Energy shields

[Rommel]

Any thoughts given to this? Would look really cool seeing units shielded with a bubble around them - you could even have like shield generators that could provide shielding to structures and stuff... there are prolly many different ways to implement and this would not be trivial, but I still think it would be cool and it seems to fit the WZ theme - if you have lasers and other futuristic weapons shields would fit...

[aubergine]

Like the force fields here? http://sourceforge.net/projects/wzgraph ... es/Videos/

[stiv]

We experimented a bit with Shields in WZGM. As a cool effect, electric fence shields rock. Although, mass battles of shielded droids was quite pretty.

While the shield fences were a drop-in replacement for walls, adding shields to the droids changed the gameplay.

You can think of shields as a buffer on top of regular health points. They wear down under attack (think any Star Trek episode), but will regenerate over time. The shield must be gone before you start to lose health.

This suggests an attack/retreat/attack style of play for mass battles since it gives your shields time to regenerate and your weapons to reload. They also serves as a temporary defensive cushion when you are attacked. The net result was battles were more violent and lasted longer. All in all, it looked pretty cool.

[Iluvalar]

At least as a mod option, I strongly support the idea.

[Emdek]

In Earth 2150 such thing was used to protect droids from laser, plasma and electricity based weapons only (which are available very early in their campaign) and yes, these also regenerated over time but couldn't be "fixed" using repair unit. Also they weren't used as wall replacement, only one faction has something similar, electrical fence (other had traditional walls and another kind of dragon teeth).
I'm unsure if this should work here like stiv described it, they would really make gameplay very different. So I would like to see them (if implemented at all someday) done more like in above game and for example available only some time before laser weapons become available and only to help to protect from them (and maybe other similar weapons in future).

[Lord Apocalypse]

In some game you have armor and shields having a dual role. Weapons could have a value for armor or shield penetration. Could really change gameplay if auto-repair only worked for structural HP and not HP from armor. Could have a unit with full body HP, very little armor left, and full shields. Don't think it would last long once the shields fail again.

[Iluvalar]

I support Lord Apocalypse as well ! And therefore ask for at least 5 pools of HP-like value \o/ with potentially variable auto-repair, regen, repair and drain capability.

[Lord Apocalypse]

Something like 100/75/100.

Easiest two games for me to think of on how to handle this more fully are Vega Strike or Master of Orion 3. Both use shield and armor penetration, though Vega Strike also uses repair robots to repair internal systems after combat.

[Shadow Wolf TJC]

To my knowledge, Protoss units from StarCraft have regenerating shields, though much like the shields from Earth 2150 (according to Emdek), these shields could not be restored through repair units (not that the Protoss ever had any repair units to begin with), encouraging players to pull away the units that have weakened shields so that they could recharge, and so that they could not suffer from more permanent damage to their armor.

Personally, I'd support the addition of shields, though probably for mods only (much like ECM). The question is HOW to implement them. Personally, I'd prefer to implement them as an optional addon for units (think of it as like a checkbox of optional stuff, not unlike what you'd see from Master of Orion 2's or 3's ship design screen), though other ideas may involve making them a vehicle upgrade (like with Auto-Repair), or giving different bodies different shield strengths.

[NoQ]

In SC1 (not sure about SC2, didn't play it much), protoss shields could be recharged via a shield battery (a special structure that uses its slowly regenerating mana to recharge nearby unit's shields), and also damage to shields wasn't affected by unit's armor value (shields always took full damage).

[p0l1z1]

In SC2, the shield battery doesn't exist anymore. The shield is only regenerated over time. It's quite quick and start 10 sec after the last hit the unit took. The armor of the shield can be upgraded threw different defense upgrade, up to 3 armor points. The type of damage is not taken into account (I mean, it will be the same for the shield and the armor).

Anyway, could be nice to see some energy shield in WZ, in one way or another

[Emdek]

Shadow Wolf TJC, in Earth 2150 shields are also optional, you can select one of four options (at least after researching whole energy shields branch), none and three different strengths. They could be also added later using repair units (using special action), at least for those bodies which have support for them.
Also there is one more case, you can restore shields quickly using special artifact collected by unit (in the some way like oil barrels are collectible in Warzone 2100).

Anyway, it would be best if engine would support adding such things (including animations, shields have some nice graphical effects) through mods first, then it could be decided if community wants them in game and in which form.

[Rman Virgil]

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Shields for Commanders only, perhaps. Possibly working like the Master Chief's.

Downside ?
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[Emdek]

Rman Virgil, for commanders only that wouldn't make much sense...
Simpler alternative would be to give them even more HP or let them regenerate (maybe only up to 50%) before researching autorepair instead of creating such dedicated technology just for them.

[Rman Virgil]

Rman Virgil, for commanders only that wouldn't make much sense....

Why ? I'm open to it not making sense but give some reasons so I can understand.

Your suggestion is indeed simpler but I don't see it achieving the same end.

Special unit, special ability, no other unit has it.... such exits in a franchise game with over a decade of super success, right up there with SC. Doesn't necessarily mean the same results in WZ per se but, again, why wouldn't it have that like potential ?

The most elegant definition of a game I've ever come across is that game is "a voluntary effort to overcome unnecessary obstacles." How much sense does that make ?
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