You, too, can help design a new game

[sidereal]

So I've decided to use some of the free time that I don't really have but like to pretend I have to work on a labor-of-love multiplayer game. 

As an overview, it's a browser-based tactical mecha-combat game set in a politically fractured galaxy modeled after the Japanese Warring States era.  No, not Battletech.  Stop saying Battletech.  Microsoft has the exclusive electronic rights to Battletech.  Each player would run a mercenary company that would be hired by (probably NPC) warring states for specific missions.  It'll be browser-based for maximum approachability.  Players will have to handle not only combat, but the economic aspects of maintaining supply and a quality roster of pilots in a war-torn universe.

The key, of course, is the combat experience.  I have plans for building higher-level strategic layers (planetary assaults, arena pyramids, etc) above the unit combat level, but that lowest level has to be golden because it's the core of the game.  Right now I'm waffling between a traditional hex-based wargame experience and a more abstract card-game style.  One important consideration is that any PvP combat will have to be asynchronous, since in a strategic browser-based game you don't expect your opponent to be on at the same time.  This could be handled by either very slow combat or more automated combat (meaning you give general high-level standing orders and the specifics are resolved with dice).  Or alternately the bulk of combat could be PvNPC with PvP constrained to mutually consensual scheduled encounters, in which case combat can be more fast paced turn taking (MegaMek style).

So this thread is (I hope) a sounding board for good ideas for the combat experience.  Can you mix CCG-style combat with more realistic logistics and unit management?  Is there any way to get wargame combat working asynchronously?  Is there a combat interface that will work both for large scale battles and single mech-on-mech duels?  I would love to do something like Megamek (a pretty accurate online rendition of Battletech rules), which I did a lot of development for, if I could solve the problem of your opponent not being there at the same time.

[Trippy]

Microsoft has the exclusive electronic rights to Battletech.

Actually MS licensed those rights to Jordan Weisman (co-founder of FASA) and his new company Smith & Tinker.

[FatuousTwat]

You, too, can help design a new game

No I can't, there is a court order.

[sidereal]

[TheCastle]

default answer to a statement such as "You, too, can help design a new game" is always
what engine and does it need levels?

-edit Sorry I wasn't very clear on what I meant I suppose.

[schild]

default answer for me is always
what engine and does it need levels?

That's not an answer, it's a question. And one that is answered by the OP.

[sidereal]

Microsoft has the exclusive electronic rights to Battletech.

Actually MS licensed those rights to Jordan Weisman (co-founder of FASA) and his new company Smith & Tinker.

Tidbits from the S&T website are disturbing to me.  There's not much there to pick over (mostly in the job listings), but I get the strong sense that they're doing something on mobile devices for the kiddies.

[Krakrok]

I think you should take this Zombies! multiplayer source code and re-skin it to base your game off of.

[TheCastle]

And one that is answered by the OP.

Browser based counts as an engine?
I am not very familiar with browser based game design but that sounds sketchy.

Also looking over the OP in more detail there would be very little help I think I could offer.
Sorry misunderstanding. I took a closer look at the type of game MegaMek is and my reaction was.

So this thread is (I hope) a sounding board for good ideas for the combat experience.  Can you mix CCG-style combat with more realistic logistics and unit management?  Is there any way to get wargame combat working asynchronously?  Is there a combat interface that will work both for large scale battles and single mech-on-mech duels?  I would love to do something like Megamek (a pretty accurate online rendition of Battletech rules), which I did a lot of development for, if I could solve the problem of your opponent not being there at the same time.

Not having your opponent present?
You mean like playing chess you have to take turns?

So you asking if its possible to have one interface that does not change even in the case of large scale management of units and single unit vs single unit combat while retaining all of its usefulness. I might be able to help with ideas but I am fairly lost on some of your ideas on the framework you want to have.

Chess works because it is a dual. 1 vs 1 combat could work as a game of chess under the same constraints lest it not be very interesting battles. Though with that in mind you would end up with two very similar strategy games inside of one game. Is that why you desire one interface for both modes?
I might be missing the point entirely though sorry if I am.

[Slyfeind]

A CCG kind of system would rule imo. There was a CCG, I think called "Galactic Empires," that I played a bit in the 90's. It dealt with a fair amount of resources and units, a step up from Magic: the Gathering's land and mana management. I can't remember any details, but I do remember it was fun! I seem to recall each planet having a variety of resources to draw on, each one being similar to a multi-color land from M:tG. Units took various resources to deploy, and I don't think you ran out of any resources. So if you played "Golgafrinchum: Planet of Ice, Iron, and Plastics" then you could ships that required Ice and Plastic, or Iron and Plastic, or whatever. Something like that. It's been over ten years.

Also consider Nile Online's slow click-and-let-run system. If you want to work PvP into it, battles could take hours to deal with. "Deploy troops? Okay, they'll reach the enemy in 8 hours. Hey Enemy, troops will reach you in 8 hours." But it doesn't seem you want to go that casual. Another option is to make yourself available for battles, without forcing it. So you send troops out to advance on the enemy. The enemy logs on and sees this advance. This becomes a battle that's available to them if they want, or they could just ignore you.