Commander mode

[5./JG27.Farber]

Just a thought, - maybe its bed time and Im just tired or maybe this would be cool.

Question asked of Luthier:

I want to ask that you don't loose sight of the fact this is a game and the importance of "Game Play" isnt lost in the effort to "fix" CLOD and release new content for the sequel. More content in a new theatre with slightly better graphics and dynamic weather and "better simulation" or what ever other features you introduce wont make up for bad game play and game dynamics... I think you know what I mean by this. The game, bottom line, also needs to be fun.
1. In anycase, my question is, do you think you can do better with "gameplay" in the sequel? Whether that be, "MMO" or a new "co-op" mode or team "death match", "capture the flag" these kinds of things from a flightsim perspective for the online world would bring a bit of variety. The other obvious thing missing from CLOD was a campaign...

The answer:

Definitely very important considerations. In addition to myself, we now have several new game designers working very hard on improving gameplay elements and creating interesting, exciting, new online modes.
Now that the game engine is rather mature and we aren’t constantly distracted by FPS or crashes, we can finally take a deep breath and start, you know, making a game out of all this.

So rather than capture the flag, which might be interesting in Su26's for about an hour how about trying to push for something we could get far more enjoyment from?

http://www.il2bugtracker.com/issues/442

For those that dont have a bug tracker account:

A game mode which is essentially dogfight but where each side could have a commander. The commander would direct forces based on intelligence from players, AI flights, radar, acoustic devices and observers who report, just like the current in game radar reports. The resources would obviously be set by the mission builder. Possibly the commander might have some "tricks up his sleave" with AI recon flights he could launch or dummy aircraft he can place at airfields.

He could give orders to certain flights who join a "flight" or who can just ignore the commander by not being a squad. The commander would observe things on a plotting table which would have a fog of war and a delay.

Players would have to be able to vote out a bad commander.

This is not a command and conquer stlye addition but more of just a way of organising multiplaer in a fun way and bringing a new element to the game. Has this ever been done before?

Information would be passed to flights just like the radar calls that happen now. (not ruining the immersion with the dreaded orange writing or any kind of HUD.