: 3

 

Destroyer Upgrades Available (Air Base)

Barrage: Increases the effectiveness of the Destroyer against ground units.

Sacrifice: When the Destroyer is critically damaged it will attempt to crash into ground targets to inflict large amounts of area damage.

 

Edited January 13, 2015 by G_Hosa_Phat

[G_Hosa_Phat]

Appendix B – Command Abilities

 

Players in Field Commander will be granted a unique special ability to aid their armies during the battle. These special abilities will be assigned according to the player's Advanced Class. The following list is intended to provide some suggestions for possible implementation, and is not meant to be all inclusive or definitive.

 

Jedi Guardian/Sith Juggernaut

• Force Shield – Provides all units in a specific area with additional protection from enemy damage.

Jedi Sentinel/Sith Marauder

• Force Strength – All units in a specific area do increased damage to all enemy units and structures.

Jedi Shadow/Sith Assassin

• Force Cloud – An AoE stealth field that conceals all of the units in a specific area from enemies.

Jedi Sage/Sith Sorcerer

• Force Storm – Inflicts AoE damage to all units in a specific area. Devastating against infantry units.

Scoundrel/Operative

• Orbital Blast – Inflicts directed damage to a specific site. Especially damaging to structures.

Gunslinger/Sniper

• TBD – This Command Ability has not yet been defined.

Vanguard/Powertech

• Bombing Run – Inflicts AoE damage to all units in a specific area. Especially damaging to vehicles.

Commando/Mercenary

• TBD – This Command Ability has not yet been defined.

 

 

Edited January 14, 2015 by G_Hosa_Phat

[Vanisher]

I can't see them doing this in game if you want. RTS game Galactic Civilizations is coming out with a 3rd instalment of their game. At first I was thinking that you were suggesting a flashpoint or ops with a different set of mechanics where you had a group of players dealing with an onslaught of mobs.

 

Like for example say a town on tatooine was being invaded by Tusken Raiders and in say phase one the town was getting attacked wave after wave an onslaught then say after a certain number of waves it was safe to start escorting citizens out of their homes to say a star port for safety or evacuation. After you escort enough citizens without kissing to many the next phase a boss comes out that you have to fight say the leader of this advancing army would be a great flashpoint or small quick ops for a guild

[G_Hosa_Phat]

I can't see them doing this in game if you want. RTS game Galactic Civilizations is coming out with a 3rd instalment of their game. At first I was thinking that you were suggesting a flashpoint or ops with a different set of mechanics where you had a group of players dealing with an onslaught of mobs.

 

Like for example say a town on tatooine was being invaded by Tusken Raiders and in say phase one the town was getting attacked wave after wave an onslaught then say after a certain number of waves it was safe to start escorting citizens out of their homes to say a star port for safety or evacuation. After you escort enough citizens without kissing to many the next phase a boss comes out that you have to fight say the leader of this advancing army would be a great flashpoint or small quick ops for a guild

There is another game mode suggestion that I've been very active in that's more like what you're describing (Onslaught mode). That one is definitely more designed towards a FP/Ops type of scenario. I love that idea as well, and really hope to see it implemented.

 

This suggestion (Field Commander) actually came from my musings while thinking about ideas for that one (Onslaught). I've always loved RTS games, and thought it would be really fun to have an RTS mini-game that actually tied into what your character is doing in SWTOR. TBH, I'd love to see both of these ideas implemented to help diversify the game play options we currently have.

 

I hear where you're coming from, though. I realize that what I'm asking for requires a sizable investment from the Development team, and very well could get thrown on the trash heap of ideas that just aren't worth the effort to even consider. That's the beauty of this being a "Suggestion Box" forum, though. Even if this game mode never goes beyond this thread, I wanted to at least put the idea out there.

 

Who knows? Maybe this idea will make it. Perhaps it's something already in development. (Probably not, but it's nice to dream.) Field Commander obviously isn't getting the kind of attention or positive feedback that the Onslaught mode suggestion is (which, I'll admit, makes me a little sad), but you never know how much interest or what kind of response you'll get for an idea until you put it out there.

 

That being said, I'm not giving up on either of these ideas just yet. I personally think that both of them are decent suggestions worthy of implementation. They both add new variety to the way players spend their time while logged into SWOTR, and I believe they both could help to draw old and new players in. As I said previously, the more options a player has regarding what they do in-game, the more likely it is that they will find something that appeals to their play-style.

Edited January 14, 2015 by G_Hosa_Phat

[Lecto]

That being said, I'm not giving up on either of these ideas just yet. I personally think that both of them are decent suggestions worthy of implementation. They both add new variety to the way players spend their time while logged into SWOTR, and I believe they both could help to draw old and new players in. As I said previously, the more options a player has regarding what they do in-game, the more likely it is that they will find something that appeals to their play-style.

 

This is kinda the point whether you like this mode or not, the idea is that people likely get bored from the same-old same-old. If you have multiple games in this one single game...it may keep people from taking breaks. Heck, might even attract new users. I think we can all agree on that point. A good example would be GSF....its game-play is completely different than anything else we currently have.

[G_Hosa_Phat]

This is kinda the point whether you like this mode or not, the idea is that people likely get bored from the same-old same-old. If you have multiple games in this one single game...it may keep people from taking breaks. Heck, might even attract new users. I think we can all agree on that point. A good example would be GSF....its game-play is completely different than anything else we currently have.

You hit the nail right on the head! That's the primary reason for posting these game mode suggestions. I totally understand if players aren't interested in this suggestion (even if I am a bit disappointed), but I believe that these types of ideas give players with different play-style preferences a way to be involved in SWTOR, even if they aren't interested in running the currently available options (Flashpoints/Operations, PvP Warzones, PvE questing, GSF, the on-rails Space Combat, etc.).

 

I mean, the introduction of GSF created an entirely new sub-community within SWTOR of die-hard GSF players. There is an entire subset of the player base that is really only interested in PvE, and a different subset that is only interested in PvP. The awesome thing is that these players can have their play-style preferences satiated, but they can also cross over and try the other game modes anytime they want.

 

These proposed new game modes expand the variety of players to which SWTOR can appeal, and have the potential for increasing the current subscriber/player count, which I believe most all of us would agree is good for the overall health of the game.

Edited January 16, 2015 by G_Hosa_Phat

[G_Hosa_Phat]

TBH, I'd really like to know what it is about this suggestion that people are not interested in. Perhaps other players aren't as interested in the RTS game play as I am. I know that in today's world of fast-paced, high-action FPS games, the RTS style may seem not as "exciting". Perhaps it's a matter of "don't spend valuable development time on this when there are other things to work on". Maybe it's that the suggested implementation is just not good enough.

 

Whatever the reason is, if you're not interested in this suggestion, I would love to hear what about it you don't care for. I promise I won't take it personally, although I may debate your viewpoint if I disagree.

 

Of course, if you are interested, I definitely want to hear from you.

Edited January 19, 2015 by G_Hosa_Phat

[kelanator]

I can honestly see this fitting into the game. Adding like a form of barracks or warroom floor on the fleets or even a command console on the guildships! I love this idea and I think it would be an amazing mini game so if there's any way we can spam Bioware with this idea than DO IT!!! It would be a GREAT addition to the game and make Planetary Conquest actually feel like a real conquest!

[G_Hosa_Phat]

I can honestly see this fitting into the game. Adding like a form of barracks or warroom floor on the fleets or even a command console on the guildships! I love this idea and I think it would be an amazing mini game so if there's any way we can spam Bioware with this idea than DO IT!!! It would be a GREAT addition to the game and make Planetary Conquest actually feel like a real conquest!

Thanks so much, kelanator! I was beginning to think that I was the only one that was actually excited by this idea. I hadn't even thought of the possibility of the guild ship console (my guilds are way too small and "casual" to have our own guild ships at this point), but that would be an excellent interface. I had suggested that the players would actually have to travel to the planets to engage this mode, but guild ships provide a great way to do it either in lieu of or in addition to that option. I can even see creating a quest line that starts on fleet with a "training simulator" type of thing, then leads the player to the individual planets (or whatever interface is devised).

 

I think integration with the Planetary Conquest system is pretty much a "must" with this game mode. It just makes too much sense. Then my tiny guild might actually stand a chance at getting one of those cool guild ships.

[G_Hosa_Phat]

While this thread seems to have gone largely unnoticed, I still think that introducing an RTS-style mini-game similar to what I've described in this thread would be a tremendously fun and interesting way to add some new variety to the ways that players can interact with SWTOR. I believe that appealing to players with all sorts of different play-style preferences could dramatically increase the potential for new/returning subscribers, as well as F2P or preferred accounts spending more CC.

 

While I don't really expect to get direct feedback from EA/BW in this thread, and I completely understand the "Pandora's Box" they would be opening by setting such a precedent, I truly wish there were a way for them to acknowledge that they've at least seen these suggestions. Even if it were something like one of those "UserVoice" type feedback sites where people could vote for ideas and the Devs could flag those ideas with such tags as "Under Review", "Planned", "In Progress", or even "Not Interested"... It would go a long way to making the SWTOR community feel like they're actually contributing to sustaining the viability and survivability of the game we so enjoy.

[KnightTyler]

I think I'm starting to overthink my outline, and I'm trying to make it a bit too detailed. So, in order to try to keep from driving myself crazy over it, I'm going to go ahead and post it now, even though it isn't as complete as I might like. I believe that it should provide enough actual detail at this point to give a reasonably clear picture of the vision I have for this game mode. As I said above, I shamelessly lifted a large amount of specific implementation ideas straight out of HALO Wars because I feel that they did an excellent job in making an RTS game that moves along at a good pace while still providing enough depth of strategy to make it more than just a "hack-and-slash" game. Because this is just a suggestion at this point, and the final result would likely be considerably different anyway, I don't feel too bad about that.

 

This outline still needs a fair amount of "finalizing" work. I haven't really gotten much together for the special abilities for the player, and I didn't include specific names or detailed descriptions for many of the units. Even so, I think the overall descriptions for much of the implementation suggestions should be sufficient for a jumping-off point at the very least.

 

Once again, C.Y.A. bit: All property names, copyrights, trademarks, service marks, etc. are the property of their respective owners and are used in this document solely for reference purposes.

 

SWTOR Field Commander

Field Commander Overview

 

Field Commander is a proposed new game mode for Star Wars: The Old Republic to add to such existing game modes as Warzones and Galactic Starfighter. This game mode is designed as a sort of "mini-game" to be included within the larger scope of SWTOR that allows players to take an active role in the conflict between the Empire and the Republic by taking control of a military force on the front lines of the Galactic War in an effort to lead them to a combat victory against an opposing military force. The player's military strategy and leadership abilities will be tested as they train and deploy their troops to overcome the enemy.

 

Field Commander is played in the style of a traditional Real-Time Strategy (RTS) game (a la Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds, StarCraft, Command and Conquer, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, HALO Wars, et al). This game can be played by 1 to 16 players (or more, depending on game engine limitations) of level 10 or greater in a variety of combinations: a solo player against one or more AI opponents, a team of 2 or more players against the same number or more AI opponents, two teams of equal number of players (1v1, 2v2, 4v4, 8v8), or even a combination of players and AI playing against an opposing team of similar composition. Teams of two or more players can either be a pre-made group entering the queue together, or individuals can indicate that they are "LFG" to play together.

 

Players participating in a game of Field Commander will receive rewards of in-game currencies (credits and Basic, Elite and Ultimate Commendations) based on their performance during the game. Additionally, by playing a game of Field Commander, any and all players/teams will be contributing to the overall Planetary Conquest goals for their guild(s). Other rewards may also be granted, depending on final implementation.

 

 

Field Commander Gameplay

 

Field Commander is an RTS-style game mode where players are given command of a military force that has been deployed to combat the encroachment of an opposing force on a particular planet. The goal is for the player/team to defeat any enemy forces within the field of battle through either total annihilation or surrender. Each player in a game of Field Commander will receive rewards based on their performance (see the "Rewards" section below).

 

Players will travel to the planet on which they wish to play a game of Field Commander, and will need to find the appropriate NPC in one of the established field bases to join the queue. The specific base from which the game is started will define the specific map that is used during the game. Of course, while Field Commander may be played on any of the currently existing planets available in SWTOR, this will mean that certain planets and maps will not be available to certain characters due to faction or level restrictions (e.g., a level 10 character will not be able to get to the bases on Balmorra to play those maps, and an Imperial player will not be able to travel to Tython to play those maps).

 

Some exceptions may be made with regards to the faction restrictions by making the faction-specific planets available from the character's fleet station, or these planets may strictly be used for "training" purposes – helping players learn the basics of the RTS style of play.

 

Upon initiating an instance of Field Commander, players are presented with a top-down view of a battlefield on which they and their enemies (and possibly allies) have been randomly positioned. Each team is given a base of operations with a small initial force to defend it. A "fog of war" will conceal the majority of the battlefield so that the player does not initially know exactly where their enemy has set up their camp, and the player will need to explore the map to locate the enemy base. For teams of two or more players, all allied players will share their map view with the other players on the team. This means that, whatever one player on a team has explored can be seen by the other members of that team.

 

At the start of a game of Field Commander, players are granted a limited amount of supplies (see the "Supplies" section below) to start building their army, but will quickly need to begin acquiring more of these supplies in order to continue expanding their base and their forces by training/building different types of structures and units (refer to the sections on "Field Commander Structures" and "Field Commander Units" in Appendix A), as well as researching new technologies (see the "Research" section below). These supplies are consumed in the process of training, building and researching, so a player needs to be continually harvesting them to keep up with the demand.

 

Supplies

In order to expand the military force the player controls, they will need to acquire supplies. Supplies in Field Commander are obtained by building Supply Drops where the player's faction can deliver supplies. Once a Supply Drop has been constructed, and as long as it remains intact, the player will continue to periodically receive additional supplies.

 

Constructing additional Supply Drops will increase the overall net production of supplies. However, there is a diminishing return for each Supply Drop as more are built. For example, one regular Supply Drop will bring in approximately four (4) units of supplies per second, but three regular Supply Drops will only bring in about ten (10) units per second. Upgrading the Supply Drops to Supply Depots will offset this imbalance slightly, but the upgrade comes at a cost.

 

Additionally, supply crates may be found on the battlefield that can be collected as well for a quick, one-time boost to the player's available supplies. These supply crates, when available, will spawn in random locations around the map. Players can send one of their units to retrieve the supply crates, but will need to have that unit return the scavenged supplies to the Operations Center, giving their opponent an opportunity to kill the unit and acquire the supplies for themselves.

 

Population

The overall size of a player's military force will be limited to the player's current maximum population. Each player begins with a population limit of 30. Once the population limit has been reached, no new units can be trained until either an existing unit is destroyed, or the maximum population is increased by researching the "Reserve Garrison" upgrade at the Command Center.

 

Victory

In order to achieve victory in a game of Field Commander, a player/team must defeat all of the enemy forces – whether other players or AI "bots" – on the map. This can be achieved by either totally eliminating all units and structures that enemy controls, or by getting that enemy to surrender (see the "Surrender" section below). As long as a player has not surrendered and still has at least one unit on the battle field, they can continue their fight to win. Once one side of the conflict has been defeated, each player will be granted their rewards based on their participation and performance during the game.

 

Surrender

If a player decides that they do not wish to continue fighting the current opponent during a game of Field Commander, that player may opt to surrender. Surrendering counts as a loss for that player and a win for their opponent in the Field Commander ladder ranking system (see the "Rankings" section below).

 

Additionally, choosing to surrender rather than completing the game will have a negative impact on the rewards earned by the player. The penalty for surrendering will be a total forfeiture of Planetary Conquest points that would be earned for playing Field Commander, as well as a 10% reduction of the player's individual reward earnings. This penalty is intended to promote competitive participation.

 

Players wishing to surrender will be able to use the "Exit Area" button connected to the mini-map. This will display a confirmation message box giving the player the opportunity to return to the game if they do not wish to be penalized for quitting the game early. A player that gets disconnected from SWTOR during a game of Field Commander will not be penalized as if they surrendered, but the game will continue to run giving opponents the opportunity to eliminate the player with limited resistance.

 

Rewards

A game of Field Commander will reward each individual participant with varying amounts of in-game currencies of credits and/or Commendations based on their accomplishments during the game. Among others, players will receive rewards for the following events:

• Reaching a new Support Level
  
• Researching upgrades
  
• Building the largest military force during the game
  
• Acquiring the most supplies during the game
  
• Each opponent that is eliminated or surrenders
  

In addition to the individual rewards granted, a game of Field Commander will also contribute to the player's guild's Planetary Conquest Objectives.

 

Rankings

One additional element to the Field Commander game mode is the competitive ladder system that will rank players based on their how well they have done playing the game. This ranking is based on a combination of the number of games a player has played, as well as their current win-loss ratio. Similar to the existing PvP Warzone tournament seasons, these statistics would be periodically reset so that all players are able to start out on equal footing at the beginning of a season.

 

I can imagine that players will want to see a "total" for all of their participation in Field Commander, so each player will also have cumulative statistics that can be seen from their character sheet, and may be used for certain awards and achievements in the overall SWTOR game.

 

/signed

 

Another great idea!

[G_Hosa_Phat]

/signed

 

Another great idea!

Thanks so much, KnightTyler! I personally think that this would be an amazing addition to SWTOR, even if the community response hasn't been quite as enthusiastic as I thought it might be. I had hoped that the inclusion of the "outline" would generate more interest in the concept in addition to providing some basic ideas for implementation.

 

Like I said before, I really wish I understood why this one doesn't resonate as much with players as some of the other game mode suggestion threads in which I've been active, but I'm still excited by it. I just keep imagining all of the fun it would be (for me, at least) to play this kind of game mode within SWTOR, and I can hardly contain myself.

[Canmore]

i like your idea but then im a strategy gamer at heart. the thought of my wookiee heavy assault squads invading korriban is exciting =p

[G_Hosa_Phat]

i like your idea but then im a strategy gamer at heart. the thought of my wookiee heavy assault squads invading korriban is exciting =p

Thanks, Canmore! Wookiee Squads could definitely be a "special unit" type of thing for Republic side (the Imperials tend to be a bit xenophobic), so perhaps we could come up with a similar special unit for the Imperial side. Have to give that some thought...