It may very well be the subject that modmakers could tackle.
Dual objectives have been part of many games. CTF, or steal and escape, is a game mode like that. Being a longtime Truecombat player, I’ve come across a few good missions in the 1.x versions of the game(a Q3 mod btw). Several maps had missions like this : Team A needs to blow up two or three places. Team B needs to get a key, steal a case and escape.
The maps were not terribly large (all infantry play too), but by putting objectives of both teams in close proximity to each other, things became interesting. The Cityheat map was the largest of them all, and was said to have the best mission gameplay for TC.
In ET:QW the advancing-frontline-type of gameplay is one way of doing things. Dual objectives may be harder to design, but certainly we can discuss ideas right here right now and clear off some design roadblocks.
Dual Objectives require teams to divide their attention, but it’s similar to what is already in the QW game. The introductory videos to one of the maps showed that as some point certain classes need to perform vital functions, but of course the rest of the team needs to support that, so diversionary or cover tactics will attempt to draw the opposing teams attention. The difference to dual objectives like the triple bomb/find-steal-escape scenario, is that in QW you are forced to do concentrate on one goal at all times.
To illustrate, here’s how some rounds of Cityheat on TC mission play went. RED rushed to two of the three bomb spots to blow them up, at the same time attempting to seal off access to the key room, which would give the BLUE team access to the case, and subsequently the chance to escape and win the round. BLUE rushed to at least one of the bomb spots to prevent RED from blowing up all three of the bomb spots, which would have RED winning the round. Since these were usualy 1-life matches, everyone was sneaking around, trying not to get caught. Things would get interesting when RED blew up two bomb spots, and BLUE had the case and was making a go at escaping. When a bomb was set, BLUE had 30 seconds to disarm it. 30 seconds was not enough to make your way from the where you picked up the case to the escape exit though. So once you knew where the BLUE player with the case was, RED could be sure to set off the bomb or not without fear of losing the round. Manic hunting scenarios, last second escapes and lots of bombs blowing up in your face after disarming attempts played out. This was all single-life play usually.
One question for ET:QW in scenarios like this is, how to handle respawning.
How about having Capture and Hold points that can be disabled by the opposition ? Bombs, computer viruses or a spawned player has to stay alive for 30 seconds at least to give others a chance to spawn there. Opposition spawn points could be in places your team cannot reach, like the rooftop of a skyscraper or similar tall building. Some spawn points could be permanent. Some could be portable, but not within a certain range of certain places.
That alone is a game by itself.
Objectives are numerous. An example is …
Locking down the area:
GDF is posted in a underground facility and is besieged by a Strogg group that prevents the GDF from calling in reinforcements (limited respawn ?) by shielding their communication with some fancy device.
The missions:
The Strogg need to immobilize the GDF troups for stroggification by using chemical agents to sedate them. The chemicals need to be released in certain points of the ventilation system to be effective. Once successfully set up by an engineer or sniper, the device becomes a spawn point after 30 seconds. Sedated sections become spawn points for the Stroggs to speed up their takeover. These ‘spawn points’ can be disabled only by the engineer or sniper class, who are the only onces equipped with gas masks. They blow up the spawn points.
The Strogg win by setting up a number of spawn points or keeping their communication shield intact.
The GDF has to keep the Strogg advance in check and blow up the communication shield. It has a bunch of spawn points that the Strogg can take over.
A simple objective, I know. The facility could be like an large mine, with small vehicles that travel the tunnels to useful sections, like a larger car park.
Then you’ve got missions like,
“Go and steal a key, get the goods and get the hell out. But don’t get your transport blown up, or you’ll have to steal a new one.”
or
GDF: "We’ve blown up the power plant. You’ve just left the air transport, but the opposition has activated their backup power. Go and steal the bio weapon/nuke/other stupid stuff, switch off or blow up(difficult) their backup power generator to deactivate their automatic defense turrets(or blow up the guns themselves-difficult!) and call in the air transport (1 minute until it arrives).
STROGG: Activate backup power to secure electronic doors, reactivate the automatic defense turrets and bring the lights back on. Launch the bio weapon/nuke/other stupid stuff. Protect the backup power generator and defensive turret.
