Machine Guns in Space (Spider TWD/TWL!) :

[PaulOakenfold]

If any of you have played the ol' classic, and hillariously horrific graphiced, Team Fortress, you may know the direction I am heading already. Think of this as a base match, but without sharks or terriers:

I could see this as a viable change to the TWSD, or even a future TWSL. You can set the map up much like a 'point capture' scenario, in which each teams starts at opposite ends (or corners) and there are 5 to 7 overall capture points in between (you can set the map up like a strategic maze). The spider is the fastest continuous-killing ship that TW has, especially in groups, it needs its own niche away from the semi-randomness of TWLB. To avoid the currently flawed TWSD's 'team split' auto-loss scenario, you can use these 'capture points' (flags) as a new area for your team to respawn... individually obviously, but making it easier to regroup with your fellow green friends.

This would be a tricky bot coding, but certainly feasible and doable in the confines of its capability. Each 'zone' has a gate (invisible trigger zone) at its choke point that allows the opponent to pass through it only if they have control of the previous zone. The spawning zone becomes the zone that is PRIOR to the zone captured, except for each team's base zone.
Ex: Team 1 captures one zone, we'll call it zone 'A'... their base zone is still where they continue to spawn if they die. Then they capture the next zone (B), now zone A is their spawn point... etc etc. The gate allows friendlies to fly out of the zone, but not back in it (to avoid a pussy clustering strategy which would ruin the fun).

There would need to be rules set in regards to victory scenarios. Perhaps, in order to occupy an area (or capture a flag in that zone) you must have 4 of your 5 teamates within the zone. I'm not sure of the number, and it's another thing that may need to be tested.

This was just a spure of the moment idea that was actually inspired from Galaxy Turbo's idea. I haven't thought this through entirely, and a permament TWD/(Possible) TWL spider replacement will need to be a collective brainstorm regardless.

Thoughts? Comments? Insults?

[FuzzyWuzzyBear]

I actually think this could be interesting, but there is one thing I would add to this idea. The way you're describing it (with closed off paths until CP's are captured), both teams are basically funneled into each other. What if, instead, the maps do implement this, but are big enough where teams could choose multiple paths to the CP's and maybe even attempt to attack it from two different sides at once? It would be tricky balancing this to avoid utter chaos and people just going wherever, but if teamwork was used properly it could lend a "tactical" element to this silly spaceship game.

This also brings up another problem I didn't think of. What if CP's weren't laid out linearly in front of the main base of each team but were more or less scattered around the map? While tactically this would be cooler, you'd need some kind of system of choosing where to spawn in. Maybe you'd spawn in a box with warps to different CP's you control? My point is you wouldn't want to spawn in a CP way off in the corner of the map if the main fight is in the middle at that stage of the game.

[D1st0rt]

You're talking about like Onslaught from UT2004?

[FuzzyWuzzyBear]

You're talking about like Onslaught from UT2004?

Pretty much, except without those neat vehicles with decapitating sawblades on either side.

[D1st0rt]

I like crushing people with the manta secondary better anyways

[Necromotic]

maybe some team fortress graphics to go along with it!

[Jeenyuss]

neat

[Dameon Angell]

I wasn't thinking "Team Fortress" when I read the description, but rather Battlefield 1942/2142... different capture nodes on a map that ticks down your "respawn tickets". That'd be sick.

[PaulOakenfold]

I actually think this could be interesting, but there is one thing I would add to this idea. The way you're describing it (with closed off paths until CP's are captured), both teams are basically funneled into each other. What if, instead, the maps do implement this, but are big enough where teams could choose multiple paths to the CP's and maybe even attempt to attack it from two different sides at once? It would be tricky balancing this to avoid utter chaos and people just going wherever, but if teamwork was used properly it could lend a "tactical" element to this silly spaceship game.

This also brings up another problem I didn't think of. What if CP's weren't laid out linearly in front of the main base of each team but were more or less scattered around the map? While tactically this would be cooler, you'd need some kind of system of choosing where to spawn in. Maybe you'd spawn in a box with warps to different CP's you control? My point is you wouldn't want to spawn in a CP way off in the corner of the map if the main fight is in the middle at that stage of the game.

All of these suggestions are great, but I was talking about 5v5 fights... you have to take into account that it's hard for squads to muster up enough players for a BD as it is. A multiple choke entrance would require a slightly bigger map, with way too many opportunities to be open. It would stray away from the concept of the actual map.... who's the better spider, not who's the luckier opponent. The latter concept we already have, it's called ?go journey.... and many a tournament has been attempted at this before...

You're talking about like Onslaught from UT2004?

No, I'm talking about like Team Fortress 1996

[PaulOakenfold]

What may make the game more strategic, yet not stray from the actual spider skill aspect is the ability for one to return to the previous friendly zone, but at the cost of a point (a life) each time it is done. This allows overwhelmed spiders (2v5 scenarios) to retreat back at the cost of two points instead of giving the 5 spiders an easy 5 kills.

[PaulOakenfold]

This also brings up another problem I didn't think of. What if CP's weren't laid out linearly in front of the main base of each team but were more or less scattered around the map?

This is easy... think, warpto box, warp point location each warps to any location they own. Or think this, have a linear (yet designed uniquely), and have an easy system of warping, and perhaps even lowering the spawn time.

This brings up another idea. If the game were an 8v8, we could promote both team-play and duel-play if we were to have small offshoots from each team's zone that is adjacent to their base zone (If you have read above, this would be zone A). These two off-shoots would extend (a fairly long tube) diagonally, intersecting each other at another zone. This zone, we'll call a sub-zone. This sub-zone could trigger a small spawn timer reduction (if this can be done).

Now, with that in mind, you have to ask yourself whether you'd apply a 'gate' on both entrances to this sub-zone so that an opponent cannot use the sub-zone tunnels to sneak behind, or you'd let the tunnel be used as a long-ish secondary tunnel.

[PaulOakenfold]

Holy shit... come to think of it... this is actual Trench Warfare...

Perhaps put some pub/bd action in there and make it first to a certain amount of kills (retreats count as a kill, so the more you push a team, the more it forces them to eventually retreat).

[Kawrae]

almost like DSB?

[Doc Flabby]

another idea that just occured to me.

cstrike with spiders (unoriginal i know)