Posted by CaveCricket48 in Cortex Command - February 13th, 2014

An issue often brought up about CC’s difficulty is the AI, specifically, how it can direct every actor at once, while the player is limited to controlling one actor at a time.

To get players on more level ground, we’ve been working on a Squad function activated in the Pie Menu. Once you press it, the actor you’re currently controlling becomes the ‘leader,’ and you can grab allied units within a specified distance around you that will follow the leader.

When the squad is disbanded, either manually by pressing the pie menu button again or having the leader die, the followers will copy the leader’s AI mode at death, so you can direct large number of units to positions without having to set them on Go To one at a time.

Squad Pie Menu Command

Group Go To

Update: Some gifs to show that only weapons of the same “type” will be fired. That means rocket launchers will fire with rocket launchers, bullet sprayers with bullet sprayers, and so on.

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11 Responses to “Squad Mechanics”

  1. Jabberwok - # February 13th, 2014 at 12:23 pm

    This looks awesome. And glad to see such frequent updates here.

  2. Ikaruga - # February 13th, 2014 at 1:09 pm

    Can’t wait to play with this !

  3. Cevius - # February 13th, 2014 at 2:10 pm

    Thats interesting. Should balance out some of the harder AI battles as well 😀

    Is there an inactive friendly firing range on some of the weapons? That second last image shows your squad behind you firing through the ones in front, but not being damaged (as far as I could see). Would hate to accidentally select a group and the guy on the end pulls out an RPG and kills everyone.

  4. BadBoy - # February 13th, 2014 at 2:13 pm

    Hell YEAH!
    Finaly some nice news!!!

    ” And glad to see such frequent updates here ”

    Woohooo 🙂

  5. Mirefrost00 - # February 13th, 2014 at 3:00 pm

    Sweet! Very nice work, folks. Also, pretty B.A. to see Devlog updates from CC48. 😀 Will this become “aim-at-cursor” group firing?

  6. none - # February 13th, 2014 at 9:30 pm

    Hmmm, does the squad members have independent priorities? For example if one of the squad sees an enemy will it shoot independent of the squads current action?

    It would be good to see something like squad member priorities being, 1. if they see an enemy they should shoot else 2. if they are being shot at they should lay down/ seek cover (as the normally do) else 3. follow squad orders.

  7. because - # February 14th, 2014 at 12:51 am

    Members (as far as I know) will aim/fire with the Leader if: 1, they have the same weapon type (grenade launcher, rifle, assault rifle); 2, are part of the leader’s squad; 3, if they have line of sight to what the leader is firing at.

    Otherwise, the Members are set to “go-to” the leader, and act that way.

    I don’t know if this, “fire with the leader” mechanic applies to non-player leaders.
    If you are concerned about this mechanic, you can switch to a Member Actor, and fire individually.
    Squads probably (..should) stay allocated when the player deselects the leader.

  8. CaveCricket48 - # February 14th, 2014 at 2:08 am

    MIREFROST00: Yup, squad members will shoot at what the leader shoots, but if the leader isn’t following, they will still be able to fire at whatever they want to.

    NONE: Currently, coordinated fire is top priority, but that may be changed after more testing.

    BECAUSE: Squads stay together when the player leaves control, and the AI is able to make use of squads as well, it’s just not set up for AI players to make squads themselves.

  9. NowvaB - # February 16th, 2014 at 5:07 am

    Will this have an effect on secondary weapons.

    *member will switch weapon based on what type leader is shooting?

  10. CaveCricket48 - # February 16th, 2014 at 9:49 pm

    NOWVAB: No, as of right now. If members don’t have the same weapon equipped, they will shoot whatever they want.

  11. Puppet - # February 26th, 2014 at 4:28 am

    Woo. So you can equip your leader with a different type of weapon than your squad, and have a squad of free-firing lackies following you around! A grenade launcher has never been safer!