UAV

[Azrooh]

I'm not a fan of the red dot system, but it's a necessary evil in the game's curent state. A UAV Operator loadout with a Dartr pack and a terminal to control it would be a great alternative for those who don't want to use the red dots.

[dharmab]

Previous versions of the mission had a UAV operator loadout. Play testing showed that this interrupted gameplay. Each round we played essentially started with most of the players waiting around for a few minutes while the UAV operator searched for enemies. The map dot system was a lesser of two evils design choice.

I have thought about reimplementing the UAV operator as part of a "support" class that also has access to mortars. This would give the players another option for dealing with vehicles (whenever and however those are implemented).

There really aren't any perfect solutions here and I'm totally open to suggestions and feedback. On Nov 1, 2014 2:33 PM, "Azrooh" notifications@github.com wrote:

I'm not a fan of the red dot system, but it's a necessary evil in the game's curent state. A UAV Operator loadout with a Dartr pack and a terminal to control it would be a great alternative for those who don't want to use the red dots.

— Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub https://github.com/dharmab/a3tangohunt/issues/20.

[Azrooh]

Currently gameplay is interrupted by wandering around finding landmarks and searching for the red dots on the map. I'm unsure if this is only an issue with the AGM AI module or if it's a general thing, but the AI tend to retreat from the battlefield once the engagement has begun and set up shop in nearby hills or towns waiting for us to advance on them. My group plays without map markers showing our position,and so the mission always turns into us hunting down the enemies. For my group at least, we'd have an easier (and more fun) time being directed by a teammate operating a physical UAV whether the red dots were on or off. I wouldn't recommend removing the red dot system (but do keep the option to disable it in the parameter menu), but I do feel adding a UAV loadout is still justified for the groups who'd like to use it.

[dharmab]

I think there are two solutions to explore, then:

1. A combined UAV/artillery loadout. Call it the "Forward Observer". In combat, they call down explosive/smoke rounds from an AI support. Out of combat, they can launch the UAV and provide recon.
2. Do not count enemies very far from the objective for purposes of the victory condition. This option should be enabled/disabled in the mission parameters so players who find the "hunt and destroy" gameplay fun can continue to play that way. Do you feel that enemies are staying within a reasonable distance of the objective? About how far do they run before fortifying their position? How far do you think is reasonable to count them as having retreated from the objective?

On Sat, Nov 1, 2014 at 4:12 PM, Azrooh notifications@github.com wrote:

Currently gameplay is interrupted by wandering around finding landmarks and searching for the red dots on the map. I'm unsure if this is only an issue with the AGM AI module or if it's a general thing, but the AI tend to retreat from the battlefield once the engagement has begun and set up shop in nearby hills or towns waiting for us to advance on them. My group plays without map markers showing our position,and so the mission always turns into us hunting down the enemies. For my group at least, we'd have an easier (and more fun) time being directed by a teammate operating a physical UAV whether the red dots were on or off. I wouldn't recommend removing the red dot system (but do keep the option to disable it in the parameter menu), but do I feel adding a UAV loadout is still justified for the groups who'd like to use it.

— Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub https://github.com/dharmab/a3tangohunt/issues/20#issuecomment-61385682.

Dharma Bellamkonda