Don't kill him!

[Amnestic]

Often times in RTS games we'll find ourselves in a position where the enemy has something we want. In Command and Conquer, this may be a building we wish to preserve so an engineer can get into it. In Starcraft 1, it might be a drone for your Dark Archon to mind control so you can have a separate zerg tech tree (and thus population!). In Supreme Commander it could be...well, anything that you want to convert to your side of the field.

Or perhaps you just want your guys to ignore an enemy and head straight for their production facilities without having to continually micro your guys off an enemy that's in your way.

For this reason, I think a 'Flag to Ignore' feature sh/could be introduced. Works simply, you click an enemy unit, click your Flag button and all your soldiers, vehicles and turrets will ignore it unless directectly told by the player to attack it.

I can't imagine it'd be terribly hard to impliment into the games these days, and it'd save me a lot of grief and annoyance when I take my eyes off a squad for 3 seconds to maintain production only to see they've gone and blown up the stuff I wanted to capture.

Thoughts?

 

[Estocavio]

I agree - But disabling that could prove tedious. A better way i think would be to simply tell a soldier/unit to ceasefire/holdfire. It would definately make more covert RTS methodologies easier, and could prove to be an improvement.
And ignore button could be made to work, but if you told it not to shoot an enemy unit, then you forgot about it, it could be problematic.

 

[ethaninja]

That would also be good for units who aren't going to hurt you, and your surrounded by units that are. Say theres a bad guy marine and your surrounded by tanks. Priority anyone?

 

[Lullabye]

Um, really depends on the game. In C&C as you mentioned, often the enemy has buildings you want, yet at the same time, th only reason I really make a fuss out of it s if I'm trying to distract him from the fact I'm planting bombs all around his base.
Honestly, if I'm that worried that ma dudes will kill something they really shouldn't then I set them to Defensive mode or whatever it's called. Almost all rts' have them. Plus they often have units specifically for capturing stuff or doing minimal structure damage. Usually flame throwers and stuff.

 

[Ze_Reaper_Of_Zeath]

Well, not to be a fanboy or anything but the newer C&C games have this mode called "planning mode" which is like what the name says. It let's you attack specfic structures.

Still I do agree it is quite annoying in SC, when you want to save a drone etc.

 

[WrcklessIntent]

Yes kill them all with FIRE.
Nah but seriously that does sound like a good idea I would apperciate it.

 

[Meggiepants]

This would be awesome.

My dudes are always getting screwed up because some gatherer comes too close to them and they follow the gatherer all the way back to the enemy's base and get killed. I end up having to micromanage my army as it is being built to keep them in one place so they won't run off after random gatherers.

Also it would be nice for those buildings you would like to convert. I would love this function.

 

[Jolly Madness]

That's what the "Stand ground" command is for, only fire if fired upon.

 

[SextusMaximus]

That would also be good for units who aren't going to hurt you, and your surrounded by units that are. Say theres a bad guy marine and your surrounded by tanks. Priority anyone?

You do get the option to choose the exact enemy you want to attack, however.

 

[Fayathon]

Now that would be a nice feature to see, it would clear a lot of problems that I tend to have in RTSs right up.

 

[Altorin]

Often times in RTS games we'll find ourselves in a position where the enemy has something we want. In Command and Conquer, this may be a building we wish to preserve so an engineer can get into it. In Starcraft 1, it might be a drone for your Dark Archon to mind control so you can have a separate zerg tech tree (and thus population!). In Supreme Commander it could be...well, anything that you want to convert to your side of the field.

Or perhaps you just want your guys to ignore an enemy and head straight for their production facilities without having to continually micro your guys off an enemy that's in your way.

For this reason, I think a 'Flag to Ignore' feature sh/could be introduced. Works simply, you click an enemy unit, click your Flag button and all your soldiers, vehicles and turrets will ignore it unless directectly told by the player to attack it.

I can't imagine it'd be terribly hard to impliment into the games these days, and it'd save me a lot of grief and annoyance when I take my eyes off a squad for 3 seconds to maintain production only to see they've gone and blown up the stuff I wanted to capture.

Thoughts?

doesn't choosing the "Move" command rather then the "Attack" command facilitate this? At least in the Blizzard RTS's it does I think. My friend would always chew me out for selecting Move when moving units rather then attack, and then proceed to kill all of my doting loyal grunts who I failed to give the reminder "Hey, if there's a badguy between here and there, you CAN attack them."

 

[Sephychu]

I was thinking about something along these very lines when I was playing Red Alert 3. Your idea is way better than mine though.

 

[Amnestic]

Often times in RTS games we'll find ourselves in a position where the enemy has something we want. In Command and Conquer, this may be a building we wish to preserve so an engineer can get into it. In Starcraft 1, it might be a drone for your Dark Archon to mind control so you can have a separate zerg tech tree (and thus population!). In Supreme Commander it could be...well, anything that you want to convert to your side of the field.

Or perhaps you just want your guys to ignore an enemy and head straight for their production facilities without having to continually micro your guys off an enemy that's in your way.

For this reason, I think a 'Flag to Ignore' feature sh/could be introduced. Works simply, you click an enemy unit, click your Flag button and all your soldiers, vehicles and turrets will ignore it unless directectly told by the player to attack it.

I can't imagine it'd be terribly hard to impliment into the games these days, and it'd save me a lot of grief and annoyance when I take my eyes off a squad for 3 seconds to maintain production only to see they've gone and blown up the stuff I wanted to capture.

Thoughts?

doesn't choosing the "Move" command rather then the "Attack" command facilitate this? At least in the Blizzard RTS's it does I think. My friend would always chew me out for selecting Move when moving units rather then attack, and then proceed to kill all of my doting loyal grunts who I failed to give the reminder "Hey, if there's a badguy between here and there, you CAN attack them."

Well yes and no. What I want is the ability to pick an enemy unit/building and have it indefinetly preserved until I decide I don't want it anymore. To do so with buildings isn't so hard, as most RTS games generally have modes to not attack buildings but attack units, or only attack if attacked, but it's less easy to do with units without excessive micromanagement.

I don't know why anyone would be against the suggestion though. It's like having a slice of chocolate cake and then denying an extra spoonful of chocolate icecream even though it'd really help the texture of the cake.

 

[MONTGOMERYWOODRUFF69]

The biggest poblem with A.I. is that it tends to be to quote the man, "Pants on head retarded", watching a ai companion run endlessly into a door frame is the perfect example. 50 Cent's game are a perfect example.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

I don't play RTSs that often, but yeah I know what you mean.
It's like "No, don't attack that! Doh, you idiots!"
Stupid A.I.

 

[Comic Sans]

Part of RTS game sis managing your forces. If you don't want them shooting buildings or something, then tell them to shoot something else. If you just attack-move then don't complain about lack of management.