Unit ideas Amphibious landing ships

[Spectre]

In addition to amphibious bots/tanks and those which are air dropped, a transport unit which disgorges a taskforce from the sea would be great. This would have a larger capacity than any of the air transports due to the limited location it could drop off but be able to unload quickly.

Perhaps even have one faction with a transport which was submersible? EDA most likely!

 

[Excession]

Great idea. They had these in TA (that's Total Annihilation for the kids). They weren't the easiest units to use and I think pathfinding was a bit wishy-washy.

 

[Shortie]

This is actually very interesting and it is also a great idea! I could definitely see how this would work within Shattered Sun and would also be something different especially if it was able to, as you say transport something such as a submersible as well.

 

[Al]

They had these in TA (that's Total Annihilation for the kids).

If I recall correctly there was no bulk air transport. I vaguely remember moving a commander by air but I’m old and my memory is fading. You’re right though, if this was implemented it’d need to faster unload to make it viable. Imagine storming beach defences ala D-Day.

 

[Debashis]

I love the idea of adding a sea transport unit that disgorges a taskforce onto the shores. It's a fresh and exciting concept that would bring a whole new dimension to amphibious warfare in the game. The thought of having a larger capacity transport for specialized sea landings, combined with the ability to unload rapidly, opens up numerous strategic possibilities.

 

[Random Guy]

We already had such discussions in discord server 5 mounth ago. I am gonna repost the results of our brainstorming that people agreed on:

Unit idea: Barge
Faction: Guard
Tier 3 naval unit
Variations:
1) This is a naval transport for t1-t2, and maybe some t3 units(depends on proportions)
Feature: units can fire from inside it, and all their abilities also work(shields, stealth etc.) On death, any non-amphibious unit die instantly.
Weapons: some AA and close-range guns.
Optional features:
- Factory on board, that can produce t1-t2 units and maybe some t3.

-Can carry Commander alone(if you need him to shoot for some reason)

-factory for t1-t2 naval units, maybe some t3(depends on the size of Barge and unit you can build)
Only one type of factory should be implemented

2)This is a naval unit that can repair naval units fast for cheaper cost than engineers.
Weapons: same as above.
Optional features:
-Can reclaime in somewhat big range
-same naval unit factory as above

 

[nine2]

I feel like for a barge to be useful it needs to carry something like 20 units. I can't imagine myself building one otherwise

 

[Al]

I'm thinking of something akin to Saving Private Ryan. "See you on the beach!"

 

[Random Guy]

1) This is a naval transport for t1-t2, and maybe some t3 units(depends on proportions)

After some thinking I don't know why I suggested limit on T3 units, because on such stage you are most likely to use them then something else.
And there might be a good reason to place such unit as very expensive t2 rather then t3, because it would allow you to use them earlier with both t1 and t2 units . ON t3 you will have battleships to clear most of the ground bases anyway

 

[Al]

I don’t think it’s necessary to have a fire from inside mechanic. Naval ranges are comparatively long. Ground forces wouldn’t ever be in range of big naval guns. Rather than have offensive capabilities how about defensive? (Anti-torpedo and high speed). The reason for the unit is to transport ground forces and conduct amphibious landing.

 

[Random Guy]

I don’t think it’s necessary to have a fire from inside mechanic. Naval ranges are comparatively long. Ground forces wouldn’t ever be in range of big naval guns. Rather than have offensive capabilities how about defensive? (Anti-torpedo and high speed). The reason for the unit is to transport ground forces and conduct amphibious landing.

T3 mobile artillery has a thing that battleships don't- high arch trajectory of their shells, so it can hit bases that battleships may not be able too. Tanks might be also useful if you have to rush the landing and there are ships nearby, like frigates, or if you are landing right into enemy base. mobile AA can defend the transport from air, and shields can defend it from damage.

 

[Al]

Thinking about it, you're going to need to strike a balance. Consider what Nine2 said about about if it isn't 20+ units it wouldn't be worth building. Imagine how OP that barge would be if you stuck 20 T3 artillery units on it. Would it outclass a battleship? Would you bother to build anything else? You'd assume that the ship the artillery was on would be a little more survivable than the actual artillery.

My way of doing it would be to have a fast pure landing ship designed to get a battalion of ground units from one place to another. As Spectre said, "Perhaps even have one faction with a transport which was submersible? EDA most likely!" Which I think is a fine idea.

 

[Random Guy]

Thinking about it, you're going to need to strike a balance. Consider what Nine2 said about about if it isn't 20+ units it wouldn't be worth building. Imagine how OP that barge would be if you stuck 20 T3 artillery units on it. Would it outclass a battleship? Would you bother to build anything else? You'd assume that the ship the artillery was on would be a little more survivable than the actual artillery.

My way of doing it would be to have a fast pure landing ship designed to get a battalion of ground units from one place to another. As Spectre said, "Perhaps even have one faction with a transport which was submersible? EDA most likely!" Which I think is a fine idea.

It can't outclass the battleship, since the range of mobile t3 artillery is much smaller, and it is indirect fire, which means it is harder to hit moving targets.

 

[Random Guy]

My way of doing it would be to have a fast pure landing ship designed to get a battalion of ground units from one place to another. As Spectre said, "Perhaps even have one faction with a transport which was submersible? EDA most likely!" Which I think is a fine idea.

I absolutely dislike the idea of submersible transport, since there would be no way to detect it. Since it is underwater and has stealth(or will have with any other option for navy available because it is EDA idea) there would be no way to intercept it without naval superiority on your side of the sea. One moment you are doing fine, and another a transport appears from nowhere and deploys 30 T3 tanks and good luck killing them before your base is dead.

Since this units is not that important for the gameplay since we have air transports, I think it can be given to only 1 faction.

 

[Heatman]

I absolutely dislike the idea of submersible transport, since there would be no way to detect it. Since it is underwater and has stealth(or will have with any other option for navy available because it is EDA idea) there would be no way to intercept it without naval superiority on your side of the sea. One moment you are doing fine, and another a transport appears from nowhere and deploys 30 T3 tanks and good luck killing them before your base is dead.

Since this units is not that important for the gameplay since we have air transports, I think it can be given to only 1 faction.

I don't know if it's possible to have something like a sonar system technology built in just like they do in submarine ships. The sonar system technology will make it easy to detect and track such submersible transport.

 

[Random Guy]

I don't know if it's possible to have something like a sonar system technology built in just like they do in submarine ships. The sonar system technology will make it easy to detect and track such submersible transport.

Sonar is still blocked by stealth, at least it always were like that in supcom and I doubt it would be different in Sanctuary

 

[Antypodish]

We have plan for sonars.
But sub stealth is not something we have settled on.