Classes/factions in Multiplayer

[BlueMaxima]

OK, just do me a favour and read through everything before you say anything about my idea of classes for Warzone. I know it's been mentioned many times before, but I've thought a lot about this, and I thought people might like it. So, my guts on the floor. The four classes are, surprise surprise, The Project, The New Paradigm, The Collective and NEXUS.

I'm going to go over how I think the game should be modified to put in the classes. I thought that the campaign should remain UNTOUCHED, so players can gain a large understanding of the game first, before attempting to play as the bad guys. I thought that the class selection could be placed under Game Options in Options - cycle through Project/Paradigm/Collective/Nexus.

However, how would the player know it's there?Simple. During the first few games of Skirmish/Multiplayer (until the pacifier disappears) the player could recieve an in-game message from the client itself - "Wanna play as the bad guys? Click Options > Game Options in the main menu and click Class!" or so on.

In-game? Well, I was thinking that, in the name display area of the in-game scoreboard/player screen in the lobby, the name could be shifted a couple of pixels to the right, and the empty space filled with either the logo of their class, or a letter or two (Project = P, New Paradigm = NP, Collective = C, Nexus = N)

Now, time for the itty-gritty battle details. Of course, each class needs a special set of characteristics. I was thinking that, instead of making some special exclusive technologies, all I need to do is move some technologies up and down the tech tree, possibly weaker versions, and increase some weapon and technology damages, and maybe add some downturns. I don't have any ideas, but I was thinking that each side should get a major advantage, a few small advantages, and a couple of small disadvantages.

I actually have an example list for The Project class:

-Major Advantage: Power/Research Modules should be researchable faster compared to other classes. Other players shouldn't get them until Synaptic Link Data Analysis Mk3 (or so on )
-Minor Advantage: Auto-Repair takes less time / power to research
-Minor Advantage: Machineguns do 5-8% extra damage per upgrade level
-Minor Disadvantage: Buildings and units take extra flame damage
-Minor Disadvantage: Takes longer to research Laser Satellite Command Post

But this would need some research tree upgrades, such as changing other classes to keep them from getting the other technologies faster, along with changing the research tree to allow you to get other technologies before certain tech.

Stuff along those lines.

I was thinking about all this, and it doesn't seem as it would take too much time or be too difficult to implement it, the major part of time would be spent balance testing.

Anyway, do me a favour and pop a comment below. If I had the time and experience, I would honestly consider doing this myself.

[Zarel]

OK, just do me a favour and read through everything before you attempt to condone my idea of classes for Warzone.

"Condone" means "support" or "agree with".

[BlueMaxima]

Um...damn. Really? I don't think I've been taught English well. And it's my main language.

Anyway, Zarel, your thoughts?

[new paradigm leader]

not to butt ing but you forgot scavengers, while their current role as tutorial bait is generally accepted it is changing, so mayhaps they can be added too i like the idea myself but wonder? what are the other factions abilities in your vision?

[Zarel]

To be completely honest? It would require tons of work, especially balancing work, and Warzone is fairly heavily designed for single-faction. I mean, NP is a T1 faction, Collective is a T2 faction, and Nexus is a T3 faction. How do you balance them?

You have two choices:
- transforming Warzone into a totally different game
- having the factions be only minorly different from each other

The first one, feel free to do in a mod, but we're not going to do it for you. The second one, it's not really worth it to lose Warzone's uniqueness as one of the few factionless games.

[new paradigm leader]

i hear ya zarel and also its possible to play as these in fastplay just team change cheat

[BlueMaxima]

I know exactly how you people feel, and if I could make it into a mod, I would, but I can't, I don't think the engine would support it - if I DID have the three extra classes implemented, the mods would need to be cross-compatible to play online. And I can't implement all three classes in one without being able to change the class via a menu option or something - which you can't do with a mod.

[Zarel]

I know exactly how you people feel, and if I could make it into a mod, I would, but I can't, I don't think the engine would support it - if I DID have the three extra classes implemented, the mods would need to be cross-compatible to play online. And I can't implement all three classes in one without being able to change the class via a menu option or something - which you can't do with a mod.

There was a guy who posted a thread about how to implement factions: Just let you choose your faction in the research menu. I'll eventually introduce a redresearch.txt file to help with that kind of thing.

[BlueMaxima]

There was a guy who posted a thread about how to implement factions: Just let you choose your faction in the research menu. I'll eventually introduce a redresearch.txt file to help with that kind of thing.

I haven't been around that long

Besides, wouldn't I need to stick in three copies of the same research tree?

[Kacen]

At best this could be a minor cosmetic thing. If one likes the New Paradigm (like I do), you get their HQ, and anyone playing as their corresponding team gets that HQ (side note: Collective HQ is ugly). Nexus and the Collective get their trademark walls, as well.

Other than that...nothing should be changed. As mentioned before, one army is T1, the other is T2, and another is T3. There would be a lot of trouble balancing them if we were to give them their inherent technologies, many outclassed completely by others. Many teams are defined by their technology, and the Project? Well, it's defined by all the technology it takes. It's inherently unbalanced. How would you make the Project unique, technology-wise? You couldn't.

Also if you give each team their unique bodies then NEXUS would obviously be overpowered.

[Zarel]

At best this could be a minor cosmetic thing. If one likes the New Paradigm (like I do), you get their HQ, and anyone playing as their corresponding team gets that HQ (side note: Collective HQ is ugly). Nexus and the Collective get their trademark walls, as well.

This is a very good idea.

Other than that...nothing should be changed. As mentioned before, one army is T1, the other is T2, and another is T3. There would be a lot of trouble balancing them if we were to give them their inherent technologies, many outclassed completely by others. Many teams are defined by their technology, and the Project? Well, it's defined by all the technology it takes. It's inherently unbalanced. How would you make the Project unique, technology-wise? You couldn't.

Also if you give each team their unique bodies then NEXUS would obviously be overpowered.

Well, you could counterbalance their tech. Bolster T1 weapons and let NP use them, nerf T3 weapons and let Nexus use them, leave T2 weapons roughly the same and let Collective use them. It would have the added effect of flattening the tech tree by a lot, too. That still makes you wonder what the Project would use, though. Maybe we just have three factions? NP could even get scav allies, like they do in Cam 1!

[Deus Siddis]

Well, you could counterbalance their tech. Bolster T1 weapons and let NP use them, nerf T3 weapons and let Nexus use them, leave T2 weapons roughly the same and let Collective use them. It would have the added effect of flattening the tech tree by a lot, too. That still makes you wonder what the Project would use, though. Maybe we just have three factions? NP could even get scav allies, like they do in Cam 1!

I like this idea alot. I think you could balance all four factions though, even if the project was just a mish-mash of things the other factions are more specialized in.

[Kacen]

Well, you could counterbalance their tech. Bolster T1 weapons and let NP use them, nerf T3 weapons and let Nexus use them, leave T2 weapons roughly the same and let Collective use them. It would have the added effect of flattening the tech tree by a lot, too. That still makes you wonder what the Project would use, though. Maybe we just have three factions? NP could even get scav allies, like they do in Cam 1!

Then the weapons may just be different cosmetically...or other trivial things like fire rate to fire power. Also it'd be rather drastic.

Though if you could add the ability for New Paradigm players to build scavenger allies to my previous cosmetic suggestion that would be nice.

Perhaps we could have a little "bonus" for each team. Not major, but just a bonus.

For instance, the aforementioned scavenger allies for New Paradigm, and perhaps having better engine research and thermal armor research.

Collective could have more armored walls/defenses/buildings.

Nexus could have their Nexus link weapons and other things work better (still would need to think about this).

The Project would be able to research more efficiently and/or faster, perhaps.

[Mysteryem]

Factions would be a great implementation personally.

A small idea from me:
If the time to research research topics could be set individually. A mod could be made where the player starts with absolutely loads of power, but only the research facility and four research topics, each costing absolutely loads of power, but take about a second to complete. These research topics would be to do with the factions, this would be how the player selects theirs. Because the research topics cost so much, the player wouldn't be able to pick another faction throughout the whole game.

[BlueMaxima]

At best this could be a minor cosmetic thing. If one likes the New Paradigm (like I do), you get their HQ, and anyone playing as their corresponding team gets that HQ (side note: Collective HQ is ugly). Nexus and the Collective get their trademark walls, as well.

Other than that...nothing should be changed. As mentioned before, one army is T1, the other is T2, and another is T3. There would be a lot of trouble balancing them if we were to give them their inherent technologies, many outclassed completely by others. Many teams are defined by their technology, and the Project? Well, it's defined by all the technology it takes. It's inherently unbalanced. How would you make the Project unique, technology-wise? You couldn't.

Also if you give each team their unique bodies then NEXUS would obviously be overpowered.

Well, you could counterbalance their tech. Bolster T1 weapons and let NP use them, nerf T3 weapons and let Nexus use them, leave T2 weapons roughly the same and let Collective use them. It would have the added effect of flattening the tech tree by a lot, too. That still makes you wonder what the Project would use, though. Maybe we just have three factions? NP could even get scav allies, like they do in Cam 1!

That's an alright idea.

Then the weapons may just be different cosmetically...or other trivial things like fire rate to fire power. Also it'd be rather drastic.

Though if you could add the ability for New Paradigm players to build scavenger allies to my previous cosmetic suggestion that would be nice.

Perhaps we could have a little "bonus" for each team. Not major, but just a bonus.

For instance, the aforementioned scavenger allies for New Paradigm, and perhaps having better engine research and thermal armor research.

Collective could have more armored walls/defenses/buildings.

Nexus could have their Nexus link weapons and other things work better (still would need to think about this).

The Project would be able to research more efficiently and/or faster, perhaps.

That was my original idea, but I thought of adding extra bonuses to the bottom of that, to make each team more unique.

Factions would be a great implementation personally.

A small idea from me:
If the time to research research topics could be set individually. A mod could be made where the player starts with absolutely loads of power, but only the research facility and four research topics, each costing absolutely loads of power, but take about a second to complete. These research topics would be to do with the factions, this would be how the player selects theirs. Because the research topics cost so much, the player wouldn't be able to pick another faction throughout the whole game.

That's a good idea, but faces two problems - they COULD get that much power after a long, long time and if they did, they'd be able to change classes and cause problems - there's no way to get the other research topics to disappear?