SMACX idea: units from special projects

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Author Topic:   SMACX idea: units from special projects

Bad Explanation posted 05-06-99 01:08 PM ET
I've been thinking about this for a while, and I think it would make for really cool gameplay, single- as well as multi- player. The gist of it is, what if there were units you could only get by building special projects?
For instance, (and this is ***just an example, not an actual proposal***) say the special project is called The Heisenberg Waffle. The player who builds it, and only the player who builds it, gets a unique unit design ability; the Waffle Reactor. The Waffle Reactor is a dual waffle maker/reactor that functions both as a *3 reactor and a clean engine, allowing the unit to require no support from its home base; its basically a reactor combined with the "clean" special ability. So, for the rest of the game, that faction has a unique tech.
Or the project could be The Balloon Works, and it would give you a unique chassis; the balloon. The balloon would be a non-combat chassis that would act like a transport, with the following advantages/disadvantages; it would ignore terrain; it would act like an airjet, needing to refuel itself, except a) it would have a very long range before refueling, and b) it would always require 3-4 turns to refuel; it would not be able to load or unload troops and move in the same turn.

Anyway, you get the idea. A special design capability granted by a special project.
You'd want to have three/four of these types of projects; just one would be imbalanced.
I think this would be really cool, because it would make the necessary combat strategies change depending on what special project you were able to nab.
And of course, it would also make it possible for other players to steal the design capacbility by capturing the base with the special poject in it! That would be cool!
Hmm... it might be too powerful, though... but, hey, if you wanted to limit the power of it, you could make it so that the special unit could only be built at the base that housed the special project! Yeah! Aw, man, that would rock!

I'm sorry, I'm getting all worked up. I just think this is a really cool idea and I'd love to see it in the game. It would, I think, make for some really interesting games.
So, whadday'all think?
BusterMan posted 05-06-99 10:19 PM ET
I sorta like this idea. However this could have a significant imbalance in faction power. If one faction has a special reactor and none other has it, they would have a huge advantage over other factions.
-Parker
trippin daily posted 05-06-99 11:43 PM ET
You know what, that is a great idea. I would love to have a balloon. I would be indestructable then. What good would a measly gravship do to my balloon. My balloon would kick its ass.
Trippin Daily
-bored as hell, I'm not knockin you idea Bad, I think its great.. but it damn well better be better than a balloon -
CatsAt8 posted 05-06-99 11:55 PM ET
Yanno...that is a good idea...only diff I see is that other factions CAN attain same unit types but ONLY a set number of years after the Project is built.
On a silly note...I want the "Arc De Pussy"...
Talk amongst yourselves..LOLOL
Bad Explanation posted 05-07-99 03:16 AM ET
Ya know, if they put it in the right place in the tech tree, the balloon would be really cool... before you had the airplane age, you'd have the "baloon age"... people would be sailing the ungainly things all over the continents... wheeee the troops would say on their long glide...

only half in jest,
--BE
Urban Ranger posted 05-07-99 07:39 AM ET
An extension of the idea is to let each faction to have its own unique units that nobody else can build.
For example, the Gaians could have a "Pathfinder" unit that moves fast (3 sounds good), with a broad vision field, and treat all terrain as clear (cost 1 each). All units that stack with the "Pathfinder" can move through any terain at a cost of one.
Hmm, if that sounds too powerful, how about letting each faction to start the game with a small number of these special units which cannot be replaced?
Bingmann posted 05-07-99 11:58 AM ET
How about a secret project that is a single super unit? A giant mecha robot comes to mind. Or a super tank like a Bolo or Ogre. Or Voltron? Or Sta-Puft the marshmallow man?
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Author	Topic: SMACX idea: units from special projects
Bad Explanation	posted 05-06-99 01:08 PM ET I've been thinking about this for a while, and I think it would make for really cool gameplay, single- as well as multi- player. The gist of it is, what if there were units you could only get by building special projects? For instance, (and this is *just an example, not an actual proposal) say the special project is called The Heisenberg Waffle. The player who builds it, and only the player who builds it, gets a unique unit design ability; the Waffle Reactor. The Waffle Reactor is a dual waffle maker/reactor that functions both as a 3 reactor and a clean engine, allowing the unit to require no support from its home base; its basically a reactor combined with the "clean" special ability. So, for the rest of the game, that faction has a unique tech. Or the project could be The Balloon Works, and it would give you a unique chassis; the balloon. The balloon would be a non-combat chassis that would act like a transport, with the following advantages/disadvantages; it would ignore terrain; it would act like an airjet, needing to refuel itself, except a) it would have a very long range before refueling, and b) it would always require 3-4 turns to refuel; it would not be able to load or unload troops and move in the same turn. Anyway, you get the idea. A special design capability granted by a special project. You'd want to have three/four of these types of projects; just one would be imbalanced. I think this would be really cool, because it would make the necessary combat strategies change depending on what special project you were able to nab. And of course, it would also make it possible for other players to steal the design capacbility by capturing the base with the special poject in it! That would be cool! Hmm... it might be too powerful, though... but, hey, if you wanted to limit the power of it, you could make it so that the special unit could only be built at the base that housed the special project! Yeah! Aw, man, that would rock! I'm sorry, I'm getting all worked up. I just think this is a really cool idea and I'd love to see it in the game. It would, I think, make for some really interesting games. So, whadday'all think?
BusterMan	posted 05-06-99 10:19 PM ET I sorta like this idea. However this could have a significant imbalance in faction power. If one faction has a special reactor and none other has it, they would have a huge advantage over other factions. -Parker
trippin daily	posted 05-06-99 11:43 PM ET You know what, that is a great idea. I would love to have a balloon. I would be indestructable then. What good would a measly gravship do to my balloon. My balloon would kick its ass. Trippin Daily -bored as hell, I'm not knockin you idea Bad, I think its great.. but it damn well better be better than a balloon -
CatsAt8	posted 05-06-99 11:55 PM ET Yanno...that is a good idea...only diff I see is that other factions CAN attain same unit types but ONLY a set number of years after the Project is built. On a silly note...I want the "Arc De Pussy"... Talk amongst yourselves..LOLOL
Bad Explanation	posted 05-07-99 03:16 AM ET Ya know, if they put it in the right place in the tech tree, the balloon would be really cool... before you had the airplane age, you'd have the "baloon age"... people would be sailing the ungainly things all over the continents... wheeee the troops would say on their long glide... only half in jest, --BE
Urban Ranger	posted 05-07-99 07:39 AM ET An extension of the idea is to let each faction to have its own unique units that nobody else can build. For example, the Gaians could have a "Pathfinder" unit that moves fast (3 sounds good), with a broad vision field, and treat all terrain as clear (cost 1 each). All units that stack with the "Pathfinder" can move through any terain at a cost of one. Hmm, if that sounds too powerful, how about letting each faction to start the game with a small number of these special units which cannot be replaced?
Bingmann	posted 05-07-99 11:58 AM ET How about a secret project that is a single super unit? A giant mecha robot comes to mind. Or a super tank like a Bolo or Ogre. Or Voltron? Or Sta-Puft the marshmallow man?