The perfect game (Coop PvP Scenario)
 

scenario

Side 1 (Wolf Pack
Side 2 Convoy with Destroyer support
(Convoy target ships are AI on a predefined course

Side 1 Mission: Wolf Pack to Sink X Tonnage
Side 2 mission: Destroyers Stop them

Side 2 destroyers have player stations specific to Destroyers much the same as the subs have their specific stations

Get the dev systems implemented to promote teamplay and cohesion (Not many games get this right) and this would be a very good game with scope for much simulation to a very high detail

Ideal von channels
Internal Ship Net
Command net

Take into consideration, that teamspeak will be used for multi crews and therefore the ability to send messages to other ships on the same side via the enigma machine will most likely be negated by this unless you can think of a system that promotes the use of the machine in such a scenario

Most recent dev chat (June 14. 2016) on Subsim youtube has topics of discussion related to various text and voice chat options.

I wouldnt expect players to only use only one system or the other and so far the majority of videos uploaded show teams playing similar to Artemis, space game, for which the devs stated they got their inspiration from.. by using voice.

The enigma can be left in game for the choice of the players. I know in my almost 3 weeks of hosting games, we have used the enigma on teamspeak by dividing the teams into two or more chat rooms before starting the game, also agreeing on using the submarine radio channel 1.

We also set individual passwords on each submarine because we believe at one point, an un-announced guest who had previously joined my game hosted on a known IP address, came in and started flipping levels to drain batteries and grief the game a bit. It was possible because we didn't have a full crew of 4 and didn't use passwords yet.

Passwords can be set for TS channels so you don't get random voices coming into your submarine's TS channel, unless the host needs to announce a restart or similar issue.

I think you misunderstood the point I was trying to make about teamspeak use or any other 3rd party comms application

lets assume for a moment, this continues developing and the following scenario occurs,

• a dedicated server option is made available
• PvP is made available
• A gaming community hosts a server for it

Ideally the game should promote the useage of VON and sending encrypted messages via the enigma machine to friendly ships.
Meaning VON and enigma machine use should have advantages over teamspeak, in addition to adding immersion to the game

However typically in most games the opposite happens, so you end up with 1 side using VON and another using teamspeak, the teamspeak players having an advantage.

So my point was, take this into consideration when developing the game, making sure that useage of the enigma machine and VON is more advantageous than teamspeak.

How one would do this will require a lot of thought.
I can see how controlling VON in game can be used to restrict comms or add other elements of gameplay, eg poor transmission, reception when underwater or far away, or the ability of the enemy to intercept those transmissions if they were tuned into the correct frequency. All of which promotes the use of a 3rd party comms app such as teamspeak

What one would do to promote its use over teamspeak though is a hard one to answer.
Maybe using VON, enigma, automatically updates the map on known enemy positions, for any friendly ships receiving that data. Something like that would encourage VON/Enigma use over teamspeak use.
OR
The ability to command other ships, eg give them waypoints, coordinate a wolfpack attack etc via enigma

That is the point I was trying to make and as such this early development stage is the place to start putting any foundations in for that.


On a slightly different note
I run a gaming community and have done for well over a decade. The number of games I and our members have played since we started are too numerous to list. The majority of those games claim teamwork, but when you get into the nitty gritty of the game you find they have none, typically due to some "reward" system that promotes solo play rather than teamwork. World of warships is a fine example of this.

To get teamwork working you need to set a precedence from the start and support it with the in-game tools and systems. If you don't get it right from the start then new players simply copy the way the existing players do things and this is a very difficult chain to break.

Thinking it thru on a couple of points you have made. The designers would logically conclude the pros and cons and make the final judgment call, however I see the following objections:

If I understand it, you want the game designed to reward the use of in-game VON.
The result of this may or may not affect those players who use teamspeak and they can simply get the reward and simultaneously revert to teamspeak for any conversations not pre-programmed to trigger rewards.. this sometimes is referred to as meta-gaming - thinking outside the limits or intentions of the game.

The business & profit of making a game should begin with good gameplay, stimulating story and visuals, and proceed to preventing hacking among many other requirements. I see this idea as a very low priority following all other considerations.

The creativeness of players never ceases to amaze me, and the technology they find new ways to use is always changing.. coding in advance for too many possibilities with low payout can be a distraction to devs and a delay to production.

I do believe if enough community members see an idea as a "requirement" for good gameplay, the devs should raise it's priority.. so putting your idea here is actually good for discussion.

The players you refer to that are in a habit of doing things will likely not change until they are willing to change.. no person, and no game should or could put obstacles up to force the change unless it can be shown to be a requirement for good gameplay (which otherwise likely would decrease sales and give bad PR)