Antagonist system

[Raptoer]

After continuously seeing the lackluster AI behavior during urban conflict I have come to wonder if there is a different way to handle it.

The idea is that we could have a set of players in zeus slots. These players would not use zeus abilities other than the ability to control units. The antagonist players goal is not to win the mission, but instead to give the standard players an interesting time (suppression is fun!).

The antagonist players would probably have a set of rules that are unique to them that would be refined with time and missions.

Have we ever tried anything like this or would it be something we are willing to try?

[Eagle_Eye]

I don't know if you've ever watched any of Jester814 (I think?) on youtube. He does this in some missions where he runs MCC/Zeus, and occasionally will take control of a sniper/LMG in order to increase the tension/punish people who are unawares (they are proper milsim though, so the punishment aspect is for training).

I like the idea of this, and having multiple zeuses isn't necessarily a bad thing, once all of them are on the same page. Anyone who plays zeus has to realise that they are a GM, not a player, and are there so that others can have fun, not so that they can win.

I have toyed with the idea of a mission with preplaced units, but no waypoints, and let zeus basically play an RTS against the platoon, without any ability to create new units. This would be best suited to a mission with a big spread out AO where units/objectives won't be in the same place each playthrough, or a defensive mission where the attacking ai need a more realistic approach than can be done with timers/triggers.

Your idea is compliment to that I suppose, where zeus can control single units. The one big problem with this though (and not a game-breaker, just a big annoyance to me), is that if you remote control a squad leader, you control everything about him, except for his ability to give orders. This means that as a zeus, you can move about by yourself, but not bring your team with you. If the antagonist players had access to this, it would make it a lot easier for them to move around teams and make it look like the enemy was reacting to the player, rather than 1 or 2 humans running around.

[boberro]

I believe this idea was brought up before. I like it, but believe it's for numbers we don't see anymore on sunday sessions.
Other use for zeus I was thinking of, is counter attack / reaction force: If players are detected, zeus is unlocked and get's some points to create couter attack force.

[SuicideKing]

How about two Zeuses fighting each other, with the Platoon trying to carry out its own objectives in the midst of the fight?