If your an Ork you don't get "paragon" or "renegade" You get "Shooty" or "Choppy" The challenge comes with finding the way to incorporate equal amounts of Shootin and Choppin
again..... don't give up just yet because this is only the beginning. Wait for when they'll put PvE elements like against tyranids or imperial guards...you'll start to have rpg elements for sure with them
Organizing anything in a game besides basic to moderate strategy/event gets wrecked pretty quick. I dont expect people to roll play going into a room to room saying slice the pie and clearing it swat style. (Stuff like that gives me douche chills). I have played in communities that tried grief/troll/scam everyone, Rpers that never broke character ( which was weird ) and with care bears, in the end everyone finds a way to have fun. RP wont be big but it will still happen, just not in massive size like you see in other mmos.
RP is already established in the community so yeah it's going to be a thing. Interest in RP, like anything, is also shared with others and can even develop in those that never tried it or didn't think they would like it. If you and any others want to RP then go for it. Just keep in mind the factions efforts in the war and the fact others outside of these groups formed aren't into it or even won't understand it. They of course should be considerate toward RPers too as in not raise a fuss when they encounter RPers RPing. Just speak precisely when coordination between the different groups arises (I'm looking at you Orks with your ork speak). Could only need squad leaders to do that too. EC wants the big scale battles and persistent territory warfare so getting players of all interests together would serve best for that. Because of that I don't expect designated Roleplaying servers. Squads can have an option to be open then there would be a list for a looking for group function. In that I'd think there'd be a way to add a short comment/name to the squad to specify roleplaying interest and attract like minded groups. Or close squads but still list them & show if they're full or not to be invite only, specify such things in the optional comment. Can even simply make it a tag for RP that can be a filter option in search. Examples: Text in [ ] = tag. Squad name defaults to Squad Leaders player name. If applicable includes platoon (X= squad number). Platoon name is chosen by the Platoon leader. Using general terms for example's sake. [PvE] <Squad Name> Squad X in <Platoon Name> + (Optional Description/Comment) [PvP] <Squad Name> Squad X in <Platoon Name> + (Optional Description/Comment) [RP-PvE] <Squad Name> Squad X in <Platoon Name> + (Optional Description/Comment) [RP-PvP] <Squad Name> Squad X in <Platoon Name> + (Optional Description/Comment) Example: [PvP] Rikamar | Squad 1 in Sunlight Covenant | You better be praising the sun or the 4 kings are gonna get ya (f*** the 4 kings) A short line preview will be for the comments if they're too long. Using the above it would only show "You better be praising the sun -" in the list. Highlighting the squad in the list shows squad info such as members, the full comment and whatever else would be relevant (such as indication for any Mentors in the squad and their Mentor rating, such as a symbol with a number, should a mentor system become a thing that is. Could even highlight friends & guildmates.) A spiffy UI with a quick and easy to use layout would be ideal for this of course. As pointed out earlier there will also be social HUBs. Public, guilds, and likely even personal for the smaller groups. I think of that sort of thing like how Wildstar did their housing only for EC a player could invite/allow choice players to join them in their personal ship/section separate from the guild list. Would be great for players not in the same guild.
I like the planetside style set up, killing each other on a global scale for territory/resources which is the main campaign or story plot. Then there is sub-plots within the main plot. Besides Tyranids and Guard, will they implement a MMORPG within this planetside style campaign? Most MMO's have AI units to kill within the game to gain XP points, I look forward to that in EC. As the player, will their characters have like their own side quest or missions of their own or maybe when they get into command positions as a warlord I guess. Rikamar they can easily have a AI as a 'Squad leader' to task out side missions kinda like in SW the old republic, where you find a random AI character, you talk to them, and they request a side mission for you to accept or not. So while everyone is killing each other on a global scale, your as a player can still carry out your side missions during the battle.
Chances of getting AI in seem to be quite small. The scale will be massive, it will be hard to run for some already. Add in hundreds of AI guys aswell and the only people who will play will be the ones like myself with beast computers. That is, if the servers can survive. Im curious as to how they plan on doing the Tyranid PvE events .....
Yeah they can easily have an AI quest giver. Technically they already do with main faction leaders as well as Sub-faction leaders (such as Mephiston for Blood Angels), we just don't know what they're going to do yet. But Eternal Crusade has not been advertised as that kind of game, is not setting out to be that kind of game (smart because Planetside 2 is the only competitor for what EC wants to be), and most don't want that kind of game (specific term would be "theme park MMO" which SWTOR & WoW are. Dark Millenium was going to be too). Still though, perhaps for these characters & any others (like any NPCs for whatever crafting) will have a DCUO mission system where you rarely need to actually go to the mission giver location (usually only initially to make contact) but instead progress through the available missions in the mission menu out in the field, with audio & text dialogue from them. But I of course don't know how the campaign objectives system will work. I figure it's like a check list sort of thing that's generated and updated at set intervals or added to should the need arise. Devs have mentioned they can open new fronts too which could involve Tyranid activity as well, campaigns will also be tailored to Factions with population in mind (here Question 6). EC's focus is PvP territory warfare in a persistent world with player driven content + PvE elements in the form of tyranids in instanced areas. Hopefully AI enemies from the playable factions too (evident here question 15). Campaign objectives (Do these things for the faction; these come from the system/Devs/faction leaders?) + War Council Objectives (made of players; they can orchestrate how forces achieve the campaign objective(s)+ player decided objectives (can be achievements & tie into the others or just whatever players feel like doing. Me for instance sometimes I just feel like driving & exploring). Campaign objectives can also include PvE fighting, would be foolish not to actually. From what I understand on what's been said about PvE fighting, they will take place in instanced areas, team play is the focus for these areas just as with the rest of the game. The instances are in static locations on the map or tyranid invasions that threaten faction territory control, a clever balancing mechanic. We haven't seen anything on these yet but they've been said to be similar to/inspired by Left 4 Dead campaign mode, Mass Effect 3 multiplayer, Gears of War Horde mode, and dungeon crawling games. Said to be not just a map arena but be progressive & generate itself with it's own missions too. So far only mention of a squad sized group (10 players) going in but can and it would make sense imo to expand to bigger groups even raid size (40 players). Should they do that I hope they make an instance the size of surface bases to fight a horde of Tyranids Starship Troopers style (first movie. The others don't exist to me). Would be awesomely epic. There has also been talk of concepts for PvE 'nids to pop up in a PvP fight. They're going to try at least. As you pointed out it's a complicated challenge for a massive scale shooter. (I think this was brought up in an interview with Nathan but I couldn't find it so can disregard what I said) An invasion mechanic with players playing as tyranids against enemy players in a PvE setting. (in a few interviews with Nathan. 1 of which is here in the Angryjoe E3 2015 Interview. Sorry I forget where exactly he says it in the video.) They've also mentioned AI controlled Titans on a scripted path in PvP engagements and possibility for players manning the guns. (in several places with Nathan (Oveur) but most recently in livestream Into The Warp Episode 34, sorry I don't know exactly where) Oh, and also dynamic events which I personally think of as something like the dynamic events in Destiny free roam (here). This early in development it's unknown to us when any of this will be implemented. Could very well be in expansions after launch, expansions being free (Nathan talks about it in one of his update threads here + other a few threads in the forums). The dynamic encounter in particular would seem to require open world. Oh and so far only mention of rewards for cave diving into 'nid land, aside from personal rewards like EXP and reward box, was a reward in the form of a relic which players then return to their faction for some sort of benefit.
Playing the game is the equivalent of RPing Orks Are you zoggin gitz? You'z bein Orky Are you Choppin dem ta bitz? You'z bein Orky Are you having fun? You'z bein Orky Are you trying to pull off ridiculous crazy shit because it'll look cool? You'z bein reel Orky
