This thread is inspired by a combination of the upcoming Predator ship design overhaul, and some discussions held by other players.
Currently, Predators enter the ground map and the Almayer via teleportation, a very gimmicky and lore breaking concept. The basic change here is that now Predators must travel to both locations via a physical craft of some kind, instead of magically teleporting.
Predators start the game onboard their mothership. The mothership will contain three new kinds of amenities.
- A small amount of single-use orbital Drop Pods: These will allow a Predator to exit the ship and land somewhere on the planet, these pods are single-use and can not be recovered.
- A āFalcon Droneā launcher: A asset that allows a Predator to launch a remote-controlled Falcon Drone to the planet, this will allow shipside Predators to directly perform recon of the planet to help in finding a landing area.
- A single small sized Yautja spacecraft attached to the mothership in a hanger: The ship can only land on a designated landing zone.
In order for Yautja to safely return to the mothercraft, they require a special landing zone be setup that will allow the small Yautja spacecraft to land and take off. This landing zone should be designated by any Predator on the planet, once constructed/designated the landing zone location is permanent.
The initial game loop will start with Predators spawning in. The players will conduct their pre-round setup, picking gear, talking with other Predators, banter, dissing the other clans.
Once ready, the players can use their Falcon drones to assist in safely performing reconnaissance of the planet to help in finding a landing zone.
When ready, the Predators may board a Drop Pod and land on the planet. The Drop Pods should either land somewhere at random on the planet, or they function like a teleporter with a pre-set list of landing locations being available.
Once a Landing Zone is set, the Predators have a responsibility to ensure the landing zone is fortified to an acceptable degree. However, once the landing zone is set, it is now possible for any Predator to remotely pilot the Yautja Spacecraft to transit between the planet and the mothership.
The possibility of a Landing Zone being able to be disabled by Xenomorphs or Marines can then be considered, though Iād set it that a warning is given and the landing zone has to be occupied for a time.
When it comes to the Almayer. Predators can direct their shuttle craft to launch at the Almayer at any point. Easiest path would be that the shuttle can dock at any of the external airlocks (the unused engineering ones for example). The harder path is the shuttle can crash into the Almayer akin to Hijack (but less destructive). Considering this is meant as an assault on the Almayer, it should have some dramatic flair.
What is the effect of these changes?
- There is a far more tangible presence of the Predators on a map, they have to establish a proper ground presence to facilitate the safe transfer of themselves from the planet to the mothership.
- Incentive for creative Predator Lodge setups.
- Removes the magical/non-canon system of teleportation, it also makes it harder for a Predator to withdraw back to their mothership at will, thus they either have to risk themselves more on the planet to recover, or make a trek back to their lodge, with the amount of effort they put into fortifying the lodge being their only safety net.
- Xenomorphs and Marines have a mechanical way to eliminate the ability for Predators to operate on the planet. The elimination of a Predator Lodge would likely put a stop to the safe arrival of further Predators (barring mechanics to allow preds to re-build a landing zone or re-establish control over one that was lost).
Putting aside the effort required to make this system, I foresee one possible drawback is that this system might result in the loss of some of the sandbox nature of the Predator gameplay loop, as Predators will be forced, in some capacity, to build a Lodge, and that there will be an ability for the Marines or Xenomorphs to physically prevent them from leaving the planet.
