Caravaneer 2, dare I say, is one of the best game I've ever played. Its realistic, sophisticated and fun. Ever since I started playing several years ago I was totally hooked by it. But over the years I've descovered some problems. Here I'll be focus on its combat system. I'll be talking about the problems with current combat system and my ideas to improve them. First I'll talk about things that bothered me in Caravaneer 2 combat system.
Problems with current combat system[]
Sniper rifle + Rocket dominance[]
Tell me, when is the last time you actually choose assault rifles, SMGs and shotguns over your favorite Mosin, SMLE, Garand and M21? Sniper rifles in this game are not necessarily OP but considering the combat situation and how weak other weapons are, sniper rifle + rocket pretty much become the only practical choice. The map is always a flat plain with few covers to hide. Enemy will always rush toward you and the only way to stop them from dealing damage to you is to either kill them or stay far away so they don’t shoot. Because of these, the only useful tactic left is to stay behind and snipe the enemy from far away before they can get close, which only sniper rifles and rockets can do effectively.
Assault rifles and SMGs are far too underpowered. Their base accuracy are too low and burst fire is useless. Burst fire has high AP cost, even more accuracy penalty and even if 1 or 2 bullets luckily hit, each bullet deals pathetic damage (5.56mm rifle bullet deals less damage than 9mm pistol bullet?! WTF?!). So in the end you waste more AP and bullets to deal little and inconsistent damage while sniper rifles can do more damage with less AP and bullets in any distance.
Shotguns are overshadowed by sniper rifles as well. In early games their capacity is lower than rifle’s and only effective at point blank range. In late game enemy’s rockets and MGs stop you from getting close to use your buckshot shells and slug shells perform much worse than rifle bullets anyway.
Redundant ammo type[]
Having different types of ammo, if done right, can add more strategic thinking in the game. Unfortunately it’s not the case in this game. There are 2 major problems. First problem is that some ammo type is superior in every way so there’s no point switching to other types. Take 7.62x54mmR for example: HPBT rounds are supposed to be less effective against armor than AP rounds. But after some testing I found that even against Federation army, the most heavily armored unit in the game, HPBT still do more damage than AP in any distance. Not to mention I can get piles of HPBT for free by looting Scavengers and Bydlo horde while AP are rarer to find and cost more in stores. So there’s no point for me to ever use AP rounds.
Second problem is that some ammo types perform so similar to others that it makes no difference in switching. For example: The stats of 4 Buck, 1 Buck, 00 Buck and 0000 Buck may look different on paper. But after some testing I found that all of their performances are so similar (similar range, similar spread, similar damage) so I feel like having 1 type of buckshot is enough. Adding 4 different types of buckshot is just a waste of memory space in my opinion.
Problems with enemy units[]
Yes, it’s realistic that merchants in post-apocalyptic world will be robbed a lot. But since we have to command every single combat manually, some people said there are too much combats and it’s a little exhausting. Also the current bandit unit AI will attack you as long as you’re fewer than them, regardless of how strong you actually are. This creates some AI behaviors that are a little unrealistic. “Hey, that merchant just slaughter 30 bazooka bandits in front of my eyes, maybe I can rob and defeat him alone with my tiny knife?”
With the problems being said, here are my ideas that can improve combat system in the next game, well maybe... Caravaneer 3!
New combat system ideas[]
Suppression system[]
Since suppression has always been a major tactic in modern warfare, Adding it is not only realistic but will improve game play as well. My idea works like this: Everyone will have a suppression meter that starts from 0 and can be filled. Whenever he’s hit or a bullet flies past 3x3 area around him will fill 1 to this meter. AFTER he played and end his turn this meter will reset back to 0, regardless of whether it was full or not. If someone’s meter is full before he start his turn he will get “suppressed” status for his next 1 turn. During his turn his movement will cost x4 and his accuracy will drop to 0, meaning he can’t shoot back at all (but he can still use grenades). This effect will disappear right after he end this turn and his suppression meter will reset to 0. This system will drastically make AR, SMG and MG useful as burst fire is now a new way to slow down enemy and prevent them from attacking. It will also add another strategic use of grenades.
Stamina Point system (SP)[]
Apart from HP and AP, there’s now a new Stamina Point (SP). Everyone will have his own SP bar that’ll be affected by strength and combat experience. They start the battle with max SP. Every time someone spends AP he will also spend SP at the same time. The amount of SP spent may vary. Most of the time it’s the same as AP cost but some actions cost more SP while some cost less. Unlike AP bar, SP bar doesn’t automatically reset to maximum in his next turn. Instead you can refill it by pressing the new “rest” button and convert 1 AP into 1 SP. If someone ends his turn with unspent AP then they’ll automatically convert into SP. The weight of your equipment will cost you SP as well. If you equip 10%~20% of your max carry weight you’ll lose 1 extra SP every turn, 20%~30% will lose 2 SP, and so on.
For example: Someone has a max carry weight of 60kg and he started his turn with 20 AP and 50 SP. He spent 15 AP and 18 SP during this turn and used the remaining 5 AP on “rest” button. By the moment he ended his turn he still had 32 unspent SP and he’s carrying 20kg of stuff. The 5 AP spent on “rest” will be used to refill SP and since he’s carrying 33% of his max carry weight he’ll lose another 3 SP after this turn. So in his next turn he’ll start with 20 AP and 34 SP. (50-18+5-3=34)
When someone’s SP bar drop to 0 he’ll suffer from “fatigue”. All of the SP cost will now added to the AP cost and he’ll suffer additional accuracy penalty as well.
This system will encourage people with low strength using light equipment and using low SP cost weapons like handgun and SMG. Monitoring soldier’s SP bar and giving their chance to rest will add more strategic to the game as well.
Kneeling[]
A new action in combat. Cost 4AP & 4SP to both kneel down and stand up. When someone’s kneeling he cannot move but he’ll gain accuracy bonus. Also if you end your turn while kneeling down, the SP penalty for equipment weight will drop to 1/4. (Ex: carry 85% of max weight normally cost you 8 SP every turn, but if you click “end turn” while you’re still kneeling then it’ll only cost 2 SP for that turn.) Some weapons like MG and rockets require you to kneel down before you can fire. Choosing a good place to deploy could provide massive advantage for those who carry heavy weapons or those who want to snipe.
Different ammo types rework[]
If we want different ammo types then we need to make factors like Tissue Damage Coefficient and Armor Piercing more extreme so they’re actually excel at some enemy while suck against others. I also have some ideas about ammo types with unique function such as Dragon’s Breath 12 gauge shell that can ignite the target and poison arrow that causes massive bleeding.
Make weapon skills specific[]
Currently everyone’s different weapon skills follow a fixed percentage. Such as everyone’s handgun skill is always much higher than flamethrower skill. I suggest make random mercenaries have a chance to get exceptionally good at some weapon while some get exceptionally bad. So someone could has his SMG skill much higher than his rifle skill. This will encourage people to actually use different weapons.
Scaring away enemy[]
Now there’s a way to scare away bandits even if they’re stronger than you! If you manage to defeat an enemy unit group, the rumor about your skills will spread and for 3 days any enemy that are weaker or equal compared to that unit group will run away from you, even if they still outnumber you and would have normally attacked because they heard how well you fight. However, enemy that are stronger compared to that unit group will still attack you. After 3 days the rumor will end and attack pattern will go back to normal. This is not only realistic but also reduces the number of unnecessary combat, especially since combat requires more thinking and the pace is slower now.
Next I'll talk about my weapon ideas and their roles in the gameplay.
Weapon ideas[]
Melee weapon[]
I didn’t get too deep into melee weapons. My general idea is make small knife cost less SP to use while make clubs and swords cost more.
Crossbow[]
Crossbow cost low AP&SP to shoot but cost huge AP&SP to reload. They can now use poison arrow to cause massive bleeding. This will give them some use even in late game.
| Weapon | Weapon Type | Ammo | Ammo Capacity | Accuracy | APcost(SPcost) | Reload | Weight | Extra note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crossbow | Crossbow | Crossbow Bolt | 1 | 7 | Quick Shot:4(2) Aimed Shot:6(6) Head Shot:7(7) | 10(20) | 3.0 | |
| Compound Crossbow | Crossbow | Crossbow Bolt | 1 | 9 | Quick Shot:4(2) Aimed Shot:6(6) Head Shot:7(7) | 10(20) | 3.0 | It's basically Ultra weapon on mass production |
| Ammunition | Damage | Weight | Extra note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crossbow Bolt Standard | 6 | 0.050 | |
| Crossbow Bolt Poison | 6 | 0.050 | Causes a lot of bleeding damage if it penetrate the armor |
Handgun[]
Handgun have low weight and low recoil so they cost very low SP to use, Good for those with low strength or as a side weapon.
| Weapon | Weapon Type | Ammo | Ammo Capacity | Accuracy | APcost(SPcost) | Reload | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lugar P08 | Semi-Automatic Pistol | 9mm Parabellum | 8 | 5 | Quick Shot:3(2) Aimed Shot:6(6) Head Shot:7(7) | 3(3) | 0.871 |
| S&W Model 29 | Revolver | .44 Magnum | 6 | 6 | Quick Shot:4(2) Aimed Shot:6(6) Head Shot:7(7) | 4(4) | 1.374 |
| Glock 17 | Semi-Automatic Pistol | 9mm Parabellum | 17 | 5 | Quick Shot:3(2) Aimed Shot:6(6) Head Shot:7(7) | 3(3) | 0.625 |
| Five-seveN | Semi-Automatic Pistol | FN 5.7x28mm | 20 | 6 | Quick Shot:3(2) Aimed Shot:6(6) Head Shot:7(7) | 3(3) | 0.617 |
| Ammunition | Damage | Weight | Extra note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9mm Parabellum | 20 | 0.012 | |
| .44 Magnum | 35 | 0.020 | |
| FN 5.7x28mm | 23 | 0.006 | Has better Armor Penetraton and Tissue Damage Coeffecient than 9mm |
Sniper Rifle[]
Sniper rifle can keep their high accuracy and damage, although since aiming reqires concentration, aimed shot and head shot will cost twice amount of SP than its already high AP so sniping won’t be so noob-friendly anymore.
| Weapon | Weapon Type | Ammo | Ammo Capacity | Accuracy | APcost(SPcost) | Reload | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martini-Henry | Lever-Action Rifle | .577/450 Martini–Henry | 1 | 11 | Quick Shot:8(8) Aimed Shot:10(20) Head Shot:12(24) | 4(4) | 3.8 |
| Kar98K | Bolt-Action Rifle | 7.92x57mm Mauser | 5 | 11 | Quick Shot:8(8) Aimed Shot:10(20) Head Shot:12(24) | 4(4) | 3.7 |
| M1 Garand | Semi-Automatic Rifle | .30-06 Springfield | 8 | 11 |
Quick Shot:7(7) Aimed Shot:9(18) Head Shot:11(22) |
4(4) | 4.2 |
| PSG-1 | Semi-Automatic Rifle | 7.62x51mm NATO | 20 | 13 | Quick Shot:7(7) Aimed Shot:9(18) Head Shot:11(22) | 4(4) | 8.1 |
| Steyr HS .50 | Bolt-Action Anti-Material Rifle | .50 BMG | 1 | 11 | Quick Shot:8(8) Aimed Shot:10(20) Head Shot:12(24) | 4(4) | 12.4 |
| Ammunition | Damage | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| .577/450 Martini–Henry | 35 | 0.035 |
| 7.92x57mm Mauser | 35 | 0.031 |
| .30-06 Springfield | 35 | 0.027 |
| 7.62x51mm NATO | 35 | 0.027 |
| .50 BMG | 75 | 0.119 |
Assault rifle[]
Assault rifles need some serious buff to compete against sniper rifles. After all there’s a reason why most military nowadays choose assault rifle as standard issue weapon. First, their base accuracy is increased so it can reliably hit the target now. (Do you know M16 is just as accurate as M1 Garand in real life?) Second, burst fire cost less AP and bullet damage are raised to a reasonable level. A little accuracy penalty and the fact that it drains ammo are harsh enough draw backs for burst fire so there’s no need for storm trooper accuracy and bb bullet damage.
| Weapon | Weapon Type | Ammo | Ammo Capacity | Accuracy | APcost(SPcost) | Reload | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AKM | Assault Rifle | 7.62x39mm | 30 | 9 | Quick Shot:4(4) Burstx3:5(5) Burstx5:6(6) Aimed Shot:8(16) Head Shot:10(20) | 4(4) | 3.1 |
| M16A4 | Assault Rifle | 5.56x45mm NATO | 30 | 11 | Quick Shot:4(4) Burstx3:5(5) Burstx5:6(6) Aimed Shot:8(16) Head Shot:10(20) | 4(4) | 3.26 |
| Ammunition | Damage | Weight | Extra note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.62x39mm | 33 | 0.016 | Good Armor piercing but bad Tissue Damage Coefficient |
| 5.56x45mm NATO | 28 | 0.012 | Average Armor Piercing but superb Tissue Damage Coefficient |
SMG[]
SMG, although not as accurate and powerful as assault rifle, is cheaper and cost low SP to use because it has low recoil. Useful for low strength mercenaries to suppress enemy or when AR isn’t available yet.
| Weapon | Weapon Type | Ammo | Ammo Capacity | Accuracy | APcost(SPcost) | Reload | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MP5 | SMG | 9mm Parabellum | 30 | 5 | Quick Shot:3(2) Burstx3:4(2) Burstx5:5(3) | 3(3) | 2.5 |
| FN P90 | Advanced SMG | FN 5.7x28mm | 50 | 6 | Quick Shot:3(2) Burstx3:4(2) Burstx5:5(3) | 3(3) | 2.68 |
| Ammunition | Damage | Weight | Extra note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9mm Parabellum | 20 | 0.012 | |
| FN 5.7x28mm | 23 | 0.006 | Have good armor penetration and more Tissue Damage Coefficient than 9mm |
Shotgun[]
Shotgun has low recoil so they cost low SP and now they has bigger capacity. There are 3 types of shells to choose. 00 Buck is good against unarmored units at close range. Slug is more accurate and penetrates armor. Dragon’s breath shell has a chance to ignite target but it’s expensive.
| Weapon | Weapon Type | Ammo | Ammo Capacity | Accuracy | APcost(SPcost) | Reload | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sawed-off | Double-Barrel Shotgun | 12-Gauge | 2 | 3 | Quick Shot:4(2) Double Shot:5(10) | 6(6) | 2.2 |
| Winchester 1887 | Lever-Action Shotgun | 12-Gauge | 5 | 4 | Quick Shot:5(3) | 6(6) | 2.8 |
| Remington 870 | Pump-Action Shotgun | 12-Gauge | 8 | 5 | Quick Shot:5(3) | 6(6) | 3.3 |
| Saiga-12 | Semi-Automatic Shotgun | 12-Gauge | 12 | 5 | Quick Shot:4(2) | 4(4) | 3.6 |
| Ammunition | Damage | Weight | Extra note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12-Gauge 00 Buck | 112 | 0.019 | Contains 9 pellets |
| 12-Gauge Slug | 60 | 0.050 | Contains a single projectile with good Armor Penetration |
| 12-Gauge Dragon's Breath | 60 | 0.020 | Has a chance to set enemy on fire |
Machine gun[]
MG’s burst fire now cost less AP so they can shoot even faster now. But now you need to spend extra AP and SP to kneel down before you can fire and you can’t move while kneeling. You can’t use them as AR anymore and need to think for a good position to deploy. Once you do, however, they can shred and suppress mobs of enemy with ease.
| Weapon | Weapon Type | Ammo | Ammo Capacity | Accuracy | APcost(SPcost) | Reload | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PKM | Machine Gun | 7.62x54mmR | 200 | 5 | Burstx5:4(4) Burstx10:5(5) Burstx20:6(6) | 10(10) | 8.4 |
| M-134 | Advanced Machine Gun | 7.62x51mm NATO | 1000 | 5 | Burstx12:4(4) Burstx24:5(5) Burstx48:6(6) | 15(15) | 38.56 |
| Ammunition | Damage | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 7.62x54mmR | 35 | 0.024 |
| 7.62x51mm NATO | 35 | 0.027 |
Rocket launcher[]
Rockets now also require you to kneel down before you can fire. Other than that there’re not much changes. They’re still good at blowing up groups of enemy but don’t let heavy ammo weight you down.
| Weapon | Weapon Type | Ammo | Ammo Capacity | Accuracy | APcost(SPcost) | Reload | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RPG-7 | Rocket Launcher | PG-7VL Rocket | 1 | 7 | Fire:5(5) | 5(5) | 7 |
| M32 MGL | Grenade Launcher | 40x46mm Grenade | 6 | 7 | Fire:5(5) | 5(5) | 5.9 |
| Ammunition | Explosive Power | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| PG-7VL Rocket | 50 | 2 |
| 40x46mm M381 | 40 | 1.2 |
Grenade[]
I want to give grenades more tactical use because they ignore walls and can still be used while being suppressed. I’m even thinking of adding flash bang to instantly suppress target and smoke grenade to relieve people from suppressed.
| Grenade | Explosive Power | Weight | Extra note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Molotov Cocktail | 25 | 0.8 | Has a chance to set people on fire |
| M67 | 35 | 0.4 | |
| M84 Flashbang | X | 0.2 | Deals no damage but it can instantly suppress everyone in an area. Can be thrown farther than other grenades. |
| M18 Smoke Grenade | X | 0.5 | Deals no damage but it can instantly reset affected people's suppression meter and relieve suppressed people in an area. |
Flamethrower[]
Flamethrower doesn't need much change in my opinion. Good at setting groups of people on fire if you can get close.
Special Weapon[]
These are some ideas for quest reward weapons or DLC weapons. They can be either really powerful or just simply look shiny.
| Weapon | Weapon Type | Ammo | Ammo Capacity | Accuracy | APcost(SPcost) | Reload | Weight | Extra note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Repeating Crossbow | Lever-Action Crossbow | Crossbow Bolt | 10 | 8 | Quick Shot:6(6) Aimed Shot:8(16) Head Shot:10(20) | 4(4) | 3 | A crossbow with a magazine and a manual lever to string it constantly. |
| Golden Desert Eagle | Semi-Automatic Pistol | .44 Magnum | 8 | 6 | Quick Shot:3(2) Aimed Shot:6(6) Head Shot:7(7) | 3(3) | 1.65 | Basically a Desert Eagle with golden color |
| Golden AKM | Assault Rifle | 7.62x39mm | 30 | 9 | Quick Shot:4(4) Burstx3:5(5) Burstx5:6(6) Aimed Shot:8(16) Head Shot:10(20) | 4(4) | 3.1 | Basically an AKM with golden color |
| Barrett M82 | Semi-Automatic Anti-Material Rifle | .50 BMG | 10 | 11 | Quick Shot:7(7) Aimed Shot:9(18) Head Shot:11(22) | 4(4) | 14 | |
| AA-12 | Full Auto Shotgun | 12-Gauge | 20 | 5 | Quick Shot:4(2) Burstx3:5(3) Brustx5:6(3) | 4(4) | 5.2 | |
| M2 HB | Heavy Machine Gun | .50 BMG | 100 | 7 | Burstx4:4(4) Brustx8:5(5) Burstx16:6(6) | 10(10) | 38 | |
| FGM-148 Javelin Missile Launcher | Advanced Rocket Launcher | FGM-148 Javelin missile Tube | 1 | 50 | Fire:5(5) | 10(10) | 6.42 | Missile will follow the target on its own, resulting in extraordinary accuracy. Launcher itself isn't heavy, but its ammos are. |
| Ammunition | Explosive Power | Weight | Extra note |
|---|---|---|---|
| FGM-148 Javelin missile Tube | 50 | 15.88 | Heavy and expensive. But it can guild itself and blow people up from miles away. |
Attachment[]
These are some ideas about attachments.
| Attachment | Valid for | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Rifle Scope | Sniper Rifle, Assault Rifle, Crossbow | Increase Aimed Shot & Head Shot accuracy |
| Handgun Scope | Handgun | Increase Aimed Shot & Head Shot accuracy |
| Reflector Sight | Handgun, SMG, Assault Rifle | Increase Quick Shot & Burst fire accuracy |
| Front Grip | Assault Rifle | Increase Burst fire accuracy |
| Bipod | Sniper Rifle, Assault Rifle | Increase accuracy bonus while kneeling down |
Final Word[]
These are just my opinions and ideas after playing the game for years. It's still up to developers to decide what combat system they'll go with. But if the developers decided to make Caravaneer 3 in the future then maybe this blog post will help? Caravaneer series are incredible games and I really wish I can help and make them even better!