Collaborative mod idea, Spring Skirmish
Posted: 15 Oct 2009, 15:21
I have this idea based on the gameplay for BA Skirmish which if you are not familiar with the game play the idea is basically:
- Each Player places a static home flag (could be any structure really) and gets a free squad of units teleport in approx every minute (currently raises by 10 seconds each spawn).
- Gaia critters spawn in groups on metal spots and carry points.
- Player units get points by killing the critters or by killing enemy units that carry points.
- Players need to return their points to their flag via the units which pools the points from the units.
- Players can spawn more units and upgrades / perks via their flag using these points.
- Goal is to destroy all the enemy flags.
Currently BA Skirmish also heavily uses Resbots however i'm not sure if these improve gameplay or not, it may be better just to have repair only bots to make micro even more important or make ressing cost points or reclaiming grant points.
Anyway, onto the idea...
Using this basic gameplay concept i'd like to create a 'Super Smash Bros' of the Spring engine with the sole aim of fast paced gameplay, micro and tactics. I don't think BA Skirmish fully achieved this but with more time and a less limited unit set this should be possible.
This project also will not include *A units (although may include a team based on something like MR-D's remakes if this is acceptable to the contributors) so the aim is for it to be fully kosher to share and promote around the internet with the benefit that if your mod has a team in Spring Skirmish then it also promotes your own mod.
The main goals of the mod will be:
- Fun to play.
- Well balanced.
- Doesn't take itsself too seriously.
On the last point this means that every team will be balanced against eachother whether its space chickens fighting orcs fighting cyberhumans from the 21st century fighting nano robots from a million years in the future, there doesn't need to be a plot to explain this other than that it's a simulation or a wizard did it or w/e.
To make this work well the project will need contributors for teams of units, ideally some of these will be from recognisable existing mods but totally new teams would also be fine if anyone wants a mini modelling project, the goal will be to have over a dozen teams with their own little quirks and unique power-ups and such.
A team will consist of:
- A weak fast scouting unit.
- A generic combat unit (the type you get free every minute or so).
- A more specialised but still generic combat unit (the cheapest you buy with points).
- A builder (bought with points, only used for repair/reclaim/ressurect/capture/(terraform?!) - not all teams will have access to all of these).
- A medium-heavy combat unit (the type people will end up wasting their points on should you successfully raid an unguarded flag).
- A heavy combat unit (for assaulting a defended flag).
- A game ending super heavy combat unit (for tie breakers and to force people to raid eachother to drain their points).
- (optional) A weak fighter aircraft for the areal surveillance perk.
- (optional) Any additional units bought with perks.
(Since most people know BA as a reference an example of this set would be in order: Jeffy, Stumpy, Hammer, Rector, Zeus, Razorback, Bantha, Avenger).
In the coming few days/week depeding on interest i'll cobble together a demo with two teams of something like Chickens vs some CA units to demo the concept.
What i'm really looking for in this thread is feedback on the concept and to know if other modders are interested in contributing teams of units (and also if you're not - for whatever reason) and once their in helping to polish and develop the mod to meet the most important critera: 'Fun to play'.
- Each Player places a static home flag (could be any structure really) and gets a free squad of units teleport in approx every minute (currently raises by 10 seconds each spawn).
- Gaia critters spawn in groups on metal spots and carry points.
- Player units get points by killing the critters or by killing enemy units that carry points.
- Players need to return their points to their flag via the units which pools the points from the units.
- Players can spawn more units and upgrades / perks via their flag using these points.
- Goal is to destroy all the enemy flags.
Currently BA Skirmish also heavily uses Resbots however i'm not sure if these improve gameplay or not, it may be better just to have repair only bots to make micro even more important or make ressing cost points or reclaiming grant points.
Anyway, onto the idea...
Using this basic gameplay concept i'd like to create a 'Super Smash Bros' of the Spring engine with the sole aim of fast paced gameplay, micro and tactics. I don't think BA Skirmish fully achieved this but with more time and a less limited unit set this should be possible.
This project also will not include *A units (although may include a team based on something like MR-D's remakes if this is acceptable to the contributors) so the aim is for it to be fully kosher to share and promote around the internet with the benefit that if your mod has a team in Spring Skirmish then it also promotes your own mod.
The main goals of the mod will be:
- Fun to play.
- Well balanced.
- Doesn't take itsself too seriously.
On the last point this means that every team will be balanced against eachother whether its space chickens fighting orcs fighting cyberhumans from the 21st century fighting nano robots from a million years in the future, there doesn't need to be a plot to explain this other than that it's a simulation or a wizard did it or w/e.
To make this work well the project will need contributors for teams of units, ideally some of these will be from recognisable existing mods but totally new teams would also be fine if anyone wants a mini modelling project, the goal will be to have over a dozen teams with their own little quirks and unique power-ups and such.
A team will consist of:
- A weak fast scouting unit.
- A generic combat unit (the type you get free every minute or so).
- A more specialised but still generic combat unit (the cheapest you buy with points).
- A builder (bought with points, only used for repair/reclaim/ressurect/capture/(terraform?!) - not all teams will have access to all of these).
- A medium-heavy combat unit (the type people will end up wasting their points on should you successfully raid an unguarded flag).
- A heavy combat unit (for assaulting a defended flag).
- A game ending super heavy combat unit (for tie breakers and to force people to raid eachother to drain their points).
- (optional) A weak fighter aircraft for the areal surveillance perk.
- (optional) Any additional units bought with perks.
(Since most people know BA as a reference an example of this set would be in order: Jeffy, Stumpy, Hammer, Rector, Zeus, Razorback, Bantha, Avenger).
In the coming few days/week depeding on interest i'll cobble together a demo with two teams of something like Chickens vs some CA units to demo the concept.
What i'm really looking for in this thread is feedback on the concept and to know if other modders are interested in contributing teams of units (and also if you're not - for whatever reason) and once their in helping to polish and develop the mod to meet the most important critera: 'Fun to play'.