UFO:Alien Invasion
Development => Design => Topic started by: Prinegon on May 13, 2010, 02:28:32 pm
-
I don't think, a state should only sit ducks while it is terrorized by an alien attack. I think it would be quite normal, if each state itself would send military units to a terror site mission. For city site maps (like the map with the store) there could be a police officer, as well. He'd be a civilian, who is armed and able to shoot back.
Rules for military appearing:
- Military appears only, if PHALANX takes too long to reach a site. The time PHALANX is given to solve the attack depends on how friendly a state is to PHALANX.
- Military can units can contain, clear, sweep or oppose. What to to depends on the states relations to PHALANX, too. If the state is friendly to PHALANX, the military will contain the alien, meaning they will guard the borders of a map and shoot on aliens who come near the borders (prohibiting the aliens to flee the battlefield). If the state is neutral to PHALANX, military will clear the area. Military will go over the map, just like a player would do, and shoot every alien on sight. Every alien shot by the military counts as negative points against PHALANX, since the state could come to the idea it doesn't need PHALANX to defend against the alien attack. If the state is disappointed of PHALANX and XVI Census is already researched, military will sweep the area, go over the map and kill aliens as well as civilians, since the nation comes to the opinion, it could be too dangerous to leave anybody alive, since this one could be a sleeper. The military will oppose PHALANX, if the state already switched to the aliens. If an ufo is shooten down over the terretory of a switched nation and PHALANX doesn't recover it immediately, military will show up and help the aliens to defend their ufo.
- Military killed by PHALANX of course is negative score to PHALANX. Military stunned, however, is not.
- Unless military opposes PHALANX the mission still is over, if the last alien is killed.
-
The "contain" thing is, AFAIK, something they already do (don't remember if official or a fan speculation). You know why the battlescape is so small? The military already keeps the aliens in there, making them unable to advance further, but the military cannot advance either without taking (a lot of) casualties. So they send the PHALANX in, like a police would send a SWAT team when things get really dangerous.
As I said, whether official dev word or just a speculation, it seems like a good possibility IMO.
Besides, would you like completely useless, suicidally charging ally-soldiers that only end up as negative reputation points? When we get a good AI with a survival instinct that might work but right now I don't see them capable of doing much good.
-
Really doubt it, radiation. Most police and military units would most likely be forced by the federal level, to fall back and just stand just outside the containment zones. The national guard units being less trained in this situation would likely only get in the way
and get slaughtered by the aliens. Still it would make sense that a police officer might get trapped into the alien zone
and be forced to fight against the aliens.
-
Really doubt it, radiation. Most police and military units would most likely be forced by the federal level, to fall back and just stand just outside the containment zones.
I don't think so. As long as a nation is convinced, PHALANX is able to handle the situation, this may be the case. Military would only be used to contain the situation. The cleanup would be left over to PHALANX. But from the moment on one nation comes to the conclusion PHALANX is not enough to defend the country, it would use its own troops, of course. Please don't forget, we are talking about self-consistent nations, each with its own gouvernment, each with its own set of laws. They are not federal nations to the UN. The UN may set a common goal, but there is no ratification for punishment, if one nation wants to go its own way.
Besides, would you like completely useless, suicidally charging ally-soldiers that only end up as negative reputation points? When we get a good AI with a survival instinct that might work but right now I don't see them capable of doing much good.
As long as one cannot see the containment by playing the game, it can't be official. It isn't mentioned by ufopedia, any mail, or anything implemented in the game, so for me as gamer it doesn't officially exists. I may come to this explanation for myself, but even if I do, this explanation will bring up some problems by itself, like why civilians inside the containment area doesn't try to reach the edges (and the protection armymen could offer against the alien thread).
As for the usefullness or uselessness of the soidiers: This is a question of the AI-Script. And this would be bad by its first implementation, of course. This would be one more toDo in a series of toDos within the game. But making a script of behaviour is a thing that should be done for proper alien behaviour already. The military behaviour would only be a modification.
But to reduce frustration with friendly ramapging units one could make military action optional as long as there is no propper AI (or at least the scoring of military action optional).
-
The UN may set a common goal, but there is no ratification for punishment, if one nation wants to go its own way.
One minor note that doesn't really relate to this: yes, they can force out-of-line nations get back in line, with military if necessary. Employed only if one nation tries to make a world war or attack the UN directly I suppose, but they do have a way and legistelation to force nations go the UN way.
As long as one cannot see the containment by playing the game, it can't be official. It isn't mentioned by ufopedia, any mail, or anything implemented in the game, so for me as gamer it doesn't officially exists. I may come to this explanation for myself, but even if I do, this explanation will bring up some problems by itself, like why civilians inside the containment area doesn't try to reach the edges (and the protection armymen could offer against the alien thread).
Maybe it should be mentioned then? Though I do admit that by logic the civvies would try to get to the edges and safety, so maybe it isn't the best option (depends on devs).
As for the usefullness or uselessness of the soidiers: This is a question of the AI-Script. And this would be bad by its first implementation, of course. This would be one more toDo in a series of toDos within the game. But making a script of behaviour is a thing that should be done for proper alien behaviour already. The military behaviour would only be a modification.
But to reduce frustration with friendly ramapging units one could make military action optional as long as there is no propper AI (or at least the scoring of military action optional).
I know but I used that as a reminder that right now, until the AI is refitted with better, "survival first" intelligence (Lua?), doing this would be fairly irritating with the negative happiness points.
-
On the subject of friendly police and military units on the battlescape:
No.
That is all.
Regards,
Winter
-
No.
That is all.
Well, this answer is a hell of disapointment. I was looking forward for at least an explanation why this concept doesn't fit in the plans one might have for ufoai instead of a simple refusal of my idea. :ยด-(
-
same here i like that idea
-
If there's been even an unpublicized consideration of the possibility of infection by the aliens, the first consideration upon the landing of an alien craft would be a quarantine. Not for concern of the lives of the locally affected civilians, but of the populace in general. So any indigenous military forces would be bent to the task of establishing a perimeter and enforcing a kill-zone around the site. The aliens aren't engaged in a ground invasion; they aren't going to stray from their landing site. The kill-zone would be intended to prevent humans from leaving quarantine.
Military forces would notify PHALANX of the presence of an alien ground force, and maintain surveillance on the site through satellite, aerial and ground recon presence. At the first sign of the aliens attempting to pack up human prisoners or leave the site themselves, the local national military would call in a strike to destroy the site with heavy conventional or nuclear weapons.
PHALANX would come on site, restrain any local human presence with a less-than-lethal response, and kill or capture the alien ground force. Upon mission completion, any humans or aliens would be returned to a secure processing facility. Humans would have to be carefully screened for biological or technological contaminants before being released. Aliens, of course, are taken to Guantanamo for water-boarding.
In the event of a PHALANX mission failure, or of an alien evacuation, the penalty will be the destruction of the area by our own forces, leaving it unlivable.
At least, this would make the most sense to me.
-
Why should Phlanax even loose reputation if soldiers are killed. Tehy are soldiers. They went in. It's their job.
I could see how HEAVY casualites might have such a reaction, but for every soldier? Only if you add a reputation bonus for every alien killed.
Also:
Dissapoint at no friendlies. This game has now become less awesome.
-
[...]At least, this would make the most sense to me.
unfortunately, in this case, it would not make sense for the aliens to land, would it?
they can't escape with their loot even if they are not killed by phalanx.
-
Police and military is absolutely a great idea. I feel it will add more dynamics to the game and make it far more interesting. :D
-
Police and military is absolutely a great idea. I feel it will add more dynamics to the game and make it far more interesting. :D
Exactly my feeling too.
-
We have 2 soldier models already, see here:
http://ufoai.ninex.info/forum/index.php?topic=5244.msg42105#msg42105
-
The soldier models look very good; all they need is to be armed and given a combat AI that targets aliens.
-
LOL! "If the police can`t stop you... ...you must be... ...an ortnok with a particle beam cannon!!!"
-
I dont think the Islamic States would sit like ducks. African Union, maybe, but I can already imagine pissed off Iranian Fighter jets napalm cleansing entire blocks or sending human waves of martyrs when running out of patience.
On the subject of friendly police and military units on the battlescape:
No.
That is all.
Regards,
Winter
You know, no one is fazed by the hostile and overly authoritative note of yours.