The RTS part.
Bacillus
Join Date: 2006-11-02 Member: 58241Members
Join Date: 2006-11-02 Member: 58241Members
So, this is meant to be the general discussion over the RTS elements in NS2. Obiviously its heavily related to the commander experience part, but this one should be discussing more about the RTS as a whole, not just how the commander does and sees it. A few things to consider:
<b>The importance:</b> How important should the RTS part be? Should a team with superior skill and teamwork beat a team with highly superior RTS play? On the other hand the RTS makes NS a little different from the rest of the shooters, but then again it's still a FPS that needs to be enjoyable without extensive RTS knowledge.
<b>The Counter system:</b> Should there be hard counters ( a superiorly effective choices against a specific move by opponent) for lifeforms and tech choises? Basically it adds up strategy and teamwork while some are better at countering something, but then again FPS isn't fun if you're totally underpowered against the enemy counters. It also puts quite a heavy pressure on newbies if they're the only one in the team having a hard counter for something.
<b>The bases and their defences:</b> Is static defence fun? It stalls the game and sometimes makes it boring, but on the other hand it could be used for creating multiple bases and taking the map control to a new level. Bases and their variable layouts also create quite dynamic fights that allow both teams to take advantage of the buildings as a cover and such.
<b>The Resoucre System:</b> How many res nodes you need? Should there still be 10 nodes that each take a lot of e-pressing and biting to take advantage? Is it always worth to cap more? At least I see a lot more choises than the cap-or-die it is nowadays.
<b>Scouting:</b> Should the commander(s) be able to scout all by themselves as it is now or should they rely more on the marine eyes? On the other hand the scouting keeps commanders busy, but on the other hand the partitial scouting information through marines is really interesting, forces to make some calculated guesses and in general gives marines (and possibly kharaa) a new role instead of the present capper-pusher-defender roles. Commanding on public could be really frustrating unless you've got some good scouts though.
I'll try to post some of my opinions and maybe a little more to discuss tomorrow.
<b>The importance:</b> How important should the RTS part be? Should a team with superior skill and teamwork beat a team with highly superior RTS play? On the other hand the RTS makes NS a little different from the rest of the shooters, but then again it's still a FPS that needs to be enjoyable without extensive RTS knowledge.
<b>The Counter system:</b> Should there be hard counters ( a superiorly effective choices against a specific move by opponent) for lifeforms and tech choises? Basically it adds up strategy and teamwork while some are better at countering something, but then again FPS isn't fun if you're totally underpowered against the enemy counters. It also puts quite a heavy pressure on newbies if they're the only one in the team having a hard counter for something.
<b>The bases and their defences:</b> Is static defence fun? It stalls the game and sometimes makes it boring, but on the other hand it could be used for creating multiple bases and taking the map control to a new level. Bases and their variable layouts also create quite dynamic fights that allow both teams to take advantage of the buildings as a cover and such.
<b>The Resoucre System:</b> How many res nodes you need? Should there still be 10 nodes that each take a lot of e-pressing and biting to take advantage? Is it always worth to cap more? At least I see a lot more choises than the cap-or-die it is nowadays.
<b>Scouting:</b> Should the commander(s) be able to scout all by themselves as it is now or should they rely more on the marine eyes? On the other hand the scouting keeps commanders busy, but on the other hand the partitial scouting information through marines is really interesting, forces to make some calculated guesses and in general gives marines (and possibly kharaa) a new role instead of the present capper-pusher-defender roles. Commanding on public could be really frustrating unless you've got some good scouts though.
I'll try to post some of my opinions and maybe a little more to discuss tomorrow.
Comments
If it is, I don't think that would be a wise game mechanic. To counter against a certain kind of enemies, should take strategies and teamwork, rather then playing rock-paper-scissor, it'll help the player to think outside the box, which make the game-play more creative and fun.
Important enough to keep things fun. And by fun, I mean fun for NOOBS. Noobs are the most common player, and if Natural Selection is going to "Unite the world through play" it needs customers. The bottom line here is profit, so NS3 can come out nicely. Thus, the strategy interface should be intuitive (very intuitive) and the GUI should be simplistic. Probably stupidly simplistic. If it's easy to learn, but hard to master, you have a keeper.
Hook people with simplicity, keep them with depth.
This means any team with strategy and skill should rightfully dominate those without. Sometimes hard. It's important to have that depth in the game.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>The Counter system:</b> Should there be hard counters ( a superiorly effective choices against a specific move by opponent) for lifeforms and tech choises? Basically it adds up strategy and teamwork while some are better at countering something, but then again FPS isn't fun if you're totally underpowered against the enemy counters. It also puts quite a heavy pressure on newbies if they're the only one in the team having a hard counter for something.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Hard counters? No if it's based on unit-type/gun/etc. There should be counters, but for them to become "hard counters" the players individual skill should matter the most here. Think about how in FPS (the more realistic ones) having the high ground is generally an advantage than having the low ground. It's a tricky for the guy on the low ground, but it can be done.
Impossibility ruins fun. Possibility increases it.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>The bases and their defences:</b> Is static defence fun? It stalls the game and sometimes makes it boring, but on the other hand it could be used for creating multiple bases and taking the map control to a new level. Bases and their variable layouts also create quite dynamic fights that allow both teams to take advantage of the buildings as a cover and such.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Boring == keep out of the game. If there's a fun way to fight static defenses, put it in, but if not, keep it out.
If it is, I don't think that would be a wise game mechanic. To counter against a certain kind of enemies, should take strategies and teamwork, rather then playing rock-paper-scissor, it'll help the player to think outside the box, which make the game-play more creative and fun.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I'm not trying to suggest anything at this point. It's more about discussing how far people are willing to take the rts element and which parts contribute to the fps enjoyment.
For example right now shotgun counters lerks, sc counters jetpacks and jetpack counters onos to some extend. I'm just trying to figure out what people think of system like that. Should its role be emphasized further or not?
Right now shotgun combined with meds doesn't have much of an early counter unless you're going sc 1st. Does that need to be fixed or is it fine that the SG can tear down skulks until he makes a mistake or gets overwhelmed by a nicely timed attack from multiple targets? For example a cheap and expendable lifeform somewhere around lerk and gorge hp and some mobility could easily tank a lone sg out with some skulk support, but still it gets killed by supporting LMGs if it isn't too mobile. That's where the counter system adds to the teamwork factor.
Just to make sure, there's no way I'd like to see a rock-paper-scissors game. However, with some fine tuning the fps skills are still the biggest factor while the advantages of counters and such still contribute to the fps elements. The late game right now has some interesting potential for example. JPs try to sneak up onoses, fades try to pick off jetpackers, HAs try to stay away from the stomp, skulks bite nodes and try to focus down the units hurt by the fades and onoses. There are a plenty of techs, chambers, equipment and lifeforms that counter each other, but still an onos is a formiddable threat to a jetpacker and a HA can hold off an onos with some nice positioning.
Currently, a noob marine without using the map key will never see that resource node X at location Y is under attack. Or that the pg at base X is going down, whatever.
Currently, all the "informing noobs" workload lies on the commander.
Basically, you can steal from the aliens here. Give more hud hints such as what is being attacked, etc..
But I agree though, it has all got to be more <i>simple</i> on the outside. The biggest mistake would be to overload the strategic possibilities with endless <i>features</i>. I think from a general complexity level, Natural Selection 1 is almost perfect as it is now. The main thing NS1 lacks though is simplicity for the noobs.
Making the RTS element of the game more accessible to noobs will be a game maker or breaker I think.
Making the RTS element of the game more accessible to noobs will be a game maker or breaker I think.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
It's actually not that complex. On optimized level its relatively simple stuff that can be variated to some extend. At first you push the alien nodes and aliens defend, maybe leaving one skulk to stalk the capping marine squad. At 3:30 you should have at least a1 and pg teching. Fight the fade, decide whether you push/siege/survive the 2nd hive. If the 2nd hive stays up, get a pg at a chokepoint and get proto while trying to hunt the alien nodes as much as you can without risking the pg, once the proto is up, push the 2nd hive/nodes depending on the situation. Of course there are all kinds of little tricks, route selections and such, so there's always something you can improve. However, you know roughly what's going to happen next and how to react to it, no matter the situation. On most rounds you don't even really have to scout to see how the game is going.
Now, if you take a look at games starcraft. All the factions are dangerous through the whole game, all depends on the investments on res, military power and tech. Most of the time players get only some partitial information about the opponent's and figure out some interesting gameplay plans based on whatever they've seen. Anything from turtling to a massive aggression can work and there aren't that many plays that work on all situations. That's what I'd like to see with NS as much as possible. Of course you'll have to make it playable for newbies too though.
If a team can communicate through features in the game, the RTS and FPS parts will blend together much better.
Something like universal secondary waypoints could help on that. So would the comm's ability 'tag' alien nodes, chambers and hives on the marine minimap.
And fill a new players HUD with blinking dots/circles/symbols? I know its been brought up before but I believe it is worth mentioning here: pathways are more intuitive than way points. Follow the arrows on the floor towards your destination, that sort of thing. I don't know about you, but one of the first things I did as a new player when I tried to go to a way point was get lost when I was having trouble with a wall blocking my path to it because I would have to turn away from the way point to continue progress through the map. Also, in just about any RTS I have played, the path a unit takes is almost as important as the destination and games could be fun or frustrating based on its unit AI path finding - so for a Commander/Hive Mind, tweaking the suggested paths for their team mates through the maze of the map would be very powerful in teamwork and map based strats.
Eh, maybe. Waypoints were not too useful in NS1, though. More random dots on the screen (like CanadianWolv said) would probably just serve to intimidate. Some discrete text in one of the corners of the screen, or even on the bigger map (the +showmap) would probably be better.
You do realize that the units in the game are actual players and not units like that of an RTS (commander controled).
It would definitely suck to be the firebat up against a battlecruiser, the only difference is when I am playing starcraft, I am not the actual firebat, but a commander in charge of multiple units.
In this game, hard counters would create a similar situation of the player being powerless due to a hard counter. This would make the game not enjoyable and cause people to not play it.
You do realize that the units in the game are actual players and not units like that of an RTS (commander controled).
It would definitely suck to be the firebat up against a battlecruiser, the only difference is when I am playing starcraft, I am not the actual firebat, but a commander in charge of multiple units.
In this game, hard counters would create a similar situation of the player being powerless due to a hard counter. This would make the game not enjoyable and cause people to not play it.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Meh, I should've phrased it as "How hard counters should there be". That was the thing I was looking for. I understand how the hard counter system would totally wreck the fps part.
I personally enjoy diverse soft counters. Lerk is, in a way, the counter to a shotgun. All that extra res, and you can't snipe the lerk in the vent gassing your life away. Empires takes this to an extreme with a giant tech tree. The problem is it becomes a chore to learn all the different combinations and counters.
Anyways, good discussion. Something that needs to be addressed. I'm lazy and may post later.
I personally enjoy diverse soft counters. Lerk is, in a way, the counter to a shotgun. All that extra res, and you can't snipe the lerk in the vent gassing your life away. Empires takes this to an extreme with a giant tech tree. The problem is it becomes a chore to learn all the different combinations and counters.
Anyways, good discussion. Something that needs to be addressed. I'm lazy and may post later.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Soft counters on the other hand have a wide-variety of purposes given their open ended nature. It is interesting that you think a lerk is a counter to a shotgun. I prefer using the shotgun when encountering a lerk. However the soft counter isn't simply just weapon vs. lifeform, as there are probably an infinite number of variables to consider when determining if said weapon or life form will be more efficient or less efficient in a given situation. Some of these variables are the location of the battle, other tech, surronding units etc...
Giving a particular lifeform/weapon a small edge against a particular unit would give incentive to use said lifeform/weapon against a particular unit in the game, but at the same time would not be the end all be all in a battle against that particular unit. Using these lifeform/weapon incentives can create a potential system that will tend to favor more lifeforms/resources over the other. Such a system would have to reach a balance between actual lifeform/weapon usefulness vs. the incentive that it gives to avoid tech not being used at all.
One of the things I really liked about NS was that the devs tended not to do this and let the weapons/abilities work their own ways. Lerk spore isn't +5 vs shotgun holding marines and shotguns don't get +25dmg vs lerks. However a lerk out of reach gassing shotgun marines is a good way to either make them move or inflict losses because of the indirect AOE of spore. Likewise, the lerk that likes to fly around and bite harass marines can be easily dispatched by a couple shotguns in the field due to their damage distribution.
Right now, ns1 is designed such that even if you are a sucky player, you can still do fairly well as an onos. Unless you're attacking a marine with a jetpack or perhaps a heavy with a heavy machine gun, you're probably going to do fine helping your team.
Which makes the better team not only based on who has more skill, but who controls the most resources as well.
To stay in touch with the idea, having counters wouldn't offside it at all, so long as the counter is not so strong that there's no chance of overcoming.
A player with high levels of skill should be able to beat another player of the opposite team with his corrisponding counter in 1 vs 1 battles. However, beyond that, it should be very very difficult indeed.
So:
high skilled player vs low-skilled player's counter = 80% high skilled player win
high skilled player vs medium-skilled player's counter = 30% high skilled player win
high skilled player vs high-skilled player's counter = 10% high skilled player win
medium skilled player vs low-skilled player's counter = 30% medium skilled player win
medium skilled player vs medium-skilled player's counter = 10% medium skilled player win
low-skilled player vs low-skilled player's counter = 10% low-skilled player win
In this way, there's still balance, but you add a strategical factor in the game. Can't win it anymore by simply having the highest classes and the best equipment.
Right now, ns1 is designed such that even if you are a sucky player, you can still do fairly well as an onos. Unless you're attacking a marine with a jetpack or perhaps a heavy with a heavy machine gun, you're probably going to do fine helping your team.
Which makes the better team not only based on who has more skill, but who controls the most resources as well.
To stay in touch with the idea, having counters wouldn't offside it at all, so long as the counter is not so strong that there's no chance of overcoming.
A player with high levels of skill should be able to beat another player of the opposite team with his corrisponding counter in 1 vs 1 battles. However, beyond that, it should be very very difficult indeed.
So:
high skilled player vs low-skilled player's counter = 80% high skilled player win
high skilled player vs medium-skilled player's counter = 30% high skilled player win
high skilled player vs high-skilled player's counter = 10% high skilled player win
medium skilled player vs low-skilled player's counter = 30% medium skilled player win
medium skilled player vs medium-skilled player's counter = 10% medium skilled player win
low-skilled player vs low-skilled player's counter = 10% low-skilled player win
In this way, there's still balance, but you add a strategical factor in the game. Can't win it anymore by simply having the highest classes and the best equipment.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
IMHO it isn't a good idea to take it too far. I like I've said, I like how the lerk and sg fight each other and I like some parts of the late game HA<onos<jp<fade<HA combo. That's what I'd like to see a bit more. Making the counters too decisive makes the teamwork requiriment too high for the public to be enjoyable and also starts to limit the potential strategies by being a too dominant factor.
I think the unit composition is another interesting factor. Right now on 6v6 there are sometimes those weird moments that you're running out of skulks, since the marines have locked a few fades and the aliens are pumping res from many nodes and going fades and lerks. At that point lifeforms become vulnerable, since there's no para around and the res war gets weird, since you've got fades hitting nodes here and there. It might be interesting if the composition would become more variable and important in the usual rounds.
If a team can communicate through features in the game, the RTS and FPS parts will blend together much better.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I disagree with your premise, but like your idea.
<!--quoteo(post=1688940:date=Sep 26 2008, 02:40 PM:name=Bacillus)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bacillus @ Sep 26 2008, 02:40 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1688940"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>The importance:</b><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
You break it down in the later bullets so I'm going to discuss it there rather than vaguely here.
<!--quoteo(post=1688940:date=Sep 26 2008, 02:40 PM:name=Bacillus)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bacillus @ Sep 26 2008, 02:40 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1688940"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>The Counter system:</b><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I'm against overly hard counters which is what you were getting at and seems to be the general consensus anyway. NS1 RTS is about teching up, not getting 'X' to specifically fight 'Y' like pure RTS games. Yes, shotguns are good to have on the field when the fade comes out, but the earlier you get the shotguns out the better it is generally. It's about matching tech level rather than countering it. I think it's is where a lot of RTS/FPS hybrids fail, they make it about what you have rather than when you have it which hinders the FPS play even if your team has done everything right except pick the right upgrade. I think NS1 avoided this well by putting the harder counters at the highest tech level.
<!--quoteo(post=1688940:date=Sep 26 2008, 02:40 PM:name=Bacillus)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bacillus @ Sep 26 2008, 02:40 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1688940"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>The bases and their defences:</b><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I'm not a big fan of static defences. They have their place and uses, but I think they need to be a less prominent role in base defence than having a body there. They should aid defenders, not substitute them.
On a side note, I like how mobile sieges incorporate a payload style play into the game. I wonder if we'll see more structures that are more about game style than simple teching. It's like switching from capture point to payload to attack/defend all on the same map. Exciting stuff.
<!--quoteo(post=1688940:date=Sep 26 2008, 02:40 PM:name=Bacillus)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bacillus @ Sep 26 2008, 02:40 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1688940"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>The Resource System:</b><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The single most important part of NS IMO. It allows for momentum and skill gaps to be overcome without providing an unearned and random advantage such as critical hits.
<!--quoteo(post=1688940:date=Sep 26 2008, 02:40 PM:name=Bacillus)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bacillus @ Sep 26 2008, 02:40 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1688940"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>Scouting:</b> Should the commander(s) be able to scout all by themselves as it is now or should they rely more on the marine eyes?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Make scouting(and even static defenses) important, but keep it in commander control with scouting bots. I think adding importance to map control and landmarks with bonuses/second resource(so there are multiple possible objectives) could make scouting relevant without resorting to hard counters.
HMG does how much damage to onos vs structures? Nade launcher does how much to lifeforms vs structures? Heavy takes how much spore damage?
NS definitely had some hard counters.
NS definitely had some hard counters.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Oh it does. As I said later:
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I think NS1 avoided this well by putting the harder counters at the highest tech level.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
but even then the counters aren't that hard. HMG is good against all lifeforms and GL is good against all structures. Heavies are good for the armor and not just for spore immunity(although that is important).
We could still agrue whether Onos should be considered a building and ect. That would be taking the counters to a harder level without being a complete firebat vs mutalisk yet. I think I'd just like to see the present system spread a little wider into the tech tree, but the harder counters have got their merits too.
I think <b>anytime</b> got to the heart of the point pretty quick.
Making the onos take building type damage is an interesting idea, particularly if the flame-thrower does enhanced damage to buildings.
Making the onos take building type damage is an interesting idea, particularly if the flame-thrower does enhanced damage to buildings.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The onos example was just to point out how you can create a bit harder counters. It wasn't really meant as a real option, but I guess it actually has got a few good things in it too.
Oh and btw, what do you think of the resoucre system? Some people don't seem to like the node capping and res biting that much. I find them quite interesting at best, but its still a lot better if such mechanical tasks wouldn't play such a big role. For example the value of RTs could be increased both by income and cost. At that point capping was more of a decision. You could also add an increasing res flow from the nodes to encourage node wars and to force the teams to defend nodes more. Maybe even add a feature that allows you to temporaliy disturb the res buildings by damaging them. Once again, the starcraft resoucre system is absolutely marvellous, I think there's much to learn from it.
<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=104002&st=0&start=0" target="_blank">Refer to this post.</a>
Yes, biting/holding down E next to a node is a terrible mechanic. I hope NS2 takes a lesson and either scraps or fixes the system. Builder bots would fix the system for marines. Maybe a drop-able "leech" like structure which damages marine RTs over time would fix it for aliens.
Yes, biting/holding down E next to a node is a terrible mechanic. I hope NS2 takes a lesson and either scraps or fixes the system. Builder bots would fix the system for marines. Maybe a drop-able "leech" like structure which damages marine RTs over time would fix it for aliens.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The problem I have with that design is I think it over simplifies map control(and consequently momentum). I'd like see the node structure stay the way it is, and just make building and biting resnodes take less time.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Builder bots would fix the system for marines. Maybe a drop-able "leech" like structure which damages marine RTs over time would fix it for aliens.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I think that's a workable solution also. I just wonder how you make bots a passable solution to players without making them "play the game" for you.
Well judging from how Domining originally put it, you will still be fighting over the DI, inch by inch. Clearing rooms still has significance in that system.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I think that's a workable solution also. I just wonder how you make bots a passable solution to players without making them "play the game" for you.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The commander SHOULD be able to play the game somewhat with the builder bots, provided that aliens are busy elsewhere. This will cut down on commander frustration with a bad team. Adding the mobile sentries and letting commanders micromanage them in combat seems like another really cool deal.
I don't see it. If you cluster resources and tech in the same place you wouldn't fight in any other rooms. The maps become much more linear and pure res starvation is no longer a viable tactic. Linear maps and simplified strategy is better for mainstream appeal, but I don't want to sacrifice those things. StarCraft is a great game, but it is different from NS and the FPS/RTS genre.
<!--quoteo(post=1690434:date=Oct 15 2008, 05:57 PM:name=aNytiMe)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(aNytiMe @ Oct 15 2008, 05:57 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1690434"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->The commander SHOULD be able to play the game somewhat with the builder bots, provided that aliens are busy elsewhere. This will cut down on commander frustration with a bad team. Adding the mobile sentries and letting commanders micromanage them in combat seems like another really cool deal.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I'm going to agree to disagree here.
Since the aliens get "free" expansions by spreading the DI from their hive, the marines have to constantly fight the DI back away from the main expansion rooms and aliens have to get their DI to those rooms at all costs. Alternatively, aliens can forget about spreading their DI and just make a huge flanking maneuver with superior "firepower" 15 seconds after the comm wastes their whole resource pool on the expo. If the marine team has the knackers and the means of securing an expo AND not dying horribly in the process, the aliens better keep up or lose the initiative.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I'm going to agree to disagree here.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
You have convinced me. You have made a very strong point. (not really)
<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=103913" target="_blank">Refer to another post</a>
^Dynamic resource generation would be pretty awesome.
Something to note. Back in the older versions, buildings and RTs did cost a lot. So, each RT was precious and defended all to hell. Not sure if it was <i>better</i>, but that's how the gameplay went.
However, I don't like the idea of consolidating res locations because it removes a strong element of frontline mobility. The RTs as they are now help define boundaries, and are fluid. Expand more to get more res, attack enemy res to remove their reach, etc. The actions of res biting/capping also provide a role for the weaker combat players. They can help out by being the supporters, the builders of infrastructure, and still have a couple of good firefights. Otherwise, they become cumbersome.
Anyways, I prefer the cap system over high density res locations. Having your res production on the front line seems so much more interesting.