I’ve had an idea rattling in my brain for a while, and I feel compelled to share. So, I don’t like the redeploy system. I’m aware that the appeal is that you get to the fight quickly, as you’re teleported right into the action, and it works for the most part. It’s a great help to folks totally new to the game that wander around aimlessly, asking where the fight is. I’ve found the redeploy system finicky, though. You can’t redeploy to any base you want, unless you chain redeploy, and sometimes the indicator that says “reinforcements needed” is a 1-12 alert, whereas a large base being straight-up invaded sometimes doesn’t get an indication. I’ve read plenty of complaints regarding redeployment. Mainly, that outfits redeploy to a base and turn a small skirmish into a massive battle. Worse-case scenario is an outfit redeploys to a base, crushes the opposition, and ends a fight within moments. It’s a shame, because it makes small-unit squads unable to really have an impact. There’s little incentive to stay with a small squad when a platoon leader can look at his map, see a base being captured, and send a numerically larger force to crush whatever hopes and dreams you harbored. Sure, you can pull out force multipliers, but then the opposition can easily do the same—expect they pull out more because they outnumber you. So I suggest removing the ability for players to redeploy to any base, save the Warpgate, and a home base. You recall the little questionnaire new players get to receive starting equipment? Well, the way I envision a home base to work is you'd get a similar check-out box to determine what base you, as a solider of whatever empire, will garrison. Meaning, you only have two choices where to redeploy—the Warpgate or the base you chose to call home. Since you'd only have one home, you wouldn't have to worry about every base having an absurd amount of defenders. Larger bases such as Techplants and Biolabs would probably get more soldiers garrisoning, and I think that makes sense. Best part! Give outfit leaders the option to choose what base the entire outfit will garrison. If you're a lone wolf, you get the option. In an outfit? Your leader will choose what base you'll be garrisoning. So when your home base is being attacked, you'd get an alert on your HUD, and then you get an option to redeploy there. So when you're staging for an assault you'll become aware what outfit is garrisoning that base and plan accordingly. It's meta! Also, If you want to influence the map, you have to actually walk, or drive, or fly. Not teleport. So what do you think?
I like the idea but you should be able to switch garrisons every 15 minutes or so. I think point of this system is that if you zerg up one lane then you shouldn't be allowed to simply redeploy to other lane and squash smaller attack force.
This is true. Being permanently assigned to a base would be obnoxious, so I think transfers should be a thing. However, probably at a lower frequency, or else you could transfer to any base being attacked, making it essentially the redeploy system we have now. I was thinking longer than fifteen. I was thinking something around the realm of an entire day, like weapon trials! Although that would take away from the anticipation and planning when you know a base is garrisoned by a well-known outfit.
