MechCommander-type game idea: it leans heavily into the combat manager sim in that you don't have direct control over the fight; you can tell your NPC pilots to do stuff, and that's it. You've got to keep an eye on them and manage their personalities and how they adapt to the campaign. /1
[cont.] A pilot who gets, say, caught in a fire will balk if incendiaries show up. Get someone shot up against a certain kind of opponent and they'll not listen the next time you tell them to charge in. /2
[cont.] Between missions you have to manage their (professional) relationships to you and others. Build trust, that sort of thing. Romance options are available but it's almost always a bad idea because it tends to build mistrust among other pilots who think you play favorites. /3
[cont.] Leaving crap pilots on the benches makes them salty and just makes things worse. Over-relying on your good pilots wears them down and just makes things worse. Is this anything? /4 and fin
The gameplay sounds a bit like Football Manager, which is very popular. A 'mech theme would probably interest a wider crowd. Good concept!
I'm excited, and have been since I got to 2/
If only I could make these things. Alas, the best I can do is throw ideas into the void for free.
You, and your ideas, are appreciated.
I have no idea how my answer to so many people's questions this week is "yeah, that's Sakura Wars," but here we are.
Yeah, sorta like that, but with different mechanics. The evil GM in me does like the idea of leaning into VN/Mass Effect tropes to encourage players taking on dating sim options despite being told repeatedly in narrative it's a terrible idea.
(There is a Disaster Bisexual Golden Path where you somehow manage to finesse the entire platoon into a Band of Thebes combat polycule.)