If an enemy kills a reaper (us), they heal, gain a rage bonus temporarily, are empowered by our then-equipped weapon-type, and are permanently promoted based on some power-level of who they killed. Perhaps they gain reinforcements more quickly.
Enemies overrunning a thumper operation can take the thumper, leading to the empowering of their defences, offences, upgrades, or what have you.
Yes, if enemies walk into our base and start massacring us, they can dominate and drive us away from that refinery, becoming a major encounter for us to assemble for an "open world raid" to take back that base and our resources. I could imagine them slowly dismantling a refinery, undoing our precious efforts and ruining our investment until we can get ourselves organized. Perhaps they can take the base so thoroughly that they set up turrets and mechs.
Player-fighters have a new raid goal. A new boss, a new fight, a new purpose.
Gatherers need that place for a thumper to return to, to get their operations going again. Maybe they can be called upon to convert one of their thumpers from a resource-gatherer into a combat aid.
Crafters also need to participate to get the facilities back online. Maybe they can build a new temporary field base / resupply station so the group(s) don't have to retreat all the way back to another refinery.
Combat engineers are called upon to secure that new forward operating base, and when the raid is underway, to bring defences online segment-by-segment as the base is retaken and players push through.
When @Grummz talked about squad tactics, this breeds just that.
Loners and snipers can do their thing, but if they're killed their position will get overrun by enemy reinforcements and escalate difficulty in that area. They must then retreat to base and get help, or find a new angle to ambush the enemy. This sort of player remains the essential scout or assassin, but they are enhanced with a base to withdraw to, or a strike team to call upon. If enemies gather, their efforts are needed to counter enemy scouts, and break up smaller groups before they become a problem.
Gatherers don't just lose a thumper and the resources they may have gained, their loss may become a critical turning point in threatening their future gathering in that region. They deeply *care* about their success, and are on edge when they pushing their limits and go past thumper-capacity looking for the best they can get. Crafters are called upon to help with thumping because they care about their cut of those ultra-rare resources.
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With player power-level being a factor, where player-power-death is what enhances enemy responses, and with some sort of consequence for dying, there are things which moderate trolling with this mechanic.
This sort of empowerment/reinforcement/assault mechanic provides a natural ebb-and-flow to a region that's above and beyond random events.
Enemies overrunning a thumper operation can take the thumper, leading to the empowering of their defences, offences, upgrades, or what have you.
Yes, if enemies walk into our base and start massacring us, they can dominate and drive us away from that refinery, becoming a major encounter for us to assemble for an "open world raid" to take back that base and our resources. I could imagine them slowly dismantling a refinery, undoing our precious efforts and ruining our investment until we can get ourselves organized. Perhaps they can take the base so thoroughly that they set up turrets and mechs.
Player-fighters have a new raid goal. A new boss, a new fight, a new purpose.
Gatherers need that place for a thumper to return to, to get their operations going again. Maybe they can be called upon to convert one of their thumpers from a resource-gatherer into a combat aid.
Crafters also need to participate to get the facilities back online. Maybe they can build a new temporary field base / resupply station so the group(s) don't have to retreat all the way back to another refinery.
Combat engineers are called upon to secure that new forward operating base, and when the raid is underway, to bring defences online segment-by-segment as the base is retaken and players push through.
When @Grummz talked about squad tactics, this breeds just that.
Loners and snipers can do their thing, but if they're killed their position will get overrun by enemy reinforcements and escalate difficulty in that area. They must then retreat to base and get help, or find a new angle to ambush the enemy. This sort of player remains the essential scout or assassin, but they are enhanced with a base to withdraw to, or a strike team to call upon. If enemies gather, their efforts are needed to counter enemy scouts, and break up smaller groups before they become a problem.
Gatherers don't just lose a thumper and the resources they may have gained, their loss may become a critical turning point in threatening their future gathering in that region. They deeply *care* about their success, and are on edge when they pushing their limits and go past thumper-capacity looking for the best they can get. Crafters are called upon to help with thumping because they care about their cut of those ultra-rare resources.
--
With player power-level being a factor, where player-power-death is what enhances enemy responses, and with some sort of consequence for dying, there are things which moderate trolling with this mechanic.
This sort of empowerment/reinforcement/assault mechanic provides a natural ebb-and-flow to a region that's above and beyond random events.
Likes:
Aimath
