Forums » Suggestions
Group Coordination
Group Coordination
It has become more and more obvious to me over time that there exists no easy way to coordinate a group effort in a fight. My guild has attempted a number of different approaches, including using the group channel for text such as “rpr” for repair, but I’d like to propose something that could significantly streamline the giving of orders, and make it possible to direct robot/NPC escorts.
What I’m proposing is an order window (just a little box under your ship stats or something, which doesn’t stop you from maneuvering, etc, like the jettison window does), which would be activated with a keystroke, and would have a numbered list. My ideas for what’s on the list:
0. Group
9. Ship
8. Escort
So, by pressing the 0 key, you bring up the submenu for the “send to group” feature:
1. Attack my target
2. Distract my target
3. Cover me
4. Form on my wing
5. Protect my target
6. Depart
7. Warp to my destination (next jump automatically given in message to group)
8. Disregard last order/Cancel last order (edited to include GRAIG's suggestion)
This way, it would only take 2 keystrokes to direct the entire group to do a task. For people who you want to do specific tasks, you could use the 9 key to send messages to people in the sector, ordered by nation, like so:
1. LeberMac (Itani)
2. Smittens (Itani)
3. macguyitani (Itani)
4. Lahmi (UIT)
5. Sherpa (Serco)
...and selecting one of these options would progress to the second menu I mentioned.
One other method would be to limit to those in your group, but I think that doing it by people in-system, it would be more versatile.
The last option I included on that list would be for NPC Escorts that you would either hire, or be paired with for missions. I think this bit is pretty self-explanatory. Overall, I think this idea could be used in many ways, and could be relatively easy to implement.
It has become more and more obvious to me over time that there exists no easy way to coordinate a group effort in a fight. My guild has attempted a number of different approaches, including using the group channel for text such as “rpr” for repair, but I’d like to propose something that could significantly streamline the giving of orders, and make it possible to direct robot/NPC escorts.
What I’m proposing is an order window (just a little box under your ship stats or something, which doesn’t stop you from maneuvering, etc, like the jettison window does), which would be activated with a keystroke, and would have a numbered list. My ideas for what’s on the list:
0. Group
9. Ship
8. Escort
So, by pressing the 0 key, you bring up the submenu for the “send to group” feature:
1. Attack my target
2. Distract my target
3. Cover me
4. Form on my wing
5. Protect my target
6. Depart
7. Warp to my destination (next jump automatically given in message to group)
8. Disregard last order/Cancel last order (edited to include GRAIG's suggestion)
This way, it would only take 2 keystrokes to direct the entire group to do a task. For people who you want to do specific tasks, you could use the 9 key to send messages to people in the sector, ordered by nation, like so:
1. LeberMac (Itani)
2. Smittens (Itani)
3. macguyitani (Itani)
4. Lahmi (UIT)
5. Sherpa (Serco)
...and selecting one of these options would progress to the second menu I mentioned.
One other method would be to limit to those in your group, but I think that doing it by people in-system, it would be more versatile.
The last option I included on that list would be for NPC Escorts that you would either hire, or be paired with for missions. I think this bit is pretty self-explanatory. Overall, I think this idea could be used in many ways, and could be relatively easy to implement.
Clap Clap Clap!
Very nice stuff !
just 1thing i'll suggest U to add Harry a "Cancel order" key
just in case u ask bots to attack one of your friend :p
But i love the idea!
Well thought Harry !
keep it up !
/edit:
Differents type off bots should be available with your differents lvls
combat bots for Combat lvls tradebots for trade lvls ect you should buy them in station and make your group then when u coma out of the station your squad is allready waiting for orders !
BUT only low lvls bots with low armour cause i don't wanna see most of players with 5 prossus gangbanging u as soon as they can do it !
well THAT would be stupid
but
yay ! I love it !
Very nice stuff !
just 1thing i'll suggest U to add Harry a "Cancel order" key
just in case u ask bots to attack one of your friend :p
But i love the idea!
Well thought Harry !
keep it up !
/edit:
Differents type off bots should be available with your differents lvls
combat bots for Combat lvls tradebots for trade lvls ect you should buy them in station and make your group then when u coma out of the station your squad is allready waiting for orders !
BUT only low lvls bots with low armour cause i don't wanna see most of players with 5 prossus gangbanging u as soon as they can do it !
well THAT would be stupid
but
yay ! I love it !
hmm... this sounds nice, I agree.. it seems we could *almost* script a lot of this with the alias-bind system we have now, except for the groupmember list... but a sector-chat or msg-to-target menu-system would be pretty doable, I think..
..maybe when I get a spare moment I'll see what I can do..
**edit: if the menu used group- or guild-chat, would that be okay?
..maybe when I get a spare moment I'll see what I can do..
**edit: if the menu used group- or guild-chat, would that be okay?
thurisaz: group chat would be best. Guild chat would be not so good, because the entire guild (at least IA) is not always engaged in one activity. Also, sector chat wouldn't be so hot either, because then enemies can see that you're targeting them. Msg to target would also work.
However, for the long run, it'd be good to have it implemented in a little menu-box thingy for visual confirmation that you're hitting the right keys. :P
However, for the long run, it'd be good to have it implemented in a little menu-box thingy for visual confirmation that you're hitting the right keys. :P
I like this—I think this could be really useful, expecially for the situations you described, Seldon. EV Nova had something like this, but this is MMORPG-style escort control.
I also like that there'd be a basic GUI to this, as well. In general, I dislike games that are more programmer-like than game-like. Binds are cool and stuff, but the more program-y you get, the smaller your game audience will be. /rant (perhaps something for a different topic)
I also like that there'd be a basic GUI to this, as well. In general, I dislike games that are more programmer-like than game-like. Binds are cool and stuff, but the more program-y you get, the smaller your game audience will be. /rant (perhaps something for a different topic)
ooh! /me asks for a scriptable GUI for Christmas :O
Yes, EV Nova had something like this, but it was kinda useless because it was time consuming to make your various escorts attack seperate targets, and you couldn't set half of your fighters on one target, and half on the other, etc.
This is more Freespace-esqe communications, and would allow specific messaging to different players and eventually NPCs. Because of the menu system, if you memorise the keystrokes, everything can go *very* quickly in terms of the giving of orders, and even if you don't it'll still save you time in combat. Besides, you can still maneuver while working in the communications menu, if it's implemented like I suggested.
This is more Freespace-esqe communications, and would allow specific messaging to different players and eventually NPCs. Because of the menu system, if you memorise the keystrokes, everything can go *very* quickly in terms of the giving of orders, and even if you don't it'll still save you time in combat. Besides, you can still maneuver while working in the communications menu, if it's implemented like I suggested.