First of all, I'd like to greet everyone and to thank the devs for making this game.
Secondly, I go straight to my ideas (that may possibly already be around )
It's very hard for commander to tell, in the middle of the battle, what to do to each squad, and to manually select objectives for each squad\tank, especially when you need to move in buildings (station) or in non-marked spots (grain elevator costruction zone) or when moving in fast, possibily in future, big maps .
It's even harder for SL to issue orders, even with a microphone and to people actually understanding english (which, like mine, couldn't be always perfect) but this, I have to tell you, I like it this way. You could even remove the SL interface, except the "move here" command, and mark arty spot. No point to order each single soldier where to be and what to do. This is higly impractical, especially since the SL needs to fight in front line alongside his soldiers most of the time.
So, I propose an eagle eye view, sort of company of heroes subgame if you want (I saw nuclear dawn implemented something like that but haven't tried it personally) only for the commander, that actually "move" a squad exactly where he wants, and the markers should be always visible, to all the members of that squad. Maybe give this option only when at the radio.
Otherwise, a commander destiny is to call in arty and nothing else, no direct control over operations, and that's a pity. Higly unrealistic, and most important, it seriously prevent cooperative playin and most importantly, fun.
Other "minor" ideas:
1 - Remove the team chat as it is now, and replace it with something like vietcong multyplayer chat, where the other players voices are perfectly loud when near, and fade away the far you get from them. Leave the teamchat between commander and SLs only (sort of radio)
2 - Make AT guns wall piercing (if they could pierce 15 or so mm of steel, I guess a brick wall should not be a problem) and fix the MG piercing ability, especially at range. And, since you are at it, add the ability to resupply AT guns for soldiers, it's a pain in the *** to run back and forth from the ammo stash every tank you meet.
3 - Introduce Shtraf battalions. They were penal battalions, used as cannon fodder or suicide attacks, or decoys... I won't bother you with too many details, but among their role there was: minefield clearing (running into it) decoys (with a wooden rifle, only to absorb enemy fire) suicide charge (to drain enemy ammo supply) etc etc. What? you say nobody wants to be a Shtraf soldier? That's why that class is only for TKers. If you TK X times without being forgiven, you get demoted do Shtraf soldier for X respawns (where X is a server setting) and you go around with a fake wooden rifle, only able to do melee attacks. That way, TKers cannot get too boring and desruptive, maybe learns some manners, and still are able to do something useful (abosrbing enemy fire) If you want to prevent further TKing, just make friendly immune to the wooden rifle attacks Should work perfect and adds to realism\immersion. Or just give them an ammo clip for the mosin, and nothing else, like in "Enemy at the gates" Before you ask, yes, there was even german penal battalions (even the vast majority were russians)
Also, they could be killed by commissars freely if not following orders, so i guess their teamkill by SL should be allowed. Think about it, only RO can have this feature in an historical contest, and it can really work.
4 - Not so sure about this, but, to remove some not wanted campers (like having half team "sniping" on 4th floor of the grain elevator when the commander specifically calls for ppl in cap down below) add the ability for the commander (or the map maker maybe) to place "death zones" for non supporting class (not for MG, AT and snipers then) This should literally force the camping rifleman wannabe snipers to get in first line and follow SL orders.
4a - An even simpler idea could be this: place a fixed distance between SL and his soldiers. When out of that distance, soldier get the "you are leaving the combat area" and dies in.... 10 seconds? This should keep the squads toghether and make ppl follow orders (also, ppl dying for not following orders, could become shtraf soldiers as punishment )
5 - Give honor level more importance and totally rework the lvl system, weapon upgrade etc ect. It kills the game, really. Your target is NOT 11 yo console gamers. I understand all the weapons should be available, but make it possible for the server to set more restrictions, or make them map-related.
6 - In general, make possible for the modder to set a vast amout of variables with ease, to not hinder further projects. Make firendly modular add-ons possible (like bethesda's fallout\olbivion etc etc) and try to refine at its best the editor, even before refining the game itself maybe. With a running, friendly and powerful editor, any change needed could be made, with time, by modders. Dunno if it crash with your marketing politic or something but...
Sorry if I posted something already said, but this forum is huge, and I'm new and too lazy to read everything in a day
Thanks again for doing this game. I can say that, once more material (mods, veichles, balancing, fixing etc etc) gets out, this could really be the only and best tactical shooter simulator about WWII, for a loong time. And I know what I'm saying, been playing for 25 years now :IS2:
Secondly, I go straight to my ideas (that may possibly already be around )
It's very hard for commander to tell, in the middle of the battle, what to do to each squad, and to manually select objectives for each squad\tank, especially when you need to move in buildings (station) or in non-marked spots (grain elevator costruction zone) or when moving in fast, possibily in future, big maps .
It's even harder for SL to issue orders, even with a microphone and to people actually understanding english (which, like mine, couldn't be always perfect) but this, I have to tell you, I like it this way. You could even remove the SL interface, except the "move here" command, and mark arty spot. No point to order each single soldier where to be and what to do. This is higly impractical, especially since the SL needs to fight in front line alongside his soldiers most of the time.
So, I propose an eagle eye view, sort of company of heroes subgame if you want (I saw nuclear dawn implemented something like that but haven't tried it personally) only for the commander, that actually "move" a squad exactly where he wants, and the markers should be always visible, to all the members of that squad. Maybe give this option only when at the radio.
Otherwise, a commander destiny is to call in arty and nothing else, no direct control over operations, and that's a pity. Higly unrealistic, and most important, it seriously prevent cooperative playin and most importantly, fun.
Other "minor" ideas:
1 - Remove the team chat as it is now, and replace it with something like vietcong multyplayer chat, where the other players voices are perfectly loud when near, and fade away the far you get from them. Leave the teamchat between commander and SLs only (sort of radio)
2 - Make AT guns wall piercing (if they could pierce 15 or so mm of steel, I guess a brick wall should not be a problem) and fix the MG piercing ability, especially at range. And, since you are at it, add the ability to resupply AT guns for soldiers, it's a pain in the *** to run back and forth from the ammo stash every tank you meet.
3 - Introduce Shtraf battalions. They were penal battalions, used as cannon fodder or suicide attacks, or decoys... I won't bother you with too many details, but among their role there was: minefield clearing (running into it) decoys (with a wooden rifle, only to absorb enemy fire) suicide charge (to drain enemy ammo supply) etc etc. What? you say nobody wants to be a Shtraf soldier? That's why that class is only for TKers. If you TK X times without being forgiven, you get demoted do Shtraf soldier for X respawns (where X is a server setting) and you go around with a fake wooden rifle, only able to do melee attacks. That way, TKers cannot get too boring and desruptive, maybe learns some manners, and still are able to do something useful (abosrbing enemy fire) If you want to prevent further TKing, just make friendly immune to the wooden rifle attacks Should work perfect and adds to realism\immersion. Or just give them an ammo clip for the mosin, and nothing else, like in "Enemy at the gates" Before you ask, yes, there was even german penal battalions (even the vast majority were russians)
Also, they could be killed by commissars freely if not following orders, so i guess their teamkill by SL should be allowed. Think about it, only RO can have this feature in an historical contest, and it can really work.
4 - Not so sure about this, but, to remove some not wanted campers (like having half team "sniping" on 4th floor of the grain elevator when the commander specifically calls for ppl in cap down below) add the ability for the commander (or the map maker maybe) to place "death zones" for non supporting class (not for MG, AT and snipers then) This should literally force the camping rifleman wannabe snipers to get in first line and follow SL orders.
4a - An even simpler idea could be this: place a fixed distance between SL and his soldiers. When out of that distance, soldier get the "you are leaving the combat area" and dies in.... 10 seconds? This should keep the squads toghether and make ppl follow orders (also, ppl dying for not following orders, could become shtraf soldiers as punishment )
5 - Give honor level more importance and totally rework the lvl system, weapon upgrade etc ect. It kills the game, really. Your target is NOT 11 yo console gamers. I understand all the weapons should be available, but make it possible for the server to set more restrictions, or make them map-related.
6 - In general, make possible for the modder to set a vast amout of variables with ease, to not hinder further projects. Make firendly modular add-ons possible (like bethesda's fallout\olbivion etc etc) and try to refine at its best the editor, even before refining the game itself maybe. With a running, friendly and powerful editor, any change needed could be made, with time, by modders. Dunno if it crash with your marketing politic or something but...
Sorry if I posted something already said, but this forum is huge, and I'm new and too lazy to read everything in a day
Thanks again for doing this game. I can say that, once more material (mods, veichles, balancing, fixing etc etc) gets out, this could really be the only and best tactical shooter simulator about WWII, for a loong time. And I know what I'm saying, been playing for 25 years now :IS2: