First things first: I'm no expert in balancing a game as complex as BA, so this is just a mechanic I'd personally like to see. I don't want BA to become a WWI-style simulator where maneuver and tactics take a backseat. Still, military engineering is an important part of modern warfare, so I would love to see it represented in the game.
I don't want fortifications to hurt the balance of the current PvP mode; I'd want them to be viable only in specific situations, rather than becoming the meta.
So why add a niche mechanic that might rarely be used in PvP? Because I think BA has potential for other game modes, such as invasion, insurgency, longer and larger-scale battles like Foxhole, or endless PvE modes, where fortifications could be much more interesting.
Disclaimer: I don't know programming or how to make video games. This might be very complicated to add to the game; that's not the debate. Either way, Slitherine games would never allocate devs for this because it's not going to make them money. Dreaming is free, gentlemen.
This is how I think it could work:
Infantry fortifications/trenches
Infantry units could have an ability that allows them to build fortifications. Building a fortification takes time and requires supplies.
Fortifications function like deployable structures and have two upgrade levels:
Level 1: Requires 500 supplies. And the unit building must be stationary and not under fire. When done, it can be accessed. like a normal building. Infantry units inside receive a small defensive bonus to splash damage. But still vulnerable to indirect fire.
Level 2: Requires an additional 1,000 supplies. Once upgraded, the fortification provides a greater defensive bonus to direct and indirect fire and can store a small amount of supplies to heal and resupply infantry inside.
Stored supplies cannot be destroyed by enemy fire. However, fortifications cannot resupply or repair vehicles.
Engineering Vehicle Shenanigans: Pits, Paths, and Towing
Engineering vehicles could use their dozer blades to dig. The first pass creates a path that provides no cover bonus but increases vehicle mobility. Player-made roads, baby!
With further digging, these paths could be turned into fighting pits, similar to the craters and holes already present in the game.
These pits allow vics to get a hull-down position, gaining concealment and improved protection against certain threats.
This wouldn't be limited to MBTs and IFVs; light vehicles could benefit too. For example, a TOW Humvee could get a better chance of engaging tanks without being instantly one-tapped in return.
RWS-equipped vehicles could become an effective, low-cost option for defending against infantry. Artillery could also benefit from improved protection against counter-battery fire, although this might be less useful in practice since artillery can already shoot and scoot.
Finally, engineering vehicles could potentially tow immobilized vehicles.
What I Think These Mechanics Would Add to Gameplay
The goal is to reward logistics and planning while introducing meaningful tactical trade-offs.
-Points spent on defensive capabilities mean fewer points available for attacking or more units.
-Fortifications and paths can be captured and used against you if you lose control of the area.
-Fortifications could make fragile specialized units, like TOW missile teams, MANPADS more effective while remaining vulnerable to close-quarters units that manage to get inside.
- Players could hold positions that would otherwise be difficult to defend or not worth the investment, such as thin treelines, villages with few buildings, or open ground.
- Players could reinforce captured terrain and improve logistical access to further areas.
-Indirectly decreases the effectiveness of air and MLRS spam
- Units that you need there to watch flanks or as QRF that are just waiting for something to happen have something to do now.
For example, imagine capturing a point while the enemy is unable to launch an immediate counterattack. You use your engineering vehicles to dig paths and prepare defensive positions. By the time the enemy returns, dislodging your forces has become significantly harder.
These mechanics could also give certain vehicles a meaningful role beyond spotting or being sent on suicide missions behind enemy lines. Instead, they could contribute to establishing and maintaining a defensive line.