I've been toying with the idea of creating just one map. I like the idea of doing campaigns, because there's so much you can do. But it's one thing to toy around with ideas in Word, and another to spend hours (and in the long run: years) in the editor.
I have a lot of story fleshed out, though more on the macro level than on the micro.
I doubt I'll make anything this spring, but maybe in the fall? I don't play that much SC2 anymore (more HOTS now) and the thought of spending a year-or-so making something that can be played in a couple of days.
A little update: I still haven't decided whether or not to do this project, mainly because of time issues. I know that I in theory have time, but starting such a project is a big commitment, mainly because I'd rather have an unstarted project than an unfinished one (though a finished one is obviously preferable). I have completed a campaign before, and that was a lot of fun. Yet sometimes, it was a lot of work. I spent more time making it than I did playing it.
I'm still very excited by the idea, and I have some cool storylines and gameplay mechanics in work. I also have people who are interested in contributing. I'm guessing what I'll do is wait a little before doing anything specific, before opening a blank map to see if the enthusiasm is still there. I'm guessing it is (making maps is very fun), but I am—as said previously—a bit hesitant to pursue something that feels like a commitment, even though it technically isn't. Not sure that's what I want in my life right now.
What do you mean, gimmicks/assets? I certainly hope to take advantage of whatever toys LOTV brings in its bag.
There is definitely gonna be custom models. I didn't use that at all for PS, except for Janus' suit, and that worked out well, so why not continue doing it? The extent of the use is still uncertain, though. Having custom models everywhere sounds nice in theory, but it takes a lot of time, and it's important to ask if it's worth it.
You could argue there's an hierarchy of importance, with heroes taking precedence over everything else. Characters become more believable if they don't look too much like the standard models. Tychus has already had to play Henderson; not sure I can ask him to play another role without the player failing to suspend his disbelief.
Then again, with all the cool factions that's being cooked up by StealthToast, there might already be an incentive to provide a variety of custom models. I might need to hire someone for that part.
I have naming some of the missions, as can be seen in the opening post. This should be read as a sign that the story work is progressing. Also: as even the unobservant can see, the writing is not entirely linear.
Yes, they do, and the point is that any order has to work. The campaign will likely begin with a disclaimer explaining this shortly. I'll write how for each campaign you play, the more of the big picture you'll see. So in the first campaign you know as much as the characters. In the second and third, you know more than they do.
A made-up example: Say there's a Protoss spy amongst the Terrans. If you play Protoss first, you'll later play the Terran and know there's a spy. Play Terran first, and this'll be a surprise twist.
I hope it involves changelings. Changelings are cool.
Shit, that's a great idea.
I opened up my "Ideas" document and noticed I have a lot of other cool stuff planned, the only difference being that these ideas aren't "confirmed" yet. Anyway, here they are:
A zerg base powered entirely by overlords instead of creep. Naturally, the enemy has a lot of anti-air.
A boss fight like The End from MGS3. He has an extremely long range, but needs spotters to see you (like Phantom Locust). Naturally, you'll have to avoid the spotters while trying to find him. Expect lots of tall grass.
A playable Protoss faction where the units are twice as costly, but also twice as strong.
A unit that that can be used to guide enemy attack waves to its location (not unlike a psi emitter, I suppose). Can be used to turn one enemy against another.
A favor system where helping one side will anger another.
Specific musical themes for each of the main characters.
A fight where you trap invading units in gas rooms. Kinda like Ossos, except closing the doors automatically kills everyone inside, meaning you don't have to do that yourself. This one is actually technically confirmed.
Some of the things you can expect in this campaign:
A Fallout-style Vault mission not too dissimilar from Annihilation 11, where you control a main hero that has to leave the safe confines of the vault to explore the dangerous exterior.
A zerg stealth mission where you infiltrate a Terran base while they are busy engaging your Hive Cluster.
A dangerous, Hannibal Lecter-esque character confined in the deepest recesses of a laboratory.
A dark moment that is highly unlikely to make you feel well.
Multi-race alliances!
Cinematic interludes!
Plot twists galore!
I'm also trying to think of cool new ideas for the mission launcher, such as doing it HOTS-style, with the main character of each race standing in front of a changing location, depending on your progress. I also thinkered a bit with doing an interactive, Hyperion-style launcher, where you can walk and talk to people and gather lore, with the environment changing as you complete more maps.
Some thirty years ago, financial markets in the second sector of the Euler Quadrant began experiencing a massive meltdown, culminating in a widespread depression that cost millions of people their jobs. What followed was half a decade of low economic growth, substantial monetary deflation and a growing resentment not only of the ruling government, but also the entire democratic system.
Out of this chaos emerged a substantial number of populist politicians, none more charismatic than the young Fitzpatrick Felderman, an associate professor in xenomorphology at the University of Calimo. A passionate and well-spoken anarchist, Felderman blamed the crisis primarily on the sector’s legislative system, promising to repeal virtually law in existence if only he was given the power to do so. Mesmerized by his promise of a new beginning, the people lined up behind him, and only a few years after his arrival on the political scene, Fitzpatrick Felderman was elected sector president.
The Great Liberation
Shortly after assuming office, Felderman and his cohorts began deconstructing the state in what would later be known as “The Great Liberation.” Military units were disbanded, prisons were opened, and millions of public-sector jobs were lost.
To this date, historians argue about the success of the program. Many prominent figures criticized Felderman for enacting his agenda too rapidly, arguing that the economy was not given time to adjust to its new structure. Much controversy was made about the numerous corporations who began arming themselves in the wake of the program. Many of them became large, military entities that either killed their competition or forced it to submit to their rule.
Others pointed out how the non-existence of regulations led to an unprecedented level of technological process. Felderman, himself a prominent academic, often spoke favorably in the media about the discoveries he made. Many, particularly those in the trading sector, claimed the program’s success was unparallelled.
Some people learned to adjust to this new reality. The rest were forced to complain in silence. Meanwhile, a new generation was born; one whose members would know a world of laws as only a relic of the past.
The Wolf, the Locust and the Serpentine
Following the ruling government’s end, numerous mercenary companies, ex-military units, and various other special interest groups came together under the leadership of Melio Vhalar to form the Coalition of the Wolf. Only two years after The Great Liberation, Vhalar crowned himself emperor, and although his title gave him no official ruling powers, it still solidified his role as the de facto leader of the sector.
Eventually, the Coalition grew so powerful that it began to draw substantial criticism. Vhalar was accused of desiring a return to a pre-Liberation society, and although he denied this assertion himself, it was not enough to quench his opponents. Many claimed the Coalition’s rule was practically dictatorial in nature, accusing it of exploiting its near-monopoly in military power to silence its enemies and evolve its own rule.
A group of former traders, led by the successful merchant Jason Bell, began rallying support for a new Coalition. In what was originally just meant to be a simple mockery, Vhalar gave an off-hand remark on interplanetary television where he referred to Bell as a “locust”. Instead of dismissing this insult, Bell began to refer to his group as the Locust Union, wearing the nickname in pride instead of shame.
Throughout the two following decades, the Union repeatedly dealt a multitude of vicious blows to the Coalition, and although they never grew large enough to match their enemy in size, their efforts were significant enough for the Coalition to eventually begin regarding them as a serious opponent.
Amidst this grand conflict rose a third military faction, one later dubbed the Serpentine Alliance by outsiders. The animal monicker had no connotation to the group itself, who was primarily a scientifically-minded collection of individuals less interested in warfare than its counterparts, but it nonetheless stuck. To this date, the Alliance has not participated in any major conflicts, preferring instead to remain neutral. According to some reports, they have developed military weapons for both sides. Publicly, they have never expressed any desire to utilize these weapons themselves, adding to their myth as the most enigmatic of the three groups.
At the current moment, it has been only a few days since the Locust Union landed on the remote planet Taurus, which is populated by colonists officially sympathetic to the Coalition. Recognizing this as a power ploy, the Emperor sends his greatest soldier, major Reynia "The Blood Bride" Mallevion, to investigate.
Good idea. Didn't think of it before, but a three-way conflict should be a given in this campaign. I'll see if I can squeeze it in somewhere.
I've tried my hand at it before, and made it work (though I understand your complaints). I did it in CM09, which has a MOBA scenario where the troops that invade are not your allies. I also did it in AM03, where you block off the zerg to re-route them towards the protoss. I used shared vision with the protoss to see the progress of the zerg.
I've found that the hardest thing to do when creating a story is to get started. Once I have an initial idea, it's (relatively) easy to bounce new ideas off it, eventually resulting in a full story.
Well, now I have an initial idea. I don't have much more than that, but looking at the story so far makes me confident that this is going to be good. Very good. I can't share much at the moment, for reasons of spoiler, and because I obviously don't have that much yet, but I can do something...
What I can do is introduce the first Terran character: Major Reynia Mallevion.
A highly decorated officer in the Coalition of the Wolf, Reynia Mallevion is feared across the Quadrant. According to the myth, she strangled her husband on their wedding night (for reasons that vary, depending on whom you ask), earning her the moniker "the Blood Bride". Now she is married to violence, acting as the Coalition's frontal spear on sensitive missions. So feared is she, that it is said she has made opponents surrender by appearance alone. In addition, she is a brilliant tactician, capable of turning dire situations into opportunities for her superiors. She appears on the battlefield as a sniper with a variety of tactical abilities.
I've been toying with the idea of creating just one map. I like the idea of doing campaigns, because there's so much you can do. But it's one thing to toy around with ideas in Word, and another to spend hours (and in the long run: years) in the editor.
Well, that's overestimating, I think. But yeah, positive feedback is almost great.
It's interesting, though. I spent years creating Perfect Soldiers, and I'm glad I did it, but it was a lot of work.
I have a lot of story fleshed out, though more on the macro level than on the micro.
I doubt I'll make anything this spring, but maybe in the fall? I don't play that much SC2 anymore (more HOTS now) and the thought of spending a year-or-so making something that can be played in a couple of days.
A little update: I still haven't decided whether or not to do this project, mainly because of time issues. I know that I in theory have time, but starting such a project is a big commitment, mainly because I'd rather have an unstarted project than an unfinished one (though a finished one is obviously preferable). I have completed a campaign before, and that was a lot of fun. Yet sometimes, it was a lot of work. I spent more time making it than I did playing it.
I'm still very excited by the idea, and I have some cool storylines and gameplay mechanics in work. I also have people who are interested in contributing. I'm guessing what I'll do is wait a little before doing anything specific, before opening a blank map to see if the enthusiasm is still there. I'm guessing it is (making maps is very fun), but I am—as said previously—a bit hesitant to pursue something that feels like a commitment, even though it technically isn't. Not sure that's what I want in my life right now.
What do you mean, gimmicks/assets? I certainly hope to take advantage of whatever toys LOTV brings in its bag.
There is definitely gonna be custom models. I didn't use that at all for PS, except for Janus' suit, and that worked out well, so why not continue doing it? The extent of the use is still uncertain, though. Having custom models everywhere sounds nice in theory, but it takes a lot of time, and it's important to ask if it's worth it.
You could argue there's an hierarchy of importance, with heroes taking precedence over everything else. Characters become more believable if they don't look too much like the standard models. Tychus has already had to play Henderson; not sure I can ask him to play another role without the player failing to suspend his disbelief.
Then again, with all the cool factions that's being cooked up by StealthToast, there might already be an incentive to provide a variety of custom models. I might need to hire someone for that part.
I have naming some of the missions, as can be seen in the opening post. This should be read as a sign that the story work is progressing. Also: as even the unobservant can see, the writing is not entirely linear.
Yes, they do, and the point is that any order has to work. The campaign will likely begin with a disclaimer explaining this shortly. I'll write how for each campaign you play, the more of the big picture you'll see. So in the first campaign you know as much as the characters. In the second and third, you know more than they do.
A made-up example: Say there's a Protoss spy amongst the Terrans. If you play Protoss first, you'll later play the Terran and know there's a spy. Play Terran first, and this'll be a surprise twist.
Indeed. That's why nothing goes public until everything's done. This means being a tester is an extra privilege this time.
Just for curiosity's sake, in what race order would people play the three sub-campaigns?
I don't know Robear, even tho I post on SCLegacy occasionally. Ghostnova did the white Janus model, though.
Shit, that's a great idea.
I opened up my "Ideas" document and noticed I have a lot of other cool stuff planned, the only difference being that these ideas aren't "confirmed" yet. Anyway, here they are:
Some of the things you can expect in this campaign:
I'm also trying to think of cool new ideas for the mission launcher, such as doing it HOTS-style, with the main character of each race standing in front of a changing location, depending on your progress. I also thinkered a bit with doing an interactive, Hyperion-style launcher, where you can walk and talk to people and gather lore, with the environment changing as you complete more maps.
I haven't read Dune, though I saw the movie. I prefer David Lynch's other work.
Note that each of the factions is in the process of being given detailed custom tech trees by StealthToast. He's truly doing an amazing job.
TERRAN BACKSTORY
Fitzpatrick Felderman
Some thirty years ago, financial markets in the second sector of the Euler Quadrant began experiencing a massive meltdown, culminating in a widespread depression that cost millions of people their jobs. What followed was half a decade of low economic growth, substantial monetary deflation and a growing resentment not only of the ruling government, but also the entire democratic system.
Out of this chaos emerged a substantial number of populist politicians, none more charismatic than the young Fitzpatrick Felderman, an associate professor in xenomorphology at the University of Calimo. A passionate and well-spoken anarchist, Felderman blamed the crisis primarily on the sector’s legislative system, promising to repeal virtually law in existence if only he was given the power to do so. Mesmerized by his promise of a new beginning, the people lined up behind him, and only a few years after his arrival on the political scene, Fitzpatrick Felderman was elected sector president.
The Great Liberation
Shortly after assuming office, Felderman and his cohorts began deconstructing the state in what would later be known as “The Great Liberation.” Military units were disbanded, prisons were opened, and millions of public-sector jobs were lost.
To this date, historians argue about the success of the program. Many prominent figures criticized Felderman for enacting his agenda too rapidly, arguing that the economy was not given time to adjust to its new structure. Much controversy was made about the numerous corporations who began arming themselves in the wake of the program. Many of them became large, military entities that either killed their competition or forced it to submit to their rule.
Others pointed out how the non-existence of regulations led to an unprecedented level of technological process. Felderman, himself a prominent academic, often spoke favorably in the media about the discoveries he made. Many, particularly those in the trading sector, claimed the program’s success was unparallelled.
Some people learned to adjust to this new reality. The rest were forced to complain in silence. Meanwhile, a new generation was born; one whose members would know a world of laws as only a relic of the past.
The Wolf, the Locust and the Serpentine
Following the ruling government’s end, numerous mercenary companies, ex-military units, and various other special interest groups came together under the leadership of Melio Vhalar to form the Coalition of the Wolf. Only two years after The Great Liberation, Vhalar crowned himself emperor, and although his title gave him no official ruling powers, it still solidified his role as the de facto leader of the sector.
Eventually, the Coalition grew so powerful that it began to draw substantial criticism. Vhalar was accused of desiring a return to a pre-Liberation society, and although he denied this assertion himself, it was not enough to quench his opponents. Many claimed the Coalition’s rule was practically dictatorial in nature, accusing it of exploiting its near-monopoly in military power to silence its enemies and evolve its own rule.
A group of former traders, led by the successful merchant Jason Bell, began rallying support for a new Coalition. In what was originally just meant to be a simple mockery, Vhalar gave an off-hand remark on interplanetary television where he referred to Bell as a “locust”. Instead of dismissing this insult, Bell began to refer to his group as the Locust Union, wearing the nickname in pride instead of shame. Throughout the two following decades, the Union repeatedly dealt a multitude of vicious blows to the Coalition, and although they never grew large enough to match their enemy in size, their efforts were significant enough for the Coalition to eventually begin regarding them as a serious opponent.
Amidst this grand conflict rose a third military faction, one later dubbed the Serpentine Alliance by outsiders. The animal monicker had no connotation to the group itself, who was primarily a scientifically-minded collection of individuals less interested in warfare than its counterparts, but it nonetheless stuck. To this date, the Alliance has not participated in any major conflicts, preferring instead to remain neutral. According to some reports, they have developed military weapons for both sides. Publicly, they have never expressed any desire to utilize these weapons themselves, adding to their myth as the most enigmatic of the three groups.
At the current moment, it has been only a few days since the Locust Union landed on the remote planet Taurus, which is populated by colonists officially sympathetic to the Coalition. Recognizing this as a power ploy, the Emperor sends his greatest soldier, major Reynia "The Blood Bride" Mallevion, to investigate.
Good idea. Didn't think of it before, but a three-way conflict should be a given in this campaign. I'll see if I can squeeze it in somewhere.
I've tried my hand at it before, and made it work (though I understand your complaints). I did it in CM09, which has a MOBA scenario where the troops that invade are not your allies. I also did it in AM03, where you block off the zerg to re-route them towards the protoss. I used shared vision with the protoss to see the progress of the zerg.
I've found that the hardest thing to do when creating a story is to get started. Once I have an initial idea, it's (relatively) easy to bounce new ideas off it, eventually resulting in a full story.
Well, now I have an initial idea. I don't have much more than that, but looking at the story so far makes me confident that this is going to be good. Very good. I can't share much at the moment, for reasons of spoiler, and because I obviously don't have that much yet, but I can do something...
What I can do is introduce the first Terran character: Major Reynia Mallevion.
A highly decorated officer in the Coalition of the Wolf, Reynia Mallevion is feared across the Quadrant. According to the myth, she strangled her husband on their wedding night (for reasons that vary, depending on whom you ask), earning her the moniker "the Blood Bride". Now she is married to violence, acting as the Coalition's frontal spear on sensitive missions. So feared is she, that it is said she has made opponents surrender by appearance alone. In addition, she is a brilliant tactician, capable of turning dire situations into opportunities for her superiors. She appears on the battlefield as a sniper with a variety of tactical abilities.