Maximum Annihilation? - Page 2

Maximum Annihilation?

Discuss game development here, from a distinct game project to an accessible third-party mutator, down to the interaction and design of individual units if you like.

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Master-Athmos
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Joined: 27 Jun 2009, 01:32

Re: Maximum Annihilation?

Post by Master-Athmos »

smoth wrote:Athmos you exagerate the severity of the changes made to springs lua Interfaces.The tex alignment issue was more about standards than actual broken stuff
Well I indeed have little knowledge of what happened to Lua in the recent years and things might have settled down quite a bit. The text allignment issue simply was the thing that (at least for me) was most memorable as it came out of the blue and many felt like treaded on their feet. It also sort of fits into the discussion as this was quite a "top-down-decision" and so it at first sight sounds strange that for many years now nobody managed to step forward and introduce the "definite way" of how to tell which engine version the game needs and how to hand over this information to the lobby which then can fire up the right executable...

In the end the Lua example also is only part of the problem - pretty much any area of the engine did and probably to this day does undergo changes. What right now prevents my old MA version from starting probably is the switch to a Lua based system for placing / choosing the starting unit and setting the general game settings. Another example as far as I understand is the pathfinder. While not being a showstopper it seems you really have to throw in a few tweaks in order to prevent annoying unit behaviour...

But oh well - I actually don't want to turn this into an extensive "What did change and what had to be adapted to in the past?" discussion. In the end I see it this way: It's totally fine to break certain things in a new version by the means of improving the engine. It's just a bad idea to force these changes on everyone and everything. As I said before: Developing a system that asks for the engine version to use and a lobby handling multiple engine versions installed on the system is no rocket science and actually should be a piece of cake in comparison with messing around with the pathfinder or working on a new map format. As those advanced types of issues are being worked on there definitely is quite some skill in the ranks of the developers - unfortunately it doesn't seem to get the priority it (in my opinion) should have. The need for "eternal patching" simply is one of the most unlovely things you can force a potential developer to... :-)
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knorke
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Joined: 22 Feb 2006, 01:02

Re: Maximum Annihilation?

Post by knorke »

What right now prevents my old MA version from starting probably is the switch to a Lua based system for placing / choosing the starting unit
Hm..."right now" as in "since 3 years" :wink:
http://springrts.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t&t=21883
(as you see it only requires adding one lua script but do not hesitate to ask questions)
a system that asks for the engine version to use and a lobby handling multiple engine versions installed on the system
As said, if you only play online and on autohosts, it already works like that.
The need for "eternal patching"[of games required]
I think in the history of spring that was not given so much attention, for various reasons:
-The quality of games was constantly improving, at least the graphics.
So there was a bit thinking like "What does a two year old mod (or mod version) matter, we have much better now."
-There were enough modding people who did not seem to mind working on the same project for years: The most popular games trace back to the beginning of spring. Most games had releases much faster than engine, so adapting a few things was never that big a problem.
-Playerbase is small and beside BA&zK for all other games it is currently formed around the developers. (as in almost every played match has a dev playing/spectacting or they advertise etc) So if the developers abandon/pause their work, the players leave too.
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smoth
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Re: Maximum Annihilation?

Post by smoth »

So gopher it and post as you run into issues next thing you know your soup is done
Master-Athmos
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Joined: 27 Jun 2009, 01:32

Re: Maximum Annihilation?

Post by Master-Athmos »

Thanks - I currently feel quite motivated to pick things up where I left them a couple of years ago. I'll probably give MA some love after finishing my final oral exam next week... :-)
Last edited by Master-Athmos on 26 Aug 2013, 18:47, edited 1 time in total.
SevenArm23
Posts: 48
Joined: 08 Mar 2013, 16:07

Re: Maximum Annihilation?

Post by SevenArm23 »

Ja das wollte ich hören. MA ist zurück!

PS: sorry for German writing
Master-Athmos
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Joined: 27 Jun 2009, 01:32

Re: Maximum Annihilation?

Post by Master-Athmos »

Just for shitz'n'giggles: Two half finished models which still were sitting in a dusty corner of my HDD and were meant to find their way into MA's next release:

Core Wind Generator:

Image


Advanced (Underwater) Tidal Generator:

Image Image
SevenArm23
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Joined: 08 Mar 2013, 16:07

Re: Maximum Annihilation?

Post by SevenArm23 »

Will you do the Krogoth back into the game? :?:
Master-Athmos
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Joined: 27 Jun 2009, 01:32

Re: Maximum Annihilation?

Post by Master-Athmos »

SevenArm23 wrote:Will you do the Krogoth back into the game? :?:
In the long term yes. In the upcoming release most certainly not. The Krogoth is meant to be the final form of the commander. The commander itself in MA is going to be a bit different from what he is like in e.g. BA or even the original Total Annihilation. He now can be upgraded when reaching a new tech level and thus gets upgrades in terms of weapons, health or special abilities. In the end it's about keeping one's commander alive in team games if you want to unlock certain "super units". This was done in order to give some more tactical potential - you still can sacrifice a commander in a combomb maneuver which might especially be appropiate in team games but if you do so you won't get access to those special units - it's up to you to decide which way fits your situation better. Actually those units (or better buildings) are the Vulcan/Buzzsaw i.e. a rapid firing Big Bertha (which still can be overcome with enough shields) or the nuclear cannon which pretty much delivers nukes anywhere and doesn't care about shields (it's way more expensive than the Vulcan/Buzzsaw and takes longer to build though). In other words: It's all about game enders here as when your game has spiraled up into the T3 state it's about time to give some special options to finish things while also delivering some feeling of satisfaction when using those things... :wink:

The Krogoth will fit in here just fine. It will be the final upgrade for a commander which turns him into a Krogoth. He will loose all his construction capabilities but will turn into a hell of a combat unit. A unit with quite a special ability / weapon that should be quite interesting to use (especially in games where losing the commander / Krogoth means defeat)...

The Krogoth might show up in the follow-up version of MA though. The upcoming release primarily was focusing on finetuning the things that already were there and especially extending the entire naval sector which is about things like the underwater advanced tidal generator (so sea players have something like the advanced solar too which also isn't that exposed to enemy attacks as it now is underwater), about two additional units to the T1 and T2 factories and especially some more love to the T3 sea sector which was a bit rudimentary and especially lacked buildings (e.g. an underwater anti-nuke launcher). With the new units which (as always in MA) won't be just there to have simply "more" but will fit into certain roles that aren't really represented yet, the general course of slightly more diversity between the Arm and Core faction will continue to be seen in the naval sector making naval combat more attractive / interesting...
SevenArm23
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Joined: 08 Mar 2013, 16:07

Re: Maximum Annihilation?

Post by SevenArm23 »

I think its a good idea. The Krogoth is the final Upgrade of the Core Commander.
klapmongool
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Joined: 13 Aug 2007, 13:19

Re: Maximum Annihilation?

Post by klapmongool »

I assume you looked at Tech Annihilation?
Master-Athmos
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Joined: 27 Jun 2009, 01:32

Re: Maximum Annihilation?

Post by Master-Athmos »

klapmongool wrote:I assume you looked at Tech Annihilation?
I fired that one up yesterday and it also has the idea of upgrading your commander. Is that what you meant or is there another aspect I should have a look at? The general idea of the upgradeable commander isn't something new in MA. What is "new" though (and already was integrated in the unreleased V1.2 version) is that initially there just was one commander upgrade at T3. When playing the game it turned out though that the step was way too steep from the T1 com to an upgraded commander on T3. That's why I did introduce a second upgrade at T2. So in the end it'll be about a com upgrade at both T2 and T3 and finally the Krogoth transformation (if the player wishes to as the commander in the conventional sense then is lost in favor of a pure combat unit without construction capabilities)...

Once the Krogoth is implemented it will be the final transformation for both Arm and Core. I have an idea for a final Arm commander transformation but it's not really fleshed out yet and I guess now is not the time to think this through. The general idea though is not to do another Krogoth thing in terms of an extremely powerful combat unit but more something which relies on certain special abilities rather than brute force...
klapmongool
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Joined: 13 Aug 2007, 13:19

Re: Maximum Annihilation?

Post by klapmongool »

Master-Athmos wrote:
klapmongool wrote:I assume you looked at Tech Annihilation?
I fired that one up yesterday and it also has the idea of upgrading your commander. Is that what you meant or is there another aspect I should have a look at? The general idea of the upgradeable commander isn't something new in MA. What is "new" though (and already was integrated in the unreleased V1.2 version) is that initially there just was one commander upgrade at T3. When playing the game it turned out though that the step was way too steep from the T1 com to an upgraded commander on T3. That's why I did introduce a second upgrade at T2. So in the end it'll be about a com upgrade at both T2 and T3 and finally the Krogoth transformation (if the player wishes to as the commander in the conventional sense then is lost in favor of a pure combat unit without construction capabilities)...

Once the Krogoth is implemented it will be the final transformation for both Arm and Core. I have an idea for a final Arm commander transformation but it's not really fleshed out yet and I guess now is not the time to think this through. The general idea though is not to do another Krogoth thing in terms of an extremely powerful combat unit but more something which relies on certain special abilities rather than brute force...
I mentioned it also because of the commander, but also because almost every idea you mention is in there in some shape or form. So it might be worth checking out how they were implemented there so you can take the best ideas from it.
SevenArm23
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Joined: 08 Mar 2013, 16:07

Re: Maximum Annihilation?

Post by SevenArm23 »

What will be new too? In version 1.2?
Master-Athmos
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Joined: 27 Jun 2009, 01:32

Re: Maximum Annihilation?

Post by Master-Athmos »

SevenArm23 wrote:What will be new too? In version 1.2?
  • Eyecandy like weapon fx, explosions and some of the high quality unit models by e.g. Mr. D
  • Intuitive symbol system for the "radar" - you can go ahead and see if you understand what can be seen in this match of fighting AIs:
    Image
  • Finetuning & Fixes of balance and general problems
  • New sea units & buildings (I'll probably skip T3 for now and release when T1 & T2 is done)
  • Two commander upgrades instead of just one at T3 (i.e. additional T2 upgrade)
  • Additional / updated Lua widgets for more comfort
SevenArm23
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Re: Maximum Annihilation?

Post by SevenArm23 »

And when will come this version out?
Master-Athmos
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Joined: 27 Jun 2009, 01:32

Re: Maximum Annihilation?

Post by Master-Athmos »

When it's done... :mrgreen:

What still needs to be done is texturing of the advanced tidal generator, modelling & texturing of 2 new units and finally porting the game to the latest Spring engine version. I thus wouldn't expect a release any time "soon". I'll give some updates as things proceed...
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NeonStorm
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Joined: 23 May 2012, 18:36

Re: Maximum Annihilation?

Post by NeonStorm »

Tech annihilation already has an advanced tidal which could maybe fit into this mod.

I don't know how well because I don't see any screenshots of max anni.
SevenArm23
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Joined: 08 Mar 2013, 16:07

Re: Maximum Annihilation?

Post by SevenArm23 »

I can t wait for this. Do you have news and screenshots to show?? :?: :?: :-)
Master-Athmos
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Joined: 27 Jun 2009, 01:32

Re: Maximum Annihilation?

Post by Master-Athmos »

NeonStorm wrote:Tech annihilation already has an advanced tidal which could maybe fit into this mod.
I checked that and the Lua mechanic for increased energy output and the Arm / core models actually were extracted from MA... :mrgreen:
SevenArm23 wrote:I can t wait for this. Do you have news and screenshots to show?? :?: :?: :-)
Well there's nothing extraordinary to show right now...
SevenArm23
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Joined: 08 Mar 2013, 16:07

Re: Maximum Annihilation?

Post by SevenArm23 »

Ok, but can you say me when it comes out? What do you think?
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