The Great Experiment

[LilWhiteMouse]

This started as a simple test for a different project, but it kinda got out of hand.
[EDIT]Download removed.
Anyone want to see this continued?

The icons in your inventory will recruit allied units. They'll appear at the nearest allied base. The player can't take over bases, only the AI can. Only leaders can be attacked. The peons following are eye candy only. Game over when either side no longer has a base.

[EDIT] Current revision:
http://home.midmaine.com/~lilwhitemo/Qc.zip

[The NUtcracker]

Anyone want to see this continued?

I do!

[Penguinator]

Sounds very interesting, downloading now.

EDIT:I'm impressed, although I couldn't overtake the entire map because you have to defend two forts in the middle. Please keep working on this, it was fun.

[Shadelight]

That was pretty cool, where'd you get the idea for this LWM?

[XutaWoo]

Heh. Though, the player is completely useless, except on harpys. Causing use of "resurrect" or constant death.

[Matt]

Man, this thing is difficult D: ... and awesome :O

Any specific reason why the peons don't matter?

[LilWhiteMouse]

Man, this thing is difficult D: ... and awesome :O

Any specific reason why the peons don't matter?

And I thought it was way to easy. Go fig. Never bothered to start balancing because it wasn't supposed to be a project.

The peons are just projectiles that chase their owner (I still bow to Nanami for that one). I wanted units, instead of autonomous actors that wandered about on their own. That was half the point of the test btw (bases second). I figured it was kinda noble only attacking the leaders.

---

http://home.midmaine.com/~lilwhitemo/InfernalStorm.png
FYI, here's a screen of the 'parent' project. You can't see any in the screeny, but you've got allied troops running around. While the Valkyrie armor (pictured) is durable and armed, it's primary purpose is to escort and support the troops. It bugged me that they'd wander about forcing you to choose who to protect. In the field map (used in the child project) it's not so bad, they tend to stick to two groups. In the city map though, they get so scattered chasing after demons that you can't possibly stick with them and they get slaughtered (especially against the Harbringer).

[Travis]

Heh, I was just thinking of fiddling around with a similar idea a few days ago. Concept looks good, but of course there's work that needs to be done.

[LilWhiteMouse]

http://home.midmaine.com/~lilwhitemo/Qc.zip
Here's the current revision, it's a bit more solid now. Still no 'end' though.

With the exception of the Amazon, all units cost 15 points to recruit. The Amazon only costs 10. On the right side of the screen is your army status. The equipment pile indicates how many units you can recruit. When the equipment is gone, you can't recruit any more units until equipment is freed up. The number next to the pile is your recruitment points, used to recruit units. You gain points slowly over time, and by defeating enemies or taking over bases. You lose points for defeated allies, and losing bases. Recruited units will appear at the nearest allied base and seek out the closest enemy/base. Bases can only be captured by the AI units.

Units:
Lancer
Basic melee unit. Slow, but high defense and offense.
Amazon
Faster then the Lancer, with both melee and ranged attacks. Lower offense and defense then the Lancer.
Sage
Powerful area effect ranged magic, but low defense.
Witch
Airborne ranged attacker. Low defense.
Phalanx
Slower then the Lancer, but with improved defense and offense. It has a limited detection radius. NOTE: The phalanx is supposed to be a defender, but because of A_Wander it will migrate to the player with nothing to attack.

There are four berry bushes on the map, used for healing. The bush will replace berries over time, but to three a bush. Allied bases will also spawn armor. Any armor at a base when it is lost is destroyed.

Unimplemented/Unfinished:
An end.
Balancing
The player weapon has animations for a shield altfire. I've never found myself in a position where I wanted it so it's never been finished.
After losing half the bases, an enemy general will appear to serve as a mini boss. After being defeated, it will respawn after awhile.
I want to redesign the home bases into more castle like, and spruce up the outposts.
A score system based on kills/losses/time would be nice.

[The NUtcracker]

This is very good work, but I find it too hard to defend the main base. Perhaps you should make the main base statue things a little tougher to take out, and make the other base things a little easier to take out (so it's easier to capture them).

Also, the Phalanx that you can spawn say they are Lancer squads, just like the, well, lancer squads.

I also think you should increase the gain rate of the recruiting points, as I think it's too slow.

[Matt]

Alright, I'm finally starting to get the hang of it... don't recruit anything until you've got at least 30 points, recruit fast-moving units only right when you need them, stick to one base until you've captured at least two others and your base is swarming with your units. And never, ever try to Rumsfeld an attack.

A few comments:

- Awesome job with the new units! I think they're pretty nicely balanced as it is (though the stormtroopers seem a bit faster than the phalanx, but that's probably the AI...)

- I personally think that the gain rate is good as it is. Too fast and it becaomes a matter of how quickly you can build everything instead of actually thinking about what to do next.

- I think you still need to replace the high death sound. Also, I heard one default player fall-down grunt somewhere although it was an isolated incident.

- Yeah, the shield would be pretty useless... worse since it covers your view of the battle. How about having the altfire rally nearby units to your location (e.g., if a sage or amazon or witch rushes too far ahead)?

- One thing I'd like to see the phalanx do: move towards the nearest base, and stray further from it only when a certain number of friendlies are close or it has to confront an attacker. Not a clue how hard this is to do with a monster instead of the player as a reference point though...

- I literally can't find the berry bushes to save my life. x_X

- The new HUD combined with the pseudo-Hellenic imagery really adds something to the game's polish and takes it a huge notch above the standard fantasy tropes...

[LilWhiteMouse]

though the stormtroopers seem a bit faster than the phalanx, but that's probably the AI...)

The phalanx is the slowest unit.

I think you still need to replace the high death sound. Also, I heard one default player fall-down grunt somewhere although it was an isolated incident.

I thought I had replaced the oof sound, but apparently not. I screwed some things up trying to do the pain sounds.

I literally can't find the berry bushes to save my life. x_X

I'll add mapmarkers to indicate their position. There's one on the lower ledge infront of your base, one in the far lower left corner, one northwest of it, and one south of the enemy base.

[LilWhiteMouse]

I took the automap a step further.
http://home.midmaine.com/~lilwhitemo/QC_automap.png
The berry bush in the middle is new, so don't go looking for it.

[EDIT] Is it possible to add a background image to the automap?

[HotWax]

Take a look at how it's done in Heretic.

[LilWhiteMouse]

Take a look at how it's done in Heretic.

I had to root through the source, but I think I found what I want with a lump named AUTOPAGE.