I've been thinking of ways to reduce the Dead Time in cRPG battle.
The problem with battle is that both the best and the worst thing about it, is what makes it good!
On one hand, your life counts, as there is no respawn like in siege, on the other hand, there is often a lot of waiting, depending on your playstyle. It is more satisfying to kill in battle, and more frustrating to die.
Naow. What if, there was a battle mode where you could respawn as a peasant when you died?
Many medieval armies had huge contingents of peasants, so it could be argued that this is in-line with the setting.
So what would this game mode be like?
1. It starts like now. 2 armies of well equipped high-lvl soldiers clash.
2. As they start to die, they get respawned as peasants. (Perhaps slightly modified "custom peasants" more on that further down)
3. Peasants are helpless in 1vs1 and this is the players last chance, so they will hopefully start to organize near spawn.
4. A final battle ensues:
Will the organized peasants beat the disorganized, well equipped high levels? Or will the high levels organize for a final charge against the peasant shieldwall?
I do think that such a game mode could potentially do the following:
1. Award the players more active play-time
2. Motivate and give players training in teamplay
3. Help uncover and protect against leeching (As you can't just die do something else on the computer)
4. Make epic peasant battles, mixed in with heroes surviving the first clash.
5. Give new tactical options. Should you stay back and wait for peasant phase? To make good use of your special peasant slaying character? Protecting spawn in battles becomes important.
How would the peasants look?
It would be great if each army had a different "peasant uniform" making the peasant phase look like more of a "real" battle.
Also it would be great if there were a few types of peasants, with gear and builds promoting teamplay.
- They could be low on athletics
- They could have predominantly spears
- They should have shields, to counter long retracted rounds where ranged try to eat down the peasant shieldwall
- Perhaps they should have some kind of bonus connected with being next to other peasants, so they would stick together and not run off on their own
- They should have little to no ranged, except perhaps 1 or 2 throwing lances.. With crap accuracy and less damage than standard spears.
- They should generally have quite low stats, but just enough to do a bit of damage. Should be near useless alone.
- The uniforms should not be perfect. Hats and boots should be a bit random, perhaps they should also be given body armour of different tones of the same colour, but all of them should be quite crappy
- Weapons: Pitchforks, spears, perhaps a few longspears, short 1h swords and axes. Throwing could be a large contingent. 50% or more should have a cheap shield. There should be a lot of anti-cav weapons, since enemy cav would hang out at spawn to rape peasants.
- What kind of peasant you spawn as should be random. Training players in different playstyles.
- Perhaps there is a chance that ONE player on a team can spawn as "The General" A fully armoured knight on a baddass horse with great stats. Perhaps he has an "Aura" boosting the peasants morale. He should have lots of armor and IF. xD
Rounds would probably be longer overall, perhaps the each-player 2 lives thing should be rather a pool of tickets shared for the team. Perhaps you could pay less repair if you stay alive and don't go into peasant phase.
What do you think?
What is potential problems with the idea?
Would it be fun?
Poll