New game start options

[Darsnan]

I’ve been tinkering with some new ideas for how to begin a PBEM game. The typical beginning has a CMN establish a set of units (CP’s, scouts, Formers, etc.) on a tile, and then the PBEM player goes from there. So I thought about how to simulate better the “Escape Pods” that deliver the colonists to Planet from the Unity.
The attached scenario gives a couple of examples as far as what I have been doing. Essentially I’ve taken a missile chassis and modified it to look like an orbital re-entry vehicle. These vehicles then “carry” the colonists and their additional cargo to the face of Planet, where the game begins from there.
I have made up two versions of the orbital re-entry vehicle. They are as follows:


DRAT Mk2 (“Drop Re-entry Air Transport Mk2”): based upon the original Unity Escape Pod design, this civilian vehicle is configured to be dropped from a mothership spacecraft in near-orbit, enter a planet’s atmosphere, and land its cargo safely on a planet’s surface. If there is an aerodome available, the DRAT Mk2 can be land, refuel, and take off again into the planet’s atmosphere. This vehicle is ideal for establishing a colony, resupplying an existing colony, or setting up a science station on an asteroid.

UNIT SPECIFICATIONS
Chassis: Missile
Equipment: Transport
Weapon: none
Armour: none
Cargo: 6
Range: 6 tiles


DRACa Mk3 (“Drop Re-entry Assault Carrier: armoured”): the main orbital re-entry assault vehicle of the Interstellar Marines, each DRACa Mk3 transports a full brigade of Interstellar Marines from their Attack Carrier Spaceship to a designated drop zone on a planet, planetoid, or asteroid surface.

UNIT SPECIFICATIONS
Chassis: Missile
Equipment: Transport
Weapon: Conventional warhead with retroviral capability
Armour: 3-Resonance
Cargo: 6
Range: 15 tiles


Directions for scenario: click on the DRAT Mk2 and fly it towards the Progenitor city. On the 6th tile the DRAT Mk2 will disappear (land) and the units the DRAT carried can move accordingly. Now click on the DRACa Mk3 and fly it towards the Progenitor city. Once beside the Progenitor city attack the city the way you normally would with a missile. Once the missile is destroyed you can move the units the DRACa was carrying according to their normal movement rates.


So do you think this would be a good alternative opening for PBEM’s/ Scenarios? From my perspective the positive side is that it gives players slightly more choices as far as where they decide to set up their HQ (instead of on the tile a CMN puts the units on), as well as giving a sense of actually entering Planet’s atmosphere via an Escape Pod. The negative is that it does slightly take away from the inherent advantage of Momentum Factions/ early mobile Factions.


PS: please note that I am posting this here in the PBEM forum instead of the Creation forum as I am looking for feedback from PBEM players, some of whom might not visit the Creation forum.

[Hercules]

Well no harm in having a look. Interesting idea.

[Chaos Theory]

Variety makes the game more interesting

[Darsnan]

Here is the SMAC version, since I have been asked about this. Same instructions as above.


D

[Flubber]

Darsnan

Obviously I have played with the attack version of these missiles in the Spartan scenario you sent me.

For PBEMS I think the non-attack 6 tile version could be an interesting way to let players better choose their start position. If I were PBEMing in a game like this I would want the missiles to have to die immediately after they disgorge their cargo. So I would say, give them an initial escape pod us and then let them die. Personally I would modify them down to hold a cargo of one and give the player two of these. Players then could bunch their initial two bases or have them as far as 12 tiles apart-- whatever they wish

[t_ras]

I dont think it will change the game substantialy (which is good)
and still it adds something very interesting.
if they are landing pods maybe you could give them longer range and see what may happend...

[t_ras]

I forgot my xenobananas!
I want ot vote for them too!