Warfare Idea - Captains

Ernam

Recently, @Kresslack made a thread suggesting some embellishment of the warfare system.  Things like this have been suggested before, but the problem is always the same challenge.  As far as I can tell, here are the design criteria (some of which taken directly from @Sarapis' comments in the last thread):

• Must not be made top-heavy, such that whichever city has the most players/soldiers automatically wins.
• Should make city vs. city conflict more fun, by creating meaningful, but fair, conflict parameters.
• Should include some basic limitations such that wars/soldiers can only be used a certain amount per day.
• The warfare system should be significant and powerful, but simple to use.
• Warfare system should create "work" to do outside of war, for citizens (similar to eidolons, city improvements, etc.) - but should not cost huge sums of gold (because city improvements already do).
  

The core idea revolves around the concept of leading troops.  Troops are present in your room, but don't interact (much) with players.  Instead, a single NPC, a Captain, follows you around (or doesn't) and can be given orders to control a group of soldiers.

Control of soldiers:

There are two sides to control of soldiers.  A player skillset, and City functions.  The player miniskill is full of commands that can be given to your Captain in order to control the troops.

Troop commands may or may not use balance for the actual player (depending on which command is used), but most commands will use "troop" balance, which works similar to ship balance.  Each command given to troops has a set "balance cost", such that they cannot receive another command X seconds after performing an action.

There should would be a basic city command structure for restricting/overriding player control of troops, as well as some administrative functions.  Commands would include various settings, to include being able to recall troops to the city (once per hour), restricting troops to a barracks (so that players cannot lead them out to fight), and so on.

The player skillset would look similar to a Seafaring skillset.  It could be possible to set up various commander types, similar to how Seafaring works - such that one player might be an expert at leading a "ranged combat" division, whereas another command might specialize in room effects, and another player might specialize in damage output (to other troops, primarily).  How this skillset would be "leveled up" could be done several different ways, including quests (likes marques) or purely off of army rank, or other means.


Purpose & Limitations:

The uses of soldiers are:   

• Fight other troop divisions
• Fight against guards (within specific parameters - not used to guard bash outside of group conflict)
• Limited interaction with players
• Interaction with city destruction (or perhaps allow soldiers to destroy rooms as an alternative to tanks)

Limitations

• Only 1 Captain can be "checked out" by a player, per barracks - for a maximum of 3 at a time.
  
• Captains have stamina/endurance, which drains slowly at all times while checked out (unless ordered to rest, during which they can't do anything).  Specific abilities use / drain this stamina.  While in enemy cities, this drains much faster.
  
• Troops have balance/cooldown limitations on abilities.
• Suggested: font ability that increases enemy troop stamina drain while in the city.

This should allow for city conflicts to have up to 3 divisions per side, and have their choice of which type of soldier to use.  The intended goal is to be able to use soldiers for about an hour - more or less depending on how many abilities you use.  A simple (but balanced) artefact could also be sold to slightly increase troop stamina.



tl;dr

3 troops per city, 1 per player, multiple types of divisions, mild interaction with players, limited to about an hour at a time of use without resting.


I don't really care all that much either way on this one - but @Sarapis challenged us to submit ideas that might work but still meet a few specific requirements.  Feel free to discuss.

Xith

Suggesting some subskillsets:

Leadership Specialisation:
Banners - equip banner carriers that provide boosts to troop/player stats (damage, balance, range, regeneration, accuracy, etc.)
Drums - Morale boost
...

Spy Specialisation:
Infiltration
Cloaking
Sabotage (of stats/siege weapons/vehicles)
Poison
...

Ranging Specialisation:
Tracking
Alertness (area)
Bombard
Venoms*

Incendiary
...

Warrior Specialisation:
Dueling
Shields
Dashing
Berserk
...

Siege Specialisation:
Rams
Ladders
Catapults
Explosives
War Machines (factional)
...


Also Tagteaming captains of two specs could enable additional team abilities:
Spy + Siege = rigging explosives, camouflaged weapons to get in range undetected
Spy + range = Poison arrows
Siege + Warrior = human catapult?
Leadership + X = a super skill for the category. (arrow rain, bulrush, naval bombardment, assassination, etc)


Other categories might include Cavalry, Support, Mage. Depends how it's built.

Amarillys

Suggesting troop movements would be through the wilderness. Terrain matters more and so you would have to worry more about troop movement while also allowing for troop ambushes along easy to travel routes. I think also, at any time before your hour is up, you should be able to CAMP TROOPS and, so long as they are stocked (think ship style payment and stocking) they will stay until someone from the city comes along to gather them up or they are slain. Camped troops would still count against the city's limit but would allow for occupation as well as guarding passes in the wilderness.