1. Change of key game elements:
1.1 Applying existing features from other gaijin games to Enlisted
1.1.1. Develop infantry transport vehicles/IFVs for infantry squads and extends map size (or
remove the current game mode of capturing point one by one)
Problems:
Currently, maps are relatively small especially for tank players, there is little space for armoured
vehicles to maneuver (this is really obvious when playing on a small map or in the game mode of
capturing points one by one). The map size is just enough for infantry players to fight.
I do acknowledge that armoured vehicles are not suitable for all terrains/maps, but I believe the
key is to build up more unique features for Enlisted and distinguish them from other similar
games such as BattleField to attract players.
Suggestions:
Learn from games like ‘War Game’ and ‘Steel Division’, develop infantry transport vehicles/IFVs
for infantry squads then put them in the tech tree for players to unlock. (Example: give truck by
default, then research to unlock half-track like sdkfz-250/251 for German and M-3 for USSR and
US/UK to carry and provide covering fire for infantry squads).
As gaijin already has rich experience in vehicles, adding infantry transport vehicles won’t be too
difficult and can give a unique feature to Enlisted.
After infantry squads get transport vehicles, bigger maps can be built (or remove the capture
points one by one mode) so that with the vehicle, players can get to the frontline in time and
create more tactics, and tanks can have more space to maneuver.
1.1.2. Give more standing positions for vehicle commander and give 3rd person view in certain
scenarios
Problems:
Firstly, although 1st person view gives the real experience as a vehicle crew, this does affect the
players' game experience and Enlisted loses the opportunity to demonstrate the extraordinary
vehicle model to the players.
There will be several concerns regarding giving the 3rd person view, such as it will make the tanks
too OP, but I believe most of those concerns can be balanced with some restrictions. To my
understanding, 3rd person view + extraordinary 3D model + realistic damage model and
algorithm will be the key advantages for Enlisted.
Secondly, as in the current version of the game, vehicle commanders have to expose half of his
body outside the hatch to have a better view which will make him an easy target for the enemy,
there should have more standing positions for commanders such as only exposing his head to
view the outside situation (I mention this is to combine the solution for this with the 3rd person
view will have details in the suggestion part).
Suggestions:
Give 3rd person view to vehicles when meeting certain scenarios:
For open-top vehicles, players can use 3rd person view
For other vehicles, players can use 3rd person view when the commander is alive and is
observing the battlefield with his head outside the hatch or using the machine gun (if the
vehicle commander is dead, then either player can put another vehicle crew in this position to
continue using 3rd person view, or players will lose 3rd person view).
In order to balance the 3rd person view, there won’t be any aiming circle or aiming point in the
3rd person view.
With 3rd person view enabled, the game will have more chances to demonstrate details of
the character that players control, and more chance to introduce ‘Customize character outlook’ or
‘Customize Vehicle outlook’
Giving more standing positions for vehicle commanders, such as only reaching out his head to
observe the battlefield. This change also means commanders won’t be killed too easily and
players can use 3rd person more often.
More thought about the 3rd person view:
If we look at another game, ARMA3, it is a hardcore military simulator, but players can switch
between 1st person and 3rd person view, and players do enjoy playing this game. I believe this
also can be applied to Enlisted.
Games like Squad, Hell let loose only has 1st person views, and similar to Enlisted, players can
control vehicles, build covers, supply points, etc. Instead of using the same concept to compete
with them, would be better to use gaijin’s existing advantage and create new unique features.
1.1.3. Build up a new algorithm for human body damage model
Problems:
Enlisted is using a similar vehicle damage algorithm as in War Thunder, but for infantry, the
injury model and algorithm can still be improved.
Suggestions:
There is an interesting mod created by players in ARMA3 called ACE, within that, there is a
Medical System that divided the character body into 6 parts. Injury on different parts will have
different influences on the character (such as injury on the leg will affect the character’s ability to
move and injury on arms will affect character’s ability to aim, etc.) and players can heal
different wounds separately
Moreover, Enlisted can still give further improvements to these concepts, for example, build a
more detailed model for the human body similar to in War thunder and calculate the damage.
1.2. Learn from other similar games to improve Enlisted
1.2.1. Change the engineer squad abilities
Suggestions:
It is ok for engineers to build sandbags, ammo supply points, tank traps, etc. But it would be
better to remove the ability to build respawn points and AA guns.
Instead of Building a respawn point in a little corner, it would be better to learn from COH2 and
integrate the rally point with the concept of infantry transport vehicles.
The infantry transport vehicles for engineer squads can be deployed by players’ command after
the engineer squad get out of the vehicle and then serve as a respawn point, ammo supply point
(can supply grenade and shell for tanks) and can also serve as a repair centre for other vehicles
(Faster repair and can repair unlimited time).
The reason for removing the ability to build AA gun will be covered in the next point in detail.
Overall, AA/AT guns can be an independent weapon and towed behind the infantry transport
vehicle.
1.2.2. Add AT and AA gun as an independent weapon
Suggestions:
Instead of letting engineer squad or gunners/engineers in other squads build AA and AT guns,
Enlisted can learn from Steel Division, make the AA, AT gun independent equipment and can be
equipped with the squad that has AA/AT gunner in it. The AA/AT gun can be towed behind the
infantry transport vehicle and deployed by the gunner.
1.2.3. Paratrooper should be paradropped to battlefield or landing using glider
Suggestion:
Currently, players can only use paratroopers the same as normal infantry. But new mechanisms
can be applied. For example, players can select a place on the map to do parachutes or allow
players to control gliders and land on the battlefield.
1.2.4. Give infantry smoke grenades with different colours
Suggestion:
The current smoke grenade is only useful for covering friendly troops or blocking the enemy’s
sight, but not working very well for marking the enemy’s position or guiding airstrike and fire
support.
Adding smoke grenades with different colours can give infantry squads more ways to cooperate
with others.
2. Changes for the game mode and win condition:
2.1. Implement combat stages concept to the game
Problems:
There are 2 issues in the current game mode,
Firstly, higher-level players are playing together with new players, which will give a bad game
experience for the lower-level players. But if continue using the battle rate same as in War
Thunder, every battle rate won’t have enough players as the game is still in the Beta stage.
Secondly, once players get to a higher level, as the game no longer uses battle rate to divide players,
the lower-level vehicles, weapons and squads will be abandoned by players, in the long term, the
lower-level items won’t have many players using it.
Suggestions:
Learn from Steel Division and implement a concept called combat stage. Divide each battle into 3
stages (for example: 1st Stage: 0-5 mins; 2nd Stage: 5-15 mins; 3rd Stage: 15 mins+).
In each stage, players can use different squads (for example, in the 1st stage, players can only
control light vehicles/tanks, scouting troops, snipers, and air superiority fighters; in the 2nd stage,
players can use medium tanks and normal infantry squads; finally in the 3rd stage, players can
use the top tier troops and vehicles). So that new players can use more light vehicles and
supporting squads such as engineer squads, machine gun squads, mortar squads to support
friendly troops. And higher-level players can take more high tier squads and vehicles to battle.
2.2. Changes for win conditions
Suggestions:
Once the whole map is unlocked for players as mentioned in 1.1.1, a new win condition is needed.
There are 2 new options that can be used:
First Game Mode: Combine changes in 1.1.1 and assign points to map sectors, then players
capture sectors to accumulate points to win
We can learn from games such as War Game and set up a target score for players to win the match,
then divide the map into multiple sectors, and each section will add scores to the team based on
time captured, the first team to reach the target score will win the match.
There is a supply chain concept from the COH series can also be used. Only sections that are
connected to the starting point/HQ can add points to the team. If a section is isolated, it won’t add
any point to the team even if it is captured. This way, we can give players space to create more
tactics.
Second Game Mode: The game mode of capturing victory points can still be used, victory points
still work the same as in War Thunder, but normal sectors can still add spawn points for the team
once captured.
The supply chain concept can still be applied to the second game mode.