EDF: SWAT - New tactical operations concept.

[8IronBob]

I'm considering bringing a new way to play Duke that's actually inspired by Sierra's SWAT series, believe it or not. It's geared mostly towards co-op play, obviously, since you need a whole squad to be effective, but you can also do things via single player, you just have to go it alone, and use your noodle, that's all.

You'd start off every mission in the EDF Security HQ Building, in the briefing room, then you'd gear up, if necessary, do some target practice, and training, each member of the SWAT team would have their own armory, and pickup area in the HQ (because you won't have any pickups at the crime scene, I'm trying to make these maps as realistic as possible), and after you're ready, you'd have a teleport that beams you right to the scene of the crime, where you'd actually carry out your mission. Most of the missions would involve alien gangs holding female hostages in barricade situations, probably about as simple as they come. You'd have to try and find a way to neutralize and kill the alien suspects, and save the lives of the hostages the best you can, and keep then alive. For the most part, explosive weapons are out, except for pipe bombs and trip bombs, which are more tactical measures than weapons in these missions, just something to get the aliens' attention. You'd mainly have shotguns, shrinkers, freezers, or chainguns in these missions, so you'd have a more controlled set of weapons for your teams, up until the boss level, then EVERYTHING'S explosive in your arsenal.

Needless to say, if you're a SWAT fan, then you may like this, I know that Duke 3D up until now was all run and gun, but this time around, you're a little more strategic and tactical, since EDF has ordered you to be the lead for their SWAT team. Good luck, and get in there, the lives of the babes are counting on you. Free the babes, bring justice to the alien race, and make the world safe, one mission at a time.

[DeeperThought]

I like the idea, except for having a boss level or using the standard arsenal.

[8IronBob]

Well, the idea is to save the strippers' lives, so explosive weapons won't do it. However, you do want to eliminate the alien suspects. So, having an RPG or devastator weapon will just blow the whole mission.
After all, SWAT's about saving innocent lives, not taking them along with the bad guys.

[Daedolon]

Originally Posted by 8IronBob

After all, SWAT's about saving innocent lives, not taking them along with the bad guys.

SWAT is about saving the lives of the bad guys as well, only taking them out when they're endangering the lives of either the policemen or the hostages.

[LeoD]

I've always been annoyed that there is no reason to take care of babes/strippers in Duke3D. I'm one of those guys who destroy everything that's destructable and kills every available enemy. If killing a babe gives more enemies - fine. However, this should not fit to Duke's expected behavior. So I like your idea, 8IronBob.
@DeeperThought:
Maybe you could add an additional firing mode to the shrinker that teleports the babes to Duke's bedroom, adding 5% health for each. And beam the hookers to a monastery :-)

[John]

So it's like SWAT except theres really no "detaining" the hostages, you just go in and kill everything. Should be fun anyways.

[8IronBob]

Well, they're aliens, and I don't look to mod any .CON files, anyway... Anyway, you do have to keep the female hostages alive, kill the aliens with a bit of strategy, and the only pickups you get are at HQ, and there's no pickups at the crime scene, for realism reasons. Hope this one will do well, it's been in planning ever since I started to play SWAT 4 a couple of years ago. At least in SWAT 4 I do it right, but since you're dealing with Duke, and EDF, for that matter, this is one SWAT team that excessive force on the aliens, and keeping the Earth's own alive, well, I think you know where this is going.

[DeeperThought]

Originally Posted by 8IronBob

I don't look to mod any .CON files, anyway...

So who do you think is going to make this mod?

[The Commander]

Originally Posted by DeeperThought

So who do you think is going to make this mod?

I thought he ment he wanted to make a mod that didnt use any con modifications?

But either case seems a little odd.

[8IronBob]

Well, it's just maps that are inspired by SWAT 4, alien suspects, stripper hostages, C4 explosives everywhere, and you stuck using tactical strategy instead of run and gun like you've been playing Duke over the past decade.

EDIT: All right, if you feel that there should be .CON editing, I'll let the REAL experts deal in that. I'm gonna be writing the maps most likely. That's where I stand at this point...
Sort of make it play like SWAT 4 to a point, just starting you out in EDF HQ before every mission, and then you'd get "teleported" from HQ right to the scene of the crime after you gear up.

[Kazuhiro]

I personaly like the idea. I thought about making a similar mod a few years back. Was a bit different than what your planning, but same concept. I'm not too familiar with the S.W.A.T. game franchise. But the idea I understand. Would be virtually impossible to pull off anything credible without .con changes I'm afraid. (Would need at least some minor additions to the code to prevent hostage killing, etc.)

But hey... Don't let my rambling dicourage you. Go for it. Duke needs all the modding it can get these days. I know I still have a map I need to finish. (I'm just too damn busy with all these recent game releases to bother. )

[8IronBob]

Well, I'm more of a mapper than a .CON editor myself, but I'll do the mapping, and let someone else do the .con modding. Should be pretty good, I have a hunch.

Another project I may have in mind, well, since Duke Theft Auto is going on, that really ruined my thoughts of doing Duke Row (Saints Row-inspired mod), but I'll back The Commander and TerminX's efforts with DTA.
I'm probably gonna go do the EDF HQ right about now, just to see how that goes (that's where you start every level, obviously, then you're teleported to the scene of the crime). I've yet to play around with that idea.