Metal Factions - Page 3

Metal Factions

Total-Annihilation-esque RTS game with four original factions.

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Google_Frog
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Re: New *A mod, Galactic Annihilation : Factions

Post by Google_Frog »

Making some sort of LuaAI is reasonably easy. Copy the technical stuff from Kernal Panic because it has the simplest LuaAI that I know of. Once you are able to tell Spring to spawn LuaAI and you can deduce when team the LuaAI is on the rest is just normal gadget stuff.
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Johannes
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Re: New *A mod, Galactic Annihilation : Factions

Post by Johannes »

I'd recommend testing it with people first, though, it really gives you more feedback both in- and out of game. Which also makes thinking how the AI should operate exactly, easier.

Shouldn't be very hard to find a tester here.
raaar
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Re: New *A mod, Galactic Annihilation : Factions

Post by raaar »

unless some1 complains it's taken, I'm calling the mod "TA : Factions".
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smoth
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Re: New *A mod, Galactic Annihilation : Factions

Post by smoth »

TAFactions != TAKen...
raaar
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Re: New *A mod, Galactic Annihilation : Factions

Post by raaar »

Well...the world didn't end....christmas has just happened...my +1 week estimate in august was way off...as usual.

but... here it is! I'm uploading the first public playable version to springfiles as i write this : v0.1

------------------ NOTES v0.1 ----------------------

- it has most land, air and some sea units for CLAW and SPHERE

- each commander has 3 distinct upgrade paths, depending on whether you want to improve mobility, durability or range (does not improve resource generation or build power).

- has new units for arm and core as well, some of the existing units were reworked, some (maverick, annihilator, doomsday, etc.) were given new 3do models

- metal makers have been disabled, but all commanders give +4 M/s

- economy scales smoothly, moho mines provide about 3 times as much metal as mexes, for 60 E/s

- commanders can be respawned in commander respawners (which can be built by any constructor). Respawning costs 1000M and 10000E and takes about 30s (can't be assisted). Experience is saved, but not upgrades (need another 30s and +1500M, 10000E to upgrade)

- for now, it has no mine-layers, no nukes, and no vulcans (does have berthas though)

- all ground units have 600 LOS and aircraft have 720 LOS (there is no distinct radar and sonar LOS) (has LOS widget)

- not compatible with any AI, for now

- it has a special tooltip widget that shows the armor type and hitpower types of the unit's weapons

- has team color widget that makes the player blue, allies teal, enemies red

--- ARMOR vs HITPOWER
- Light (L) (takes full dmg from all sources)
- Medium (M) (takes half dmg from light hitpower weapons)
- Heavy (H) (takes half dmg from medium hitpower weapons and quarter dmg from light hitpower weapons)

(throwing a mass of flashes or scout ships against medium and heavy armored units should fail miserably)

- SPHERE's unit shields protect only the owner, take 2x dmg from paralyzer weapons, and regenerate 2%hp/s at the cost of 4%hp E/s
(they take dmg according to the unit's armor type, for now)
raaar
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Re: New *A mod, Galactic Annihilation : Factions

Post by raaar »

i uploaded it to rapid, but it seems people can't grab it there

i uploaded it to springfiles, but can't seem to figure out how to classify it as a game, add thumbnail and description..

EDIT: now it works. Was uploading files in the wrong place (for account thumbnails or something)

http://springfiles.com/spring/games/ta-factions
Last edited by raaar on 26 Dec 2012, 23:06, edited 2 times in total.
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knorke
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Re: New *A mod, Galactic Annihilation : Factions

Post by knorke »

http://springfiles.com/spring/games/ta-factions
seems you figured it out?

rapid takes a while until it shows up. i read it is supposed to be instant but for me always needed some patience. (some hours or next day)
raaar
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Re: New *A mod, Galactic Annihilation : Factions

Post by raaar »

we played and i got some feedback

i released a new version


2012/12/29 ------------------ NOTES v0.2 ----------------------


--- unit changes
- miscellaneous tweaks to several units
- units that explode violently on death are now cheaper overall (for example SPHERE's level1 small fusion reactor)
- replaced ARM "Raven" with "Bolter" : level 2 Heavy Rocket Kbot
- added ARM "Stasis" : level 3 EMP Cannon
- added SPHERE "Stout" : level 2 Armored Gun Turret
- added SPHERE "Rain Maker" : level 2 Shielded All-terrain Radar Jammer/Missile Kbot
- added SPHERE "Tick" : level 2 All-terrain Assault Kbot


--- widgets / GUI
- added simple and advanced player list widgets
- updated commanders name tags widget (names were missing)
- added commander selection widget (ctrl+c wasn't working)
raaar
Metal Factions Developer
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Re: New *A mod, Galactic Annihilation : Factions

Post by raaar »

a new day....a new version!


2012/12/30 ------------------ NOTES v0.3 ----------------------

--- unit changes
- several changes to unit costs and attributes, made combat aircraft in general a bit less cost-effective
(i'll be more detailed about these kinds of changes when the game becomes more stable)
- fixed claw_ravager and arm_bolter's build picture
- fixed sphere_adv_vehicle_factory's wreckage
- fixed description on several units and weapons

--- builder's operations cost energy
- reclaiming features and wreckage works gradually instead of when it ends, and costs 10% of their metal content
- repairing units costs 20% of their energy cost (was 0%)
- ressurecting units costs 100% of their energy cost (was 50%)
- capturing units costs 100% of their energy cost (was 0%)
- reclaiming units costs 50% of their energy cost (was 0%)

--- visuals
- glowy particle effects are shown when reclaiming ends (gadget by Beherith, tweaked by Jools)
- added load pictures with useful information

--- widgets
- added widget to make units hold fire when ordered to cloak (by Quantum, Jools and Niobium)
- removed unused or not working widgets
gui_team_platter.lua
gui_xray_shader.lua
gui_selbuttons.lua
gui_comm_ends.lua
unit_stockile_dynamic_alt.lua
gui_nuke_button.lua
unit_only_fighters_patrol.lua
cmd_mex_snap.lua
unit_dgun_stall_assist.lua
gui_xta_defenserange.lua
gui_hlight_unit.lua
unit_stockpile.lua
unit_z_selector.lua
gui_greensquares_v3.lua
camera_smooth_move.lua
raaar
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Re: New *A mod, Galactic Annihilation : Factions

Post by raaar »

a new version is out, grab it NOW!!!1



2013/01/17 ------------------ NOTES v0.4 ----------------------

--- fixed bugs
- fixed air units getting stuck on factories and air repair pads
- fixed flak cannon shots not exploding at target range when they missed
- fixed units ignoring bad target categories (some missile units were prioritizing ground instead of air)
- fixed target point for aircraft plants, shipyards and commander pads
- fixed opal sphere not being targeted by units that don't attack aircraft
- ajusted collision volumes for many units

--- visuals
- slightly improved models and animations for ARM "Jeffy" and CORE "Weasel" and restored its build menu picture
- slightly improved models for CORE commanders
- slightly improved model and animations for CORE "Krogoth"
- improved some wreckages
- removed excessive sideways tilting from hovercraft
- decreased water splash particle emissions for hovercraft

--- balance
- reduced acceleration on hovertanks
- arm_jeffy and core_weasel are more durable, but have reduced firepower
- combat aircraft are less cost-effective except for bombers
- air transports and radar aircraft are cheaper
- increased range of radar units in general (except advanced radar kbots and vehicles)
- commanders cannot be captured nor reclaimed
- most upgraded commanders are a bit stronger and more durable (except the heavy ones)
- fixed cost of arm and core lev2 spy kbots
- reduced cost of fusion power plants
- shifted power and range from CORE "Krogoth"'s head laser to the arm cannons
- increased durability and adjusted costs for transport ships and hovercraft
- air repair pads now float when built on water
- fixed build speed and cost for claw_adv_vehicle_plant e claw_adv_shipyard

--- new units
- added SPHERE "Probe" : level 1 Scout Aircraft
- added CLAW "Spotter" : level 1 Scout Aircraft
- added SPHERE "Meteor" : level 2 Shielded Heavy Gunship
- added CLAW "Massacre" : level 3 Heavy Plasma Mortar
- added CLAW "Nucleus" : level 2 Heavy Riot Kbot
- added CLAW "Mega" : level 2 Heavy Riot Tank



--- interface
- restored widget to change metal extractor construction spots to positions that maximize output (by Niobium)
- added widget to display metal extractor output before deployment (by Evil4Zerggin)
- fixed tooltip widget to hide unused weapon slots instead of showing "No Weapon" and to display energy cost of weapons

--- license
added a LICENSE.txt, which basically says other modders are free to use everything except CLAW and SPHERE units
raaar
Metal Factions Developer
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Re: New *A mod, Galactic Annihilation : Factions

Post by raaar »

new version out


2013/03/17 ------------------ NOTES v0.5 ----------------------


--- balance

- CLAW construction units can now build wind generators like they should
- made level1 units in general a bit more cost-effective compared to level 2 and 3
- made bigger (more expensive) resource generators a bit more cost-effective than smaller ones of the same level (ex: level3 big fusion vs level3 small fusion)
- made CLAW "knife" a cheaper/faster scout kbot
- made SPHERE "Rock" a bit tougher
- made SPHERE "Bit" a bit tougher, faster and cheaper, but has less range
- units that have both high mobility, durability and destructive potential had their costs increased

--- new units

- added CLAW "Grunt" : level 1 Infantry kbot
- added CLAW "Gemini" : level 2 Medium Missile Turret
- added ARM "Duster" : level 1 Light Artillery vehicle
- added SPHERE "Slicer" : level 1 Medium Assault kbot
- added SPHERE "Pulsar" : level 2 Shielded Heavy Support Tank
- added CORE "Heater" : level 2 Heavy Assault Tank

--- animations / effects

- improved loading/unloading animation for transport ships and hovercraft (looks less buggy, although a bit slower)
(sadly, there seems to be a spring 93.1/2 engine bug : ship transports can't load units)
- improved animations for SPHERE "Bit"
- improved death animations for some aircraft (more flying debris, yay!)
- fixed weapon blast sounds for some units (Viper and some SPHERE units)
- fixed wreckages for some units

--- other

- some compatibility fixes for the new spring version 93.x
- updated tooltip to show transport capacity usage ( size% / mass% )
- adjusted collision volumes for many units


EDIT : replaced it with v0.51

2013/03/17 ------------------ NOTES v0.51 ----------------------

- fixed some bombers that were dropping two bombs instead of one
- fixed torpedo fall speed for torpedo bombers
- improved accuracy for artillery cannons in general
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Neddie
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Re: Total Annihilation : Factions

Post by Neddie »

Your forum has been granted, I'm moving the thread there.
raaar
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Re: Total Annihilation : Factions

Post by raaar »

Ah, thanks!
raaar
Metal Factions Developer
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Re: Total Annihilation : Factions

Post by raaar »

new version out, with lots of changes.

2013/07/28 ------------------ NOTES v0.6 ----------------------

--- balance/fixes


- made ARM "Maverick" a bit faster but reduced HP by about 20%
- changed CLAW commander's damage type to medium and slightly reduced DPS slightly to compensate
- changed CLAW "Drakkar"'s twin railgun to a 4 barrelled fast-firing railgun : higher dmg per second but shorter range, made it move slower but with more HP
- changed CLAW "Blizzard"'s side lasers dmg type from to medium
- made heavy gunships a bit tougher and a bit slower and adjusted the price
- reduced SPHERE commanders' HP regeneration from 8/12 HP/s to 4/8 HP/s (same as the other commanders)
- changed CLAW "Roller"'s damage type to heavy and improved its range (it's bigger and more expensive)
- vehicle's terrain slope tolerance slightly increased
- CLAW and SPHERE's economy buildings can now be built underwater (they should have been before..ooops)
- torpedoes can no longer shoot out of the water and strike land targets
- fixed unit maneuverability: they no longer lose so much speed when turning
- fixed build menu for CLAW construction ship
- fixed floating laser towers
- CLAW "Striker" changed to a stronger and slower attack ship
- removed radar error and removed targeting supercomputers from the game
- commander upgrades' metal cost reduced from 1500 to 1000 and some have been improved
- made ARM and CORE flak cannons stronger but more expensive
- ARM "Conqueror" and CORE "Executioner" are more affordable
- made Corvettes better at fighting light ships and aircraft
- shields now take full damage from all weapons
- ARM paralyzer weapons stun the target for 30s instead of 10 and are bit cheaper
- small changes to many sea units

--- new units

- added ARM "Knight" : Level 2 Heavy Infantry Kbot (Maverick's better armoured cousin)
- added SPHERE "Helix" : Level 2 Amphibious Boat
- added SPHERE "Clam" : Level 1 Underwater Torpedo Launcher
- added SPHERE "Oyster" : Level 2 Underwater Energy Torpedo Launcher
- added ARM "Icarus" : Level 2 Heavy Gunship
- added CORE "Stratos" : Level 2 Heavy Gunship
- added ARM "Catfish" : Level 2 Amphibious Boat (replaces Plesiossaur)
- added CORE "Proteus" : Level 2 Amphibious Boat (replaces Zulu)
- added SPHERE Advanced construction Sub
- added SPHERE "Pluto" Armored Assault Sub
- added CLAW and SPHERE advanced sonar stations
- added CLAW "Predator" : Level 2 Amphibious Assault Robot
- added CLAW "Sinker" : Level 1 Depthcharge Launcher
- added Level 2 Radar/Sonar ships for all factions
- added Level 2 Radar Jamming ships for CLAW and SPHERE
- added CLAW "Speeder" : Level 1 Scout ship
- added Floating versions of radar towers and several CLAW and SPHERE level 2 static defenses


--- animations/effects
- slightly reduced sound volume of SPHERE lightning beams
- slightly improved 3d models for many units, mostly CLAW and some SPHERE
- improved walk animations for SPHERE's 6 legged kbots and commander
- CLAW light lasers look thinner and darker to set them apart from the medium and heavy ones
- improved commander explosions a bit
- changed the models of small rockets to set them apart from the faster but less powerful light missiles
- CLAW and SPHERE metal extractors and moho mines have alternative animations/model when built underwater
raaar
Metal Factions Developer
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Re: Total Annihilation : Factions

Post by raaar »

Well...with all the talk about the TA IP and a possible new Total Annihilation, i'm renaming this game to something else.

I'm keeping the ARM and CORE factions for now, but may replace them with other similar factions in the future.

I want to keep a door open for the possibility of removing TA IP and turning an improved version of this into a commercial game (for example, free to play but with paid features like premium units).

For the new name, I'm thinking of "Galactic Factions", or something more specific like, "Galactic Robot Wars"

any comment?
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Noruas
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Re: Total Annihilation : Factions

Post by Noruas »

Can you learn not to use 3do builder from 1998. I know you are quite adept to it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQ2_-AYeXuI but you can do better with less work and save time in the end.
raaar
Metal Factions Developer
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Re: Total Annihilation : Factions

Post by raaar »

thanks!

saw the video.

might go that route if i decide to turn this into something more serious, but for now the routine i've been using just works.

the old ways with 3dobuilder can give decent results if the model isn't too simple and/or boxy and the textures are well picked. Can also copy and tweak textured model branches around.
raaar
Metal Factions Developer
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Re: Total Annihilation : Factions

Post by raaar »

i'm going to rename this to "Metal Factions"

been googling and couldn't find any game with that name

therefore it doesn't exist
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PepeAmpere
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Re: Total Annihilation : Factions

Post by PepeAmpere »

Btw, raaar, i do huge upgrades on lua NOE framework (which can be used for making simple AI for you game) and in last days its in good modular stage, so it can be ported to your game, all NOTAisms removed.

If there is interest, documentation grow up. I can you tell more if you catch me around. At the end of January when not busy, i can prepare for you some basic AI.
raaar
Metal Factions Developer
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Joined: 20 Feb 2010, 12:17

Re: Metal Factions

Post by raaar »

Thanks

I have basic AI already. I've been working on it.

i'll try to finally get the new patch out this weekend.
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