ciedeeh Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 This post will be an attempt to discuss and deliberate the topic of warfare in skyrim, and how best to implement design changes considering the vast possibilities of the creation kit engine. As I am not an experienced modder, I would like to find out the opinion of those with more experience in the area, and to understand how possible certain features may be. The features will be explained in a (hopefully) easy to understand manner, step by step. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Problem 1 The civil war in skyrim simply does not represent accurate medieval warfare. Questlines that determine you to take over a fort (which is normally held by some twenty or so men who only enter the battle as later respawns, rather than all fighting at once) with a handful of men is preposterous. The engine allows for well over twenty NPC's in combat at once, as can be seen by some fan films already. (http://www.youtube.c...h?v=M2DshotexMU) Medieval Warfare was a constant exchange of eliminating supply routes, much smaller skirmishes, and eventually overwhelming force applied to a certain area (yet normally only after months of attempted starvation/extended siege of a fort/city/castle). Resolution 1 Implement a system that allows for the increase of manpower to forts and cities, eliminates the respawn of "capturing" a fort/city, and place realistic numbers of soldiers on both sides of the conflict. Resolve warfare to be less focused on quests and allow for more open-ended material. The best system I can see for this would be utilizing the Skyrim map, and making a tree out of the current established cities/forts.Each capital would start with a backlog of "reinforcements" available, replenishable via other methods - quests to secure recruitment efforts in cyrodiil, implementation of drafts, and other means. Once every 10 days or so, the game would run a check as to who is in control of border forts. Border forts would contain a central flag - this would be switched once the current garrison is eliminated and atleast five troops (or the player) arrive in the capture area.Once a fort is captured, barriers will be respawned, and the garrison will be filled, emptying part of the main capitals reinforcement number.Attacks will be automated. Four main assault points will take place on the map, and troops will travel along the main roads/paths. Assault troops will be dispatched from ONE of these assault points every five days. The group will be on foot, and open to ambush from the player (and whatever troops he/she may have with them). Only one side will attempt an assault every five days.Assaults will generally be favorable to the assaulter - numbers wise, at least. Defenders have the advantage of walls, barriers, and more archers. A deadly combat mod will have to be implemented in order to make combat realistic - it should not take ten of any arrow to bring down an imperial, nor should it require six swings of a warhammer to bring down a stormcloak.Players will have the chance to participate on either side - their input will greatly alter the course of events, of course. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Problem 2 What is it about strategy games that get us excited? Is it the manufacture of troops, or their deployment to the battlefield? Where does a player find satisfaction? No matter how realistic a game might get, the essence of it is gameplay, and enjoyment. I do not believe that Skyrim has delivered on the civil war in this respect. The player has little interaction besides getting told to do this or that, and it rarely feels as if the quests have had any true impact on the war; and for the few that do, they are bittersweet. The game is over before it should be. Resolution 2 Why not allow the war to go on for as long as the player deems it to? With the above system, the war will hopefully swing in balance, giving neither side a true lasting advantage lest the player involve themselves. Balance will be achieved through these means. As armies expand further and further into enemy territory (through forts), reinforcements will be longer and longer in reinforcing. Four layers of forts should lie between the main warzone, on either side. With the capture of the first, the assaulters will gain a 90% garrison rate upon capture. The second; 75%. The third; 60%. The fourth, and final fort that lays between them and the capital city; 50%. When an attack finally does come on the main city, however, it would likely require the reinforcements of several forts - so the attacking army would have to have captured all of the forts in question, or have a very powerful hero (you) to help them in the siege.So, as the assault teams get smaller and smaller on their approach to the main city, the defenders will still be receiving full complements of troops to attack their overrun forts. This will require the player to improvise and adopt different tactics to give their army the victory it needs.This system should (I believe) maintain a balance in the war, assuming the player takes no role in it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Problem 3 There is little variety. We see a butter-and-guns sort of army, for both sides. There are no separate legions, they are all simply part of "the" legion. We see not diversity in stormcloak companies, nor do we see anything truly memorable about the members of these armies. Resolution 3 I believe the best way we can see this resolved is through the implementation of four separate legions (on the Imperial side) and four unique companies on the Stormcloak. Considering the four different avenues of attack, each legion/company would be responsible for one line. Each legion would be unique in that they would have separate styles of clothing/armor, separate styles of attack (some may emphasize brute assault with two handed weapons, others with a mix of archers/swordsmen), and unique commanders who could possibly give the player updates as to whats going on with their army. Legions could be unique in that some may include Thalmor influence, others may be strictly one race - (Dark Elf conscripts/Argonian contingents) Stormcloaks could be uniquified in that companies could be led by different men. Southern lines may have more influence from Cyrodiil/Morrowind and contain mixed races, while northern contingents would adopt stricter nordic heritage.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TL;DR version; There are three problems with the current civil war. It's inaccurate and unrepresentative of medieval warfare and doesn't give healthy numbers of soldiers.It's over too quickly, and it's difficult for players to get immersed in something that is so straightforward.It's not memorable. The characters are flat, the armies are not unique and lack backstory. I propose three resolutions. Give the civil war life; Reinforcement pools in capital cities, four lines of forts on either side, and implement methods of assault and defense. Think Aeon of Strife.Balance the war to require player intervention to be resolved, but don't make it too reliant - give it room for leeway. Reinforcements get smaller as they get closer to the main enemy city. All four forts around the city need to be taken in order to capture it. Player intervention likely necessary.Make them unique. Four lines of war, two unique armies for each line. Different legions, different stormcloak companies. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Final remarks. I do think this can be done. I am more than willing to take the time to learn the creation kit, and try to make sense of what i'm proposing and finding the best avenue of achieving it.I believe this system allows for a lot of variables to be includes post-release. Some examples include "hero" characters that can be requisitioned for specific armies, supply trains, and requisitions for special operations to aid in a fort assault.I want to hear what you have to say, good or bad. I realize that a lot of people propose a lot of ideas on this board, and I realize that some of them are not really followed through on. I want to follow through on this.Are you interested in helping out? Let me know. PM me. Talk to me on here. I'm a twenty three year old graduating from college in a few months. I have six classes, and they're all way easy, so I am happy to make time for this.I'm serious about this.What do you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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