Overall really nice game! But needs a "overwatch" mode.

[Joonjitsu]

As the tile states :) I really like this game.

But the combat really needs a OW setting. It is annoying you cannot ambush or make a good setup. The Phages are just charging on, and sometimes it just makes sense to wait for them to come to you.

Can you please look into it? :) Otherwise i am hooked! i love the setting and atmosphere

[tenthousand]

I agree, it'd be cool to be able to sneak up on fools. I did notice with one update that I was able to get closer to enemies before they saw me. It all happened so fast, though. But yeah, I think the biggest improvement to combat would be when opening a door, having the ability to rush in as a group, maybe a stealth factor for your melee guy to sneak up a bit, and not to come in single-file by default. The trouble with one-at-a-time is that you can't queue up all your guys at the same time. Woudl be cool if you could set unique destinations for all of your group then send them off at once.

[Oldwolf]

I agree 100% ^^

[shadeling]

Completely agree! Some kind of mechanic for using up unspent action points during enemy movement when they come into range would be awesome.

[BuffHamster]

"Overwatch" sounds interesting. I understand the term from military tactics (also used as a command in the old table top wargame "Red Star White Star"- including 'bounding overwatch'), but was wondering how it would work in this game?

Would characters and/or enemy perform an immediate attack with their primary weapons before the combat rounds begin? depending on their initiative? or possibly given a set number of combat rounds called a "bounding overwatch" round? also dependent on initiative?

[nottrusted]

Something called "Overwatch" in a simple form was used in the "Shadowrun" game series.
You make your normal move and if you have spare AP you could select "Overwatch", then select a part of the battlefield that is been watched from that character.
If any enemy enters that zone, the character will fire with his equipped weapon until his AP are depleted. No initiative checks and player interaction involved.

Jagged Alliance had a initiative and viewpoint based system, that gave the player (if an interuption happend) the control over his char back, so that he can react within an enemys turn.

Like you ended your turn prone, weapon ready and with full AP, if then an unaware enemy steps into your view or is about to do any action, you get control back immediately to react on that event. That system was so delicate that your actions while interrupting, could be interrupted too and so on. That could even happen multiple times within enemys turns.

Here in Stellar Tactics I mostly miss a way to simply delay a characters turn.
Like in situations, when your first character in the turnorder is blocked by other team members in front of him.

I also think that complicated mechanics like really interrupting an enemys turn, based on events is not an easy task to code and won't happen in the near future.
The Dev also stated that some not so obvious mechanics in the turnorder are already implemented (unexpected shuffles in the order) and some major additions to that, will come in the future.

[BuffHamster]

I have already witnessed some turn order shuffling, for instance, when an enemy moves into or out of LOS of a character, suddenly it is that character's or another character with a higher initiative, turn to attack.

[Alexandryos]

+1

[AbsynthMinded]

This has been discussed extensively in earlier threads. Overwatch is the easy button of squad tactic gaming. Overwatch absolutely should not be implemented without a heavy consideration to the enemies response to it in their AI. I recomend heavy use of ground targeting AoE grenades.

[BuffHamster]

Originally posted by AbsynthMinded:

.... I recomend heavy use of ground targeting AoE grenades.

Ah yes, one of my favorite tactics, ... Stun+Gas grenades gives me a few combat rounds to set up.

[chookahead]

+1

[Mizzry]

Absolutely critical in my opinion. Without the ability to set up crossfire, to lure enemies during the course of the engagement the combat feels too one dimensional. Not looking for Go level strategy, but checkers would be nice.

[Stellar Tactics]

I have some ideas in mind for this. Not really ready to share them yet and they are not exactly overwatch as you have seen it before. There are a few things I need to consider including game balance, enemy reaction and how this ties in with the Azimuth system and devices.

There are more mechanics to come. As it stands, the combat is stable, fun and complete base to build on. From here I'll be rolling out systems that expand combat. This will come in time.

For now, I am completely committed to content. The new Dauntless game start is moving along nicely and will be ready "soon". Following that I'll be adding initial perk lines for healing and hacking. After that I'll be devoting my time to space combat.

[AbsynthMinded]

Originally posted by Mizzry:

Absolutely critical in my opinion. Without the ability to set up crossfire, to lure enemies during the course of the engagement the combat feels too one dimensional. Not looking for Go level strategy, but checkers would be nice.

Im sure ST is on the case weighing the variables. For discussion sake in my experience with Turn based tactical team combat, Overwatch can seriously break a game. In games Ive played the AI response to the existance of overwatch is abolutely paramount. As it works out in combat in just a few outcomes.

Player group enters area that is set for potential ambush and AI has advantage and overwatch. Players have to breech then by alternate entrance, or breaching tools like grenades. Players who are way too smart for their own good, will start opening every combat with Grenades in situations where they might even remotely suspect AI Overwatch/Ambush.

Players in a protracted Combat withdraw to Cover and set up Overwatch. AI being extremely limited in it's tactical thinking either pushes forward and soaks up the Hit, immediately opens up with AoE attacks or falls back to their own defensive positions and sets Overwatch themselves. Then we have a stand off. If the game is set up where there is not a full retreat option to leave the area and avoid combat, now players are faced with the 'group enters area set for ambush' senario.

And a few more senarios I could lay out to illustrate how Overwatch effects everything. It can not be taken lightly. This game needs challenge. No easy buttons. Resist the Power Creep and Easy Buttons.

[Wykstromius]

What makes overwatch in games like Shadowrun and X-Com so great is it allows you to set up a tactical ambush on enemies while allowing them to do the same. I think that without a more effective cover system (allowing the player to snap to cover) it would make most engagements in this game a bit easy, but since there is already a very simplistic cover system in the game I imagine a more complex one could be added.

[DarkCity]

The cover in the game seems fine so far. I think a limited over watch function where only a single shot is taken per character might be ok but any more would be just too much. What I'd really like to see is cover indicators showing whether that particular crate you're hiding behind covers half, 3/4, or full body with some direction or angles laid out on the floor to indicate what range of vision would take a penalty to hit, what would be blocked, and what would be open. I'd also like to see the ability to fire around corners with and without the overwatch in place with reduced chance to hit and if the enemy is in overwatch they should be able to fire at you because of the momentary exposure from peeking around the corner to line up the shot etc... lots of changes and even new animations to be made before that happens though if it does happen.