Logistics airframe and airdropped assets

[olive epoch]

Purpose:
Give players the ability to impact the strategic picture through logistics and manufacturing.

Gameplay additions:
-Modular \ palletized airdrop containers designed to hold a wide array of equipment.
-An airframe dedicated to carrying the containers.

Example container payloads:
-Any ground vehicle, including munitions and fuel trucks
-SAM components like radar trucks and Stratolance launchers
-Ground based jammers
-Static and mobile artillery pieces
-FARP components (which build a spawn platform for VTOL and helicopters after a while)
-Construction materials and personnel to build and\or capture bases and factories
-Something to aid with naval unit production.
-Demolition bombs(as homage to daisy cutter)
-Cruise missiles(as homage to rapid dragon)

Airframe:
A huge, and lorewise rather old (compass era), turbofan-powered transport aircraft.
Or
A large, tilt-rotor transport helicopter
Or
An STOVL turbofan transport aircraft.
Bonus points if it is called "Architect" or something cheeky related to its game-master like function.

Inspiration and reasoning:

Squad and Planetside 2 allow players to dictate the shape of the battlefield through manufacturing, logistics, and spawn points. They play like MOBAs with players being both champions and minions.

In my opinion, Nuclear Option's Escalation also fits this MOBA theme perfectly. And I would love to see players building things and shaping the battlefield using AI controlled units.

Echelon:wind warriors, one of NO's inspirations also had transport aircraft with a somewhat similar role.

My vision would be far closer to squad or Planetside 2's construction, with full-on, player-driven manufacturing and logistics, that would turn escalation into a fully fledged dynamic campaign. But I know that this level of investment isn't for everyone, and not everyone would like to fly cargo planes half the match, much like many people don't like driving Logis and Sunderers. So I believe that the minimum of; "I want a few Boltstrikes / Aerosentries here, so I will airdrop them" should be enough for now.

[coral nova]

I like the artillery pieces idea. Set up and supply artillery pieces that can be called in from designated FAC aircraft (Cricket and scout helos maybe?).

Would be a cool way to give Crickets and smaller craft some late game punch once the artillery systems are in place

[hollow fox]

Reading this reminds me of this: