Details on a harmless implementation of foot soldiers with minimal modification.

[RTSigma]

Theres already a game like that out there. its called WW2OL. For such a small team like HTC to code, manage and periodically test and update this addition to a game centered around aerial combat, would take away from updates and additions that do matter, like diverse aircraft, FM changes or TOD.

[Kurt]

Originally posted by RTSigma
Theres already a game like that out there. its called WW2OL. For such a small team like HTC to code, manage and periodically test and update this addition to a game centered around aerial combat, would take away from updates and additions that do matter, like diverse aircraft, FM changes or TOD.

TEE HEE HEE,

You think WWIIOL was a bigger team than AH... hahaah, you bought that spin?  WWIIOL was the most half-arsed mess ever created by 3 guys with a dream.

I love HTC because they do keep the game within boundries they can manage, and they don't jerk the players around or pretend they are bigger than they are.

That having been said, you are right, WWIIOL already does exist... And if they had a team of 100 programmers they might be able to make it as good as AH...

Oh,  Footsoldiers in AH = NO

[Meatwad]

ww2ol is a joke pisspoor game

[Hazard69]

Footsoldiers: Yes!

PROVIDED:

No change in game programming except add another "plane" called soldier. No crouch, jump, sit nonsense.

Select armament on soldier in hangar. Either MG, dynamite or Panerfaust.
MG: To kill incoming AI enemy troops and other (player controlled) soldiers.
Panerfaust: Heavy antitank weapon that rapidly reduces soldiers run speed. (Can be modeled like drag on a plane).
Dynamite: to detonate enemy buildings. (cant detonate on own base).

Soldier spawns only at tower and ONLY if the barracks on field are up.

Soldier can only join a Jeep and only by using conventional joining used for aircraft gunners. Soldier cannot fire when joined, hes like an observer in a fighter.
To exit the jeep, the jeep driver must drop the soldier like a bomb. Then the soldier pilot takes over and does his job.

That sounds like the only reasonable solution to this soldier issue.

But then considering that the ammo is limitless and anybody can up more 1000lb bombs than used in all of WW2 and then go suicide bombing, why would any1 take the trouble of gong through all this trouble.

So to end it, a viable implementation of a footsoldier just wouldnt be worth the effort.

[Latrobe]

the argument of foot soldiers in AH2 wil be going on for quite a while..i can tell

[esohn]

Mustaine, here's my solution.

Originally posted by Mustaine
MAJOR re-write to the entire game code as there are no mechanics in the game for these items or their actions.

I still maintain that my suggestion requires minimal modifications. At the same time, no one's going to just present a balanced, fun war simulation on a silver platter. I think you guys underestimate the capability of HTC. They upped the Aces High from scratch, didn't they?

No doubt, there will be some coding but the basic functionality that can support foot soldier is already there. The ability of scrolling around to see is already there. You can move, you can shoot with vehicles, already.

I guess you can do without crawling or a knife; it will still be fun without them. Just give us the freedom to look around, run around, and shoot, plus the ability to set up explosives on buildings, of course.

HTC has done all the complex cockpit art and animations (flap), they can't do simple gun graphics and arm animation? Aerial aspect of the game is already almost perfect. What are they going to do with all the time they have when the CT is finished?


 another major re-write as buildings are basically just a few poly's and are solid, nothing on the ground can go "into" them (add to the fact that the "spwan" list would be 100 different spawns per base) [/QUOTE]

We already have hangers and vehicles go out and into them. You'd have to do some work with the map but still it's not a major overhaul in map design.

They can make the soldiers spawn randomly from the remaining houses in towns. So, you'd see just 'town' button in the hanger in addition to usual 'hanger, NW...'.


so they jump into someone elses jeep and take command? or are there random jeeps driving across the landscape? or they can just spawn wherever they want? makes no sence, and is totally unrealistic as to implement [/QUOTE]

No you spawn into already spawned jeep driven by another player, as a passenger. You don't take command as a driver.

Or you can spawn as a soldier in a jeep. This would need a new code but I think HTC is capable of doing that without too much problems.


  I would jump into your base capture mission to just mess it up by not going to the map room... then you have to bring another goon with troops, and I'll end flight and hop into that one too... as will many others just to mess with people. people are not trustworthy online or honest. [/QUOTE]

This was a good one. This hasn't occured to me before. But the solution is simple. You give the goon pilots the ability to shut off entry of P.C soldiers.

It'll be a little harder for the A.I troops to reach the map room because of the P.C soldiers defending, but tanks are already being used for that purpose so this is nothing new.


so much wrong in this I don't know where to start.... 1 hour?? [/QUOTE]

Again, why not 1 hour? Current set time is 45 mins after all the building are flattened. Take the soldier defending into account, so I suggested 1 hour. If it's not enough, make it longer; no problem here.

Out of all the points you made, I think only 1 stands out which can be taken care of easily. Contrary to what you're saying "so much wrong" I think you're being hard pressed to find the faults, frankly. gg

[MWL]

Greetings,

  One thought - anybody else remember the 'golden age' of war gaming? (SPI, Avalon Hill, OSG, Minifigs, Essex, Yaquinto, etc . . . .)  What kilt the war gaming business - the games got to complex in a search for historical accuracy, became a 'rules lawyer' issue, and (in my humble opinion - most importantly) there were no introductory games to catch new players.

  Yes, this is the best Air Power game I have ever played - and I enjoy it.  All must know the learning curve in AH be steep, and sometimes, new ppl for better or for worse, are not well prepared or greeted.  Yea, I know they should read the manual, but some don't.  An intuitive FPS may be the answer to get them to be paying customers.

  I am sure Hi Tech will pay attention to the numbers of new players each month and devise a strategy to keep the newbies joining.  At least I hope so.  If a FPS will get our communitee more people paying HT's bills, I say bring it on.

Regards,

[SAS_KID]

If we add FPS your guna get all those guys from Counter Strike bein all like I R TEH 1337 PWNAGE but i am not in the double digits of my age yet.


So NO! NIEN! NADA! NON!

[viper215]

World War Two On Line.

[MWL]

Greetings,

 I don't care as long as they pay HT's bills and keep this game here for us.

Regards,

[hitech]

esohn:
 
Mustaine's evaluation was fairly close, it is a large undertaking to suport full FPS type troop control. Other than the basic graphic engine and network code there realy is not anything else that is transportable to a FPS style play.

To give you a small incling of what needs to be devloped or perchased.

1. Inverse kinimatic system to display persons movements.
2. Key frame animation system to use the kinimatic system.
3. Key fame capture system to create the data base for the key frames.
4. Physics engine to suport people movements.
5. Network packet and smothing layer to support how  you would see the other people.


Now on to game play.
Look at Aces High now, in general, vehicles like to fight with other vehicles, and planes like to fight with other planes. Now add troops on top, and the same realy aplies, they wish to fight other troops more than vehicles and planes.

Now do not view this as a can not be done type post, Adding troops control is on MY wish list.

How I envision game play, is that a c47 or other vehicle would drop drone troops on a town as they do now, This would open up a spawn point into a a tunnel or building complex. The attacker can then spawn into that area for a given time, and have to meet some goal only attainable by troops to capture the town.

HiTech

[SAS_KID]

OUR GOD HAS SPOKEN!!!!!!

You spelt purchased wrong.

[Hazard69]

Originally posted by SAS_KID:
You spelt purchased wrong.  

 

SACRILEGE! Burn that infidel!:D

[zorstorer]

Originally posted by hitech
....How I envision game play, is that a c47 or other vehicle would drop drone troops on a town as they do now, This would open up a spawn point into a a tunnel or building complex. The attacker can then spawn into that area for a given time, and have to meet some goal only attainable by troops to capture the town.

HiTech

I am not sure about anyone else, but I LOVE getting a minds eye view of how the designer is thinking about how they see the game going.  Kind of like seeing the prototype car from the next model year on the highway right next to you.

[esohn]

Originally posted by hitech
esohn:
Now on to game play.
Look at Aces High now, in general, vehicles like to fight with other vehicles, and planes like to fight with other planes. Now add troops on top, and the same realy aplies, they wish to fight other troops more than vehicles and planes.

Now do not view this as a can not be done type post, Adding troops control is on MY wish list.

How I envision game play, is that a c47 or other vehicle would drop drone troops on a town as they do now, This would open up a spawn point into a a tunnel or building complex. The attacker can then spawn into that area for a given time, and have to meet some goal only attainable by troops to capture the town.

HiTech

Hi, HiTech;

Thanks for your reply. What a pleasant surprise

Too bad that it isn't that easy to make it happen. However, I just have this feeling that you will make it happen for us! Until then, you have my support for Aces High.

About your envisioned gameplay, it sounds great, provided that the gun battle takes place real time in the arena; not transporting to some other space for gun battle only.

I would wish that the planes be able to strafe foot soldiers and foot soldiers having to avoid enemy planes, etc, all happening real time in the arena.


One point, though, that I'd like to steer your attention to is that, in your setting, there has to be always at least one player willing to fight as a foot soldier to capture the field.

I think, fighting as a soldier, should be kept as a fun option to play, not as a duty in order to capture enemy fields.

If there's no one willing to spawn as a foot soldier, I think players should still be able to capture enemy fields using drone paratroopers as now.

Then again, the foot soldiers should be an important element in capturing enemy fields. Infantry with no significance in capturing enemy fields is meaningless and no fun.

Anyhow, that's just my token of thought. Thanks again for replying, and I'll be wishing and hoping for the crazy game it will be when we finally get to see the foot soldiers in Aces High. Then my gaming dream will be complete...


esohn