I thought it was about time to make an extensive post about the map that I'm currently focusing on. It was started as a test map to learn the basics and it's the single thing that learned me the most about the data editor.
The map is divided into 5x5 square-formed areas and supports up to 8 players. The mission is to capture all of the squares. Each square got an outpost in the middle. You capture a square by damaging the bunker down to 85% health(It got a max health of 10,000)
Each square contains an outpost able to produce 33 different units(11 terran units, 11 protoss units and 11 zerg units). However in the start you will only be able to produce marines, zerglings and zealots since you lack the the upgrades for the other units. Which brings me to the next point:
Tech tree
Each unit got 3 different upgrades to choose from(33 units * 3 upgrades = 99 upgrades). Yes, there's a total of 99 unit upgrades and they're not boring ones like +1 armor.
What about a zealot with a chance on hit to create a hallucinated zealot? Banelings with slow movement while burrowed? Archons with a bouncing attack? Lifestealing mutalisks? Overclocked Thors? Entrenched Marauders?
Let me explain the tech tree format. Each tech tree(one for each race) got 6 tiers.
Let's take terran as an example. The first tier is the marine, therefore if you check the Terran tech tree you can choose between 3 upgrades for the marine(Stimpack, Combat Shield or Flashbang). For now you can only pick one of them, I might change that later.
When you've upgraded an upgrade for the marine, your next upgrade will be the tier 2 unit. Terran's tier 2 consists of the Marauder and the Hellion.
Let's say I pick the Marauder, I will now be able to produce it from my outposts. The top "Research one of the units above first" box will also disappear revealing 3 upgrades for the tier 2 unit I picked.
Nothing is stopping you from tech switching between races at any time in the game. What about a roach/medivac combo?
Each upgrade costs 5 research points. Which brings me to the next part.
Income
You get research points and minerals every 55 seconds. The reason for the long time between incomes is that the game can be very apm intensive at times with several battles going on in different places(not to mention the addition of several abilities that require more micro)
Research points are used for the tech tree and some special abilities available in your outpost. Minerals are used for all the units.
Your research point income depends on the amount of outposts you control. The outer layer of outposts give +1 income each. All the other outposts give +2 income each except the middle one which gives +5 income.
As you can see, the deeper you go into the map, the more valuable it gets. However, protecting the middle square can be hard and since it's in the middle it's very exposed and vulnerable.
Your mineral income is 5 times your research income.
Here are some pictures of the map in action:
Picture shows Uber fields, Archon's psi chain attack(barely visible on the large overclocked Thors), High Templar's plasma bolt attack, Science vessels with nano-repair and some diamondbacks trying to flank
Cloaked Ghost lockdowns an Odin(A thor with one of the upgrades)
Marines are defending against a Zerg raid. Fortunately the Raven can support by calling down temporary barricade structures for a small mana cost.
Brood Lords with upgraded broodlings are attacking the bunker but are intercepted by enemy vikings. However, the hydras are there to bring them down to the ground with ensnare.
Zealots are engaging a marine force, the numbers looked to be in the Terran's favor but due to the Mirror image upgrade the marine's are soon overwhelmed by real and hallucinated Zealots
The blue player decided to get the Leap upgrade for the Zerglings allowing them to quickly close the gap between them and the marines by leaping forward in the air.
All upgrades are not done yet, I've done 75% so far and that's the major part of the job. It's also the think that's been really helpful for learning the data editor. Since all the upgrades aren't done yet, the ones that are incomplete are disabled in the tech tree. Each unit has at least one finished upgrade.
Tell me what you think, and please give me some suggestions about the terrain. I know it looks boring but I don't really know how to improve it. I want it simple and clean yet not too monotone and boring.
It is currently published on EU with the name "Square Control" but it hasn't been played and I wont try to make it popular until I finish all the upgrades.
Seems awfully complicated for a game of capture the squares.
A simple rock-paper-scissors set-up of units would work just as well and keep the focus on your square-capturing strategy rather than screwing around with all those upgrades.
The upgrade system is very intuitive(in my opinion) when you get the hang of it, and it stops being complicated after less than one game. None of my beta testers complained about it being to complicated.
Also, since you only get 1 of the upgrades for each unit, it's not like there's an OVERWHELMING amount of stuff to do. There is lots to do but it's not like you need two times the apm of a korean to do it.
A simple rock-paper-scissors set-up without upgrades feels very boring and it's not a game I would personally play.
I played this map and Siretu (author) asked me to post my comments here.
Well. I'm going to repeat my opinion. Firstly - rock-paper-scissors system is good forever and simple upgrade system can't make it worse. My the only wish here is to make discription more short :) Just write short summary of current research in yellow text color to allow player fast recognise what does it do. Examples : "allow you to recruit marauders", "increase shoot range of goliath" etc...
Secondly (and lastly) - make bunker upgrades! It would allow player to defend squares even he doesn't have any time to defend them manually. :)
I thought it was about time to make an extensive post about the map that I'm currently focusing on. It was started as a test map to learn the basics and it's the single thing that learned me the most about the data editor.
The map is divided into 5x5 square-formed areas and supports up to 8 players. The mission is to capture all of the squares. Each square got an outpost in the middle. You capture a square by damaging the bunker down to 85% health(It got a max health of 10,000)
Each square contains an outpost able to produce 33 different units(11 terran units, 11 protoss units and 11 zerg units). However in the start you will only be able to produce marines, zerglings and zealots since you lack the the upgrades for the other units. Which brings me to the next point:
Tech tree
Each unit got 3 different upgrades to choose from(33 units * 3 upgrades = 99 upgrades). Yes, there's a total of 99 unit upgrades and they're not boring ones like +1 armor.
What about a zealot with a chance on hit to create a hallucinated zealot? Banelings with slow movement while burrowed? Archons with a bouncing attack? Lifestealing mutalisks? Overclocked Thors? Entrenched Marauders?
Let me explain the tech tree format. Each tech tree(one for each race) got 6 tiers.
Let's take terran as an example. The first tier is the marine, therefore if you check the Terran tech tree you can choose between 3 upgrades for the marine(Stimpack, Combat Shield or Flashbang). For now you can only pick one of them, I might change that later.
When you've upgraded an upgrade for the marine, your next upgrade will be the tier 2 unit. Terran's tier 2 consists of the Marauder and the Hellion.
Let's say I pick the Marauder, I will now be able to produce it from my outposts. The top "Research one of the units above first" box will also disappear revealing 3 upgrades for the tier 2 unit I picked.
Nothing is stopping you from tech switching between races at any time in the game. What about a roach/medivac combo?
Each upgrade costs 5 research points. Which brings me to the next part.
Income
You get research points and minerals every 55 seconds. The reason for the long time between incomes is that the game can be very apm intensive at times with several battles going on in different places(not to mention the addition of several abilities that require more micro)
Research points are used for the tech tree and some special abilities available in your outpost. Minerals are used for all the units.
Your research point income depends on the amount of outposts you control. The outer layer of outposts give +1 income each. All the other outposts give +2 income each except the middle one which gives +5 income.
As you can see, the deeper you go into the map, the more valuable it gets. However, protecting the middle square can be hard and since it's in the middle it's very exposed and vulnerable.
Your mineral income is 5 times your research income.
Here are some pictures of the map in action:
Picture shows Uber fields, Archon's psi chain attack(barely visible on the large overclocked Thors), High Templar's plasma bolt attack, Science vessels with nano-repair and some diamondbacks trying to flank
Cloaked Ghost lockdowns an Odin(A thor with one of the upgrades)
Marines are defending against a Zerg raid. Fortunately the Raven can support by calling down temporary barricade structures for a small mana cost.
Brood Lords with upgraded broodlings are attacking the bunker but are intercepted by enemy vikings. However, the hydras are there to bring them down to the ground with ensnare.
Zealots are engaging a marine force, the numbers looked to be in the Terran's favor but due to the Mirror image upgrade the marine's are soon overwhelmed by real and hallucinated Zealots
The blue player decided to get the Leap upgrade for the Zerglings allowing them to quickly close the gap between them and the marines by leaping forward in the air.
All upgrades are not done yet, I've done 75% so far and that's the major part of the job. It's also the think that's been really helpful for learning the data editor. Since all the upgrades aren't done yet, the ones that are incomplete are disabled in the tech tree. Each unit has at least one finished upgrade.
Tell me what you think, and please give me some suggestions about the terrain. I know it looks boring but I don't really know how to improve it. I want it simple and clean yet not too monotone and boring.
It is currently published on EU with the name "Square Control" but it hasn't been played and I wont try to make it popular until I finish all the upgrades.
Seems awfully complicated for a game of capture the squares.
A simple rock-paper-scissors set-up of units would work just as well and keep the focus on your square-capturing strategy rather than screwing around with all those upgrades.
The upgrade system is very intuitive(in my opinion) when you get the hang of it, and it stops being complicated after less than one game. None of my beta testers complained about it being to complicated.
Also, since you only get 1 of the upgrades for each unit, it's not like there's an OVERWHELMING amount of stuff to do. There is lots to do but it's not like you need two times the apm of a korean to do it.
A simple rock-paper-scissors set-up without upgrades feels very boring and it's not a game I would personally play.
Thanks for your opinion though.
I played this map and Siretu (author) asked me to post my comments here.
Well. I'm going to repeat my opinion. Firstly - rock-paper-scissors system is good forever and simple upgrade system can't make it worse. My the only wish here is to make discription more short :) Just write short summary of current research in yellow text color to allow player fast recognise what does it do. Examples : "allow you to recruit marauders", "increase shoot range of goliath" etc...
Secondly (and lastly) - make bunker upgrades! It would allow player to defend squares even he doesn't have any time to defend them manually. :)