Co-op Campaign

[Daveyjone]

Firstly as there is no longer a 'future games' section I have posted here feel free to move it to a better place if you think so mods This is a bit late for this game, but who knows? Next time?

I had a brainwave (or two ) while away from the site, firstly I, like many people I know, really want Co-op campaign modes to return! In other threads I have discussed how this could be done, i.e. xp for multiplayer or xp for levelling up a co-op rank (also to be used in zombies) - remember how everyone is a private rank 1 while playing zombies? Well have this to give you a rank, purely for looks, as well as possible emblem unlocks etc. While some agreed others pointed out that people could abuse a multiplayer xp system, I said simply either have a limit per match of rewardable xp, or simply let them, a person gets to 10th prestiege by abusing co-op? So they have a shiny rank, so? Does that make them better than you at the game becuase they're a higher prestiege?

But what I really wanted to talk about was two ideas to make the campaign amazing!

A problem hit me, the co-op campaign is the same as the campaign, 'yawn' I hear you say. Exactly why WaW campaign fell down, no incentive and no excitement, but I always remeber the mission where you four are on the boat, different angles made it so much more exciting. This is my idea, the four of you are in differnet positions, confused? three examples:

You all are in one of CoDs dramatic scenes. Four hummers in a convoy which gets ambushed. 4 players, '1' is in the playable characters position as the passenger seat occupant in the second hummer, but the trick is that '2' is the gunner of the same vehicle. Now he has a new gameplay style and perspective, taking this further are 3, in the back of the third jeep, and 4 who is the driver of the last hummer (he doesn't have to do anything but sit back, its a cinematic moment remember? 8-) ) Now say in the story the first jeep hits a mine and is flung onto the front of the second car, as player one you just had the campaign moment where it crashes into the window and rolls off. But as player two you just had a top of the jeep view of it smash just infront of you! Furthermore now players 3 and 4 are confused as you would be in the event, whats going on? For player 4 he sees only flames and sounds for player 3 it's worse, inside all he can hear is the radio... Say next jeep 3 was hit by a rpg and was flung sideways, rolling or merely just onto its side. Player 4, not knowing what happened, now gets the jeep infront flying away from his eyes, while player 3 gets a cool moment of being flung sideways, the first time you play as him you would get the same surprise and shock!

Take this further, as you all are at different points, you have to act differently in the mission, say in the campaign the second jeep (with the player) had to go and assult the insurgents while the last hummer helped 3 and created and distracted the attackers Now if you're player 1 or 2 you do that, while 3 and 4 do something the AI were doing in the mission! Taking it even further, say 3 was incapassitated in the crash, now as 4 you have to pull him out first before you do the next step Maybe 3 having to be carried around the area a la CoD 4 with Price and MacMillan.

There are always support missions (i.e. when you are supported by a heli or AC130), take this further! Player 3 and 4 are not on the ground.. They are in the chopper, like the helis you call in many CoD missions where they leave after 60 seconds then you have to wait 30 more before calling them again, player 3 stars as the co-pilot, his character the one speaking to the ground in a radio, and 4 sitting in the hold. when they are called, 4 opens the door and uses the minigun on the side a la the chopper gunner killstreak from black ops, shooting where the ground players put the indicator or are lasering. To spice it up,give 3 something to do, i.e. tagging or something to aid 4. When they are called away, take it even further (you must be getting sick of that phrase ) as they turn around for annother run/refuel 4 sits down and can watch some spectacular scenes as they dip around parts of the map you don't see in the solo mission and/or it is shot at and he holds on as flares pop and misc bits fall out of the heli/plane. To make it fair, the pilot could tell 3 to swap with 4 every time they turn around/refuel, giving them each a fair chance, and also allows a moment for 3 to pat 4 on the back and say nice job or 4 to wink and say good luck as they climb past eachother in the heli, akin to the Black Cats mission. Then if the heli leaves mid mission have it drop them off to join the other players, or better still if it is shot down for an exciting crash scene and having to sneak back to friendly territory etc. [brains]

An finally as in the first example you could give players different positions in missions where you are riding a jeep or tank etc, one to drive, one to shoot the main gun, one on the pintle mounted gun, one to shoot out the side or use the coxitail gun etc

If you didn't get them, to conclude the four points are:

1. Different position in cutscenes/most normall sit back scenes, i.e. different cars/positions in the car in a convoy.

2.Different paths/roles; one covers while the other plants a bomb. Two split from the other two and go on seperate paths for a bit of the mission!

3.Unique, out of action roles for a player or two; one incapacitatted or carries someone, they're in the suppourting vehicle etc.

My second idea was to make the first more interesting, we already have random orders for zombies where anyone can be Dempsey not just the host And for the co-op campaign we should take it one step further: while there should be a mode where you play one mission online at a time with random positions, however on the private matches I want the following:

Firstly as it is private you must invite people (friends or others ), you have the option for either one off missions or the whole campaign. The clincher is that the host chooses who is who. I made this for private only as the hosts online playing with unkown players would ignore their desires or choice and abuse this power. In private you get two options:

1. Random as with online co-op

2. Choose:

If you're doing the whole campaign three things are added which makes this mode in my view brilliant: Firstly if you can't do it all in one go, the host can save it and continue it with any of those players he played it with before (if all of you are not present then the others who are missing are replaced with AI). Secondly if you choose a reaccurring character you will always play as him, if this was in black ops then if you wanted and s were given Mason you would always play as him in the missions he's in.

If you chose 'random' on this full length campaign then the game will balance it out so that you all get equal time with each, i.e. if you are given the common Mason figure who is in most missions, then in other missions you'll be the background guy who does stuff seperate from the main missions, this is a great way to make this more of an interesting and personal journey as you carry over characters, then step back in other missions where he isn't present to give annother a go.

Of course some people may not want this or may be unlucky enough to be always given a certain character, hence why the 'choose' option is there, as giving someone there the option to balance it the way you all want is good.

Thirdly, you can always go into a private mode and play with AI, so that you can play all parts without having to wait, or play the campaign through from a different view.

This is my idea, please feel free to give critisism and any constructions [brains]

[MyLittleHellhound]

This is a really neat idea, and I like the thought of the different paths each player takes......

It sounds awesome Shoreyo! Great job! [brains] [brains]

[Gstroy]

Wanted to expand on a couple of your ideas:

- There should be at least one mission where half the team is making it's way to the downed helicopter/plane while the survivors of the plane are making their way to the rescuers.

- When choosing who to play as, it should have you choose Rifleman, Sniper, CQB, or LMGer, all with their own abilities.

[Daveyjone]

Wanted to expand on a couple of your ideas:

- There should be at least one mission where half the team is making it's way to the downed helicopter/plane while the survivors of the plane are making their way to the rescuers.

- When choosing who to play as, it should have you choose Rifleman, Sniper, CQB, or LMGer, all with their own abilities.

Like the first idea, but the second makes it feel like Flashpoint of Battlefield Surely they should just keep it as with previous games, where you have the set kit. Remember I said most players will be taking control of reaccuring characters so you would use the weapons the AI version of them had in the singleplayer.

Of course some characters are not reaccuring or the named NPCs, so for them give them the generic kits the AI NPCs get. However I think your idea merged with this would be good, you don't choose your class - but everyone has a different one: remember the missions in CoD 5 co-op where everyone had MGs and Trench guns! Unrealistic Rather if there were 3 players as NPCs one gets a LMG, and the other two the generic rifle.

But again it depends on the mission, a group of Black/Spec ops men will have a range of weapons while the USMC or other armiy troops will have more uniform weaponry.

[MyLittleHellhound]

What about being able to swap weapons with AIs or even your co-op partners? Of course with mutual consent on the latter

I mean, it would be slightly reminiscent of Halo, but I've always liked the idea of "borrowing" a weapon. In the previous, you would have to wait til they got gunned down.

[Daveyjone]

What about being able to swap weapons with AIs or even your co-op partners? Of course with mutual consent on the latter

I mean, it would be slightly reminiscent of Halo, but I've always liked the idea of "borrowing" a weapon. In the previous, you would have to wait til they got gunned down.

I originally had 3 ideas, but forgot one, and now you've reminded me with that [brains]

It was that on public matches, if you don't want to be the character you are, for example if you want to fight on the ground but are stuck in a heli. Well there should be an option over your name on the in game scoreboard, like the one in WaW or Black Ops zombies Co-op(tab on pc, select on ps3 and I think xbox)so if you click on it you can create a little icon: "x wants to change roles" then anyone who wants to can click on your name if they want to swap, then as long as you concent you swap Removes the problem of sitting in the lobby with everyone refusing to go unless they're a certain person while allowing you to swap whenever you want (n.b. probably should limit this to untill the first checkpoint!)