Specialization system rework

Order of Battle is a series of operational WW2 games starting with the Pacific War and then on to Europe!

Moderators: Order of Battle Moderators, The Artistocrats

Post Reply
Mojko
Sergeant Major - Armoured Train
Sergeant Major - Armoured Train
Posts: 580
Joined: Thu Aug 14, 2014 8:04 am

Specialization system rework

Post by Mojko »

Devs mentioned that they are considering complete specialization system rework in the future. The rough idea of the new system was described as points driven, so it is much easier to balance and offers much more variety. There are two main topics here:

1 - How are specialization points obtained?
2 - What specializations should we have?

I think it's a good idea to discuss both these topics and write down some ideas. Please share your thoughts on this matter. I am looking forward to your feedback. So, here is my take on the topics:

How are specialization points obtained?

Specialization points will be gained as a reward for completing primary and secondary objectives. Many people complained that primary objectives do not yield any rewards in most cases. I think it's a good idea to gain specialization points for completing a primary objective precisely because of this. Also, player is guaranteed to gain specialization points this way, so it's also convenient from the perspective of the campaign designer. Overall, this approach allows much flexibility regarding game balance. It's completely up to the campaign designer how much minimal and maximal specialization points he wants the player to gain in the campaign. Also, it will be possible for the campaign designer to lock certain specializations if necessary.

What specializations should we have?

The most important thing is the points driven system. Each specialization can cost 1 to 10 specialization points. Specialization can require other specializations to be already purchased. Specializations are divided into two groups: general (available to all factions) and special (available only to certain factions). I will assign each specialization a number, so you can easily refer to it. SP stands for specialization point. In the picture you can see relations between specializations and their costs. In the upper part of the picture are general specializations, below are Japanese and US specific. Each specialization belongs to either Logistics (green), Engineering (blue) or Warfare (red). Below the picture there are detailed descriptions of what specializations do.

Image

General

[1] - Logistics - draft horses
Cost: 1 SP
Requires: none
Effect: horse transports cost 1 less supply

[2] - Logistics - combat horses
Cost: 5 SP
Requires: [1]
Effect: cavalry units gain +1 movement speed and "light tread" trait

[3] - Logistics - portable tool kit
Cost: 2 SP
Requires: [1]
Effect: engineer transports cost 1 less supply (applies for seabees as well)

[4] - Logistics - portable hardware
Cost: 2 SP
Requires: [1]
Effect: heavy infantry transports cost 1 less supply

[5] - Logistics - endurance training
Cost: 8 SP
Requires: [4]
Effect: when infantry moves but does not attack nor suffers efficiency loss due to terrain it recovers 1 efficiency

[6] - Logistics - forward supply base
Cost: 10 SP
Requires: [5]
Effect: infantry units gain bonus +1 strength when reinforcing by small reinforcement action

[7] - Logistics - standard landing kit
Cost: 1 SP
Requires: [1]
Effect: non-paratrooper infantry can be loaded into air transport, but can only disembark on friendly or neutral airfield

[8] - Logistics - airfield supply base
Cost: 3 SP
Requires: [7]
Effect: loading paratroopers to air transport no longer costs RP

[9] - Logistics - improved parachute
Cost: 5 SP
Requires: [8]
Effect: paratroopers always lands on the designated spot

[10] - Logistics - air drops
Cost: 10 SP
Requires: [9]
Effect: large aircraft provides supply the same way as naval units do

[11] - Engineering - durable materials
Cost: 1 SP
Requires: none
Effect: engineers can repair fox holes, bunkers and concrete bunkers

[12] - Engineering - emergency fuel tanks
Cost: 1 SP
Requires: [11]
Effect: aircraft without fuel starts taking damage instead of being destroyed right away

[13] - Engineering - hangar workshop
Cost: 5 SP
Requires: [12]
Effect: airplanes can be repaired the same turn they land (airfield only)

[14] - Engineering - ship workshop
Cost: 5 SP
Requires: [11]
Effect: naval units with "healer" trait can repair other ships without suffering the efficiency penalty (also effects the repaired ship)

[15] - Engineering - spare parts
Cost: 5 SP
Requires: [13], [14]
Effect: mechanical units with limited replacements trait gain bonus +1 strength when reinforcing

[16] - Engineering - field repairs
Cost: 10 SP
Requires: [15]
Effect: mechanical units gain bonus +1 strength when reinforcing by small reinforcement action

[17] - Engineering - salvage yard
Cost: 1 SP
Requires: none
Effect: defusing mines yields small amount of RP (based on minefield strength)

[18] - Engineering - improved land scanner
Cost: 3 SP
Requires: [17]
Effect: land mine sweeper units can move to a minefield and defuse it in the same turn

[19] - Engineering - improved naval scanner
Cost: 3 SP
Requires: [17]
Effect: naval mine sweeper units can move to a minefield and defuse it in the same turn

[20] - Warfare - garrison training
Cost: 1 SP
Requires: none
Effect: fox hole, bunker and conrete bunker units are created with 5 stars

[21] - Warfare - boot camp
Cost: 2 SP
Requires: [20]
Effect: infantry units are created with 1 star

[22] - Warfare - armor school
Cost: 2 SP
Requires: [20]
Effect: mechanical units are created with 1 star

[23] - Warfare - flight school
Cost: 2 SP
Requires: [20]
Effect: aircraft units are created with 1 star

[24] - Warfare - naval academy
Cost: 2 SP
Requires: [20]
Effect: naval units are created with 1 star

[25] - Warfare - seasoned troops
Cost: 10 SP
Requires: [21], [22]
Effect: switching unit to alternate setup does not cost action

[26] - Warfare - quick relead
Cost: 8 SP
Requires: [23]
Effect: launch torpedo action cooldown lowered by 1 for all air units

[27] - Warfare - improved torpedo launchers
Cost: 8 SP
Requires: [24]
Effect: launch torpedo action cooldown lowered by 1 for all naval units

[28] - Warfare - smokescreen
Cost: 1 SP
Requires: [24]
Effect: submarine is impossible to find by sonar 1 turn after launching a torpedo

[29] - Warfare - fast tracking AA guns
Cost: 10 SP
Requires: [27]
Effect: usage of capital ships AA ability does not cost unit action

Special

Japanese

[30] - Warfare - torpedo launchers
Cost: 2 SP
Requires: [24]
Effect: grants cruisers the ability to launch torpedos (not available by default)

[31] - Logistics - tokyo express
Cost: 1 SP
Requires: [24]
Effect: increases destroyer coastal supply output by 1

[32] - Warfare - banzai charge
Cost: 8 SP
Requires: [21]
Effect: infantry deals extra damage against units with less than 5 efficiency

[33] - Warfare - bushido code
Cost: 1 SP
Requires: [21]
Effect: infantry with less than 5 efficiency do more damage when retaliating

[34] - Engineering - defensive doctrine
Cost: 1 SP
Requires: [11], [21]
Effect: all infantry units start completely entrenched at the start of the battle

[35] - Engineering - fox holes
Cost: 1 SP
Requires: [34]
Effect: light infantry can build fox holes

[36] - Engineering - bunkers
Cost: 3 SP
Requires: [34]
Effect: heavy infantry can build bunkers

[37] - Engineering - concrete bunkers
Cost: 5 SP
Requires: [34]
Effect: engineers can build concrete bunkers

US

[38] - Logistics - field medics
Cost: 1 SP
Requires: [1], [21]
Effect: gain 1 RP for each damage done to your infantry

[39] - Warfare - proximity fuse
Cost: 5 SP
Requires: [21], [24]
Effect: increases land and naval AA by 1

[40] - Engineering - naval radar
Cost: 8 SP
Requires: [19], [24]
Effect: increases naval radar range by 10

[41] - Engineering - improved suspension
Cost: 10 SP
Requires: [15], [22]
Effect: all US tanks that don't have light threaded trait, gain light treaded trait

[42] - Logistics - higgins boat
Cost: 8 SP
Requires: [5], [21]
Effect: infantry without marines trait are considered with marines trait when landing on beaches

[43] - Logistics - landing craft tank
Cost: 8 SP
Requires: [16], [22]
Effect: mechanical units without marines trait are considered with marines trait when landing on beaches

[44] - Engineering - improved structure
Cost: 5 SP
Requires: [14], [24]
Effect: increases carrier capacity by 1 (does not change air supply)

[45] - Engineering - reinforced hull
Cost: 2 SP
Requires: [14], [24]
Effect: increases carrier air defense against bomber aircraft
Last edited by Mojko on Wed May 25, 2016 12:27 am, edited 1 time in total.
Author and maintainer of Unit Navigator Tool for Order Of Battle (http://mfendek.byethost16.com/)
Mojko
Sergeant Major - Armoured Train
Sergeant Major - Armoured Train
Posts: 580
Joined: Thu Aug 14, 2014 8:04 am

Re: Specialization system rework

Post by Mojko »

Added specializations picture to help visualize relations between specializations.
Author and maintainer of Unit Navigator Tool for Order Of Battle (http://mfendek.byethost16.com/)
simcc
Staff Sergeant - Kavallerie
Staff Sergeant - Kavallerie
Posts: 303
Joined: Sat May 09, 2015 6:29 am

Re: Specialization system rework

Post by simcc »

Mojko,

First I would say this is a great idea and I wonder how much time you spend thinking of this hahahaha are you part of the development team? The players is very bless to have people like you.

How to obtain points.
1. Surrender unit in terms of cost gain certain numbers of points - logic behind is the more POW you capture the more information you can gain to make improvement of your own wartime system not to mention the workforce obtain, also it gives players more tactical choice to force enemy to surrender rather than just destroying them.
2. Capturing towns - IIRC currently you get some RP for non primary objective so with points gain it will encourage players to go all out for far non primary objectives.
3. Naval, air or ground troops destroying enemy in terms of percentage - if you manage to destroy certain % of enemy eg 100% enemy air power been destroyed then you get points for let's say logistic etc as I imagine HQ will reward more resources on certain research if that wing is performing well.
4. Scenario design for certain points gain - Eg for naval battle let's say midway, should have the objective of carrier must not be damage at all and receive specialization points. I would imagine if no damage taken in real war means no talent lost means they gain experience in fighting the enemy.
5. Scenario design again - Eg deploy certain # of marine and you will get the points if the units survive again to strive on the idea that the more field experience you have with certain unit they will gain specilization.
7. Scenario design again - Eg destroy certain # of ships using bombers to gain certain air specilization points or destroy certain # of land units using bombers to gain land specialization points so it's either or situations so you can't gain both which ever damage you achieve first you will get the specialization points.
8. Scenario design again - Eg use enginer to perform # of task so they gain specialization for land etc
Mostly I believe scenario design and objective will make it very interesting to gain specialization points as if you use a lot of air power I would suspect more doctrine will be created for using planes.

What specialization should we have.
Defensive doctrine - start with 3 free mines or certain # of bunker or foxhole to be use during deployment.
Naval speed - selected ship gain +1 move
Infantry specialization - gain heroes on AT attack or AA defence or other that make the infantry specialize in certain combat, pretty sure some U.S marine would have gain knowledge in handling banzai charge after surviving 2-3 years of banzai charge.
Reinforce armor - engineer build extra armor for tanks

So far that's what i can think of maybe I revisit the game then I can suggest better options
adherbal
The Artistocrats
The Artistocrats
Posts: 3900
Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2005 6:42 pm
Location: Belgium

Re: Specialization system rework

Post by adherbal »

This is pretty much exactly what we have in mind for the new Specialisation system :-)

Some interesting ideas for Specialisation in here as well, thanks for that Mojko.
Image
Mojko
Sergeant Major - Armoured Train
Sergeant Major - Armoured Train
Posts: 580
Joined: Thu Aug 14, 2014 8:04 am

Re: Specialization system rework

Post by Mojko »

Thank you for your feedback. Here are couple more thoughts:

- I think unit leaders (heroes) should not be part of the specialisations, because some combinations could be problematic to balance
- I would avoid specialisations that simply allow some units to be used sooner in the campaign as they may be problematic to balance
- I would also avoid specialisations that add units to the campaign core, these may be problematic to balance as well in the context of many different campaigns
- the division between engineering, logistics and warfare was originally intended with the intention to have different types of specialisation points, but I believe that this would simply be an unnecessary complexity

Looking forward to more feedback guys :)
Author and maintainer of Unit Navigator Tool for Order Of Battle (http://mfendek.byethost16.com/)
Post Reply

Return to “Order of Battle Series”