New weapons or capabilities really need to do something that others don't. Super cannons, missiles or artillery don't add to the game as they are just a bigger version of something else. The tree is deep enough that I never get close to the top of it in skirmish, even starting at T3 on an 8 player map. T4/5 weapons are only going to turn up in the end game - if at all - which makes them largley irrelevant.
Also, super weapons either unbalance the game or never get used. There's no point in giving them some crippling disadvantage like low ROF as this reduces them to a curiosity. The Laser sattelite is fairly useless for precisely this reason. If the weapon is too expensive or deep to research the game is over before anyone gets near. If it is too cheap the game will become a rush to the super weapon.
More useful additions to the tech tree should really be things that enrich the game by branching out at lower levels, doing something that isn't already happening. This means that they will get used in actual games. Examples of this might be:
- Stealth technology: Something that reduces the range that sensors can detect you. This occurred to me in an idle moment and I see from browsing the forums that other people have had the same idea.
Counter-stealth sensors: To go with stealth, sensor tech that mitigates the effects of stealth to some degree.
Point defence weapons: Something that can shoot down incoming artillery with some capacity per unit. The weapon could also have some AA capability as well. A point defence weapon of this type might be a good way to balance out hellstorms without actually having to nerf them. Saturating point defence weapons becomes an issue of Rate of Fire, and perhaps a good application for Ripples and Archangels. This will give them a good niche role that makes them quite useful as mobile artillery.
Variable ballistic artillery: This confuses CB radars, reducing the accuracy of CB fire. Again, possible technological enhancements to CB radars could give them some ECCM (counter-counter measures) that mitigate the effect. It might also make the VTOL CB Radar somewhat useful as the VTOLs will acquire the target once they reach the general area.
Bunker-busting artillery rocket: Indirect fire bunker buster with similar terminal effects. I can't remember the name of the system but there is something like this that can be launched from the same chassis as the MLRS. However, this might just be an uber bunker-buster and one would have to be careful with the balance. On one hand a battery of these might demolish fortifications with impunity, on the other hand it might be the perfect way to discourage turtling. Given that it is a pinpoint attack perehaps reducing the accuracy to under 50% might be the way to work this.
Counter-measure packages: A smokescreen on vehicles could reduce the accuracy of weapons fired through the smoke cloud. This might be useable to cover a retreat by creating a smokescreen that affects the accuracy of the enemy guns. It would also be a double edged sword as it would affect all sides firing through the cloud. Smoke would disperse after some period of time.
If you like smoke but people start using it all the time you could have some sort of thermal imaging tech that can see through smoke to a greater or lesser extent.
ECM/Flare/chaff countermeasures on VTOLs could have a similar effect on AA fire. ECM or chaff might affect AA gun accuracy where flares might shake off SAMs. Bonus points for cute graphics of VTOLs firing flare dispenseres as they come under fire by SAMs.
Some other possibilities occur to me - for example, a sensible and limited version of the dual turrets that don't look quite so silly as the ones in NTW (?). Some specific examples of this might be:
- Gun/missile turret: Something like a contemporary Bradley, a light weapon such as an HMG or Assault gun (possibly needle guns or flashlight lasers depending on balance issues) in combination with a missile would give you a flexible vehicle with some capability against vehicles and cyborgs.
Cannon/Coax MG: Something like a contemporary MBT, the MG makes the vehicle more effective against cyborgs. A lighter vehicle might have a med cannon/MG; on heavier vehicles a heavy cannon could go with a HMG.
These might balance out somewhat by not being able to engage separate targets with each weapon. Any dual weapon mount of this sort should be one powerful weapon and one light weapon. A very few 'sensible' ideas for independently targetable weapons come to mind, but one might have to be careful with balance. Some ideas for weapons with independent targeting might be:
- HMG Cupola on Cannon Turrets: This gives an armoured formation some AA cover and auxiliary anti-personnel capability. It would be an enhancement of heavy cannon or other heavy weapon turrets.
VTOL missile gunship with chin turret: The chin turret should be limited to lighter weapons like the HPV cannon, flashlight or assault gun in combination with a missle like tank killer or scourge. Again, one would need to keep an eye on balance to avoid creating super weapons.
APC Chassis: Another possibility might be an APC/IFV chassis or possibly one for each faction. This is a chassis that can carry some cyborgs (pehaps 4) in much the same way as the transport. The cyborgs are assigned to the chassis and disembark and attack when the vehicle engages in combat, perhaps engaging the same target. It would be quite a feat of micromanagement to do this manually, so this might have to be automatic with some options for standing orders (disembark if attacked, disembark if vehicle ordered to attach, stay put etc.). However, a squadron of these under a commander would be quite a bit of firepower (6 tanks and 24 cyborgs under a rookie), so there may be balance issues with this. It might be possible to mitigate these by making the toughness of the chassis more like a light or medium than a heavy.
Squad Leader Cyborg: The command hierarchy notion could be extended to a 'Squad Leader' cyborg. These have a squad of (say 3-4) cyborgs attached to them and they are in turn assigned to a command turret. This gives cyborgs an advantage in that you can control a larger unit of infantry from a single commander - potentially this could give cyborgs a killer app and make them significantly more worth using.
These aren't particulary high-tech - they specifically branch the tree outwards rather than deeper. This gives one the option of different avenues to research that might be accessible early enough in the game that they could be used frequently rather than only having the possibility of emerging in a long end-game.
Nigel.
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