Spring RTS Engine

Caydr wrote:Hi everyone, in case you're wondering I'm not dead or abducted by fangirls... sadly. I've had my main computer set up on my new HDTV in my basement and it's really uncomfortable to type with. Even bought this cheapass laptop stand and it's still uncomfortable. So I can't really mod...

But I've been at work long hours these last few weeks, which means daydreaming about AA all day long. I've got lots of new ideas in the last few days especially, stuff about tweaking L1 so it's useful for longer. The mod will play much like you're used to, but later in the game you might find yourself with entirely new abilities at your disposal for L1 units, also abilities in L1 units you don't find in L2 or even L3. We need to get rid of this, "L2 is just stronger L1" mentality that's been around for the last 10 years.

Also I want to belatedly mention, when I said that BA and CA weren't realy moving the mod forward, I didn't mean that in a bad way in case anyone took it like that. Let me explain. Balanced Annihilation is, startlingly, about balance primarily. But AFAIK there aren't any new units. Units are tweaked a lot, but that's no substitute for entirely original units and constantly improving stuff like AA's known for. I totally botched the anti-air kbot balance, I know, but it's a unit people have been BEGGING for, for literally years. No L2 anti-air kbot exists or ever has existed, seemingly. So I botched the balance, but now thanks to BA I imagine we finally have those anti air kbots we've been wanting. A great improvement if it was done right. Similarly, CA is primarily about using the engine to the fullest. Lots of effects and pretties, but it too is not really moving the mod forward the way that new or dramatically rebalanced units do.

I've learned a lot since I stopped working on AA over a year ago and had a lot of insights into what really makes the game good and what drags it down.

What makes the game good? Huge battles that aren't out of control, tactics that are actually worth pursuing, a variety of strategic options, a diverse tech tree, units never going obsolete, and things no game has done before.

What makes a game bad? Commanders being turned into a cheap nuke midgame since honestly there's no reason not to do so besides "honor" or some other BS, crappy balance, overcomplicated units whose functions most people don't know, bad unit descriptions, a steep learning curve, crappy balance, slow gameplay AT ANY POINT IN THE GAME but especially the beginning, units that feel plain and boring, crappy balance, rushing being the best strategy, unique units that take too much effort to use, and crappy balance.

Let me be honest. I was taken in by the idea that I should listen to every little whim of people who email or post here or PM or... do a whois on my website and call me ... AA's taken a turn for the worse that began back before I posted AA v2. So, I'm done with that. Make your suggestions as you always do and I appreciate, but I'm not doing the ones that go against my gut anymore. I'm sick of playing this "Absolute Annihilation" thing and not knowing whose game it is, and I think all of you are too.

My new desk I ordered will be here in about 2 weeks now I think. After that I'm back to work.

Sleksa wrote:yeah but those UGLY commanders are still there

quantum wrote:CA has several units new in Spring, and most units have been completely rebalanced. Some AA units are gone as well. We've not been working on graphics for a some time now. Gameplay is our focus, graphics and new engine uses are just what is immediately apparent.

NOiZE wrote:Hey!! I copy and pasted some gfx from XTA last time

Are the stumpies still blind? Fixing that is my criteria to reevaluate CA, pretty effects or not.

fire sakatoth and replace him with Tired

MR.D wrote:Oh noes, weasels are scouts now... omg..!
And don't forget that Flash tanks and Gators can't rape everything in TIA.

A Black hole suddenly envelopes your PC and the rest of the planet.

Foxomaniac wrote:noe!

Tired has a wholly different vision!

=O.

Forboding Angel wrote:lol, thats like ppl complaining about what I did to weasels in funta... THey are meant to be used with ak's because weasel has long range, but short sight, and ak has really long sight with short range.

o noes?! I have to use 2 units together to have a good scout-raid combo?! noes!!

REVENGE wrote:

NOiZE wrote:Hey!! I copy and pasted some gfx from XTA AND TWEAKED THEM a BIT last time

Fixt.

hunterw wrote:

Forboding Angel wrote:lol, thats like ppl complaining about what I did to weasels in funta... THey are meant to be used with ak's because weasel has long range, but short sight, and ak has really long sight with short range.

o noes?! I have to use 2 units together to have a good scout-raid combo?! noes!!

so the ak and wezel move at the same speed, and are built from the same factory?

NOiZE wrote:

REVENGE wrote:

NOiZE wrote:Hey!! I copy and pasted some gfx from XTA AND TWEAKED THEM a BIT last time

Fixt.

Fixt your fixing.