Orders Rework: Marine Platoon Doctrines

Intro

Platoon Doctrines are a new system designed to replace the current orders marines have. The key difference is that, instead of a burst of power with a short duration marines will have a constant, weaker, buff aura around roles that can give orders currently (SLs, SOs, COs, etc…).
In addition, with the intent of providing further tactical depth to command gameplay, orders are no longer chosen by each leader, but instead by CIC, which is able to pick a platoon doctrine that affects the entire marine team. In this sense, leaders work as relays for CIC rather than picking which buff they desire at any given time.
Should the xenos decide that dealing with stronger than usual marines is undesirable they can always opt to target the comms relays, as once they are disabled doctrines go with them. Additionally, while a doctrine is active comms relays will draw more energy from the grid, meaning marines will need a lot of batteries should they decide to neglect the colony’s generators.


Meta

Changes:

  • Removes order abilities from everyone who currently has them.

  • Adds an option for CIC to choose a platoon doctrine, this can be swapped or disabled at any time.

  • When a doctrine is active leaders will emit a buff aura depending on which doctrine was chosen.

  • Doctrines will have the same effect, albeit at reduced strength, as current marine orders, precision might be changed to make it more desirable.

Goals:

  • Improve squad cohesion by encouraging marines to stick with their SLs.

  • Increased squad cohesion should allow for more elaborate strategies to be used by command players.

  • Provide another layer of depth for command, as they can choose which buff is best for each situation.

Gameplay:

Does it feel good to use?

  • Doctrines would be picked using the groundsides operation console located in CIC, this functionality could further be extended to the CO’s tablet, should it be found desirable.
    The entire process should be fairly intuitive.

Does it feel good to play against?

  • The ability to disable doctrines by knocking comms down allows xenos to disrupt marines and make them more vulnerable. Providing counterplay meant to offset the otherwise constancy of this buff.

  • The increased power draw is also meant as a means to limit their use and provides another, less reliable but easier to achieve, avenue for getting rid of the doctrines.

Does it affect other systems?

  • It will affect static comms as it relies on them to function and depletes them quicker should a stable power source not be present.

In-universe

Roleplay:

Does it increase immersion?

  • Hopefully, by virtue of having squads behaving like actual squads.

Does it increase communication/interaction between players?

  • Yes, as the tighter unit cohesion should improve CIC’s ability to control the ground force.

Simulation:

Does it fit in the CM universe aesthetically?

  • I think the idea of a CO dictating how their marine force should fight at any given time is pretty on brand and fits what one would expect from a military unit.

Does it fit in the lore of CM?

  • Marines are known for being extremely adaptable and fighting numerous different kinds of enemies, as such, I believe allowing them to switch overall tactics on the fly to be fairly in line with the lore.
5 Likes

An issue I can see with this is any sort of non-Uscm role that can currently give out orders, it might be best to let them keep the orders or give them faction specific buffs.

1 Like

OOOOH I suggested a lighter version of this in another Idea’s guy thread, but this one seems more fleshed out.

The only thing I would probably say ‘eh’ to, is tying doctrines to power/energy from the grid. As you know, most battles tend to cluster up both marines and xenos, and having a massive group of Marines holed up (even near Comms tower) might inevitably make it run out of power.

I don’t think thats a great form of attrition thats healthy for the game, as sieges already are super drawn out. I would still have the AOE buffs but not tied to power. Managing Comms is vital and Power already benefits the marines via Tech Points through Intel, as well as keeping colony lights active (now that flares are also nerfed.)

Other than that, great ideas! c:

Alright a few things:

I think starting with this at a squad level would be better with just SL choosing their stuff and their FTLs being beacons.

I think attaching it to comms/power will over-complicate the feature and make it less usable.

I genuinely think it would be interesting to test marines be worse at just everything if they don’t have a squad buddy nearby.

Otherwise, I like it.