Mercenaries

[CnC_Fin]

Subject:
Mercenary units, like Mutants in C&C3

Description:
Basically, Generals 2 could have some tech structure, which upon capturing allows you to train units from that structure. These units could be simply called Mercenaries, since they work for the one who pays for them. Like Mutant Marauders you could buy from the Mutant Hovel in C&C3. However, instead of just one trainable unit as in C&C3, there could be various Mercenaries, like anti-infantry, anti-vehicle and so on. And they'd use some simple weapons, like M16A1, G3, AKM, etc. to make them very basic and cool :D. And why not also include some vehicle for them too.

Positive Effect:
Diversity to gameplay with tech units, and perhaps possibilities in campaign.

Negative Effect:
GLA might already be "enough mercenary" and simple to kill this idea.

[robinson01]

Sounds good, very good. I like the idea. Perhaps each faction's mercenary would have different skin/voice so you don't have EU working withGLA?

[Commander32]

Nice idea. I like!

[=LEVIATHEN=]

You have my seal of approval.

1361




GLA might already be "enough mercenary" and simple to kill this idea.

That shouldn't be a problem, so long as the mercenaries have a different basic look than the GLA.

[Commander32]

Indeed, some units for hire would be a good thing, adds flavor to the game.

[Revanchist]

I approve of this idea. Let's hire some mercs.

[TheAlphaDodge]

to be honest i think that all sides should have their own building to hire mercs and a merc tech structure just allows them to be better equiped

the way it should work is the player clicks the mercs icon then they click on the map (they are not produced in the structure)

then the player gets charged a hire fee + insurance and the unit enters the battlefeild from off the map
they will arrive via heli or apc and willl unload at the location the player gave them
players who did not hire the mercs including allies do not know who hired them
they are simply identified as: PMC name:squad specility (example Guns R US:Anti tank)
they are then under the players control and the player will have to also pay wages over a time period

mercs will surender to enemy forces under two conditions: they recive high casulties or their exfiltration vechile is destoyed and will pay their captors half of their insurance fee however the other teams must use their own infantry to arrest them to claim it
mercs do not want the player to treat them like they are expendable hence the insurance fee

once the player no longer wants their services or does not have the money to pay the wages when they become due they select the squad and then click exfiltrate their apc or heli will come and pick them up once their exfiltration vechile arrives the player no longer pays them wages they then attempt to leave the battle/map

the player will recive the insureance fee back if the entire team is extracted with no causulties

see act of war series for how they did mercs

[Quadhelix]

see act of war series for how they did mercs It's one thing to draw inspiration from another series or franchise. It's something else entirely to plagiarize it out right.



In any case, I've actually had a number of ideas related to mercenaries. The first is relatively simple: a faction that uses mercenaries as its main source of troops, which would be interesting but could also be problematic if mercenaries have an upkeep cost. The other two relate more to deploying mercenaries.


First deployment idea: The Merc. Office/PMC Center/whatever works something like the reinforcement pad from Generals. Once you've built the Merc. Office, you can use it to purchase one or more "merc. contracts." Upon making the purchase, you are immediately given 3-5 squads/units from that mercenary group and are then given individual squads periodical until the contract is completed (i.e., a total of 15-25 squads/units have been shipped in). Once a contract has been completed, it can be "reopened" at a discount price to resume the periodic shipments for another 12-20 units.

Mercenary units tend to be cheaper overall because you have to pay the full price upfront (e.g., 25 Rifleman Squads in C&C3 would usually cost $7,500, but you can 25 Rifleman Squad-equivalent mercenaries for only about $4,500 [$180 each] and can get 20 more for $3,000 [$150 each]). Mercenary units do not require continual upkeep, as you have already paid their hiring fee.


Alternative idea: Inspired by Act of War: High Treason's "insurance" system, mercenaries are ordered from the Construction Yard/Command Center, where you pay a fee to have them shipped in/deployed from the Construction Yard. Once you are done with them, you get a partial refund. There is no upkeep cost in the meantime.

The reasoning behind this system is to give "low tier" solutions to problems typically solved by high tier units. For example, one mercenary squad might be a garrison-cleaning private security team armed with flashbangs. This mercenary team is inferior in almost every way to GDI's Grenadiers and Nod's Black Hand Troopers and costs roughly the same, but the private security team lets you clear garrisons before you've even built your Barracks/Hand of Nod, let alone a Command Post/Operations Center.

[StormWolf]

I like the ideas of being able to hire mercenaries in the game. The main thing would be to have a varitey of units to be able to choose from. TW had the idea with the Mutant Marauder but that was it, just one unit. I would like to see at least three different types of mercenary infantry.

Basic Anti-Infantry Mercenary
Anti-Vehicle Solder
Stealth/Infiltrator Infantry - Could be similar to Sabetour if it doesn't come back

[IonorRea]

If included in Generals 2 it can work this way:

-I don't think that adding basic troops mercs (MCs) is good if we want prevent infantry spammes from C&C3. Someone certainly like in but in Generals you usually operated with much smaller armies so let's keep gameplay concentrated on micro instead of economy macro and creating big armies.

-Most sense thus I see in specialists available for example after buying airfield (for now it seems that even GLA get helos). they will arrive in Cesna airplane or helicopter (about same speed) from end of map and will be deployed near airfield-helipad where you can order them. Only limited number can be deployed.

-You will pay MC's cost of unit (for example 500$ refundable when closed contract and unit leave map alive) + upkeep(10$ per minute payed in advance, if you don't have money for upkeep longer than two minutes which also temporary increase upkeep MC leave map).

-If you have good survival ratio of your MC's and you pay on time you can get acces to more advanced type which is more useful but also cost more.

It's important that MC's will have increased survivability in order to have change get more advanced MC's

Few example of MC's for EU:

Peacekeeper - ex police officer to hire (balistic shield, shotgun, gasmask, teargas) forcing occupants without mask leave building, shotgun and balistic shield allow get into distance.
This unit can be also potentially accessed also in police stations during SP if civilian opinion is on your side...
Cost (500 / 10)
Max. 5 per player

Recon - fast ex US military scout unit with great vision range, stealthed when still (able track recently passed infantry and vehicles, detecting ground stealth units including mines with ability to defuse or destroy IED on range with own silenced submachine gun due which is capable remain stealthed during first burst)
Cost (750 / 15)
Max. 2 per player

Commando - battle hardened veteran ex-black ops near age of 50 from EU military (like from cheap action movies... your country need you again old son) with experiences to spare at least for your spare money (stealthed, heavy sniper rifle) with ability to kill garrisoned infantry and attack light vehicles or hovering helos-UAV.
Can steal aircraft on airfield and bring it back on your airfield or infiltrate Command Center/ Airfield / War Factory to order building any vehicle or aircraft available for enemy by buying it for enemy money including helicopter or Dozer (if manned version) which will be controlled by commando that will be able evacuate unit or building to end contract.
Cost (1000 / 20)
Max 1 per player

Potential GLA MC's:

Thief - trained by everyday survival in ghettos around world with ability to steal wheeled vehicles and money from depos (continuously in small amount like Black Market paying his upkeep many times, for enemy player visible by red money sign floating above depo, EVA warning only with Command Center), stealthed while standing still. Equipped with short range (2/3 of rifle infantry) but powerful UZI submachine gun shooting full auto. In order to end contract you need evacuate vehicle or building first.
This unit can be potentially also accessed during SP in less luxurious parts of cities.
Cost (500 / 10)
Max. 5 per player

Infiltrator - freelance cold blooded ex-spy from some poor Euro/Asia country with rusian accent and ability to disguise as recently killed enemy soldier near his position, by standing in vision range of enemy power plant or depo provide info about power supply or enemy resources. Can be ordered to become double soldier (obey orders of enemy player for which he disguise including killing your soldiers while providing you his vision). Can be detected only by watching strange behaviour (like some animations with sending radio messages to you when he standing still for longer time).
As this unit can disguise and use all weapons of fallen enemies you can get this way also soldier with weapons that you can't access as GLA like laser guided missile launcher etc.
Cost (750 / 15)
Max. 2 per player

Specialist - stealthed technically oriented guy using everyday accessible gadgets as hired gun for espionage and killing. (release remotely controlled airplane model with small bomb good for scouting and against infantry / UAVs / helos, hack any UAV for getting full control, visible homemade explosive at his disposal that is firstly throwed anywhere and then remotely activated by player for self defense or ambushes if throwed behind tree or building).
Cost (1000 / 20)
Max. 1 per player

Maybe also avaiable in some GLA mission where you will have do some sabotages within time limited by slowly decreasing starting money for MC's upkeep.

[CrazyGDIfan123`]

-I don't think that adding basic troops mercs (MCs) is good if we want prevent infantry spammes from C&C3. Someone certainly like in but in Generals you usually operated with much smaller armies so let's keep gameplay concentrated on micro instead of economy macro and creating big armies.
if early game merc spam is your issue here, thats easy to address by simply requiring an upgrade to purchase the more advanced/powerful merc units

[Golan2781]

This is especially true for a Generals style game, you could simply tie such third party troops to your generals rank.

[IonorRea]

Basic idea for need of good reputation based on continuous payments and good kill/success ratio with MC's is that you don't want to use them like your Barracks trained cannon fodder but as special tool to special problems.
As I propose only specialists with by rule limited number which is even smaller for higher tiers there isn't chance for spamming anyway.
If you want add just basic infantry for rent you need to ask, it's really that helpful for gameplay?

I tried make sensible rule to be easily understandable so I abandon ideas of limiting access with upgrade or rank requirement for higher MC's tiers as it doesn't make much sense for hiring MC's, while special reputation is both sensible and interesting game mechanism as you are rewarded for good MC's commanding (while you can use your regular troops like you want without effect on MC's which is specially important for GLA with high losses by standart) with access to better MC's which are through your good reputation for handling MC's willing to work with you.
MC's aren't your soldiers without choice, which you also find when you miss upkeep payments for too long and your hired forces abandon you. So it's imo good that access to higher tiers MC's is based on their not your decision, so even teching up is different from rest of your units and adding something new into game.

[Quadhelix]

-I don't think that adding basic troops mercs (MCs) is good if we want prevent infantry spammes from C&C3. Someone certainly like in but in Generals you usually operated with much smaller armies so let's keep gameplay concentrated on micro instead of economy macro and creating big armies. That really depends on how mercenary units are "hired"/how they operate. For example, if players can only have a total of 5-10 mercenary units on the battlefield at any particular time, then having basic infantry mercenaries probably won't lead to infantry spam.

On a side note, at least some of my ideas for how mercenaries could operate were based on the idea that some faction could get all of its infantry from mercenaries.


On a side note, one possibility is that mercenaries could operate under different mechanics depending on the faction to hire them - e.g., GDI mercenaries cost a one-time fee, part of which is refunded when the player finishes with them, while Nod mercenaries have no "purchasing" cost but require a continuous upkeep.




-You will pay MC's cost of unit (for example 500$ refundable when closed contract and unit leave map alive) + upkeep(10$ per minute payed in advance, if you don't have money for upkeep longer than two minutes which also temporary increase upkeep MC leave map). While I can sort of understand the reasoning for having to pay upkeep for your mercenaries, the idea seems a bit overdone. I mean, you presumably have to pay the salaries for your regular units, but that doesn't matter in the game because that's not something that you worry about in a regular battle.

Similarly, mercenaries would probably take a one-time fee to fight in a particular battle, rather than checking their bank accounts in the middle of a firefight to make sure that you've paid them.





-If you have good survival ratio of your MC's and you pay on time you can get acces to more advanced type which is more useful but also cost more.

It's important that MC's will have increased survivability in order to have change get more advanced MC's This sounds like an interesting idea. The longer you have mercenaries on the field without them dying, the less future mercenaries cost. Conversely, loosing mercenaries raises the cost of hiring more mercenaries.

Lose too many mercenaries, and the ones you have will start to abandon you.

[Commander_McNash]

http://www.actofwar.info/images/htnew/Rawhide.jpg

I would like to see the SMERCH back in action on frosbite engine :)