Captives, spec ops, extraction

[Ace42]

I know spec-ops as a kit has been pooh-poohed, and I appreciate why.

However, IRL, spec-ops do fight alongside conventional forces; just one noticeable example is the first battle of mogadishu.

Part one: How to implement spec-ops alongside conventional forces without it becoming a "we can grab a l33t kit!" farce

I think there IS theoretically a way to model this in the game with its current iteration. Make a "Spec-ops SL kit" available as an option off the commander's Commo-Rose, and use standard "team-limitation" system that's on the current limited kits to make sure there's only one per team.

The Spec-ops leader going to the commander to request the kit is a bit like him having to report in for intel updates and a briefing of their specific, goal-oriented mission.

Give the spec-ops SL kit a PDA, and just like there's a different commo-rose for SLs and if you have grenades / medic bags out - give the PDA the option to spawn "Spec-ops" kits - again use standard squad-limitation mechanics to make sure he can only spawn enough kits for one squad. There could be a variety (Spec-ops medic, spec ops sniper, spec ops breacher, whatever). Give them the usual spec-ops goodies (carbines / SMGs, zip-lines, tear-gas, flashbangs, etc; knives as standard - remove spades, they're spec ops not diggers, etc etc).

So, you can limit the number of spec ops in an engagement precisely, and make being spec-ops limited to the commander's permission, and the SL's acceptance, and still keep the kit useful.

Useful how?

Part two - rescue the hostages.

I am not sure if it's possible to have bots in the game without them taking up "slots" - but if it is...

Have bots with no AI. Just stand still with their hands in the air, and put them on the INSURGENT team. The insurgents have to protect the hostages and get perks for having them alive (ticket bleed). They spawn instead (alternating with?) caches and need to be protected. If insurgents kill them, they are penalised just like they are for blowing caches. If the coalition kill them, they are heavily penalised with ticket-loss (kinda like the penalty for killing player-controlled civvies). If the coalition "restrain" them (rescue them) they get a big load of tickets back (like for destroying a cache) AND they get IP.

This would make spec-ops really useful for extraction operations (being able to sneak in the back-way, being able to deploy non-lethal munitions to incapacitate the enemy without killing hosties, etc etc), and add some realistic variety to anti-insurgent operations.

Part three - taking the hostages.

Probably the least possible part of the game, as "executing" critically injured enemy players is hard coded impossible AFAIK. But, it would be cool to give the civvies / cell leaders "rope" to tie-up downed / unobservant coalition, which causes a group of computer controlled hostages to spawn, and thus forcing ticket-bleed, and making medics of critical importance even with the proposed changes to the revive system due to be introduced in the next patch. Alternatively, it could be a punishment for civvy-killing. Kill to many civvies, and the insurgents are so outraged that they take hostages, forcing additional ticket-bleed on coalition, and giving the coalition an extra objective to meet before they can carry on.

These are just some crude (but implementable AFAIK) ways of introducing it into the game - naturally there are more convenient and sophisticated methods available that could give better results, but as I am not that proficient a coder, I don't know the details.

Ideas?

[nick20404]

All re-suggestions, special forces probably will never be in the game as its been discussed over n over and everyone knows special forces are sometimes deployed with conventional forces.

The closest thing to hostages in PR is the VIP mode which will probably come back eventually from talks I have heard around the community boards. It was always hard enough to get someone to be the VIP but to get people to be hostages and sit around waiting to be rescued for an hour or two is pretty demanding I sure as hell would not want to be the person getting stuck with that job.

[Dev1200]

That "extraction" Is the PMC "faction" thing. Check community forums.

[Tirak]

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