This is my current project and first map for Starcraft 2. I started the map just to get a good grip of the editor and to learn the basics, but during that process I continually expanded it and today I think that I can actually make a viable and good map out of the concept if I work hard to make it better. So I will regularly post the state of the map here, to hopefully get a little bit of feedback (I know its hard!) and to keep my motivation up. Also to clear my mind a bit because this thread is my personal reference for a concept. ;) Haven't really written anything down somewhere else.
First and most important before you watch the video: This will be a SINGLEPLAYER map because of lag issues and my interest in mission design, so every enemy is computer driven. The current map is just a testing terrain that I will use until I start with actual mission design.
Now lets talk a bit about the concept. Nothing in it is set in stone, so if you have cool feedback (or maybe just want to desperately see something implemented as a player because you are a big fan of unit X or concept Y) just say it, there is a good chance I will do it in some way or the other.
Concept
Top View Shooter, WASD + Mousecontrol
Singleplayer map, if there is no way to publish it without lag issues (even as a Singleplayer map, I don't know about the limitations of Bnet exactly) in Bnet, I will just upload it as a downloadable map to use for the Editor.
Every unit type is designed with purely data and a trigger AI that will be applied once the unit gets placed on the map. This way I can hopefully split up my work as much as possible, so I don't have to think about specific data and unit problems as much once I am in the mission design process (if I will ever get there ;) ). The AI really needs less computing time than I expected, currently I can easily place 30-40 units on the screen without lag.
The AI can be enabled and disabled if you want the units to do specific actions at a certain time.
I also want to make a lot of use of friendly AI units. Recently I thought a lot about how and if I could make it work to command unit squads on the screen, maybe even balance it in a way that I could divide gameplay a bit - More a Commander type of feel for people who like it, and more an Action/Shooter type of feel for other people. I'm not sure if I can make it work, and if it feels shit I won't do it, but I will definitely experiment with concepts like this.
I will probably work on data and AI stuff until HotS comes out. I have a lot of ideas for different unit types and abilities, so I even doubt it will be enough time. After HotS I will start to work on a UI and terraining.
Every unit should feel more awesome than it does in the basic Starcraft 2. I want to give especially the bigger units a really broad variety of cool abilities that really make them shine. Small units should feel expendable, but still have some little unique stuff (like the zergling jump). The general strength of units should be comparable, so it should be hard for a goliath to kill an Ultralisk etc.
Current State
The video shows a really early version of the game, I'm continually changing stuff for pretty much everything.
The map currently includes:
Working WASD system, goliath turret moves in direction of the mouse.
Camera movement in direction of the mouse to cover more area and to get a more interactive feel. Angle of the camera is changable, not sure about the best angle yet.
Cover system to protect against missiles and to cover behind for both AI and player.
Goliath: Various offensive abilities, one single pitiful defensive ability. Most of the offensive abilities will get major changes, currently I'm pretty much only satisfied by the basic machine gun thing and the basic rockets with the slow effect. There are a lot of abilities to come. Which of them make it into the final game I can not say at all atm. There will probably be a maximum of 6-8 abilities that I will use ingame at the same time. If I end up with too many abilities that all are kind of cool I will make them an option at the start of the map in exchange for other abilities (maybe as a banking system to unlock stuff).
Hydralisk: Finished (but still has to be polished) AI, some abilities still missing. I agree that the AI isn't perfect, but I want to finish my map at some point and I can't make perfect AIs that respond reasonable at every point in time (I'm just not good enough). I think it is decent, leave some comments about it from what you see. The Hydralisk is designed as a mainly space controlling ranged unit that just spits out the attacks really wide and fast. I want to give them another offensive ability which spits a pool of slime to a location that hinders movement and does damage for a period of time, but it isn't finished yet. Also every zerg unit obviously has to get a burrow ability for sneaky ambushes and defensive measures, but I also haven't done that yet.
Some minor stuff, I won't go into much detail there. The Zergling AI (they are really dumb zerglings), the marine weapons etc.
Also I already changed some stuff from what you see in the video. The Goliath is much slower now and I removed that annoying Movement sound.
If you have good ideas or an opinion about my map, think it is a bad idea or any other form of feedback just post it here, I will definitely read and think about it. If you don't have specific opinions, share your opinion about these questions:
Do you like the classic Terran vs. Zerg theme or do you think I should finish Protoss or Terran enemy units first?
Would you play a Singleplayer Top-View-Shooter for the SC2 engine or do you think the concept is bad (and why)?
Do you think the damage indicator for enemy units (they turn white/bright for a brief moment) is a good design idea or should it be removed?
Did you realize how I was too lazy to add water to the whole map? ;)
Also a general thanks to all the good tutorials and the overall helpfulness on this site. Especially to Kueken & DrSuperEvil who are superheroes (no really, they are!), share their knowledge and always help if possible. Also of course people like BorgDragon and countless others!
You will experience a short delay on Bnet, even though it is singleplayer. Lets hope it will get fixed (or decreased) before your map goes live.
About the map. The concept is cool and original, and the abilities in the video are very promising. As for single player or not, you should go for single player, and then depending if you want to or not, expand the project to a 2 player co-op when the map is complete.
I wish you good luck, and I'll definately keep an eye on this project.
You can play single-player maps on b.net without lag, just download it through create game (or join game) and just go to Single Player and then Play vs. AI (something like that, forgot the name), and it will appear in the list.
I'd be interested in seeing how you manage to get this gameplay working in a squad based fashion. One suggestion for squads is to have a small number of units considered one unit. Or you could have each unit move and act independently but give players the choice to have your other squad members controlled by AI. This allows you to maintain micromanagement of 1 unit, in case that simplifies gameplay for the players.
Not sure how I will experiment with it exactly. Only thought about AI only Squads so far, but actually controlling a whole squad is a pretty cool idea. I'll see if I have enough time to work in that direction, haven't thought about it yet :) thanks.
You can play single-player maps on b.net without lag, just download it through create game (or join game) and just go to Single Player and then Play vs. AI (something like that, forgot the name), and it will appear in the list.
And the vs. AI maps are completely lagfree? That would be very good and very important. :)
Just finished another ability concept, basically only the target lock thing is finished, the whole visuals and time it takes to lock on the target and audio etc. is still WIP (as for most of my stuff). Also it still has a bug which I didn't show in the video, but I'm pretty sure I'll be able to solve it relatively easy. (edit: actually I'm not sure if it is even a bug or if I want the ability to behave like it does now. I'll probably just discuss it with my personal tester buddies ;) )
edit:
In contrast to the video I also already changed it in a way, that the ability will lock faster/slower depending on how well you aim.
Just wanted to bump this and say that this project is NOT dead :)
edit: For the YT video look into my message on the bottom or the start of the thread.
Haven't worked on it for almost 5 month now for different reasons, mainly lack of time, but also motivational problems. To get my motivations up again I worked a lot more on the core gameplay and how I want the Line of Sight dynamics and fights to happen.
Almost everything is unfinished, I mainly uploaded it to show that I'm still (again) working on it for some days now. The Youtube quality for some reason is really bad, I probably have to record it in a higher quality with Fraps to get better results for the next video. I'm mainly working on it right now to have a playable map to get some kind of "proof of concept" before HotS comes out, so I got a working core gameplay and can already gather feedback from players even if the map is far from getting into Alpha/Beta status (if it ever gets, I got so much stuff in my mind that it probably will never get close to finished).
Right now I also feel that I'm getting good enough with the data editor that I can actually begin to create some abilities which I will use later on. Right now I only intend to use the basic weapons (the machine gun kind of thing and the rockets with trails which get launched from alternating sides) for the map in the release, and I got some cool ideas for abilities that will probably be really really fun for gameplay, and I want to experiment with that. Also I have to work on more different units, but I'm still not sure if I definitely want to stick with Zerg as the main antagonist race for my first map. Terran and Protoss also have a lot of advantages and really cool units :)
Tell me what race you would like to play against for a map like this.
I hope I can finish a little scenario of some kind and the marine AI and maybe another unit and ability this week. Stay tuned! No big update so far, but I'm working on it.
edit:
Man, this Youtube video is dark! Original map isn't as dark and has less contrast in general.
As a little motivation kick, I'd like to say that I have been looking forward to this since you originally started the thread.
The new video actually looks really great with that lighting, it adds a lot to that feeling you're trying to achieve through your terrain. With the LoS mechanic implemented as well, I can already imagine how fun and engaging this map will get. Imagine running around a corner, then seeing a big group of zerg forces shooting directly at you.
Now, onto your question about races. I think you should try build up a story for the map, and then figure out what to put in when you've got a proper story. If you would like to stick to that dark and mysterious feeling, I think protoss units simply don't fit in; it's more of a zerg environment. You could also put up a story, at which you (a small group of terran forces) have to infiltrate another terran force's base and perhaps destroy a dangerous research or something like that. And you could even mix it up, so that zerg has invaded the planet, and you then have to infiltrate the terran base to steal their research in order to build a strong weapon for your own forces to survive the zerg.
Looks awesome. Reminds me very much of Alien Breed (the new ones since it's 3D) or Shadowgrounds, only with mechs (which I like).
May I suggest a "dash" type ability, which increases movement speed for a short duration in a specific direction? Could be implemented as a "jetpack" style ability. This would make the movement much more important/interesting and would allow for enemies that are a lot faster than you without making them imbalanced. Think of enemies that jump at you. You could dash away do evade them. Could also act as a kind of "panic button" when enemies are suddenly appearing next to you.
Do you like the classic Terran vs. Zerg theme or do you think I should finish Protoss or Terran enemy units first?
I like it. Zerg are perfect for blood/splatter enemies. Also, it's classic for a good reason. Everyone already likes it. When using different units you run the risk that it's simply not "fun" to kill them/play them. Such enemies could be added later on to give more diversity.
Would you play a Singleplayer Top-View-Shooter for the SC2 engine or do you think the concept is bad (and why)?
I would definitely test it/play it.
Do you think the damage indicator for enemy units (they turn white/bright for a brief moment) is a good design idea or should it be removed?
Don't know. Would have to test it. Alternatively, you could use blood on impact.
Looks awesome. Reminds me very much of Alien Breed (the new ones since it's 3D) or Shadowgrounds, only with mechs (which I like).
May I suggest a "dash" type ability, which increases movement speed for a short duration in a specific direction? Could be implemented as a "jetpack" style ability. This would make the movement much more important/interesting and would allow for enemies that are a lot faster than you without making them imbalanced. Think of enemies that jump at you. You could dash away do evade them. Could also act as a kind of "panic button" when enemies are suddenly appearing next to you.
Do you like the classic Terran vs. Zerg theme or do you think I should finish Protoss or Terran enemy units first?
I like it. Zerg are perfect for blood/splatter enemies. Also, it's classic for a good reason. Everyone already likes it. When using different units you run the risk that it's simply not "fun" to kill them/play them. Such enemies could be added later on to give more diversity.
Would you play a Singleplayer Top-View-Shooter for the SC2 engine or do you think the concept is bad (and why)?
I would definitely test it/play it.
Do you think the damage indicator for enemy units (they turn white/bright for a brief moment) is a good design idea or should it be removed?
Don't know. Would have to test it. Alternatively, you could use blood on impact.
I really hope to play this one day.
Pretty much agree with all of your statements.
About the damage indicator, I actually like it a lot. Players are familiar with this, and it is much more noticeable than blood.
The new video actually looks really great with that lighting, it adds a lot to that feeling you're trying to achieve through your terrain. With the LoS mechanic implemented as well, I can already imagine how fun and engaging this map will get. Imagine running around a corner, then seeing a big group of zerg forces shooting directly at you.
Yeah, that is exactly where I want to get at some point! I'm not quite there yet with the AI, but thats something I want to improve with small steps and hopefully get there eventually. I also try to comment as much as possible of my triggers so not only other people can hopefully figure it out if they want to, but also so I don't forget how all that stuff was planned and/or works. Man, it gets complicated fast!
Also that LoS thing is kind of illusion right now, because the AI doesn't react to it as much as I would like. Some Visibility problems there, but I'll get it fixed I think (or the AI will just have more information than the player, we'll see).
Now, onto your question about races. I think you should try build up a story for the map, and then figure out what to put in when you've got a proper story. If you would like to stick to that dark and mysterious feeling, I think protoss units simply don't fit in; it's more of a zerg environment. You could also put up a story, at which you (a small group of terran forces) have to infiltrate another terran force's base and perhaps destroy a dangerous research or something like that. And you could even mix it up, so that zerg has invaded the planet, and you then have to infiltrate the terran base to steal their research in order to build a strong weapon for your own forces to survive the zerg.
Hmm, yeah, that would be one way to design it. My "master plan" would be to eventually get units for all the three races and to have the basic AI triggers for all of that done, so you can actually create ALL of these scenarios. Well thats the plan anyway, I doubt I'll get there but one can dream! ;)
The point is, at this moment I'm more thinking about what race would have the most style in general and the most "Wow!" effects in particular. Because thats what it will come down to when people see a map, you have to provide them with an awesome looking first impression if you want them to play your map.
But I realized that I will have to create terran units anyway to have some allied units. Besides that for now I decided that I will probably go with mainly Zerg units first, although I haven't really created any more units so far (but I got a lot of ideas and I'll get to it soon).
May I suggest a "dash" type ability, which increases movement speed for a short duration in a specific direction? Could be implemented as a "jetpack" style ability. This would make the movement much more important/interesting and would allow for enemies that are a lot faster than you without making them imbalanced. Think of enemies that jump at you. You could dash away do evade them. Could also act as a kind of "panic button" when enemies are suddenly appearing next to you.
Near the top of my To-Do-List! Also giving the enemies more abilities which make them charge at you and/or burrow and appear out of nowhere and stuff like that. Of course I have also to be careful to not make it too overloaded and give every enemy type 10 different abilities. I'll test some and see how it feels, it should always be intuitive and once the player faced a certain unit a couple of times he should know what abilities he faces.
Man, I hope it too! But I already invested so much time and thoughts into it, and right now my plans are that I release my first playable map really early although it will have only a tiny amount of the features that I want eventually. Just a cute little scenario on a small map with some enemy encounters, ambushes, scripted events and maybe one not too fancy boss. Probably with lacking UI because I plan on making the UI later on when HotS is already out.
I also removed the last video from Youtube and fiddled around a lot with Video Converters and Video Editing stuff today (which took more time than I expected). As a result I uploaded a video which should give a little better impression of the lighting (less contrast, also changed some little things) and is also a bit longer and in HD with 60 FPS!!
I realized my PC can't quite handle that and there are some FPS drops, but it sure looks HD! :D
Wow, this brings back so many good memories of robokill 1 & 2 especially with the goliath ( if your not familiar with it, seriously look it up). I would love to see some cool ui/dialogs that allows you to switch off weapons/abilities wiht like 4 hardpoints just like robokills.
Even if you don't i think if would really be a good idea to have only the secondary weapon with the mass damage have an ammo counts, so that you can spend some time looking around the map for ammo loot. In your last vid it looks like a great place to hide a pickup would be like behind a destructible pill hiding a cubbyhole on the right. As far as stories, maybe something along the lines of your ship being down and you have to go into different junkyards to find engine parts or fuel. Either way I really like the direction and possibilities... if you ever need someone for some help in triggering or dialogs drop me a line for sure.
I absolutely love how fluid your movement and camera are. I almost never play single player maps, but this may be an exception ;)
Thanks! :)
Also thanks for bringing it up to the front page.
Big major update inc as soon as I have converted & uploaded the videos. Had a really good chunk of time the last couple of days, finished a lot of little things, 2 new abilities, a lot of sound stuff and had even time to play around with banker actors a little. Also implemented a first Overheat mechanic to be able to "balance" the different weapon types a little bit better. Would be nice if you could add 1 or 2 of the updated videos to the frontpage as soon as they are up, because I think they really change a lot in terms of viewer impression etc.
If you like fluid animations you will probably like my new artillery ability! ;) And also added a Dash for some more Movement versatility.
Next thing up will be making the level design a little bit more like an actual level (and finishing the terraining) and making the enemies more versatile. I'm currently thinking if I should add enemy structure defenses or not. Also if you have any wishes what kind of unit I should add as the next enemy type just say it. I'm open for requests (doesn't have to be necessarily a standard unit, I'm also open to glue different actors together to create units, but standard units would be easier, faster to make and look more natural of course).
Sadly I have some exams coming up in 1 1/2 months followed by a vacation, so there will probably be less updates for the next time.
Dash ability:
I'm not sure about the look of this, but I worked a lot on it and it was really hard to get good because I can't work with a lot of animations without fucking everything else up. For now I'm okay with this, if anyone has a cool idea how it should look go ahead! :)
I'm satisfied with the gameplay.
Also notice the walking sound at the beginning. Not the best sound and I'll swap it as soon as I find a better fitting one, but its still pretty cool I think :)
Overheat mechanic:
Well, Mechwarrior style overheat. You shoot too much, you get shut down.
Pretty much everything placeholder there, I'll probably finish it as soon as I work on the real Interface (with HotS).
Artillery Rockets:
I like them :) And they are probably the first special ability that I will definitely use for the public release. They look cool and they are fun to use, needs some balancing though. Already fixed the little bug with the disappearing rockets btw.
edit: Also already added a sound effect, which I for some reason forgot initially.
Update video with fights:
Yeah, just some fights, a little script which shows my little banker actor experiment (although its barely visible from the point I am in in this video). Also I experimented a bit (don't ask what...) and the Zergling death animation is missing in this video. No big deal, only noticed it after I uploaded it.
I really like your short progress demonstration. :D
Did you use a texture change for the white damage indicator? I don't think tinting can be that effective with the colors. At least I failed to recreate it. :S
I really like your short progress demonstration. :D
Did you use a texture change for the white damage indicator? I don't think tinting can be that effective with the colors. At least I failed to recreate it. :S
Yea its an ordinary texture change with a Unit Damaged Actor Event.
edit: Actually that thing about the glow effect I said was pretty nonsense, it looks different. But can be usable too.
Small new update, finally created some Attachment points for the small weapon slot which has no built in attachment points and created a Flame Thrower + a little Upgrade for it. :)
No feedback for the last videos? Would really love some feedback about the Dash ability etc.
MechCraft
Latest Update:
This is my current project and first map for Starcraft 2. I started the map just to get a good grip of the editor and to learn the basics, but during that process I continually expanded it and today I think that I can actually make a viable and good map out of the concept if I work hard to make it better. So I will regularly post the state of the map here, to hopefully get a little bit of feedback (I know its hard!) and to keep my motivation up. Also to clear my mind a bit because this thread is my personal reference for a concept. ;) Haven't really written anything down somewhere else.
First and most important before you watch the video: This will be a SINGLEPLAYER map because of lag issues and my interest in mission design, so every enemy is computer driven. The current map is just a testing terrain that I will use until I start with actual mission design.
Now lets talk a bit about the concept. Nothing in it is set in stone, so if you have cool feedback (or maybe just want to desperately see something implemented as a player because you are a big fan of unit X or concept Y) just say it, there is a good chance I will do it in some way or the other.
Concept
Current State
The video shows a really early version of the game, I'm continually changing stuff for pretty much everything.
The map currently includes:
Also I already changed some stuff from what you see in the video. The Goliath is much slower now and I removed that annoying Movement sound.
If you have good ideas or an opinion about my map, think it is a bad idea or any other form of feedback just post it here, I will definitely read and think about it. If you don't have specific opinions, share your opinion about these questions:
Do you like the classic Terran vs. Zerg theme or do you think I should finish Protoss or Terran enemy units first?
Would you play a Singleplayer Top-View-Shooter for the SC2 engine or do you think the concept is bad (and why)?
Do you think the damage indicator for enemy units (they turn white/bright for a brief moment) is a good design idea or should it be removed?
Did you realize how I was too lazy to add water to the whole map? ;)
Also a general thanks to all the good tutorials and the overall helpfulness on this site. Especially to Kueken & DrSuperEvil who are superheroes (no really, they are!), share their knowledge and always help if possible. Also of course people like BorgDragon and countless others!
17.06.2012
Still looking good.
In the video it does seem very smooth even with wasd, so perhaps you can do it in single player.
Single player tends to take away some replay value though so I would expect it to be amazing yet semi short experience.
This is definetly something Im looking forward to anyway.
You will experience a short delay on Bnet, even though it is singleplayer. Lets hope it will get fixed (or decreased) before your map goes live.
About the map. The concept is cool and original, and the abilities in the video are very promising. As for single player or not, you should go for single player, and then depending if you want to or not, expand the project to a 2 player co-op when the map is complete.
I wish you good luck, and I'll definately keep an eye on this project.
Very nifty, I like the proof of concept video, especially all the different missile types.
I thought the hydralisks took way too long to kill, but that might've just been for testing purposes.
Reminds me of SoftwareWolf's Starcraft Goliath.
Video is looking great!
Keep up the excellent work. :)
You can play single-player maps on b.net without lag, just download it through create game (or join game) and just go to Single Player and then Play vs. AI (something like that, forgot the name), and it will appear in the list.
Thanks for all the nice comments :) Appreciating it!
Not sure how I will experiment with it exactly. Only thought about AI only Squads so far, but actually controlling a whole squad is a pretty cool idea. I'll see if I have enough time to work in that direction, haven't thought about it yet :) thanks.
Haha, didn't know something like this exists. Pretty cool!
And the vs. AI maps are completely lagfree? That would be very good and very important. :)
Just finished another ability concept, basically only the target lock thing is finished, the whole visuals and time it takes to lock on the target and audio etc. is still WIP (as for most of my stuff). Also it still has a bug which I didn't show in the video, but I'm pretty sure I'll be able to solve it relatively easy. (edit: actually I'm not sure if it is even a bug or if I want the ability to behave like it does now. I'll probably just discuss it with my personal tester buddies ;) )
edit:
In contrast to the video I also already changed it in a way, that the ability will lock faster/slower depending on how well you aim.
Yes, it plays it offline so its just like playing it in the editor.
Just wanted to bump this and say that this project is NOT dead :)
edit: For the YT video look into my message on the bottom or the start of the thread.
Haven't worked on it for almost 5 month now for different reasons, mainly lack of time, but also motivational problems. To get my motivations up again I worked a lot more on the core gameplay and how I want the Line of Sight dynamics and fights to happen.
Almost everything is unfinished, I mainly uploaded it to show that I'm still (again) working on it for some days now. The Youtube quality for some reason is really bad, I probably have to record it in a higher quality with Fraps to get better results for the next video. I'm mainly working on it right now to have a playable map to get some kind of "proof of concept" before HotS comes out, so I got a working core gameplay and can already gather feedback from players even if the map is far from getting into Alpha/Beta status (if it ever gets, I got so much stuff in my mind that it probably will never get close to finished).
Right now I also feel that I'm getting good enough with the data editor that I can actually begin to create some abilities which I will use later on. Right now I only intend to use the basic weapons (the machine gun kind of thing and the rockets with trails which get launched from alternating sides) for the map in the release, and I got some cool ideas for abilities that will probably be really really fun for gameplay, and I want to experiment with that. Also I have to work on more different units, but I'm still not sure if I definitely want to stick with Zerg as the main antagonist race for my first map. Terran and Protoss also have a lot of advantages and really cool units :)
Tell me what race you would like to play against for a map like this.
I hope I can finish a little scenario of some kind and the marine AI and maybe another unit and ability this week. Stay tuned! No big update so far, but I'm working on it.
edit:
Man, this Youtube video is dark! Original map isn't as dark and has less contrast in general.
As a little motivation kick, I'd like to say that I have been looking forward to this since you originally started the thread.
The new video actually looks really great with that lighting, it adds a lot to that feeling you're trying to achieve through your terrain. With the LoS mechanic implemented as well, I can already imagine how fun and engaging this map will get. Imagine running around a corner, then seeing a big group of zerg forces shooting directly at you.
Now, onto your question about races. I think you should try build up a story for the map, and then figure out what to put in when you've got a proper story. If you would like to stick to that dark and mysterious feeling, I think protoss units simply don't fit in; it's more of a zerg environment. You could also put up a story, at which you (a small group of terran forces) have to infiltrate another terran force's base and perhaps destroy a dangerous research or something like that. And you could even mix it up, so that zerg has invaded the planet, and you then have to infiltrate the terran base to steal their research in order to build a strong weapon for your own forces to survive the zerg.
The possibillities are unlimited.
Looks awesome. Reminds me very much of Alien Breed (the new ones since it's 3D) or Shadowgrounds, only with mechs (which I like).
May I suggest a "dash" type ability, which increases movement speed for a short duration in a specific direction? Could be implemented as a "jetpack" style ability. This would make the movement much more important/interesting and would allow for enemies that are a lot faster than you without making them imbalanced. Think of enemies that jump at you. You could dash away do evade them. Could also act as a kind of "panic button" when enemies are suddenly appearing next to you.
Do you like the classic Terran vs. Zerg theme or do you think I should finish Protoss or Terran enemy units first?
I like it. Zerg are perfect for blood/splatter enemies. Also, it's classic for a good reason. Everyone already likes it. When using different units you run the risk that it's simply not "fun" to kill them/play them. Such enemies could be added later on to give more diversity.
Would you play a Singleplayer Top-View-Shooter for the SC2 engine or do you think the concept is bad (and why)?
I would definitely test it/play it.
Do you think the damage indicator for enemy units (they turn white/bright for a brief moment) is a good design idea or should it be removed?
Don't know. Would have to test it. Alternatively, you could use blood on impact.
I really hope to play this one day.
Pretty much agree with all of your statements.
About the damage indicator, I actually like it a lot. Players are familiar with this, and it is much more noticeable than blood.
Thanks for your great feedback guys! That is awesome :)
Yeah, that is exactly where I want to get at some point! I'm not quite there yet with the AI, but thats something I want to improve with small steps and hopefully get there eventually. I also try to comment as much as possible of my triggers so not only other people can hopefully figure it out if they want to, but also so I don't forget how all that stuff was planned and/or works. Man, it gets complicated fast!
Also that LoS thing is kind of illusion right now, because the AI doesn't react to it as much as I would like. Some Visibility problems there, but I'll get it fixed I think (or the AI will just have more information than the player, we'll see).
Hmm, yeah, that would be one way to design it. My "master plan" would be to eventually get units for all the three races and to have the basic AI triggers for all of that done, so you can actually create ALL of these scenarios. Well thats the plan anyway, I doubt I'll get there but one can dream! ;)
The point is, at this moment I'm more thinking about what race would have the most style in general and the most "Wow!" effects in particular. Because thats what it will come down to when people see a map, you have to provide them with an awesome looking first impression if you want them to play your map.
But I realized that I will have to create terran units anyway to have some allied units. Besides that for now I decided that I will probably go with mainly Zerg units first, although I haven't really created any more units so far (but I got a lot of ideas and I'll get to it soon).
Never played them, but YES!! :)
Near the top of my To-Do-List! Also giving the enemies more abilities which make them charge at you and/or burrow and appear out of nowhere and stuff like that. Of course I have also to be careful to not make it too overloaded and give every enemy type 10 different abilities. I'll test some and see how it feels, it should always be intuitive and once the player faced a certain unit a couple of times he should know what abilities he faces.
Man, I hope it too! But I already invested so much time and thoughts into it, and right now my plans are that I release my first playable map really early although it will have only a tiny amount of the features that I want eventually. Just a cute little scenario on a small map with some enemy encounters, ambushes, scripted events and maybe one not too fancy boss. Probably with lacking UI because I plan on making the UI later on when HotS is already out.
I also removed the last video from Youtube and fiddled around a lot with Video Converters and Video Editing stuff today (which took more time than I expected). As a result I uploaded a video which should give a little better impression of the lighting (less contrast, also changed some little things) and is also a bit longer and in HD with 60 FPS!!
I realized my PC can't quite handle that and there are some FPS drops, but it sure looks HD! :D
Wow, this brings back so many good memories of robokill 1 & 2 especially with the goliath ( if your not familiar with it, seriously look it up). I would love to see some cool ui/dialogs that allows you to switch off weapons/abilities wiht like 4 hardpoints just like robokills.
Even if you don't i think if would really be a good idea to have only the secondary weapon with the mass damage have an ammo counts, so that you can spend some time looking around the map for ammo loot. In your last vid it looks like a great place to hide a pickup would be like behind a destructible pill hiding a cubbyhole on the right. As far as stories, maybe something along the lines of your ship being down and you have to go into different junkyards to find engine parts or fuel. Either way I really like the direction and possibilities... if you ever need someone for some help in triggering or dialogs drop me a line for sure.
Looks really great :P
I absolutely love how fluid your movement and camera are. I almost never play single player maps, but this may be an exception ;)
Thanks! :)
Also thanks for bringing it up to the front page.
Big major update inc as soon as I have converted & uploaded the videos. Had a really good chunk of time the last couple of days, finished a lot of little things, 2 new abilities, a lot of sound stuff and had even time to play around with banker actors a little. Also implemented a first Overheat mechanic to be able to "balance" the different weapon types a little bit better. Would be nice if you could add 1 or 2 of the updated videos to the frontpage as soon as they are up, because I think they really change a lot in terms of viewer impression etc.
If you like fluid animations you will probably like my new artillery ability! ;) And also added a Dash for some more Movement versatility.
Next thing up will be making the level design a little bit more like an actual level (and finishing the terraining) and making the enemies more versatile. I'm currently thinking if I should add enemy structure defenses or not. Also if you have any wishes what kind of unit I should add as the next enemy type just say it. I'm open for requests (doesn't have to be necessarily a standard unit, I'm also open to glue different actors together to create units, but standard units would be easier, faster to make and look more natural of course).
Sadly I have some exams coming up in 1 1/2 months followed by a vacation, so there will probably be less updates for the next time.
Okay, here's another update:
Dash ability:
I'm not sure about the look of this, but I worked a lot on it and it was really hard to get good because I can't work with a lot of animations without fucking everything else up. For now I'm okay with this, if anyone has a cool idea how it should look go ahead! :)
I'm satisfied with the gameplay.
Also notice the walking sound at the beginning. Not the best sound and I'll swap it as soon as I find a better fitting one, but its still pretty cool I think :)
Overheat mechanic:
Well, Mechwarrior style overheat. You shoot too much, you get shut down.
Pretty much everything placeholder there, I'll probably finish it as soon as I work on the real Interface (with HotS).
Artillery Rockets:
I like them :) And they are probably the first special ability that I will definitely use for the public release. They look cool and they are fun to use, needs some balancing though. Already fixed the little bug with the disappearing rockets btw.
edit: Also already added a sound effect, which I for some reason forgot initially.
Update video with fights:
Yeah, just some fights, a little script which shows my little banker actor experiment (although its barely visible from the point I am in in this video). Also I experimented a bit (don't ask what...) and the Zergling death animation is missing in this video. No big deal, only noticed it after I uploaded it.
I really like your short progress demonstration. :D
Did you use a texture change for the white damage indicator? I don't think tinting can be that effective with the colors. At least I failed to recreate it. :S
Yea its an ordinary texture change with a Unit Damaged Actor Event.
edit: Actually that thing about the glow effect I said was pretty nonsense, it looks different. But can be usable too.
Small new update, finally created some Attachment points for the small weapon slot which has no built in attachment points and created a Flame Thrower + a little Upgrade for it. :)
No feedback for the last videos? Would really love some feedback about the Dash ability etc.