CommanderKiko Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 A philosophy that I like in gaming is a simple one: Give the strong something to strive for, and the weak nothing to run from. Well, currently in our casual-punishing GSF PvP setup, we are giving the weak something to run from, and the strong eventually have nothing to strive for. A way to fix this, and generate interest in GSF, is to allow GSF flashpoints - separate from space missions. It would initially take only a small amount of modding to the GSF UI, making the join battle button "Join Skirmish" and make it queue your whole group for GSF by default. Then the group battle button changed to "Start mission." Have the start mission button pop up with Solo, Story, Hard, and Nightmare difficulties of the same 4 battles and only one new map. The difficulties would simply change the health and firepower of your targets, not what you needed to do. The UI modification would likely be the easiest part of this by far, and the rest would likely be very challenging so I do not expect this to be implemented. It's just an idea. I listed the ideas for the missions in the order in which I thought them up, not the way I think they should progress. First mission (and only new map) "Forgotten battle" (Kuat Drive Yards space) This would be a partial hold - out mission set on a timer. You would be answering to the same admirals in defense of Kuat Drive Yards, and would provide a different point of view for the KDY ground flashpoint. Both imps and pubs would have the same exact mission, but opposite spawn points. Pubs spawning on the republic warship, imps on the imp warship. This mission would be ideal for all classes of ship. Stage 1: Defend the ship You would have to defend your factions capital ship from enemy bombers. The bombers would be waypointed to your warship. This stage would be ideal for all craft, your enemy would be coming to you and wouldn't be shooting at you. Warm up target practice. 40 second timer while your capital ship "readies its weapons" or until you killed all of the enemy craft. (Bonus: Don't let your warship lose any turrets) Stage 2: Clear a path for the hero's shuttle This stage would be simply clearing out automated defense turrets and mines. No timer, just destroying a series of turrets and mines between your warship and the station. Stage 3: assault the auto turrets Your job would be to attack the stations auto-turrets to clear a path for your shuttles and their escort to dock. 25 second timer. or until all 10 turrets defending the landing zone. (Bonus: clear all 10 auto turrets) Stage 4: Defend the station Your job here would be to destroy enemy shuttles and their escort while your ground teams disabled the stations defense turrets and activated the hangars security lock down. The escorts and shuttles would be able to fire at any targets within a forward arc. Stage 5: Boss fight. (Destroy <target ship>) Your job here would be to fight a class-ship that came to help secure the area. It would have set waypoints but be able to multi-lock up to 4 targets (same as class ships normally can) Imperial players would have to fight a Thunderclap. Republic players would have to fight a phantom. Once boss is defeated, mission is complete. Second mission: "Parting the way." Kuat Mesas Assault. This would be a domination match, same as in PvP, but the objectives would be set. Both factions would have stolen prototype craft from the other faction, meaning both factions would have to fight exactly the same craft. This mission would be want to have a nice mix between strikers and gunships. All ships would be viable, but scouts and bombers would be better in the early stages and strikers/gunships might be more cut-out for the role in later stages. Stage 1: Take the Drill site. Your faction needs a foothold in the area. The Drill Sites open area provides an excellent location to bring in reinforcements. This will be easy, your job would be to destroy 6 defense turrets and a couple of faction-neutral Spearpoints before they ran off to the communications center, to avoid alerting the other faction. If the spearpoints reached the communications center before being destroyed - or sensors near the comms center detected you, you would have to defend against 3 waves of enemy craft while your reinforcements arrived. Your reinforcements would then attack the opposing factions warships in the area. (Bonus: avoid being detected) Stage 2: Destroy the sensors around the comms center. Your job would be to clean out sensor beacons, railgun, missile, and ID sentry drones the area, and the enemy bombers (Warcarriers and Sledgehammers) who were laying them. There will also be mines in the area, but they are not a priority target. Stage 3: capture the Communications outpost. Capturing the enemies command and control capabilities in the area will be super important for coordinating attacks on the enemy warships in the area after you leave. Stage 4: Capture the transport center. Your forces need to flank the enemy warships, clearing the transport center would provide them with an avenue to assault before the enemy can react. It has 4 defense turrets defending it, so this should be quick and easy. Stage 5: Boss fight (Prototype D5 Mantis refit) The mantis will act as turret, it will be capable of moving, but will only do so occasionally. It will have a moderate-slow turn rate, but a lot of firepower. The reason for this is that it will be using fortress shield. It's forward facing weapons will be a set of quick firing lasers that burn out and railguns. It can also occasionally lay seismic mines behind it. Once boss is defeated, the mission is complete while your forces assault the enemy warships on their own. Third mission: "Overwhelming force." Lost Shipyards Assault Same idea as last time, both factions will be fighting the same craft and capturing sats. Except this mission will involve fighting imperial craft lead by a rogue Sith Lord. This will also have a nonlinear progression and only 3 stages based on speed and power. Making scouts an ideal ship for this mission, and gunships excellent support for bonus's. Stage 1: Capture all 3 defense points. Same location as they are in PvP Dom matches. They will be defended by imperial bombers, dropping mines and various drones. They will also have 3 turrets each exactly as in PvP. (Bonus: Clear out all enemy forces. This includes turrets and drones hidden within ships that are under construction.) Stage 2: Hold the midfield The enemy is trying to divide your forces by assaulting B. Defend B from a few waves of enemy forces, each getting progressively more difficult until finally -- (Bonus: prevent enemy forces from destroying turrets at A and C as well. ) Stage 3: the boss fight. While trying to attack the midfield, the enemy Sith Lord arrives himself with reinforcements. Destroy his Fury to nullify the threat. The mission will end upon his destruction. Forth mission: "Holding the line." Denon Exosphere Assault As the battle for denon rages below, you clear the way for your orbital forces to control the skies. This will be a very bomber/scout match. Stage 1: establish a beachhead (The wreckage site) Same idea as with Kuat Mesas, your forces need a way to reinforce their position Assault and take the wreckage site to provide a well covered way to bring in reinforcements. Stage 2: The capital ship battle. Clear the way for your forces to aid in the capital ship battle. Fight your way into the battle and capture the node. Hold the node against enemy reinforcements for a few waves. Also assault some of the enemy ships auto turrets, as they will be firing on you too. Repair drones and probes will be needed badly at higher difficulties here, as will hyperspace beacons to get people back into the fight quickly. Stage 3: miniboss's fight Both sides called for help. The imperials brought in a Sith Lord in a Fury, the republic brought in a Jedi Master in a Defender. Help your faction defeat the opposing sides ship. They will chase each other around the capital ship battle. Stage 4: Clear the way for your factions hero to assault the station Clean up mines, drones, and turrets defending the station. Stage 5: Boss fight Your faction's hero is still busy with the capital ship battle. It's up to you to deal with the next enemy hero brought in on your own. An enemy XS light fighter/phantom has come to defend the station. It's too fast to catch, so you will have to lay traps around the station to hit it when it comes in for an attack run. Once it's defeated, the mission is complete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archonitek Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 I think I remember someone saying the difficulty programming in mobs that operate in 3d space. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommmsunb Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 I think I remember someone saying the difficulty programming in mobs that operate in 3d space. Yeah it's pretty challenging, most of the time the mobs are either way over-tuned or way under-tuned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tunewalker Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 My only Idea with this is have the 5 missions, but have them be a "tutorial" have Missile Sentry drones, Railgun Sentry drones and everything, In the first 4 missions you play a T2 Scout, a T2 Strike, a T1 GS and a T1 Bomber respectively. In the 5th you have access to all 4 at the same time. The game teaches you all the different things and doesnt let you move on till you have changed your power settings, successfully dodged a missile (Missile sentry drones) so on and so forth. Maybe have in one of the missions a drone that doesnt shoot that circles the bottom of a sat, that you have to kill before you can take the sat. The 4 missions can even be used to add some character to the 4 starting crew members As each one acts as a co-pilot through out your starting Tutorial missions and gives you different tips. In this way you earn 5000 fleet req and are told you can purchase any of the ships you have flown here today. They are granting you the T1 Strike and T1 Scout for free for your "Successful completion of flight school" have a little (recommended) next to the T1 bomber and T1 Gunship.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caederon Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 but have them be a "tutorial" have Missile Sentry drones, Railgun Sentry drones and everything, ... This is the first suggestion of its sort that I could actually see them enacting which would both be helpful and a bit challenging while not requiring them to program in any kind of AI beyond what already exists. Even having turret drones that zip around on pre-set flightpaths while shooting at you would give people a chance to fire at a moving target. That wouldn't require any AI either. It would teach people to use the lead reticle, and to lock missiles while keeping things in their firing arc. They could do all that with existing resources and no real additional scripting (beyond laying out a couple flightpaths for drones to zoom around on) I sort of wish they would do this instead of the strike-fighter buffs, but it doesn't seem like it would be too much to ask for... and yet, we've been crying for even a simple empty free-flight map for a long time to use for training new pilots. Maybe they have loosened their earplugs a little, but it still seems unlikely any of this stuff will ever be implemented. Despon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CommanderKiko Posted June 14, 2015 Author Share Posted June 14, 2015 Well, my idea was to have them be simply waypointed anyways, rather than set to act as true AI (I probably didn't clarify that at all, muh bad.) It would just be "something to do and work for" as an ace, and a learning tool for newbies. No matter how it's implemented though, something needs to happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monumenta Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 this is a great idea i just wish gsf and its hanger of ships could somehow be more involved with my characters actual pve story, as is it's largely and disappointingly disconnected Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts