On promoting secondary characters, e.g. the staff when base is under attack

[krilain]

This topic is about the ground attacks of a Phalanx base. The today game mechanics does not allow the staff to be represented on this ground. I would like to show some mechanisms that allow the staff of an attacked base to be present in some manner during the attack .

At least some spare parts in all this stuff could serve as a base of reflection on, more generally, how to improve the role of the secondary units over the battlescapes.

Coming :
  I         -->     some general principles about the influence of secondary characters,
  II        -->     the consequences of those principles,
  III       -->     the TODO list to make this real.


I. The general principle
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I.1 Bonus of presence
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If I don't mistake the note below still applies today.

Note of 2.2 version :
base mission is lost if there are no soldiers, soldiers can be equipped before base attack without aircraft

What about the staff ? The idea here is to count every units present in the base and to turn it into an effect. For instance, even if you manipulate directly only one team, the fact is that your team should find indirectly an help in the number. Said differently:

• Even if the whole staff of the base cannot be displayed, it should influence because they are involved on your side.

General principle 1: even if an unit can't be displayed but is present in the battle ground, this presence should be evaluated and converted in an effect in the player team.

I believe that the staff should provide the player a bonus. To be convinced, you just have to figure out that some bases can host about 50 to 100 staff units. Should it influence something? It should.

Thus, to fix the ideas, each 40 non-military units could provide +1 in a defensive skill for each active soldier. That would be only a side effect of the staff presence.

I.2 Numeric staff conversion
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People who haunt the base are generally too much to be simply pushed in the battle map. But anyway it would be of a great interest to be able to meet some of them in live when we play the attack scene. This paragraph is all about how to make this possible thanks to some principle of conversion.

We will considere a base named B.
Let's take consideration of each one's duty in B at the start of a given attack. We'll meet 4 main groups; let's go further, even 5 or 6 (and up to 7 or 8 when armed aliens arrive, no importance):

B = { G1, G2, G3, G4, G5 } with :
G1  - Scientists                                                -> they stick in the labs
G2  - Workers                                       -> they can be encountered around the workshops
G3  - Pilots                                                    -> they stick around the planes
G3b - Pilots in flight                                        -> away from home
G4   - Autonomous soldiers                           -> at living rooms
G4b - Active soldiers                                   -> at living rooms in general
G5   - Aliens kept alive in captivity      ->  visible at containment room

Staff+prisoners form the population of B like such as below:
#G1   =   24
#G2   =   12
#G3   =   6
#G3b  =   0       (in flight)
#G4   =   9
#G4b  =   6       (activated)
#G5   =    4

Total:
#B = 61 guys...  As said before really too many to display like that on the map.
A conversion is needed.

So let's distinguish our active soldiers (manipulated by hand) of the rest, so called the inactive (self units). The conversion could be :

• 4 inactive of a group is converted in 1 unity on the map (with a rounding rule).

After conversion we should have now:

   Initial                    =>            Converted     [ comes with some side effect ]
#G1 = 4 * 6               =>        6 scientists  [+ soldier defense bonus?]
#G2 = 4 * 3               =>        3 workers     [+ soldier defense bonus?]
#G3 = 4 * 1 + 2         =>        1 pilot (rounded) [+ soldier defense bonus?]
#G3b= 0                    =>            any         [brings no effect]
#G4 = 4 * 2 + 1         =>        2 inactive soldiers (self behaviour) [+ soldier bonus?]
#G4b= 6                    =>        6 active soldiers (controled by hand)
#G5 = 4 * 1               =>        1 captured alien   [+ alien psi bonus?]

Important note : the converted soldiers are autonomous, driven by the A.I.

Those chart can be displayed more explicitely :

Code: [Select]

.------------------Initial state------------------------.                         scroll if needed --->
|  Attacking aliens : 6                                 |
|  A A A A A A                                          |
|                                                       |
|  Scientists : 24          Pilots : 6 / (0 in flight)  |     
|  s s s s s s s s           p p                        |
|   s s s s s s s s         p p                         |
|  s s s s s s s s           p p                        |
|                                                       |
|  Soldiers : 15 / (6 actives)        Workers : 12      |
|   o o o o o                          x x x x          |
|    o o o o                          x x x x           |
|   O O O O O O                        x x x x          |
|                                                       |
|  Aliens kept alive : 4                                |
|   K K K K                                             |
.-------------------------------------------------------.

.------------------Converted state----------------------.
|  Attacking aliens : 6   Hand soldiers : 6             |
|  A+ A+ A+ A+              O+ O+ O+ O+ O+ O+           |
|                                                       |
|  Scientists : 6          Pilots : 1                   |     
|   s+ s+  s+ s+ s+ s+          p+                      |
|                                                       |
|  Automated soldiers : 2            Workers : 3        |
|     o+ o+                             x+  x+  x+      |
|                                                       |
|  Aliens kept alive : 1                                |
|   K+                                                  |
.-------------------------------------------------------.
(+) means eventually a skill bonus is attributed

So you see the reduction compensated by a balance system based on skill bonuses. You'll say that anyway that leaves 13 guys so called "inactive" by here. You're right, but maybe another rate would prove to be best. I will keep the factor of 4 to 1 just for make easy counts. Else we could use a variant such as below.

I.2bis Variant :  Staff represented on map by 0 or a predefined constant
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Note that we could also fix an upper bound not to reach, of number of characters present on the ground, and decide of the conversion rate accordingly.

Even easier we can imagine a system where :

• if you have a void group, then you don't let it show up in map;
• if you have a group filled by any manner, then you represent it by always the same number (e.g. 4) of guys on the map.

The conversion rule is so: ( 0 -> 0 & any -> 4 ) . That would be less realistic but good enough anyway.

I.3 The armory
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This last principle is a little addition that intends to improve some of the gameplay.

Today, if we have inactive soldiers in base, we can enroll them at the last minute but as you had surely recorded we may have nothing to equip them(!) That's terrible and the idea would be to introduce as a new building, an armory buildable into the base. Moreover, this building should be upgradable upto 3 levels, and would be fed by a mensual subscription depending on his level of upgrade. In return the armory would provide some weapons dedicated to the base defense.

In my opinion that would be good for the player, because the soldiers would have to reach the armory, in order to get some equipments. That solves the hopeless case of the permanently disarmed soldiers, and it's intrigating enough to need to reach the depot quickly before you face one alien.

As a natural limitation, the armory should provide only a definite number of items. Maybe more or better in quality when the armory is upgraded.

I.4 Conclusion of the principle
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We so have introduced:

• a bonus of presence
• some rule of staff conversion
• and now there is an armory

Let's see all of that in more concrete cases.


II. Concrete implications of the principle
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So the base is attacked. An alien's group has landed. Let's call this group G0, and fix #G0=6. We will consider now how the principles could actually work.

II.1. CASE 1 :: You have your active soldiers there, you fight, and you win
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.a/ Containment destroyed = NO ; Staff shipped away = NO ; Total shutdown = NO

.a.a/ Begining state of the battle :

Code: [Select]

                          present    number on map    Soldier bonus          Aliens bonus
| Active soldiers       |   y     |     #G4b        |                    |                  |
| Self milirary units   |   y     |  converted 4->1 |  G4 defense++ (2)  |                  |
| Non-military staff    |   y     |  converted 4->1 | G4,G4b defense++(1)|                  |
| Aliens in captivity   |   y     |  converted 4->1 |                    |   G0 Psi++(3)    |
| Aliens attacking      |   y     |      #G0        |                    |                  |

(1) depending on the total inactive staff
(2) depending on the inactive soldiers number
(3) depending on the number of captured alien status and number

.a.b/ Ongoing battle :

• The staff are supposed to stand close of their working place.
• The automated soldiers start with a standard pistol, but if an armory is up, they will try to reach it to get something better.
• If no room left inside (according to a reasonable criterium of occupation), a part of the staff could stand in the upper levels.
  
• The aliens in containment are calling their brothers.
• They may use (increased) psi-powers if humans close enough.
• The attackers try to reach the containments or at least to get into the base.

   The player team tries :

• to defend the civilian,
• eventually to heal civilians, or also to be healed by physicians ?
• to play eventually beside the autonomous soldiers,
• to intercept the attackers,
• to avoid the cross fires in an environment containing non-military people,
• to deal with the multiplied psi powers of the aliens and the chaos they put in the base
• .etc..

   
.a.c/ Battle terminates :

The battle still ends when either the alien's attackers or the player's team are killed (or psi K.O.).
In this case, the attackers are defeated as classically.

.a.c.1/ Classic victory - Attacking aliens are killed while at least one man of your active team is still alive.

Code: [Select]

                          %KILLED      after battle penalty                hospital
| Active soldiers       |  <100%  |       bonuses reseted          | -> hospital priority 3   |
| Self milirary units   |   K1%   |   injuries are distributed(1)  | -> hospital priority 1   |
| Non-military staff    |   K2%   |   injuries are distributed(2)  | -> hospital priority 2   |
| Aliens in captivity   |   K3%   |   injuries are distributed(3)  |                          |
| Aliens attacking      |  =100%  |      they are dead bodies      |                          |

(1) An analysis is produced. The procedure could be the following :
        - each time that one unit resulting from the conversation dies, an inactive soldier dies (low HP first)
        - the total HP lost by the converted ones is multiplied by the number of remaining true soldiers, so to obtain a number T
        - this T value is randomly redistributed between the remaining soldiers so that possible death may again occure
        - one absolute rule would be that the final number of inactive killed should never exceed the K1% of converted killed     
(2) The same as above, or must be refined to distinguish scientist of soldier, but this could require first the implementation of HP for those people   
(3) I don't know exactly how could the aliens that are in captivity, be injured. But if so, same system as above

II.2. CASE 2 :: You have your active soldiers there, you fight, they die, did the alien win ?
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In my opinion the best answer is : not sure.
What we propose here is finally no more than a system that evaluates the real balance of power when a base is attacked. This because (even without evocating any mechanized defensive equipments) our soldiers are not alone, trapped in a sort of nowhere. They are at home, and supported by an elite staff.

So suppose that in one hand, the soldiers that are controled by hand are dead. In the other hand suppose now that few aliens have survived, moreover wounded, and that the most of your staff is still here. That should be taken in consideration to decide if the aliens could be overruled by a poorly armed but motivated and numerous staff.   

So a non-classical victory could born as in this following chart :

Code: [Select]

                               %KILLED       
| Active soldiers       |       =100%         |       
| Self milirary units   |  not far from   0%  |   
| Non-military staff    |  not far from   0%  |   
| Aliens in captivity   |  not far from   0%  |   
| Aliens attacking      |  not far from 100%  |     


III. Finally what is required to make all of this possible ?
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This chapter should be very detailed because it is in fact the most important. But I'm not used with the TODO lists, so I will only give a tiny try.
     
TODO . Make a tiny TODO list
TODO . Skills for everyone 
       --> Bonuses mean also a skill system extended to the non-military units just in case (so to benefit of extra defense/speed/psi/.etc..)
      Note : maybe already implemented
                         
TODO . Base map design
       --> Room reservation for the staff
       --> Design of inhabited containers in the containment room
       --> Design of inhabited hospital beds too ?
       
TODO . AI
       --> creation of self behaving soldiers (needed also to introduce policemen in the urban maps)
       
TODO . And surely more ...


IV. As a postscriptum, I attached a sample of quotes related to this subject
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Let me know if something is not clear. Criticizm is allowed, but remember this all is also a branch, maybe dead, of the same fertile tree yet in development. Ok, nice conclusion, thanks if have read this!

Bye

[Anarch Cassius]

I think you bit off a bit more than you can chew this time.

No really, it all sounds and looks good but that's a massive outline. Some of the stuff is about stuff not directly related (containment/attack options) and some of it is dependant on people going along with other parts in the form you propose.

The reduction formulas are unnecessary. 60 people seems to be a pretty full base (though with labs and workshops going in increments of 10, how did you get 12 and 24? I've never had more than 4 pilots at a base either.) but they don't all have to be there. There's more than 8 or 10 people in most cities, most of them just cleared away from the aliens already. Likewise some of your personnel are going to be off base on their day off, doing off-site work, or safely whisked away to safer shelters as the UFO approaches. Simply add the spawn points to the lab, etc. and let the map generator add workers/scientists semi-randomly like it does civilians. It'll be capped at the number of spawns or your total workers.

Now I don't actually think you need any bonuses for those workers. An base attack is not really something to be concerned about right now. It's almost like them giving you a UFO. No risk to civilians and not much chance they'll weaken your base if you complete the mission. Also right now there's no preassure on your supply of workers and scientists. Just let them be killable. The point of base defense should be trying to keep them alive. The reactor and containment stuff will be good but I think just making the workers and scientists "base civilians" would go a long way.

If they are too have skills and benefits let them occur during non-combat.

The extra soldiers, the armoury, maybe. A bit much but I could see it. The armory would be waiting on the dropship inventory system to be implemented first I'd think.

[krilain]

I think you bit off a bit more than you can chew this time.

Enthusiastic maybe

The reduction formulas are unnecessary. 60 people seems to be a pretty full base

The question here is simple. I don't know why there is no staff at all at the base. I figured out that it could be to save memory or to make the turns faster (imagine 60 civilian's turns to wait). So I imagined this reduction that allow to get a little number of civilian without sacrifying at realism.

Simply add the spawn points to the lab, etc. and let the map generator add workers/scientists semi-randomly like it does civilians. It'll be capped at the number of spawns or your total workers.

I would really like this option.

Now I don't actually think you need any bonuses for those workers. 

In fact, I class this in the same familly as "visibility", "psi reenforcement", and in general modifiers that change your characters according to some context. Here, my point of view was to say that we cant do like if the base was not populated. That's a context. And to traduce it if we cant display the staff, why not introduce a modifier that "shows" his presence. Ok, that's a point of view indeed.

The reactor and containment stuff will be good but I think just making the workers and scientists "base civilians" would go a long way.(...)
The extra soldiers, the armoury, maybe. A bit much but I could see it. The armory would be waiting on the dropship inventory system to be implemented first I'd think.

• aliens visible in containment and psi-activated when theirs brothers arrive is cool
• worker, scientist, as civilians --> would be perfect
• armoury --> just solve the problem of equipment for base defense when you are low in funding - in counterpart it's an invest
• extending armoury to dropships sound quite nice, at least for putting medikit in this

My prefered wish anyway, would be to introduce self behaving soldiers. In general I think there could be some guards and policemen in many maps.

[Anarch Cassius]

Check the existing TODOs/Proposals. There's a good bit on containment breach and the other base attack options.

I heard the idea of dropship inventory being a possibility, if it goes in that's a sign the armoury is a possibility.

I also see aggressive civilians on the proposals which would pave the way for defenders outside the active squad.

On the matter of visibility. Apparently cameras are supposed to have somebody manning ops in an ideal system. This might be a reasonable role for non-combat personnel.

[krilain]

I did for the most part. Surely I missed some parts for vocabulary problems. But about the visibility I was more evocating the effect of the lightmap than the cameras. There is also a wiki about that.

The alive containment, and so making an animated character for it, could be funny and scarying too. I've thought about somrthing like that in attachment.