G Torq
ALTA B2O
92
   |
Posted - 2013.03.11 16:14:00 -
[1] - Quote
My impressions and comment...
- How to do Orbital Drops / HALO jumps
- How to counter the Drops
- Various
- Alternatives
1st - How to do Orbital Drops / HALO jumps
This section deals with how to Drop, seen from the Merc's side, and options to improve the Drop.
- Select a general location with a 50m uncertainty, to avoid people doing pinpointed drops. Drops come at "random" per-battle angles (you insert for same area in the sky). Modules could allow for added precision.
- Drop in an Individual Insertion Vehicle (or "pod") until either ejecting or 40m above floor (floor != ground), with ability to do minimal correction to trajectory. Skill to allow slightly more control, but nothing significant.
- Upon ejection, is merc's responsibility to enable Inertial Dampners.
2nd - How to counter the Drops
This deals with how to handle Mercs, that choose to insert via a Drop.
- During the Drop, depending on Atmosphere, there would be visible trails in the sky from the Vehicle, and likely sonic booms, all indicating where a Merc either is dropping or has dropped.
- While dropping, the vehicle (or exposed Merc) can be shot by other players, while the vehicle will also be a target for installations, in line with DropShips etc
- When an opposing Merc has dropped, it is up to the team/squad to decide whether to dispatch a squad to deal with the target. If he/she dropped somewhere non-critical, can perhaps be ignored momentarily
3rd - Various, or why this works
Here I'll try to outline why this is perfectly valid.
- Drops are High-Risk, High-Gain methods of insertion. It is plausible the vehicle, and Merc inside, will be shot out of the sky before reaching safety, or that he/she will encounter a squad sent to dispatch the new threat. Meanwhile, if successfull, the Merc can set up a base with Drop Link etc for calling in the rest of his/her squad.
- Drops are not the only method of insertion. CRUs (possibly inserted during initial stages), mCRUs (eg DropShips), DropLinks and possibly MCC spawns for attackers, or a home-base for the defender, are all still valid. Drops should only be used as the exception (or because, "Look At Me, weee").
- Drops add an extra element of strategy (and possible ISK+SP sink)
- Drops add a reasonable mechanism for establishing a "beach head" in a fight, where first step can be to Drop the Team into Squad-coordinated locations.
- Uncertainty in Drops means it may be difficult for snipers to hit a given roof-top/moutainside/whatever, leaving them at a bad location. Likewise, a Squad deploying in an urban enviroment may find that squad-members are spread out, with walls/buildings between them.
4th - Alternative options
Finally, some different options...
- Insertion vehicles (i.e. "pods") do not need to be individual. Could also be larger vehicles, similar to an RDV, from which a number of Mercs can deploy. With a turn-around time, there would be a delay, and all Mercs that are willing to (or having to) wait, will be collected and dispatched together. This adds an element of insertion-of-force (more than a single Merc), and added control, but also paints a bigger target.
- Spawn-On-Merc - a DropLink-like module carried by a Merc that you simply spawn "next to".
- Deploying a CRU - a CRU that TeamLead/Commander can deploy to create a ground-base, so Mercs don't have to insert from space/orbit.
- Squad-jumps - where your Squad Lead chooses the destination, and you simply have to tag along with the rest of the squad. Could force some teamwork within your squad.
OIverall, I support the notion of Orbital Drops, both for effect and strategy. Seeing a team of 24-32 red Mercs deploying would be absolutely stunning and scary, and being able to use AA guns to hinder their insertion, only more so!
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G Torq
ALTA B2O
94
|
Posted - 2013.03.11 19:59:00 -
[2] - Quote
Fivetimes Infinity wrote:It'd look cool but it'd have gameplay ramifications, the most obvious of which is that you're falling in from the sky, presumably with an inertial dampener. People will see you when you spawn, sometimes. There's also the question of vulnerability when you spawn. As well, is the descent controlled, like Planetside 2 drop pods? Or do you land at a specific place that, presumably, enemies could run to as they see you appear overhead?
I'd point to my own post above, suggesting that:
1) Dropping from the sky is dangerous and obvious - not something you should do for fun
2) Dropping from the sky is inprecise - usable, but risky
3) Dropping from the sky has inate strategic advantages...
most importantly
4) Dropping from the sky cannot/must not be the only option. |