An alternative to the commorph

So... DotA commanders?

quote: sounds more like War3 heroes, rather, and needs the game to be built around it.

This system is not intended to make the game centred around the commanders, even with indefinite scaling they would still be either base defenders or specialised units (trollcoms if you wish), the aim is NOT to make them more important, but rather to keep them relevant in the later stages of the game

Also, consider the fact that without morphing early game commrushes will become much less feasible since it will be impossible to boost it`s strength far past that of opposing comms , effectively making it less important as an offensive unit,

Also unlike W3 where heroes where the actual backbone of the army (as far as i can remember at least) I envision commanders as a kind of “surprise” unit, something you keep safe in the early part of the game because you have a plan in the long run, like in real life a commander should either be behind the front line giving his troops logistical(in this case rezz/heal/Build) or long range support (arty/snipe) or if he must lead from the front he does so with his army beside him because no matter how strong a lone unit can still be countered with relative ease.

quote: So... DotA commanders?

Well...perhaps remotely so... but since in regular games commanders are not designed to be main battle units this approach would be far less combat centred and more strategic, after all, there is so much more that comms can do other than just shoot things, that`s what we have all the other units for anyway

I don't want this sort of "action at a distance". The system you are proposing sounds like an extra rule with many arbitrary parameters. I like that we currently have very well defined invisible action at a distance (resource production and spending) while absolutely everything else is done in terms of units and weapons. The mechanism for gaining commander levels through units dying off in the distance makes no sense.

I also don't think commanders need to scale up.

I like the ability to morph or otherwise grow a commander so it remains powerful as the game progresses, but I have to agree that giving it rewards for kills is a bad move.

facs have E income already... of 0.2

quote: So…what if… comms would scale up in base attributes continually, for free, at a rate influenced by how much metal the team they are on kills?

If the team that kills stuff stuff reclaims some of that, then it already is like that.

quote: In the meantime, make yourself heard!

An inventation to neonstorm!
1) Imo it is a bit inconsistent how all units gain experience in combat and eventually unlock morph. Except for Commanders. One might expect that especially the Commander profits from battle experience in some way.

2) E-Cell is imo no good module: It takes away the early basebuilding. In some 1v1 games the bases have no other energy buildings until several minutes, looks "wrong" and empty.

3) When you think about it, in OTA/BA/XTA the Coms actually scale quite nicely, without any upgrading system. (they have a laser+dgun that needs ~500 E to shot)
With laser+dgun they can defend vs rushes which satfies the idea of

quote: it is important to have a relatively strong starting units (for less rushing)

Since the Dgun needs so much energy, it does not dominate the early game.
Eventually players get more eco & more energy for Dgun but at this stage there are already more units and defense that hold Coms at bay.

Think that fits the idea of

quote: allow comms to scale with the rest of the battle and remain relevant in the endgame either as a last line of defiance against striders, a surprise commnuke (single use of obviously), a running factory of guerilla mayhem, or something radically different.

Other example how Coms scale is their cloak: It costs a lot of energy so as game progresses they can cloak more & longer.
Radar jammers, shields, constructors (healing) etc also help the Commanders be relevant throughout the game.
I think such symbiosis with other units and "indirect scaling" is elegant. Such unit symbiosis exists in zK too, so I do not really understand the need for rather simple "pay metal for more health" upgrade system.
Though since some players seem to enjoy pimping their Coms, modules/upgrading must probally stay in some form.


But for example remove all the different weapons except 1 or 2, instead have modules that promotes using units along Commanders.
So that Commanders are more interessting than just being Striders that can build.

Random ideas:
a) A flare/recon beacon: Commander shots this thing and where it lands it provides LOS. (for artillery or just for scouting)
b) Shield projector: Select a unit and it will be given a temporary shield.
c) Teleporter: Teleports selected allied unit to position of Commander.
d) "Freezer": Like in the "Worms" games - For some time Commander becomes immune to damage but can not move or attack.
e) Target Marker: Shot it on enemy unit and it will remain visible outside LOS

I have to admit that the D-Gun was something I missed when I started playing Zero-K. I had to read the documentation several times before I learned that it really, actually, truly is gone.

Yes, I know. It's better gameplay. But but but NOSTALGIA!

quote: Also afaik resurecting can currently only be done by Commanders "Lazarus Device" module. Amphicons had it, too, but atm no other unit can do it. (?)

...athena.