Originally posted by Overlag
ok its "simple" but what else can it be? how would you make it not simple? honest question. Maybe your idea here could add more to the game? I agree that the strat system could do with a overhaul some way or another.
Well you're asking me to basically build the framework for a new type of game. It's way easier said than done unfortunately
But I'll give it a shot...
1) 20+ different base templates. A simple thing like making a guy actually look for a VH instead of it being in the exact same place every time. They would also get some mannable 88s or the fearsome Bofors 40mm at the larger bases.
2) Protect my style of strat (explained a few #'s down) with AAA sites. Lots more puffy ack, possibly even mannable.
3) Change the way troops work entirely. No little barracks and on/off way they work. Each base would have a number of little guys. If you up with them, they run to your transport, and can be redeployed or used to capture. Give them bazookas, panzershreks, light machine-guns, and mortars. If you drop them at a friendly town, they can form a perimeter and defend it. If more enemy troops than friendlies are in the town, a ticker much like BF1942 or WoW world pvp towers starts going, until it maxes to the heavier side and the capture is completed. Wouldn't even need towns really, you could drive 2 or 3 m3s into a treeline and assault the airfield directly. Hell, in an hour I can come up with complete ww2 infantry models fully rigged and animated. There's alot of tools now so even a complete coad nub like myself can put them into a 3d engine and play with them. Theoretically, you could even have infantry jump onto a tank & ride it into the fight. T-34s did this in Stalingrad (which the infantry was very, very lucky if they actually survived... iirc 95% did not).
The game would be much more interactive, more dangerous (new ways to die, new things to kill), and more immersive on the tactical level. It would add a new dimension if you've porked a base to pieces, but didn't bring enough troops to drive out the infantry that are hiding in the rubble.
4) Introduce wind into the main arenas and have it cycle around to not give any direction an advantage for more than half an hour.
5) Bring back the old bombsight that required a smidge of effort to use. As it is now, bombing from any alt is ridiculously easy. Open your e6b, match your calibrated speed to it, and you can't miss.
6) Change strat targets around. Right now, it's a square you drop bombs on. Anything you hit decreases its effectiveness. I'd make it into more of an actual city style layout, with the target factories dispersed inside it. Penalty points for collateral damage.
7) Don't have time to think it through heavily, but justify the danger of running the AAA, possible intercepts, with an effect that's really felt at the front (since, well, that's point of grand strategic bombing). It could be something simple as an ENY limit affecting that zone because their's no more factories left to turn out high performance props. That gives a much larger incentive to intercept strat bombers, and more reasons to fly their escort, and fights would develop.
8) Add new sizes to the ports. Allow 1, 2, & 3 CV task groups. Assign each CV group a finite amount of marines they are capable of landing to mesh with the base troop allotments.
9) Add independent radar stations. Right now 1 dweeb can suicide-pork the single tower, and that's not much you can do about it. If radar had multiple stations, it would require a much more concerted effort to reduce.
10) Use the existing trains & barges to deliver troops to bases, provided a valuable strategic target (rail lines, shipping lanes).
Right now base capturing is simple. Lets say it's a small airstrip..
Roll 4 or 5 heavy ponies (maybe an extra or 2 for gv cleanup), a goon, and as many 110s/mossies as you can muster. Drop VH, drop FHs, pork town, drop troops. Really, you can do it with even less guys and still make it 1 trip.
Attacks against strat targets, while they theoretically have an impact... lets be honest, is it even noticed?
Basically, there's no strategy in it at all. It's a quick tactical engagement, and that's it.
With the much more elaborate (and coad & hardware intensive) setup I outlined, you'd have 3 facets of war covered. You'd have tactical engagements... gvs & troops vs gvs & troops, air cover, etc. You'd have strategic attacks such as rail lines, shipping lanes, radar facilities, bridges, etc. Finally, you'd have grand strategic attacks such as buffs & escorts running the puffy gauntlet to hit factories, refineries, assembly buildings, etc.
That would be a "war" that I think would be fun to fight. Right now we're playing checkers... so I stick to pure air to air combat as best I can.
edit: I think what I outlined is similar to WW2OL to be honest. I played it for a month when it originally came out. The flight model sucked. Tried it again years later... the flight model still sucked. I geuss my ideal would be their ground game combined with HTC's air to air spiffyness.
