If the game is to support scripting, a separate [sub]gamemode could be with RPG elements: experience, weapons and items available for use, items having weight limited by how much strength you have to carry and room, etc.

The official gamemodes could be tactical co-op based, but the “less” official (could still be official) could be made to be completely unique gamemodes that that the public can make via scripting or special map setups (Soldat examples: climbing, or dodgeball).

Example:

1. Say there is a sniper 50 feet away. You know your outmatched. Throw a grenade to create a trench for cover until back up arrives.

2. Both of have the same weapons and are in cover, except your opponet is under a large crate hanging from the crane. Shoot the chains holding the crate to give you a more satifying kill.

Once you get scripring to a point where one could create a Soldat script INSIDE link dead, you know the game is gonna be a hit. Variety Variety Variety! Some will play regular link-dead, while others will play Soldat Link Dead. See?

The RPG aspect you were talking about sounds great, but the probably your gonna have to overcome is high leveled players easily killing the newbs. That’s how to NOT get a fanbase xD

What about moving objects? If implemented correctly, like a swinging bridge, it would greatly enhance the gameplay.

Skill required in Soldat would be a different kind of skill required in something like Link Dead.

It’s pretty much dexterity (in games such as quake and soldat) vs logical thinking which would be more present in a tactical shooter.

In Tribes it really varied.

If you were a Light Offence player, you didn’t want to get in contact with anymore – you are weak (but fast) and just want to grab their flag and get out!

If you were a Heavy Offence player, you were a bit vulnerable out in the open but once you were near their base you could shoot your big ‘mortar’ gun that had huge splash damage.

Players would try and kill you quickly but you dealt heavy damage if they let you get so close to their base.

Often times several Heavy Offence players would sit within the enemy base, keeping it offline.

Whenever two players met in-game it varied depending on their roles and individual abilities.

It evolved around teamwork. Literally you could not survive against a competent team, even in pub play.

If you’re after more depth for Link Dead, maybe consider borrowing some of these elements from Tribes:

1) Inventory Stations: You use these to change your loadout which included: Your weapons, your ‘back pack’ ability (such as a shield pack or ammo pack), and your armour (light/medium/heavy – light is weaker, but more agile).

2) Armour / Backpack system: As above, you could mix and match your abilities as a player by picking what you wanted to use. For example, an offensive player may choose Light Armor and ‘Energy’ pack to jet pack faster. A defensive player may choose the heavy armor and a shield pack to help keep the base secure.

3) Bases: Each side had a home base. A base held several structures such as: Inventory Stations, Base Turrets that shot enemies, sensors, and generators.

Generators powered the entire base. If the generators were destroyed, Inventory Stations and Base Turrets would not work.

Taking the enemy team’s generators offline was always useful, you cripple them a bit as they could not pick new weapons or switch to heavy armour.

4) Skill based weapons. Tribes’ main weapon was a ‘disc launcher’ that shot a spinning disk like a rocket; you had to lead your targets.

—

Those are some of the big concepts from Tribes, and they really added a huge bit of depth to the game:
* Each team had players pick one of several roles: Light Offence (try and capture their flag, or harass), Heavy Offence (try and destroy the enemy base and take control of it to disrupt them), Light Defence (protect your flag), Heavy Defence (protect your base from oncoming attacks, or protect your flag).

* Each role was valuable. If you were simply sitting in your base with heavy armour and a ‘repair pack’ to repair the base incase it was attacked, you were valuable because you kept your team’s ability to change loadouts and defend itself that much easier, for eg.

Have you considered adding something like that to a game? You would really bring another level of depth to a game instead of it being ‘deathmatch with flags’.

– Andrew

Marc McMillon: good points
Destructible enviroment: Won’t make the game seem like its revolved around chance.
Why is that? Elaborate please?

darDar: “RPG”: Its yet difficult to say if this would be good, as we never played a proper map yet. but where would those “skill points” help you ? If a Berseker had more strength? what could it be helpful for ?

More strength = more weapons you can carry without loss of speed and maneuverability.