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Discussion / What is the mission?
« on: August 25, 2006, 09:33:43 pm »
After playing UFO:AI I realized what I thought was missing in XCom too. Each battlefield scenario needs a mission, for both sides. E.g, the terror mission could be:
Humans
1. Drive off aliens
2. Avoid civilian loses
3. Cause alien casualties
4. Capture enemy ship and technology
Aliens
1. Don't get the ship and/or technology captured
2. Maximize civilian casualties
3. Maximize human soldier casualties
With this in mind, it makes sense for the aliens to pick off the easy civilian targets, then fall back to the ship and take off.
In concrete game terms, this means that the alien should, in general try to fall back to the ship. When all aliens are either dead or aboard the ship, the ship should take off (mission ends). This could be refined, but it is the general idea. This will
1. Make mission much more interesting... playing safe is fine in the beginning, but later when you want the ships, aggressiveness is needed!
2. Increase credibility... why would the aliens hang around getting killed at 8:5 or worse odds? Why not take off if they start to take a beating, or even better, before?
Other variations include:
* The aliens could leave a huge bomb
* The aliens could attempt to abduct civilians,
* The humans could attempt to steal the ship by killing the pilot(s)
* The humans could try to abush the ufo by intercepting the ufo after takeoff
* The aliens could try to make a trap, starting with a normal terror assault, but then calling in extra ships. The humans, realizing this would be better off falling back and regroup.
* In a similar vein, multiple terror attacks make sense, if alien resources allow.
In game terms, what would be needed is:
1. Take off capability in planes (a simple option "Take off" available in special spaces would do
2. The AI teams should have strategic goals and modes, and act to follow them
2a. Attack. Used on base raids and similar. Aliens advance slowly and "coordinated", trying to kill as many soldiers as possible.
2b. Fall back. Go towards am area (ship), defending/shooting as the opportunity presents itself
3b. Flee. Running as fast as possible towards area. Soldiers already at the area provide covering fire.
Should be easy enough, no?
Humans
1. Drive off aliens
2. Avoid civilian loses
3. Cause alien casualties
4. Capture enemy ship and technology
Aliens
1. Don't get the ship and/or technology captured
2. Maximize civilian casualties
3. Maximize human soldier casualties
With this in mind, it makes sense for the aliens to pick off the easy civilian targets, then fall back to the ship and take off.
In concrete game terms, this means that the alien should, in general try to fall back to the ship. When all aliens are either dead or aboard the ship, the ship should take off (mission ends). This could be refined, but it is the general idea. This will
1. Make mission much more interesting... playing safe is fine in the beginning, but later when you want the ships, aggressiveness is needed!
2. Increase credibility... why would the aliens hang around getting killed at 8:5 or worse odds? Why not take off if they start to take a beating, or even better, before?
Other variations include:
* The aliens could leave a huge bomb
* The aliens could attempt to abduct civilians,
* The humans could attempt to steal the ship by killing the pilot(s)
* The humans could try to abush the ufo by intercepting the ufo after takeoff
* The aliens could try to make a trap, starting with a normal terror assault, but then calling in extra ships. The humans, realizing this would be better off falling back and regroup.
* In a similar vein, multiple terror attacks make sense, if alien resources allow.
In game terms, what would be needed is:
1. Take off capability in planes (a simple option "Take off" available in special spaces would do
2. The AI teams should have strategic goals and modes, and act to follow them
2a. Attack. Used on base raids and similar. Aliens advance slowly and "coordinated", trying to kill as many soldiers as possible.
2b. Fall back. Go towards am area (ship), defending/shooting as the opportunity presents itself
3b. Flee. Running as fast as possible towards area. Soldiers already at the area provide covering fire.
Should be easy enough, no?