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Yes, the time has come when i shall speak about my plans for thou's future... or, not really.
Anyways, im working on a game design (it's personal, not a job) for an rts that would probably never happen, and i would like to know...

How many people would actually like the idea of a future based RTS with an epic single player storyline which spans up to 100 hours (or more, no specific details on that yet, just that the design has some awesome rpg elements.) The mechanics would be handled like this: Dimensional warp has been discovered and allows users to warp their controlled planets into another unused dimension, the planets will disappear of the map in real time, and paths that connected to that planet would connect to the next nearest planet in that line.
The path will have a number displayed above it that estimates how much distance to that planet, but however, the units dont necessarily jump along the paths, instead, path's are just used for measuring distance.

When a player is defeated by another player, they are given the option of starting anew, waiting to start a rebellion on their aggressor's planet who captured them (Rebel factions choice) or, Joining the player who defeated you and working for them.

Anyways, there is a lot more but i gotta go down shops. Please post your thoughts.
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Nroug7: Yes, the time has come when i shall speak about my plans for thou's future... or, not really.
Anyways, im working on a game design (it's personal, not a job) for an rts that would probably never happen, and i would like to know...

How many people would actually like the idea of a future based RTS with an epic single player storyline which spans up to 100 hours (or more, no specific details on that yet, just that the design has some awesome rpg elements.) The mechanics would be handled like this: Dimensional warp has been discovered and allows users to warp their controlled planets into another unused dimension, the planets will disappear of the map in real time, and paths that connected to that planet would connect to the next nearest planet in that line.
The path will have a number displayed above it that estimates how much distance to that planet, but however, the units dont necessarily jump along the paths, instead, path's are just used for measuring distance.

When a player is defeated by another player, they are given the option of starting anew, waiting to start a rebellion on their aggressor's planet who captured them (Rebel factions choice) or, Joining the player who defeated you and working for them.

Anyways, there is a lot more but i gotta go down shops. Please post your thoughts.
You said that it would be a 100 hour single player thing then went on to decribe something that seems more like a never-ending MMO deal - I'm confused!
So, is this sort of like skirmishes to control planets that get warped out of the way for safe keeping? And where a long sequence of skirmishes leads to one controlling the universe?

If that's it, it's as plausible as any other plot line I've seen for an RTS. I suppose as time goes by you'd have more and more resources generating automatically. Which could be a problem and a feature, you'd have to have some way of cutting or restricting the resources. And units would have to get bigger and more expensive as time goes by as most computers these days can't handle thousands of units simultaneously without having performance problems.

Other than that, I think it does have some merit to it.
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Nroug7: Please post your thoughts.
To be honest, the description sounds very vague (how are we supposed to give feedback on RPG elements if all we know is that you deem them "awesome"?), and contradictory in the areas that aren't vague (i.e. paths which aren't actually paths but can be removed anyway). There might be a good idea somewhere behind it, but currently I don't see any major difference between your idea and some inconsistent general framework for a game that people could come up with in five minutes.

I'd actually like to encourage you somehow, since I like to encourage independent developers in general, but I don't see how I could, given the carelessness of the actual presentation. Perhaps try again and give a better description, one that you write when you aren't just about to leave?
Post edited January 15, 2012 by Psyringe
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hedwards: And units would have to get bigger and more expensive as time goes by as most computers these days can't handle thousands of units simultaneously without having performance problems.
After a while, instead of generating individual units you start to generate squads, troops, or armies? (which are handled as if they were one unit)
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hedwards: And units would have to get bigger and more expensive as time goes by as most computers these days can't handle thousands of units simultaneously without having performance problems.
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Miaghstir: After a while, instead of generating individual units you start to generate squads, troops, or armies? (which are handled as if they were one unit)
Well, yeah. Although at some point an out of control military budget leads to everything being substantially more expensive than it should be.
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Miaghstir: After a while, instead of generating individual units you start to generate squads, troops, or armies? (which are handled as if they were one unit)
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hedwards: Well, yeah. Although at some point an out of control military budget leads to everything being substantially more expensive than it should be.
"That'll be $700,000.00, please"
"What? I don't have that kind of money! It's only a pencil, and not even a mechanical one at that. Back in my day, these cost $1.00 for a twenty-pack."
"Hmph. Now see here gramps, either you pay the price or you get out of the store."
RTS games only survive on the backs of balance and good mechanics. What you described were simply gameplay ideas.
oh sorry, was in a rush and had to go down shops.
i'm writing more now.
Post edited January 15, 2012 by Nroug7
There's one thing I think you need to consider at least. If you're planning a game where you can take over another person's colony, then you need to factor in the potential that someone has many different outposts, colonies and planets in control. It's like the game Pirates! on the NES. A country can control 100's of different ships. If you claim one, that's just one less that they have. There's still a larger force, and you need to allow that opportunity to occur rather than every battle in the game a "Everything or Nothing" war. Maybe allow for 4 different controlled planets and align them with your gateways. Force the foe to battle planet through planet to get the headquarters rather than taking over everything from 12 galaxies away. Or if not that, then let them control a solar system, each one being used for resource, building, army assembly, research, carry all of that over from place to place within reason (Say, if you clear the solar system that all the ships are renovated into carriers, and the resources that go with you to the next area is dependent on your fleet). At least, that's my thought.
No, that's not the plotline, that's the multiplayer component, i've designed a multiplayer and single-player componenet seperately.

Also, yes, a player has to control every planet in the other players control to have those options occur. And pirates! Was a very fun game :D

The single player features characters from the different sides participating in a certain war. The war happens between five different factions (one of which i dont have a proper name for, the aliens) and im not gonna describe race backgrounds right now, that would take to long.

The aliens:
Metamorphisis capable beings who can transforming on the battlefield, they are weak while they are transforming, but they are also versatile attackers, They would be comparable to the zerg, except they can transform into stronger or weaker beings, and gain or lose "Alien points" (i have no name for them yet) depending on the selected transformation. Alien points can be harvested from dead bodies, and aliens can also consume mid-large weapons.

Aliens can be small to massive, but their size is no indicator of their strength, this is due to their abillity to self-replicate cells.

The aliens god-hero is A-31, an experimental being otherwise known as the planet-consumer. and the father of all aliens.

Corporation: The corporation owns the Milky way, and is a large business with billions of soldiers at it's service, the corporation focuses on high tech warfare and prefers to focus on "Elite platoons" Of soldiers.Some of their soldiers are genetically enhanced. The corporation thrives on finding resources and selling them to their market for cash, The corporation can gather ALL Resources, but they are only useful for selling. With cash, the corporation can invest in research or building and units.

Their god-hero is the CEO, A cybernetically enhanced soldier with the latest technology. His Enhancements allow him to leap great distances, and give him heightened reflexes. It has been reported by the rebels he even has the abillity to fall great distances and survive.

Rebels:
The rebels are an extreme portion, With nearly a trillion soldiers who felt like they have been mistreated by the corporation. They are much larger then the corporation, and have lesser technology. Their units are generally weaker but can be built faster. They gather resources avaible to other races, and use them to research. They use other races resources for their units, they can also regather material from their destroyed units/buildings.

Their God/hero is the mercenary, a soldier who was earlier an elite member of the corporation, who switched sides after witnessing a slaughter of civillians. He is equipped with a weapon that is only known as the "Dimensional sword", a sword with the abillity to cut through dimensions. Due to the fact it could only be used by a cybernetic soldier, which the merc is one of few, it could not be used by any rebel soldiers.

Well, thats 3 out of 5 (possibly 6, but im not so sure about the sixth group.) just a taste, ill write more later.
Post edited January 15, 2012 by Nroug7
Excellent thoughts on your unique game mechanic. Every new RTS should have one. Can you give any more info on the rest of the game? Is it 4X, squad-based, or what? How did you manage a 100-hour storyline concept - procedurally generated randomized universe and storyline, a lengthy script, or just enormously long missions? Is it just humans, or have you created alien races?

A lot to consider there.
oh, i forgot to mention, aliens dont need to build space ships to travel through space, they can metamorphisis into them :D

Also, i might be slightly biased for who i chose as the god-heroes of each faction, there are actually several but those are the ones i like the most :D

It is 4X, The storyline map will expand as the game continues, It would most likely be randomly generated, With key planets (storyline related) placed a certain distance and direction away from earth. These planets have storyline events. some contain battles where you have to use certain units, other time's you can bring your fleet, in most of them you will be using your faction's heroes (upgradable/customisable characters.) heroes have multiple levels and 3 ranks - Hero, Legend, God. heroes have good combat abilitties, but god ranked heroes can also use their attacks to alter the terrain around them. It would be possible to create trenches, valleys, lakes etc in this way. Anyways, back on track. You may also may choices in the storyline which will affect how the story rolls out and also other events. For example, You discover a planet engaged in civil war with two different sides. With an aggressor and a defender. The defender's leader calls you and asks you to save them from been annihalated, while the aggressor encourages you to attack. The aggressor offers you the planets resources and an alliance, however all the defender is offering is a thanks.
If you save the defender, you will be rewarded over time with advances in technology.

You start as the rebels, but will later gain access to other factions units and heroes as the story progresses, as they unite to face the four main Antagonists of the storyline : The CEO and his Galaxy buster (Space cannon capable of destroying galaxies, fuelled by entire stars.) A-31, Iron Plague (Robotic overlord, weapon used is is similar to a whip, only with 9 iron-chain like whips that are embedded with sharp cyber-material spikes) And The Ravager (A God-like being who who had disappeared from a rebellion elite squad. He is now mentally insane.)

The Non-human races are as follows:

The Robotics
And the metamorphasing Aliens.
Hmm, this project is still at the brainstorming stage, I take it?
yes very much, i am self-learning programming, which is coming along fairly good, but i have absolutely no art skills.