Spring RTS Engine

Not sure if this goes in feature requests or mods. Looks like it would have to be a mod for now, and if it catches on, as another option on the pre-game screen would be cool.

The theory:
An in game handicap that adjusts constantly to your overall 'power/'influence'/'strength' compared to everyone else's. The only way to win or break the stalemate would be to execute many well planned checkmates within a very short span of time or simultaneously. Also, a contingency plan would be needed in case you botch the job and don't entirely exterminate them, because then you'd be facing essentially super/nearly-invulnerable units until they've recovered the other half of the map or more.
No more games that become permanently one sided, the AI would be much more challenging to eradicate, and newbies could put up a fight at the end.

It could probably be done in LUA. A count of the res all your unit's are worth, or your incoming res flow, or how much damage all your units could do in one second. Or a variable derived from all three. I've never used LUA before. VB and GML is all I've bothered to fiddle with so far, as well as some limited C++. Any ideas on how to calculate these values in LUA?

I know it is impossible to edit unit stats in game currently (around V.74 now?) without replacing the unit entirely. But that's coming in V.75 or V.76 isn't it? Just have it refresh the multiplier & the unit stats affected by it every 5 - 10 seconds or so. Possibly only every minute, as it would give slower game-ending weapons a chance before the other side becomes all powerful.

I'll have to wait till V.75 or later won't I? If not, how do I do this? How does the current handicap system set at the pre-game screen work?

Thanks for any responses.

*requesting move to feature requests forum*

@AF: That is definitely a feature request...

@El Idiot: you do technically have to wait until the version with synced luaRules or whatever... does anyone know if they are implemented in the Test Server version? http://spring.clan-sy.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=10555

I like the idea... but I doubt many people would play the mode...

And yeah... I think LUA is going to be the way to go... it would be nifty to find out if lua rules have access to the handicap variable.

SinbadEV wrote:you do technically have to wait until the version with synced luaRules or whatever... does anyone know if they are implemented in the Test Server version?

Yes.

"you do technically have to wait until the version with synced luaRules or whatever"
*sighs and pulls out the dune series to re-read while waiting*

"I like the idea"
Yay. I'm not living up to my screen name. It should be 'El has decent ideas'.

"but I doubt many people would play the mode"
I would play it, and that's all that matters right? .
You're probably right. Eh, I had to throw the idea out there anyway.
That's why I wanted to try to make a separate mod first before requesting it implemented in the engine if no one was going to use it anyway.

No one's got specific/technical ideas on how to LUA this? It would be nice to get the LUA script that calculates the multiplier ready before I can try to figure out how to implement the multiplier in game. If LUA does even have access to the handicap variable. What stats does the handicap variable affect anyway?

How should your 'strength' be measured? It would require serious cost re-balancing if it was based solely on the res in your units. Your damage per second capability might be a bit more accurate, but I think your res income would be the most accurate. Although, you could shut off your res units while attacking, giving you a unit strength boost. Or measure 'possible res income if you had everything on' instead? Any other ways to measure your 'strength' in the game?

Yes.

I'll have to screw around with this in the Test server version then.

If I was implementing handicaps I would never make them affect unit behaviour, the balancing is too fragile to be subjected to changes the player will notice. However a resource system that encourages a certain army size (boost if below, penalty if above) is something I like and plan for when I can Lua something to that effect.