Inter-character relationship system

[kori]

Hello,

in my defense, I have searched the threads here, the feature requests list at sf.net, and the scrapped ideas list and I've found nothing, so here goes:

My favorite squad based tactical game is definitely Jagged Alliance 2. The thing that sets it apart the most, in my own view, is the fact that the characters have personalities that are somehow intertwined in their own mini soap opera - some will love others, and some will hate the first and refuse to work them at all. I strongly believe that this feature is the main thing that kept my usually very short attention span on finishing that game time and time again.

Now, I understand that the x-com series traditionally comes with random noname characters whose only differences are their ability points and this is technically how a normal professional military organization would work, but for the long campaign game's sake I think a small random interaction system could be utilized. It doesn't have to go as far as hate and love, but it would be interesting and realistic enough to see some rivalry between the two best shots in the squad, for example, or a feeling of appreciation if another soldier has saved you from a nasty alien attacker. There could be a racist soldier who wouldn't work with Asians, or whatever. In the most radical (1% chance) case scenario a soldier would prefer to go back to his original army unit instead of working with someone else.

I'm not a programmer - and as I read through the Tactical Deployment thread's latest responses, I was almost discouraged to post this here - but I'm pretty sure that this can be achieved with a mini xml database of sorts with the squad members and their general feelings for each other, entered at random at startup. Depending on that, they will (mostly) say and (less so) do stuff to each other throughout the tactical phase of the game, thus improving the overall game experience. What I can actually help with about this is writing the lines for the characters. Waiting for your input.

[geever]

As you said yourself too PHALANX is a professional army I would not like to see any disorderly conduct.
On the other (technical) side it would be a sh*tload of work for nothing, sorry.

I think a group of mercenaries and an army are very different.

-geever

[kori]

That is correct, however it's not an army in the traditional regimental sense; it's more of a SAS-derived sabre squadron unit, which historically has always tried and managed to be rankless (as much as that's possible in an army regiment). That is more or less based on the fact that special ops units, due to their nature, give personality a lot more credit than other armed forces tend to. Also, I already said that the interactions would be less than those in ja2, perhaps limited to just a few comments during play. Imho, it's not only military correct, but will bring additional value to the game, make a long campaign less likely to get boring overtime, and it could also lead to interesting storyline developments if done right.

[Gunner]

That is correct, however it's not an army in the traditional regimental sense; it's more of a SAS-derived sabre squadron unit, which historically has always tried and managed to be rankless (as much as that's possible in an army regiment). That is more or less based on the fact that special ops units, due to their nature, give personality a lot more credit than other armed forces tend to. Also, I already said that the interactions would be less than those in ja2, perhaps limited to just a few comments during play. Imho, it's not only military correct, but will bring additional value to the game, make a long campaign less likely to get boring overtime, and it could also lead to interesting storyline developments if done right.

unfirtuately like he said that sort of little tweek adds very little to actual game play and unless a disproportial ammount of time goes into creating it. the most you could hope for is a few canned phrases being shouted by the troops. like on starcraft select a marine and they say there canned catchphase, these are quite enteraining at first but after a little time you have just heard them so many times that you want to punch the idiot that decided to include them square in the eyes

[kori]

That's exactly why I didn't give example with starcraft, but jagged alliance, where there is an actual relationship between the characters and not just 3 canned shouts.

[Gunner]

That's exactly why I didn't give example with starcraft, but jagged alliance, where there is an actual relationship between the characters and not just 3 canned shouts.

in very simple terms you have a integer that you increment or decrement at random to simulate their relationships

then in the mssion you check this integer and play the canned phase that matches the. so 0 to 20 they laugh when they see them shot. 20-40 they joke at them every time they miss a shot 40-60 they congratulate them for hitting, ...

this would be relatively simple to include, but is no better than the canned phases of starcraft.

to do anything more complex would require a lot of work for something that is just icing.

so as greever said it would take to much time for too little return.

[odie]

in very simple terms you have a integer that you increment or decrement at random to simulate their relationships

then in the mssion you check this integer and play the canned phase that matches the. so 0 to 20 they laugh when they see them shot. 20-40 they joke at them every time they miss a shot 40-60 they congratulate them for hitting, ...

this would be relatively simple to include, but is no better than the canned phases of starcraft.

to do anything more complex would require a lot of work for something that is just icing.

so as greever said it would take to much time for too little return.

I have seen this earlier and tracked this, kori.

The idea that when a section of familar men (aka band of brothers) goes in again to another mission, they should be more efficient and perhaps increase combat ability = good and probably realistic.

Thanks for suggestions, but I believe that this really moves the game not much further in the game. Hence, it probably will get rejected almost certainly and not be used.

Reason being - there might be too much mico-programming + tracking, and it would be probably complicating the game alot more (or having much more depths). This becomes soon another Koei's Romance of the 3 Kingdoms History ..... and becomes nightmarish to the new player.

See Romance of the 3 Kingdoms version 11 <- See this for the current development and be overwhelmingly overwhelmed. Lol. I have followed this game for close to 20 years since its version 1, and i must say i am still overwhelmed by the controls and extreme-micro-management, let alone the programming done behind it -> SHEER CRAZINESS AND 20 years in the making.

UFOAI Simply dun have tat kind of resources and its not money making, unlike koei.

Hence, once again, thanks for the idea, but dun thnk this gets implemented.