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OXCE Suggestions Rejected / [Rejected] Turn-based dogfight / air combat
« on: July 03, 2019, 08:51:03 am »
Rejection reason: this is beyond/outside the scope of OXCE
Elsewhere we've been talking about air combat, and I thought: this minigame is a neverending source of frustration. Clumsy controls, not much of realism, a game of fast reaction looks out of place in turn-based tactical game. But since X-COM is all about turn-based tactical combat, why not implement air combat as a special Battlescape mission?
This is how I imagine it:
If you are going to implement it, I'll try to make Battlescape sprites for all vanilla craft in UFO:EU.
Elsewhere we've been talking about air combat, and I thought: this minigame is a neverending source of frustration. Clumsy controls, not much of realism, a game of fast reaction looks out of place in turn-based tactical game. But since X-COM is all about turn-based tactical combat, why not implement air combat as a special Battlescape mission?
This is how I imagine it:
- Of course, this mode is optional.
- If it's on, the special Battlescape mission starts either when a human-controlled craft touches a UFO, or when distance is closer than standoff.
- If it's a one-on-one air battle, then the mission has only 2 units. If multiple interceptors engage one UFO at the same time, all of them participate in the mission. In case of escorting, also all crafts participate.
- There's no terrain, just open air. Or is the dirt floor unavoidable? Is it possible to make background light blue for midday and darken it at morning/evening and further at night?
- I don't know how big should the map be. At least twice the range of the battleship main gun, I suppose.
- Maximum TUs and energy, dodge chance and such are computed from the craft speed and maximum acceleration. I haven't tested any formulae yet. I supppse, hit points and weapon damage may be copied verbatim, but don't know about the rate of fire.
- If it's a battle a UFO can escape, then time is limited. When turns run out, it is said that UFO outran the interceptor.
- There are exit grids for interceptors. For example, in all 8 corners.
- For hunter-killer if human craft is slower, the escape is pointless as it is, but it's a separate question. But there should be a function like "paradrop crew, passengers and cargo".
- An interceptor has up to 2 weapons in its "hands". Can units shoot two (identical) weapons simultaneously, by the way?
- Earth craft from Interceptor to Avenger are 1x1x1. Small and medium UFOs are 1x1x1, Battleship is 2x2x1. Can Terror ship be 1x2x1? If no, then all large UFOs are 2x2x1 too.
- Drawing routine is 3 or 4 — cyberdisk or Ethereal.
If you are going to implement it, I'll try to make Battlescape sprites for all vanilla craft in UFO:EU.
I'll try to keep them all alive, but will fire the ones with psychic power below 50.
). Also there are left-click, right-click, middle-click, Ctrl-left-click, Shift-left-click... did I miss anything?