Well if it were me I'd look into getting the best servers I could, then making maps that are like open world ones with objectives like supply routes and raids and such. Then I'd work up from there connecting more and more stuff until it's open world!
If they want bigger maps and more players per map they need to downsize the quality of their current map, object, and character models a crap ton (Plus get better servers but that's already assumed) because "Holy crap you don't need this many polys for a fortress wall/building." What they should have done is ignored sparkly shiny graphics for the first few years and given us basic alpha-beta tier game meshes/effects and concentrated on better animations and gameplay. The graphics should have been planned for years ahead of now, ugly maybe but at least it would have been playable. Other than that i simply can't comprehend how the devs intend to add more than what they have in terms of battle sizes with their current ability.
Sumfing loik dis moight help. Me idea fer a skirmish map wif all da factions in it (also tyranids) Ya gotta start small. Make a map wif a match dat neva' ends and werk from dere. Add and remove objectives and uvva' stuff as needed ta' test 'em out in such a map. Increase playa' cap ta' test parformance. All dat stuff. Ye try it on a small map wif jus' playa's. Dat werks, add vehicles, den objectives, etc. If'n it werks on da small map begin werk on a bigga' map and see if'n it werks dere 'Ave territories on da wurld map lead ta' maps loik da wun above. Ye leave and join az ye want, tryin' ta' gain control uv da territory. Simila' ta' da already exisitin' wurld map ye can only invade adjacent territories
The idea of this thread is how can 30 players per team (max cap 60) be keept busy in a larger map where players themselves become harder to find. This is not about making battles larger but how to transplant existing population caps into a larger map and keep it dynamic and exciting for all players. 'Running for longer' is not an issue as we would have ways to 'deep strike' into the action or use transports to get there. Players could always choose to simply change the location of their attack by focusing on a diffferent objective. Existing bases could exist as walled bases or otherwise innacceessible bases that need to be 'requested' in order to deploy into as these would be seperate instances. Larger landscapees could indeed be of a lower poly count and still look good if assets were designed that way. This would allow for more landscape maps which would be better suited to vehicle play. Of course you could have structures that dot the landscape or use terrain features to have cover for infantry. Thanks Kaptain K Rool for your contributions and link to your skirmish map Idea. Definately more persistent maps are what is needed to have an ever raging battle that players can drop in and out of at will. Everyone likes the 'all factions battles' idea but we should start out with just two factions per map as present mechanics allow in order to keep it simple. The Devs did discuss the possibility for 4 faction maps but stated that two teams would be allied eg LSM and Eldar vs Chaos and Orks. That could be one way to do things for a while or for certain territories at least as those temporary alliances are believable.
They can't do anything until the player base increases dramatically to make it worthwhile to them and even then, if this has any hope of ever happening (which very much doubt at this point), it won't be for a long long LOOOOOONNNNGGGG time. I think you'd be better off hoping for EC 2 or some new 40k game to implement something similar TBH. Hell! Learn coding and make it yourself, I'd buy it.
If you break it down there are two diffrent kinds of maps in EC, the liniar maps where you cap each point one after another and the non liniar maps where you can cap any point at any time. With the current player count i dont think large non liniar maps could work. Just look at planetside 2 before they added lanes. What they could do is make the maps very tall but not very wide. All of the terrain can be fought over as the teams push or retreat across the map. Larger maps would also mean longer more sustained fights, something i think the game needs.
If you ever attempted to do fortress sige, you'd knew we didn't, unless you made 3am raids with small ninja groups of uberbuffed characters. Moving with a zerg created lag, when 2 zergs met it was "playable" exclusively for players with PBAOE healing, GTAOE damage and channeled protection buffs.
I'd love that. High treacherous bridges linking buildings as well. D-bashing people off them could be a lot of fun.
