Hi Kingrattus, you are the first poster!
First I want to say thanks for writing up your thoughts and for trying out the game. I agree with pretty much everything you've said and have some additions/ideas to add :) I'm going to sticky this, since your comments provide a good framework to discuss some other core ideas for the game.
At a high level, I agree that a Moba style match is a good path to iron out strategy elements(and maybe just the core game mode) after using the deathmatch to iron out core combat mechanics. The main challenge is having enough players on at a given time to properly test it. The combat mechanics still needs a lot of work, but I've been working the past few weeks to enable Moba. The recent AI development and network code update was to to expand the number of bots was to enable the creeps and AI bots to test on. Another note is that Moba's depend on having "lanes" and how do you do that in space? My answer was using hazardous nebula to funnel the players(this is how the game got its name). My initial layout was purely symmetric with 3 lanes and I've got a partial post written about the map design process.
So regarding your comments:
"Defense - Each Faction has a central core. In between that core and the enemy players is a defense. This defense could be in the form of turrets. ":
I agree, and I propose the "Core" be a single Mothership /Flagship for each faction/race/team. I'm working on this as a Core Feature. The mothership would be:
- Large and very slow. The players would not directly control/pilot the mothership(because its boring) and some may not be mobile at all. Perhaps some matches they are static and act at the base/core like in other mobas. In other matches they will move forward slowly as your clear the way or take down enemy defenses. Like escorting a tank. You may also lead it to resources on the map after clearing out enemy npcs.
- Currently all the ships spawn at an immobile mothership that has no special abilities, but the UI has a prototype of how I was thinking it would work. This includes
- A basic research tree that the mothership executes. (I'm thinking you do the research by completing objectives like "Scan 5 wormholes" or "Capture 5" Bases" I'll maker a dedicated post for this.
- A build queue for ships.
- Unique upgrades for the mothership itself, like more build slots, more ship classes.
- The Hivemind boss creature itself would be the mothership for the Hive and currently he hangs out over the center planet until taking minor damage then talks some (randomized) trash and quickly flies to the lair where he hunkers down and spawns a lot more mobs. If you defeat him there he moved back to the planet and this repeats ad-infinitum.
- Not just hard to kill. but an actual boss fight. its how you win and you need not only overwhelming numbers but also some coordination like a WoW raid boss sort of thing. I'm currently working on Turrets for the humans like you suggested, but the hivemind might just grab attackers and eat them :)
"Turrets - Turrets can be built, repaired, upgraded, and destroyed. There would be a player that focuses on defense. This means that whichever players choose the defense role will have a different ship. The ship should be designed to focus around upgrading the turrets, and self defense."
Regarding turrets, I agree and am working on this as a Core Feature. While lettings players build turrets anywhere may be the end-goal, I feel like at least for now, for the sake of a Moba, they should either only be build-able in predetermined locations or already be there. I think they should be repairable in both cases, but only by players.
"Offense - Players that choose offense will have a ship designed for combat. This could include everything from stronger weapons, faster ships, and long distance attacks.
- EMP cannon - This could be a long rang attack upgrade used to temporarily disable enemy turrets.
- Guided Missiles - A missle that is remote controlled.
- Drones - Unmanned assault ships"
- Nuke - This could be a neutral weapon that must be earned.
I agree and am working on these items as a Core Feature. In addition, I'm working on other novel combat techniques such as hive minions biting down on your ship to pull you toward thier master to be eaten, goo they cover your ship in to slow you down. Being able to control how fast the projectiles are fired based on timing how long you hold the button press (and more energy), mines, and more.
The one caveat is that I am currently trying to make the ship upgrades generally offer the (player) ships additional optionality versus simply being better. The idea is that the advanced upgrades come at a cost of something else, but gives advanced players who don't mind losing wall bounce for more speed or damage for example. Or that certain weapons are better against certain things so having the option is an advantage.
"NPC's
- The NPC minions should be fairly easy to kill and provide a currency used to upgrade ships and turrets
- The giant monster NPC may be what is guarding the Nuke. Killing the beast drops it.
- NPC drones can be found harvesting materials from asteroids scattered throughout the map."
I agree and this is a Core Feature which is currently partially implemented. The Terran, Construct and Zarkavan NPC's currently drop a green "Isotope" item which players can collect and currently persists along with your player on each login. The build GUI menu shows the other planned resources with the idea being that each race drops a unique one and that they can be used as currency to unlock things or maybe as a requirement to assembly certain ship types. Some resources would be also only be gather-able by holding capturing and holding neutral NPC stations/regions.
"Ships
- Offense - Ships must be upgraded and purchased. For example, every player will begin with a frigate, then once enough credits are earned, they may upgrade the path of their choice.
- Defense(Frigate) - These are ships that decide on staying as a frigate, and instead upgrading their tech for turret building."
I agree with the sentiments here but propose a slightly different way to realize the goal. My current thinking that is each player in the moba is a fleet commander and are responsible for only the ships they build. The larger battle may involve multiple fleets on multiple fronts, or several fleets cooperating on one front where one is largely geared toward defense or a particular play style. This may not really work though, so I'm working on this as a Exploratory Feature.
My current thoughts for ship classes are similar, but geared around letting the player always be the hero who changes the tide of battle.
- Mothership: Core base, race-specific boss fight, extremely slow or immobile.
- Dreadnought: Large, slow and powerful capital ships the player may give orders like in an RTS or simply slowly follow the player. They would be the only ships capable of taking down powerful shield/station barricades/ capturing bases/planets, and would be required to have all available present to take down a mothership. They would have automated weaponry with firing arcs that skilled players could stay out of. Though strong, unless defended, smaller ships could take them out and they are expensive to replace. Each player would want to escort theirs in critical battles to ensure survivability but maybe could also divert some to smaller un-assisted objectives.
- Destroyers: I see these as a special class of ship that can only be directly piloted by players (maybe they require some neural link). The idea being that they are the "sweet spot" that can wreck the weaker frigates en masse and also are the Achilles heel of the larger dreadnoughts. They are fast, reasonably tough and are the flagships that the players fly as fleet commanders. These may be good candidates for more extensive ,persistent, customization both cosmetic and in gameplay.Things like extra defense/AOE shields, stealth for reconnaissance, etc. I can also imagine that different races have very different version of this where one race may be geared around stealth.
- Frigates: These would be generally weak, but the toughness / quantity per race/faction many vary. (hives have a lot of really ones vs humans fewer but stronger units). The mothership would likely be continually manufacturing these ships to press the battle These would only be piloted by AI and you would either assign them to follow the player, or a dreadnought. Maybe later on the behavior could be customized as a research option. Their loadouts would be basic but still part of the research tree.
That may be more of a reply than you bargained for :D What do you think?