Draw on Map (Pre-Round)

I think this has been already suggested, but it's indeed a very good suggestion. No better way of knowing what you are supposed to do than seeing on your map. It could be like the BF2 command system, but adding the ability to designate what path the team should take.

That'd be pretty cool.

I see no reason why not to add this in as an update other than dickhead commanders drawing penises.

Other than that it can prove very useful for the Platoon Leaders to show which squad goes should go where, and you can get team points for doing such things like defending, moving, or attacking the area pointed out, as an incentive to actually listen to your commanders choices.

(Since from the menu screenies I see that you need a certain level of honor points which are team points to advance levels.)

this would work great with the squad based system.

may i also suggest some standard "stamps" that the SL can add to the map. (for instance a stamp that show you need to suppres there. smoke there ect) maybe even show these stamps in the tactical HUD in relaxed realism?

and as long as you limited the drawing to the one with the highest Honor rating, or something in that direction most of the time the drawing would be used in the way intended

I would limit the drawing to lines and some selected symbols that can only aid the game.

Icey_Pain said:

I would limit the drawing to lines and some selected symbols that can only aid the game.

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I like this,

if done properly would only help the commander issue concise orders quickly.....

now that im thinking about it, why not offer small moral boosts to places marked for "defense" "attack" etc....

REZ said:

Magic maps that dynamically update while you're out in the battlefield is unrealistic to me, at least in WWII.

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Then why arent you complaining about the GPS soldiers have in the game? (minimap)

I like this idea, it would really help new people who do not really know where to go at the start.

Somebody said in this thread that the radar is bad, well i see it as ok since it only tells your team mates locations not enemies like CoD for example, in real war you would know where your team mates are so its realistic to know, what better way than a simple radar.

No need to nit pick every little thing, and you guys probably have not even played the game so how can you whine.

In before penis all over the map.


But apart from that, this could be a useful tool for the commander to get public games organized.

I like the idea of setting up map layouts. Reminded me of how you can mark and do things on the map in the DSi Zelda games.

But one problem I see is that while you have a leader doing this for each squad, you have players sitting around in idle, waiting for them to think of what to do, drawing it all out..... then possibly changing their mind, only to end up with the plan not working and your map is stuck with this drawing on it for the rest of the round.

If it was to be added into the game, then it should be only by the radio where the leader(s) call in recon planes, artillery, etc..... just as how the recon plane info trickles down the chain of command, the leader could draw out maps on the fly as the battle changes to different situations, and each team has that information trickle down the chain of command in a similar fashion.

The draw back for this is that the commander/leader(s) would probably be stuck by the radio the entire game fiddling with Arty, Recon and Map Plans, rather than being in objective cap zones and helping the team by shooting the enemy or popping smoke, etc.

Pros and Cons I guess..... maybe it would just give the player as commander two styles of game play to choose from.... behind the line of combat, dishing out orders and calling in support.... or being in the thick of things with his men (& women?)

Oh and if you're drawing lines/paths on the map for players to follow, you should be able to mark key points of that path they should follow where they'd get points for actually listening:

If I draw a path for a squad to flank left, head behind a building and crawl past some sandbags, than veer right towards the objective and hold the position by the flack gun because there is less resistance in that path and nobody is covering it, then the players who actually head behind the build get a point, crawl past the sandbags get a point and hold position by the flack gun get a point..... as sometimes you will have to deviate from the path a bit, but if you stayed on the main plan, you should have some sort of reward to give people some incentive to actually listen to your plan.

Those players could still not listen to your plan and hit the same objective in their own way, but there just won't be any extra cookies for their effort other than the kill/cap points that already exist.

You should also be able to add little notes on the map, telling team mates that this specific area is prone to heavy enemy activity, or a sniper likes to hang out here often, or MG's generally cover this area, etc.... while other players have the option to remove these details off their map if they wish..... or fade these markings on the map so they're transparent and don't clog up the map with crap due to someone with big hands drawing up the details.

REZ said:

Being able to draw during the round, and then having that info disseminated to soldiers out in active combat doesnt make sense to me. If it's built around a human world, then it should be kept as close to that as possible. Magic maps that dynamically update while you're out in the battlefield is unrealistic to me, at least in WWII.

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I think that would be okay if it were the squad leader and not the commander who can draw during the round and only to his squad (maybe not exactly draw, but do the same as we can do in BF2), while the commander would still draw on the map prior to the battle as you suggested, but the whole team would be able to see it. The squad leader is supposed to fight near his squad, thus it makes sense to me if only he can mark objectives on the map during the round.

before condemning this idea try to think of ways it could work,

I too am vehemently against any sort of spotting gps coordinates etc...

however, maybe when the commander gives new "orders" they only show when you spawn again... as in you are leaving the new base/spawn and these are the updated tactical plans... this is only a random idea in this direction, I am sure there is room for improvement... but before you start drawing parallels with COD and BFBC2 try to picture what can be

Love the idea REZ!

Maybe you can even limit drawing, as in 1 change per 5 minutes or so. So you can change something, drips down slowly and when the situation changes you can alter it.

But the 'pre-round only' map drawing could be added after launch fairly easily I guess.
Would help people who don't know yet that corner A is covered by a MG34 99% of the time.

SingeDebile said:

before condemning this idea try to think of ways it could work,

I too am vehemently against any sort of spotting gps coordinates etc...

however, maybe when the commander gives new "orders" they only show when you spawn again... as in you are leaving the new base/spawn and these are the updated tactical plans... this is only a random idea in this direction, I am sure there is room for improvement... but before you start drawing parallels with COD and BFBC2 try to picture what can be

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This?

And when you regroup with your commander (commander gives a morale bonus, right?) So why not give people a map update when they are inside this range???

I would love to see something like this in the game. It would really encourage having a plan beforehand.

+1