Staredit Network

I am really a big "roleplaying" kind of mapmaker. I don't make maps like "Turret Defense" or even RPGs. I am more of a mapmaker that makes games that you can get into and play the role that you have been given. So this is why I decided to make this map.

Storyline: Although there is a storyline it is definitely a back-seat driver in this map. I had originally considered doing a Star Ship series, however, I'll talk about that later.

The storyline is within the Que'Kan system. A few years ago a trade rivalry between two factions in the system, the Xan Ri and the Dremengards, began to heat up. The trade factions began to militarize and become more aggressive eventually leading to a civil war between the two factions. During this civil war the Star Ship turned from a vessel for trade into a machine of war. The revelation of the Star Ship: War Class, which varients surfaced among both factions around the same time, demonstrated this shift. The new class of Star Ship had weaponry unmatched by anything else in the skys and soon the war turned into a battle of hundreds of these ships. During this time the Xan Ri began working in secret to develop a new Star Ship that would be effective against the new War class. They built just two prototypes during a brief lapse in conflict. The pause in the war only strengthened the two armies and the conflict renewed again with new vigor. The war then turned into chaos as battles waged on all planets Dremengard and Xan Ri alike. The system was devestated and the Xan Ri homeworld became occupied by the Dremengards. Forwarned of the occupation three soldiers escaped on the prototype starship, now named the Battle Class. Although they were going against orders, the Xan Ri homeworld was quickly taken and the 2nd prototype was in the hands of the Dremengards. The new ships did not spell the end of the War Class as was hoped. The sheer numbers made the two Battle Class ships insignificant. However, soon the effects of the conflict resulted in the social breakdown of the system and the War Class ships could no longer be supplied. The remaining ships crashed or landed where they could and tried to survive. The two Battle Class ships, however, continued their battle. The Xan Ri ship manned by the original three deserters and the Dremengard's three last soldiers willing to continue fighting. The war will continue until one ship falls.

This is where you meet the Que'Kan system. At it's lowest point. There are some makeshift powerplants which you will use to recharge your shields and tractor beams there are some Cannon Producers which will provide you with Sheild damaging weaponry, which is still in large supply from the wrecks of the War Class series. There are also a limited amount of Drone planes stored with just a few on each system which will supply your diminishing and, soon to be completely depleated Drone Bay.

Your Ship:

Each ship is almost exactly the same and is manned by 3 players. Their only unit is a civilian. Your ship is a battlecruiser which is in the upper portion of the map. The interior of the ships is in the lower portion of the map.

The ship has a:

Turret Bay
2x Droid Control Panels
Navigational Controls
Drone Bay /w 5xDrone Plane slots

Your Turret Bay: 3x corsairs with appropriate beacons greet you. Stepping on one will give you control of a limited mobility cannon which can use a charged shot (in the form of disruption web) to damage the enemy's shields. They have limited energy and must be allowed to recharge. You can quick-recharge them at a Cannon Producer. They can also be shot down by enemy drone planes fairly easily. Restocking them is not a problem, however, as you have unlimited as long as you return to your Cannon Producing station.

2x Droid Control Panels: These are the ground troops of the game. There is a Battle Droid (dragoon) and a Reconaissance Droid (Zealot). They both have their special uses which the gamer will discover.

Navigational Controls: You control the ship. (obviously) You also gain control of the ship's Alert modes. There are three. Red Alert, Yellow Alert, and No Alert. No Alert and Yellow Alerts are pretty much cosmetic... they do not do anything special. The doors to the Nav controls, turret bay, droid controls, and Drone bay remain open in these modes. However, in red alert mode all doors are closed and only the nav controls door may be opened by destroying the power source.

You also have control of the shields and the tractor beam. The Shields, once activated, will drain the ship's minerals (I don't feel like going into this but you can see it by being on the beacon and it stays consistant with whoever is on it). If you are hit by a cannon you lose a large amount of minerals. Your "shield energy" can be recharged at a power station. With shields engaged no transports on or off the ship can occur.

The tractor beam uses Gas and can be engaged for about 3 minutes with full power. It pulls the enemy ship, if it is onscreen, towards your ship to get close enough for a transport.

Drone Bay: There are 5 spots for drone planes. They can be used to shoot down other drone planes or enemy cannons. These are extremely important. They are also a very limited resource. Whoever has the most drone planes and uses them the wisest has the best chance of succeeding. These can be replenished by "picking" up more.

Objectives:

1) Disable the enemy shields and tractor beam them into transporter range.
2) Man droids and go into the ship to destroy their navigational door power.
3) Once the door has been forced open the droids need to protect a civilian, probably the one currently manning the navigational controls, to get in control of the other ship.
4) Since the ships are invincible, the only way to destroy it is to fly it into the sun. Upon entering the sun. The ship will explode in 30 seconds. Whoever is on the ship when it blows loses despite their in-game affiliations.

Catches:

1) The ships work for all civilians. Therefore, while you are taking their ship they may take your ship... effectively trading vessels.

2) You can leave your ship and affiliate yourself with the enemy. With no real repercussions.

3) If your civilian dies... you lose. That is the only limit. As long as you are not on the ship when it blows you pretty much don't lose. It leaves an opening for the "ditcher" who gets off at the last second.


Above all else... this is a role-play. You get to command a ship and engaged in a diplomatic war with all the trimmings. (Exile, betrayal, spying) It is all open to you. The storyline is not all that important... I just included it because it was part of my creative process.

The map is still in development... but most of it is tinkering at this point. You guys can expect it probably in a few weeks. I am glad to get any suggesions and feedback. And please forgive my vagueness... I don't feel like getting too detailed right now.

(Not because I fear my relatively non-inventive ideas and boring traditional triggering methods are going to be stolen but because I am too lazy)

Thanks to whoever could make something out of my ramblings.

Sounds impressive - reminds me a lot of the Fleet Command games. I'll definitely be looking for this one when it is finished.

yea it sounds interesting. Good luck with that man. once you get an outline post some pics man. It looks like a really fun map. How many players can play it? What type of a map is it? if you have mentioned those Sorry its a little long >.<

I was actualy thinkng of making something like this... But I decided to work on an rpg... Sounds like it would've been just like I imagined my map to be... Work hard and GET THIS DONE it sounds really cool

The map is just about done... I am still working out alot of kinks though... mainly the fact that it is going to have a learning curve (which I hate having...)

But as I said... it should be all set in a week or so.

Also it will support 6 players with 3 on each ship. So... naturally alot of teamwork is going to be involved. Then again... it will also mean that your teammates might be to busy to notice you laying explosives and getting your escape pod ready...

I'm looking forward to see how this comes out. Do you have any screenshots to show us any of the map?

So this map is also like a diplomacy? With all the things you said:



I never really got into roleplaying, but with some sort of story and setting that this has instead of being free to do ANYTHING you want with every unit and building things, this seems like it would be fun.

I am holding off on screenshots because I have not yet gotten around to really getting down and dirty with the visual pleasing-ness of the map. That tends to come last for me.

As I said though... definitely expect some stuff coming up as I finish up the tweaks and polishings of my triggers and move on to building the final "scene" that will appear in the game.

Also this will be a little like Diplomacy, however, I hesistate to make the comparison. I could compare it to the TV series Galactica in which you never know if someone around you is a Cylon... or in this game's case working for the enemy.

That part is, of course, completely optional. Concievably both teams of three could stick together till the end and defeat the enemy. That will be completely open to them, however, once people realize that they can go to the enemy ship and work for them with no repercussions... it will turn into a bit more of a spy-espianage game.

As I said... all the triggers work for all players... you can even use your own cannons against your own ship... or perhaps put some explosives around your shield battery and in your Drone Bay. And then swiftly leave before the timer runs to help the enemy win with their new advantage. With so much available on the ship an extra man for your team will be extremely welcome.

Also... because the winner is determined purely by whoever is not on the losing ship when the enemy flys it into the sun... there will be alot who will want to ditch their craft and try to make it out of the sun before the timer runs down.