Hello,
at first, i have to tell, that i know, that suggestions are almost absolutely useless, because nobody from devs want implement it. It is not a flame, but statement of fact. But i believe, that some changes of existing features are possible.
As i said before, from my point of view TC is kind of beacon. If you are capturing the city, it means: "Hello enemy, we are here, we want to fight". In this era is this more truth, because you have to stay in capture area in the city. Nobody believes now, that this TC with militia helps bring some kind of peace to northern cities.
Problem is, that this kind of TC is better for bigger factions. Actually, it is good only for bigger factions. If you play in small team (5 players) and you want to capture the city, you have to stay in some area and wait. 25 minutes is long enough to enemy team regrouping and you wait for deadly wave of enemy players.. I dont think that setting different cooldown time will solute THIS problem, because on one side you will have time to make this big regroup, on second side, you will have not enough time to make any counter action.
So i am suggesting:
Make an alternative for this current TC system.. I like the progress you made, so there is no need to erase it at all. There can exist different "team PvP beacon minigames" at one time.
I dont know exactly what kind of TPvPbeacon you should implement, but i can imagine 2 basic ways of aproach:
1) "Elimination" of bigger gangs from small team PvP (by information embargo)
There will not be public beacon, like now is, but you will get info about enemy achieving the objectives (capturing or whatever) by radio or by direct screen info (only to specific gang). So only previous possesor of objectives will see, which team is trying to taking it and this will be kind of 1vs1 team PvP action. Different from current state is, that you would not start a beacon, that will attract 20+ players gangs, but you will be able to manage private fight.. if enemy (actualy taking objectives) will be stronger than you, you will have no obligation to join the battle. But if you will see, that small, unknown gang is trying to capture the objectives, you would be able to fight them, with no fear that 20+ player gang is waiting over the map.
2) David(s) and Goliath
Currently, TC is battle for some territory (city + resources) among two or more factions. Bigger factions is more likely winning. So lets make special type of TC: Big factions will have periodicaly (every day), repeatedly "capturing" the objectives, because they will lose it benefit after one day. If they will succed, they will get their reward and capturing(achieving obj.) will be avaible next day. The role for small gangs will be not in capture of the same objectives, but to prevent the bigger team of capture his objectives. So big team 20+ will try to achieve his objetives, but if that team fail because small gang will prevent it, smal gang will get reward instead of bigger gang (not the same, lower, but stil atractive reward). It is neccesary, that big team will have to do some chain of multiple actions, unsucces in one is absolut fail. Actions on different place in different cities.
I know that what i described is abstract, so i will try to write down examples, but feel free and post better ones, using the same logic and system.:
I.e.: "New Reno drug dealership"
Bros Gang needs to invest at least 15k (30?,50?100?) caps to start this kind game. The result is, that if they succed, they will earn many drugs, booze, whores whatever.. . At first, they have to kill all dealers on streets. If they will fail in this sub objective, they will fail in all objective. Dealers, after killing of first, will have their own cooldown, then they will left the city. So if Bros wants to achieve objectives, they have to split themselfs on the streets (opprotunity for other gangs).
Then, they have to find in the city stranger - drug dealer - and protect him. This new drug dealer will have to go to major bars in the city, persuading the owners for new source of drugs. He will be kind of NPC guard with the same possibility of remoting as a slave. (so big gang will need player with charisma => -1 pure pvp char in big team). Enemy team should attack NPC, or player with charisma. If Bros will have only one charisma player, and he will die, this will lower their odds.
Next step is... i dont know, if i need to continue.. There should be a part, that you have to bring one random special thing in some time to some place (condoms, cats pawn, ....) - you will know, that you can buy it in 3 shops in the wasteland, so you can guard every, or risk and guard only one,..., you will have to defend 2 objectives in one time in two different cities, .... .
So, what do you think?