Matrix Games Forums

Howdy. I've got a bunch of loosely related ideas.

Military

• As seen with robotic troops / infantry, medium tanks / assault guns and machineguns / quad machineguns, where multiple different types of model may fill the same role, include jetpack infantry in the infantry group.
• Separate to the rigid model quality filter, a means to set a percentage, minimum, or maximum that a specific model should occupy for units that do have multiple valid models to fill a replacement request. A mixed medium tank / assault gun formation is very easy to raise, but difficult to maintain through losses and requires significant manual management. This is also particularly notable with aircraft, especially tactical bombers, where multiple models of a type or even of several different types (plane, helicopter, thopter) may exist while only one of those ought to fill a unit. Accessible from Unit Admin. Even better if able to be configured on an OOB basis for “all existing” or “all existing and future” formations of the type.
• Ability to set a custom battlegroup’s current composition as it’s intended TOE, so that it may be reinforced automatically with the existing systems.
• Similar to a unit’s TOE filter providing options to allow/tolerate/disallow models that have been assigned low/medium/high/elite quality, a whole-of-unit subunit experience filter with states allow/tolerate/disallow for options Green/Regular/Veteran/Elite. The experience filter would have lower priority than the quality filter, and only models valid by the configured quality rules would then be filtered for experience. Accessible from Unit Admin.
  • I’d suggest deconflicting “Regular” and “Elite” as used to describe model quality even without this change unless there’s already to much time and material with the existing terms that would be impacted; possibly “Medium” and “Maximum“.
• A new state applying to both the model quality and suggested subunit experience filters: Request. Greater priority than Allow. Requested means the Unit wants to keep and receive that Quality Level and will substitute it’s own existing Allowed and Tolerated subunits to gain the requested model. Even better if other units will push tolerated quality and experience subunits to other units requesting them. There’s probably not insignificant obstacles to this, considering how reinforcements work currently.

Model design

• Would be handy if blueprints used standard or average values for each of the variable X.Design stats, modified by relevant technologies.
• Forking designs when building a new version, allowing a model to develop multiple children. Instead of building a whole new model and starting over with a separate field testing track, (perhaps you have a heavy HV tank and want a heavy howitzer tank also, and want to develop both), you could select multiple blueprints to develop simultaneously from a common parent. Children could share engine, weapon, and armour design rolls if they have the same parts, and common design choices might limit the BP overhead of a choice like this.
  Later on, at the point of model design, the player would chose to abandon, recombine, or develop further each model in parallel. This would allow existing properties and field testing to benefit a family of model development and increase the diversity of viable technologies employable at any time.
• Some manner of incorporating further field testing of the previous model into the current one, something like a minor version or a facelift. Would not incorporate new technologies, but field testing of the current model + new field testing of the previous model since the current one was designed might be used. Axi-MG + Axi-MG II = Axi-MG II.a. Cheaper to develop than a new major version and with a lower attainable field testing of it’s own. Especially useful when a new model is not able to be rolled out as a complete replacement and the previous remains in service for some time.

Map layers.

• Range from selected tile, particularly for long range aircraft so that I don’t have to count out 33 hexes when choosing an airbase location.
• Air intercept chance. Similar to the Preview Pts logistics layer that shows total points per hex as well as the facilities servicing each. Featuring a colour gradient or band like the Op. Log with a percentage reported in each hex that has an air intercept chance. Clicking on a hex with a >0% chance populates a list like the Preview Pts > Zone Log. Assets field listing each formation contributing to the overall chance. Can use their current readiness and stats and average skill rolls to determine the displayed chance. Selecting a formation from the list would highlight it’s range, drawn on top of the main layer, with percentages in each hex it can reach for the chance that this unit specifically performs an intercept.
• Terrain movement cost by movetype.
• Terrain attack and terrain defence layers by trooptype.
  • For both above, Hex colouring, and hex face colouring in addition if possible for everything classed as a river. Some terrain is quite hard to distinguish, but more importantly, terrain is a huge component of force construction and strategic planning. It would be beneficial for the effects of terrain, especially at scale, to be as accessible as possible.
• Admin strain, highlighting hexes and displaying the amount that assets in it are contributing.

Consistency

Between the model tab and the blueprint tab, a few things have different names.
Model tab name, Blueprint tab name.

• Machinegun, MG
• RPG, Bazooka
• Light Armour, Light Tank
• Armour, Medium Tank
• Motorcycle, Motorbike Infantry
• Mech.Artillery, Mechanized Artillery
• Motorized Transport, Truck
• Buggy, Recon Buggy

Based on how they show up when raising a formation where only the first word is used, and how other units are named, I suggest unifying each pair to these options.
Machinegun, RPG, Light Tank, Medium Tank, Motorbike Infantry, Mech.Artillery, Truck, Buggy


This is by significant margin my favourite game of it’s kind. Some of these I’m sure are pretty unlikely and suitable only as dreams, but I really appreciate what's been built with this game. The republica expansion has been fantastic and I’m keen for the future.