Improvement of war zones

moonsword · Sep 1, 2016

Improvement of war zones

The soldier (or agency) flag

I like to share my ideas how to improve war zones.

At the moment war zones are nothing more than spots in which some ships fight against others….
It’s similar like a battlefield seen in movies like Braveheart in the middle of a fight.

What is missing in these fights are:
a) basic tactics like flank attacks,
b) Goals! What are the different goals to achieve during fights near planets?
c) Missions, orders to reach the goal and to win the fight in the war zone

Now here are my proposals:

General proposals (base for war zone improvements)

If you enter a system that is at war and your attitude for a fraction is at least “friendly”, you may get contacted by any “friendly” fraction to present you offers like… “Cmdr. T, we need your help as SOLDIER and you will receive these kind of equipment’s, reputation, etc. if you fight for us in war zone X to help “to capture the Admiral of the opposing fraction! (goal!) until 20:00 UTC.”
Now, if you accept this offer, you are automatically declared as a soldier for that fraction in war zones as well as in normal space and everywhere else!
Until you have chosen to work as soldier for a fraction you may get attacked everywhere by any other fraction that is at war with your chosen fraction.
You normally won’t get attacked by enemy soldiers in save areas (systems, stations, etc.) that are belonging to a neutral fraction. If they do, the neutral fraction will defend you.
The war-missions offered by fractions are based on your attitude (friendly, wanted, neutral, etc.). So if a fraction admires you, you will receive better missions with higher rewards but also more difficult missions (because the fraction trust you)
You can set your “Soldier” flag for a fraction manually by choosing a minor fraction in your ship’s system dialog.
Your attitude (e.g. I am supporter for the fraction “Imperial Inquisition”) stays as long as you wish. You may set your attitude to “Neutral” but it may need some hours or a day (or more?) until your attitude is set to “neutral” and can be set to support another fraction as soldier.
If you have declared for a minor fraction as soldier, you are able to receive missions in space, stations and war zones as soon you enter a system in which your minor fraction is active.
If you are NOT declared as soldier you won’t receive these kind of missions but you are allowed to fight in war zones like today, but without any goals or reputations. You may assist your friends in a wing but you won’t get any further reputation or rewards.
Your reputation as soldier for your fraction climbs up the more missions you successfully complete…
The higher your rank as soldier the better missions, equipment, rewards you receive for soldier-missions.
As soldier you will get special rewards, like equipment for your ship or paint jobs which only soldiers get.
You can reach military ranks up to Admiral (I see here a conflict with the Federal rank-system which is at this time… a useless rank system!!)
As Admiral you may get the ability to plan missions for a system by a mission construction kit that can be implemented in your ship. The missions you construct are presented as missions to other soldiers.
Imagine you receive a mission for a war zone in space to find a special ship in the war zone and to destroy it… you go in by a wing of 4, split yourself up to find the aim… and then combine your power to destroy it. (or bring in a mate with a fast but weak ship to scan the area)
Soldier missions and rewards should be divisible between all team mates (who all have to be soldier of the same fraction of course).
If a soldier helps his mates out in a wing but belongs as soldier to the opposing fraction he will be flagged as traitor by his signed fraction. (with all its consequences)
By the way, a similar flag like a soldier-flag may also be a “police-flag”…. A flag shows directly your attitude towards a fraction, it’s like declaring for an agency. Normally you should only be allowed to work for one agency and not for others. As policeman you get other sort of missions… not as violent mission types than for soldiers… e.g. “the right to pull ships out of Supercruise to scan them for illegal goods.”

These proposals don’t compete against Powerplay but they would support Powerplay on a minor (small fraction) level.

Proposals for war zones

War zones should not only be in space but also on planets and around stations
Lots of missions may be possible on planets like, deactivating or supporting a convoy depending on your side that needs to reach another destination (e.g. a star port?) on the planet’s surface. So you first have to find the guarded convoy to take him out.
The war zones on planets can be small (some square meters) or large (maybe hundreds of miles)
War zones should be closed if the goal of the war zone has been reached, but other war zones may get created somewhere else in the system, in which other goals have to be reached.
War zones should be dynamically created. They should not be static! If the goal of a war has been reached, the war in that zone is over.
If a capital ship in a zone has been severely damaged and expelled from a zone, it should not re-enter the zone again. That is simply illogical.
Why not also using space stations as war zones? Imagine… a blockade in front of or around a space station?

knowles2 · Sep 1, 2016

Agree with most of what you propose. Hopefully warzones, will get a big upgrade at some point in the future, it could be a whole seperate update on its as there so much that should be added to them.

Through a few of you ideas would make it difficult to reconcile with the fact the game is instance.

ROSS-128 · Sep 1, 2016

It would be nice if there was a way to "win" a conflict zone, and to have them play as more of a procedurally generated mission instead of just being a particular type of spawn point.

Lunchmunny · Sep 1, 2016

Terrain... single biggest improvement would be orbital stations that also fight for whatever side and could be destroyed. Using a small ship to duck out of Los to avoid incoming fire and to hide around would be so much fun...

Darrett · Sep 1, 2016

We discussed some improvements a few months back to Conflict Zones: https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...lder-to-be-worked-on-should-be-conflict-zones It'd be interesting to sit down and try to combine the various ideas as a cohesive suggestion for FD to take a look at. Unfortunately they don't seem to interested in revamp work.

Marc_Hicks · Sep 1, 2016

Lunchmunny said:
Terrain... single biggest improvement would be orbital stations that also fight for whatever side and could be destroyed. Using a small ship to duck out of Los to avoid incoming fire and to hide around would be so much fun...

Here's hoping that the introduction of CQC assets to the main game will allow for terrain within conflict zones.

Privata · Sep 2, 2016

My issue is that FD told us once ages ago : ''everything is being worked on''
But with no details , it would be nice to have a simple road map of what is going to be worked on.

Its hard for both new and old players because what if a feature that was said to be a placeholder a few years back is not anymore and we will have to live with it?

Like the silly checkpoints in space : left over from pre supercruise days

Marc_Hicks · Sep 2, 2016

Privata said:
My issue is that FD told us once ages ago : ''everything is being worked on''
But with no details , it would be nice to have a simple road map of what is going to be worked on.

Its hard for both new and old players because what if a feature that was said to be a placeholder a few years back is not anymore and we will have to live with it?

Like the silly checkpoints in space : left over from pre supercruise days

As I've said before, Privata, checkpoints could still be useful-if properly reworked. If they could actually interdict ships that pass too close to them, and if they acted as a launching off point for local authority ships and "deputies", then they could still serve a purpose......especially if you placed them in spots that would most highly inconvenience anyone trying to come in "under the radar"

.

As for war zones, my suggestion list would look like this:

1. A Civil War would reduce a system's effective security level by 1 (high becomes medium for example), and a War would reduce a system's effective security level by 2......non-combat missions into such Systems would receive payouts reflective of the additional danger. However, being friendly with one faction-or another-should protect you from attack by said faction (but obviously leave you open to greater attack by the enemy faction).

2. During a Civil War/War State, access to assets controlled by one of the warring factions should be off limits to any ships that are cordial or higher with the enemy faction.

3. Conflict Zones should pop up in more variable places, & most frequently around fixed assets, like settlements, outposts, stations and the new CQC assets being brought in for 2.2. Also, conflict zones should move each day-based on which side is "winning" the war (as determined by the BGS).

4. More of a flavour thing, but I want to hear radio chatter and text-based chatter that reflects the current state of the system, in relation to the war.

5. It seems like we will be getting this in 2.2, but having the population of the system reflect the fact its at war, & impacting the BGS accordingly.

If all of the 5 things above were done, I'd be more than happy!

moonsword · Sep 2, 2016

These are all good proposals.
Hopefully FD will greb and implement some of these ideas.

dynamicbob · Sep 2, 2016

moonsword said:
These are all good proposals.
Hopefully FD will greb and implement some of these ideas.

Im sure such things can be intergrated into the background sim ( its just a matter of Fdev adding some extra time off their main development timetable which is adding new features rather than adding depth in most parts)

Helfar · Sep 2, 2016

Privata said:
My issue is that FD told us once ages ago : ''everything is being worked on''
But with no details , it would be nice to have a simple road map of what is going to be worked on.

Its hard for both new and old players because what if a feature that was said to be a placeholder a few years back is not anymore and we will have to live with it?

Like the silly checkpoints in space : left over from pre supercruise days

Sadly giving a roadmap only gives the forums more things to beat the dev team with.

"why is this item above that iem"

"why can;t you do this item with this other item as they are linked"

"why are you doing this item that nobody wants "

etc etc

Privata · Sep 2, 2016

Marc_Hicks said:
As I've said before, Privata, checkpoints could still be useful-if properly reworked. If they could actually interdict ships that pass too close to them, and if they acted as a launching off point for local authority ships and "deputies", then they could still serve a purpose......especially if you placed them in spots that would most highly inconvenience anyone trying to come in "under the radar" .

As for war zones, my suggestion list would look like this:

1. A Civil War would reduce a system's effective security level by 1 (high becomes medium for example), and a War would reduce a system's effective security level by 2......non-combat missions into such Systems would receive payouts reflective of the additional danger. However, being friendly with one faction-or another-should protect you from attack by said faction (but obviously leave you open to greater attack by the enemy faction).

2. During a Civil War/War State, access to assets controlled by one of the warring factions should be off limits to any ships that are cordial or higher with the enemy faction.

3. Conflict Zones should pop up in more variable places, & most frequently around fixed assets, like settlements, outposts, stations and the new CQC assets being brought in for 2.2. Also, conflict zones should move each day-based on which side is "winning" the war (as determined by the BGS).

4. More of a flavour thing, but I want to hear radio chatter and text-based chatter that reflects the current state of the system, in relation to the war.

5. It seems like we will be getting this in 2.2, but having the population of the system reflect the fact its at war, & impacting the BGS accordingly.

If all of the 5 things above were done, I'd be more than happy!

I agree with checkpoints , its just in the current system they apear to be a bit silly

CMDR Dumbfries · Sep 2, 2016

My biggest issue is that you are considered an insignificant spec in the galaxy until you visit one of these zones. Then every ship on the opposing side drops what they're doing and takes a keen interest in you.

-VR- Max Factor · Sep 2, 2016

I think with the new CQC stations/areas, and the shipyard etc in the game we may see some CZ's around these. Will have to wait and see. Could also be the reason why they want to put instant travel in as well, so that if CZ's are more dynamic you may want your combat ship there in quick time.