* Transition between continents/warpgates: So we're not getting Normandy-style beach landings... yet?
1. If you control a
TWG (triangle warpgate) and its connected
TWG, then transition is just a simple process of going to the terminal or vehicle transporter and clicking.
2. However, for invasions of contested/connected
TWGs... let's go back to something similar to a process found in PS1. This will be fun!
Each TWG will be encircled by several (2 or 3)
Landing Zones. The LZs are capturable territory (I'm imagining mostly ruins) - but tied to the
Lattice slightly differently. The territories can be captured if A) you control the adjacent
TWG, B) control adjacent "normal" territory, or C) control the appropriate
TWG on another continent. Armies moving across a continent would be able to capture them as part of the normal progression, but could not "skip" across the continent and simply capture the LZs and start attacking the
TWG.
Attacking from these territories leads only "in" to the
TWG. It's a one-way street. An invading army (as described below) cannot simply land and start moving out across the continent, while ignoring the TWG next door.
Also - control of these LZs could cause
Lattice disruptions, though I think this would only come in to play on Hossin. Resource management would function the same as it does at other small outposts.
3. How do these invading armies arrive? Each
TWG now has a
Heavy Lift Operations section (
T_Ray and crew could have some fun with the art). The rockets/craft - leave according some process/schedule for the designated LZs. Players/vehicles/aircraft would load up in these things... again, limits on players/vehicles headed to any single LZ per launch to be determined... countdown hits 0:00... Blastoff! Then, the invasion force (including vehicles and aircraft) drops in from space.
^Sure.. you could get rid of all that and just have players teleport to a sub-base and advance on the TWG using vehicle/air/infantry terminals... but that seems rather dull in comparison
I also think the effort put into the HLO would remain useful, even as we add more continents (planets?), or get water connections.
* I think balancing the Mining Vehicle is going to be a challenging task. One of the things we see now is that with the current state of infantry-based AV weapons - the larger the battle... the shorter life inside any kind of slow-moving ground vehicle. It's also in these battles that this whole process might be the most compelling... but could be reduced to 5 guys on a hill constantly insta-gibbing a mega-Sunderer with (pick your ES-AV weapon).
My suggestion would be some kind of (for whatever techno-reason) armor that is very resistant to infantry AV... least resistant to MBT main cannons and Liberators... and somewhere in the middle for the assorted Harrasser/Lightning/Sunderer/ESF weaponry. 3 or 4 default-type guns on the Mining Vehicle would also be nice.
* Can you explain how the resource process works for Attackers? Do they have any capability to regen resources while inside a territory they do not own?
* A lot of kinks to be worked out as this all comes together, but it does sound like steps in the right direction towards making a deeper and more interesting game.