how would everyone feel about 3rd Party Unit Uploads?
if the host has a 3rd Party Unit they could set an option of uploading the unit to the other players in the game and they can download it if they choose to.
maybe a question once you join a battle asking if you would like to use 3rd Party Units with a list of the units the host has?
uploading unit packs would be abit to much but units in there seperate files would be no problem.
Unit packs would be mod form if anything.
it will be completely optional due to unstablity of some units.
It would be nice if spring was able to log which unit crashed spring but that maybe wishfill thinking.
Well I would like this feature so thats why I'm asking this question
3rd Party Unit Uploads
Moderator: Moderators
I honestly hope Spring doesn't follow the same path as TA.
Full blown T/Cs are fine. Full blown mods are fine. Developers adding single units to them is fine. Completely independent, single units are a waste of time though--they can only be balanced to one mod at any given time, unless multiple versions of the same unit is released (which makes it even more confusing), they often disrupt the already defined gameplay far too much to be fun, and they would likely cause more problems internally than what it'd be worth.
By all means, go ahead and create your own TAUCP or Uberhack or whatever, no one is discouraging you from that--if it's good, people will play it. Add as many units as you want to your mod. Just make sure they all work and they all fit together well in gameplay.
I just think the community, which is largely TA in origin, has matured past the point of single units which cause problems far too often. It'd be far easier and more organized if we stuck to mods and T/Cs--that way everything is standard, everyone knows exactly what they're playing, and everyone is happy. There's no need to muck things up with auto-downloading single units which will be unbalanced almost invariably not only in statistics but in usage-- "I didn't know we had that unit installed, that's gay" statements would start popping up left and right.
So, to reiterate, just pick out your favorite units, put them into a pack, spend some time to fix any bugs and balance issues, slap a mod name onto it, and use that. No one says you can't do that.
Full blown T/Cs are fine. Full blown mods are fine. Developers adding single units to them is fine. Completely independent, single units are a waste of time though--they can only be balanced to one mod at any given time, unless multiple versions of the same unit is released (which makes it even more confusing), they often disrupt the already defined gameplay far too much to be fun, and they would likely cause more problems internally than what it'd be worth.
By all means, go ahead and create your own TAUCP or Uberhack or whatever, no one is discouraging you from that--if it's good, people will play it. Add as many units as you want to your mod. Just make sure they all work and they all fit together well in gameplay.
I just think the community, which is largely TA in origin, has matured past the point of single units which cause problems far too often. It'd be far easier and more organized if we stuck to mods and T/Cs--that way everything is standard, everyone knows exactly what they're playing, and everyone is happy. There's no need to muck things up with auto-downloading single units which will be unbalanced almost invariably not only in statistics but in usage-- "I didn't know we had that unit installed, that's gay" statements would start popping up left and right.
So, to reiterate, just pick out your favorite units, put them into a pack, spend some time to fix any bugs and balance issues, slap a mod name onto it, and use that. No one says you can't do that.
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Doomweaver
- Posts: 704
- Joined: 30 Oct 2004, 14:14
A different structure
A different structure would be better for TA. Instead of individual units, make individual construction buildings. You design a building that makes a set of units, including one construction vehicle that builds turrets, etc. At that point we have a good modular component.
Then, make the game single-team - no arm or core. The commander can make a set of standard defenses, and each of the main construction buildings.
Finally, you don't let the players use every building - you have to pick 5 buildings before you start. Those are the only construction buildings you can use.
Then let players design small unitpacks - one unitpack includes a building, 8 units (including a construction unit) and 8 defenses/buildings built by the construction unit.
Then run a CMS site to manage these little mini-mods and rate them based on game balance. Then let the server host dozens of them.
Idunno, just an odd thought - a way to have indies make their own mods, but not be overwhelming TCs, and a way to bundle it together into a standard form - plus letting the players have some choice in what packs they want to use for themselves.
The big thing would be that the server would have to have a well-balanced set of unit-packs. You'd need an authoritarian site to handle balancing them.
Then, make the game single-team - no arm or core. The commander can make a set of standard defenses, and each of the main construction buildings.
Finally, you don't let the players use every building - you have to pick 5 buildings before you start. Those are the only construction buildings you can use.
Then let players design small unitpacks - one unitpack includes a building, 8 units (including a construction unit) and 8 defenses/buildings built by the construction unit.
Then run a CMS site to manage these little mini-mods and rate them based on game balance. Then let the server host dozens of them.
Idunno, just an odd thought - a way to have indies make their own mods, but not be overwhelming TCs, and a way to bundle it together into a standard form - plus letting the players have some choice in what packs they want to use for themselves.
The big thing would be that the server would have to have a well-balanced set of unit-packs. You'd need an authoritarian site to handle balancing them.
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GrOuNd_ZeRo
- Posts: 1370
- Joined: 30 Apr 2005, 01:10
The only request I have personally is to be able to upload more than 10mb on FU, something around 20-25mb
Indivudual unit upload would be nice, but it could start some problems, then at the very least Core should have a similar unit too so there is no inballance between to sides, I.E. ph34r m4 5up3r Krogar! oh yeah? p#34r my SUPER ARAGORN! MUHAHAHHA! -insert picture of 2 gigantic Kbots here-
so they both have the option to build it...however, a standard 3P unit factory would be nice, it would be a bigger factory that can support bigger than 4x4 units like the hoverpad.
Indivudual unit upload would be nice, but it could start some problems, then at the very least Core should have a similar unit too so there is no inballance between to sides, I.E. ph34r m4 5up3r Krogar! oh yeah? p#34r my SUPER ARAGORN! MUHAHAHHA! -insert picture of 2 gigantic Kbots here-
so they both have the option to build it...however, a standard 3P unit factory would be nice, it would be a bigger factory that can support bigger than 4x4 units like the hoverpad.
One Faction
This is why I think that a framework that allows for individual unit uploads should be factionless. No Arm or Core, or pick one and force all players to that side. Then there's no worry about balance - if unit X is overpowered, then every player has access to X. The game still may be stupid, because unit X makes all the other units useless, but at least all the players can use it.GrOuNd_ZeRo wrote:The only request I have personally is to be able to upload more than 10mb on FU, something around 20-25mb
Indivudual unit upload would be nice, but it could start some problems, then at the very least Core should have a similar unit too so there is no inballance between to sides, I.E. ph34r m4 5up3r Krogar! oh yeah? p#34r my SUPER ARAGORN! MUHAHAHHA! -insert picture of 2 gigantic Kbots here-
so they both have the option to build it...however, a standard 3P unit factory would be nice, it would be a bigger factory that can support bigger than 4x4 units like the hoverpad.
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GrOuNd_ZeRo
- Posts: 1370
- Joined: 30 Apr 2005, 01:10
While I agree with you on most fronts Gnome, I think the problem is that fun, popular packs such as TAUCP and whatnot can only come about if there are tons of random units and such floating about on the web in the first place. I think its more a social problem for the community than aynthing; what's going to happen is that people will realize that its too much of a hassle to keep making people downloading XYZ TERMINATOR UNIT from Generic Unit Making Dudes Inc and will just start using OTA online and keepign the units for offline play.
I mean, its basically what happened with TA itself/
I mean, its basically what happened with TA itself/
see when I first looked at this idea I was thinking of the Plasma Repulsor, which is a very cool, and arguabally balanced unit; and thought 'hey that's a GREAT idea'.
Then I looked at everyones posts about uber units running around, and units that completely break the balance of the game, or 'hidden' units that upset existing blances and realised that it is in fact, an awful idea.
I think what would be better is a series of 'comunity mods' (IE; XTA comunity mod, UH comunity mod, anyone else who wants to maintain a mod could also have a comunity mod), for obvious reasons an OTA comunity mod would be kinda silly, that anyone can contribute a unit to and/or vote for weither or not a unit maintains the balance of the mod; if the unit is voted to maintain balance it stays in the comunity mod, and possibly the devloper will add it to the normal mod, if it is voted to break balance it gets removed from the comunity mod.
Obviously this would make the comunity mods get BIG fast so they should probablly have a text file explaining the use and application of every extra unit in them. It would also however provide a wealth of additional units that a developer could dive into if he decides to expand his mod; or if the comunity really likes a particular unit and feels its very 'in the spirit' of the devlopers mod they might include it simply because of it's popularity.
Then I looked at everyones posts about uber units running around, and units that completely break the balance of the game, or 'hidden' units that upset existing blances and realised that it is in fact, an awful idea.
I think what would be better is a series of 'comunity mods' (IE; XTA comunity mod, UH comunity mod, anyone else who wants to maintain a mod could also have a comunity mod), for obvious reasons an OTA comunity mod would be kinda silly, that anyone can contribute a unit to and/or vote for weither or not a unit maintains the balance of the mod; if the unit is voted to maintain balance it stays in the comunity mod, and possibly the devloper will add it to the normal mod, if it is voted to break balance it gets removed from the comunity mod.
Obviously this would make the comunity mods get BIG fast so they should probablly have a text file explaining the use and application of every extra unit in them. It would also however provide a wealth of additional units that a developer could dive into if he decides to expand his mod; or if the comunity really likes a particular unit and feels its very 'in the spirit' of the devlopers mod they might include it simply because of it's popularity.