Report, edit, etc...Posted by Wing-of-no-Wing on 2006-04-17 at 19:54:10
QUOTE
[center]Star Mercs 1.5
[/center][center]~~~A Wingless Production~~~[/center]
Goals:
Version 1.5 aims to vastly improve the quality of gameplay through greater simulation complexity. Ship outfitting, formerly a minor game system, will be a much more integral part of the game, with the implementation of ship equipment as well as single use items. The total number of items, including equipment and new single use items, will increase from 4 to 16. Ship types have between 1 and 4 slots, with more slots going to those ships which would logically have more space for outfits. Equipment will include various types of weaponry and defensive systems. Control will be slot based and use a building system. Single use items can also be equipped for faster use.
With the increased emphasis on ship management, and the introduction of asteroids (there are two types: rocky asteroids, and metallic asteroids, with different speed, durability, and effect), Version 1.5 will make piloting your ship a far more involving task than in previous versions.
Version 1.5 will also address balance issues from previous versions for a more even win possibility curve and greater strategic complexity. The new version will also be somewhat stricter about rules: although it was never possible to actually "cheat", trivial offenses, which used to be ignored, will be prevented. Don't worry, you'll still be allowed to fly over all the game mechanics, spy on other people's cargo bays, and all that fun stuff.
There will also be a few aesthetic changes in the new version, though the overall "image" of the map will remain true to previous versions.
Overall, gameplay in the new version should be very different from that of all previous versions.
Version 1.5 will feature an entirely new briefing.
Version 1.5 will also restore Vanilla Starcraft compatibility. The trade system implemented in version 1.4 has been completely removed, and replaced with one that uses Vanilla starcraft units.
Version 1.5 will also provide more room for future improvement by replacing older map systems with more advanced versions for compatibility with modern trigger designs. The universal timing system, intended to handle many variable rates simultaneously without loss of accuracy in a non-hyper trigger environment has been entirely removed and replaced with a death-count system and hyper triggers.
New Items:
Recent Version History:
Version 1.4 (broodwar only): Features a money trade system by SS-SilentAlfa and a few balance tweaks over Version 1.3. Note that the money trade system from this version has already been removed in the new version in favor of a new one that restores regular Starcraft compatibility and has text more in line with my general map design philosophies. This version will be the last one to use the original Star Mercs engine in its entire.
Version 1.3: First complete version of the map. Features included a new briefing from version 1.2, some balance changes, and victory triggers.
Version 1.2: Essentially finished version of the map, without victory triggers. Gameplay basically the same as versions 1.3 and 1.4, but a little less "polished" in terms of balance.
Previous Version for Download:
Star Mercs 1.4
Warnings:
[/center][center]~~~A Wingless Production~~~[/center]
Goals:
Version 1.5 aims to vastly improve the quality of gameplay through greater simulation complexity. Ship outfitting, formerly a minor game system, will be a much more integral part of the game, with the implementation of ship equipment as well as single use items. The total number of items, including equipment and new single use items, will increase from 4 to 16. Ship types have between 1 and 4 slots, with more slots going to those ships which would logically have more space for outfits. Equipment will include various types of weaponry and defensive systems. Control will be slot based and use a building system. Single use items can also be equipped for faster use.
With the increased emphasis on ship management, and the introduction of asteroids (there are two types: rocky asteroids, and metallic asteroids, with different speed, durability, and effect), Version 1.5 will make piloting your ship a far more involving task than in previous versions.
Version 1.5 will also address balance issues from previous versions for a more even win possibility curve and greater strategic complexity. The new version will also be somewhat stricter about rules: although it was never possible to actually "cheat", trivial offenses, which used to be ignored, will be prevented. Don't worry, you'll still be allowed to fly over all the game mechanics, spy on other people's cargo bays, and all that fun stuff.
There will also be a few aesthetic changes in the new version, though the overall "image" of the map will remain true to previous versions.
Overall, gameplay in the new version should be very different from that of all previous versions.
Version 1.5 will feature an entirely new briefing.
Version 1.5 will also restore Vanilla Starcraft compatibility. The trade system implemented in version 1.4 has been completely removed, and replaced with one that uses Vanilla starcraft units.
Version 1.5 will also provide more room for future improvement by replacing older map systems with more advanced versions for compatibility with modern trigger designs. The universal timing system, intended to handle many variable rates simultaneously without loss of accuracy in a non-hyper trigger environment has been entirely removed and replaced with a death-count system and hyper triggers.
New Items:
- Axe Launcher (equipment): A good weapon to put on a fast ship, the Axe Launcher can deal a fairly large amount of damage in ship-to-ship combat, though it is less effective in ship-to-ground combat. It fires fairly slowly, and has limited ammunition, which is sold seperately. Axe Launchers fire in salvos, so if you have, say, three of them equipped, all three will fire if you activate one.
- Axe Missiles: Ammunition for the Axe Launcher.
- Pyrolaser (equipment): A solid, reliable weapon, the Pyrolaser is more expensive than the Axe Launcher. It is equally effective against ships and ground targets, and fires fairly quickly, so although it deals less damage per shot than the Axe Launcher, it has a better damage-per-time ratio, making it less of a hit-and-run weapon, but good for drawn-out battles. Like the Axe Launcher, it fires in salvos with others of its type (note that weapons of different types fire seperately, but can be fired simultaneously by manual control).
- Seismic Wave Generator (equipment): An expensive but devestating energy weapon, the Seismic Wave Generator functions somewhat like a multi-use repulsor, but with a difference: it flattens everything on the ground within its radius! Seismic Wave Generators operate independently of one another.
- Tachis (equipment): The energy weapon for beggars. Its balance is similar to that of the Pyrolaser, but it is less powerful, and has a slight spread effect. Salvo fire.
- Bugspray (single use): Eliminates smaller organic targets (bio-bombs, thunderbombs), and severely damages larger organic targets (Kamikaze-class ships).
- Lancelaser (equipment): A long-range, anti-ground bombardment weapon. Salvo fire.
- Shields (equipment): Temporary protection from incoming attacks. How well you time your use of shields can mean the difference between victory and defeat. While it will be impossible to become completely invincible, more of these fairly expensive outfits will increase your defensive potential.
- Thunderbomb (single use): Ground version of the bio bomb. Pretty much your generic turret leveler.
- Insurance (single use): Possibly the most important new item, insurance allows you to keep your outfits when your ship is destroyed. Now if only I could buy this in the real game (or get the real game to work on my current computer, for that matter)...
- Emergency Warp (equipment): Basically, it's like repulsoring...yourself! A handy way to get out of danger.
- Decoy Bombs (double use): Fake bio bombs.
Recent Version History:
Version 1.4 (broodwar only): Features a money trade system by SS-SilentAlfa and a few balance tweaks over Version 1.3. Note that the money trade system from this version has already been removed in the new version in favor of a new one that restores regular Starcraft compatibility and has text more in line with my general map design philosophies. This version will be the last one to use the original Star Mercs engine in its entire.
Version 1.3: First complete version of the map. Features included a new briefing from version 1.2, some balance changes, and victory triggers.
Version 1.2: Essentially finished version of the map, without victory triggers. Gameplay basically the same as versions 1.3 and 1.4, but a little less "polished" in terms of balance.
Previous Version for Download:
Star Mercs 1.4
Warnings:
- So much as mentioning either screenshots or the Production Template can lead to very bad consequences. Just don't go there.
- Don't think you know much about this map from having played previous versions. There are going to be more new triggers in this version than a lot of maps have overall, and gameplay will change accordingly. Previous versions have all been based off of the original Star Mercs triggers, which are now a good few years old. The new version’s triggering systems are so much more advanced that they weren’t even compatible with the old ones, necessitating considerable revisions.
- If you think this post contains a lot of text, it's your problem, not mine.
- If you applied to be a tester for 1S3S3F7E, and never showed up, or were unhelpful (i.e. joining for one hosting, and leaving after 10 seconds), don’t apply to be a tester for this map. Depending on how malicious I’m feeling at the time, you will either be rejected, or accepted for testing and then purposefully crashed until you go away.
- People who neglect these warnings, especially the first one, can’t really expect anything in the way of kind treatment.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Javaboy on 2006-04-18 at 19:30:31
You mentioned ships at the beginning. Will this have a wide variety of ships to choose from? and I regret that because of the long string of text, most people seem to have shyed away from this map. It looks promising and I really like the wide variety of weapons.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Wing-of-no-Wing on 2006-04-18 at 20:31:23
All 8 basic ship types from previous Star Mercs versions will remain.
Thanks for your support, Javaboy. I am kinda worried, though: if people can't even read through this thread, how are they ever going to learn how to play? Some people never seem to grasp the previous versions, which are very simple in comparison to this one; my fear is that this version will go the way of my two more recent maps (see my signature for links) and, after all the work of making the map function, fall into neglect simply because nobody will learn how to play. Well, we will see.
Very brief update: I've gotten the Tachis working for Player 1. Implementing all similar weapons (Missiles and the two types of lasers) should now be mostly a matter of copying with slight variations.
Thanks for your support, Javaboy. I am kinda worried, though: if people can't even read through this thread, how are they ever going to learn how to play? Some people never seem to grasp the previous versions, which are very simple in comparison to this one; my fear is that this version will go the way of my two more recent maps (see my signature for links) and, after all the work of making the map function, fall into neglect simply because nobody will learn how to play. Well, we will see.
Very brief update: I've gotten the Tachis working for Player 1. Implementing all similar weapons (Missiles and the two types of lasers) should now be mostly a matter of copying with slight variations.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by WoodenFire on 2006-04-18 at 23:07:04
I know you said not to mention this... cause the yellow was about all I could really read on your original thread post... but... uh
allow me to put this in code... read every 2nd letter ><
awfhdeenwwfialwloyfowundaiwscpjldawypsqcsrgeweknbsdhwoptus
Get back to me on that one babe.
allow me to put this in code... read every 2nd letter ><
awfhdeenwwfialwloyfowundaiwscpjldawypsqcsrgeweknbsdhwoptus
Get back to me on that one babe.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Wing-of-no-Wing on 2006-04-19 at 00:10:54
Eventually.
Maybe I'll grab one or two the next time the map is on a computer with a print screen button (the one I usually use hasn't got one). That'll probably be when I run it throuh SCMD again at the end to undo the unit stat changes that StarFire Edit likes to make (at which time I might add the occasional sprite here and there as well, for labeling purposes).
Incidentally, has anyone here ever played the real game of this (Space Mercs by Scott Miller)? I'll admit, the basing is loose at best (hence the slight change of name), but it'd be interesting to hear from someone else who had actually played it...
Maybe I'll grab one or two the next time the map is on a computer with a print screen button (the one I usually use hasn't got one). That'll probably be when I run it throuh SCMD again at the end to undo the unit stat changes that StarFire Edit likes to make (at which time I might add the occasional sprite here and there as well, for labeling purposes).
Incidentally, has anyone here ever played the real game of this (Space Mercs by Scott Miller)? I'll admit, the basing is loose at best (hence the slight change of name), but it'd be interesting to hear from someone else who had actually played it...
Report, edit, etc...Posted by TheDaddy0420 on 2006-04-19 at 01:12:26
This looks to be pretty good. I hope it turns out to be better then the first. yea I am still working on my map but not one comments on it. I hope you do well and keep up the good work!
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Wing-of-no-Wing on 2006-07-16 at 14:57:47
Lately, I've been thinking about going back to work on this project. The thing is, though, I don't want to spend the amount of time it would take to finish this if I will never be able to play it. My last map suffered that fate: I finished it several months ago, but have never once managed to play an actual game of it, both for want of people interested in playing and because, of the people who did try to play, maybe one or two in the whole time since the map was finished have actually been willing to learn how. The disappointment of never being able to play that map has more or less put a stop to my map-making; I really don't want to have that happen again. Finishing this map would mean an even greater amount of work, for a game suited for a niche audience at best.
What I want to know is if there is anyone out there who might play this if I complete it. If there is significant interest, then I might get back to work on this; if not, I might as well use my time on something else. A simple yes or no would be great (though reasons why would be even more helpful, and therefore even more great).
What I want to know is if there is anyone out there who might play this if I complete it. If there is significant interest, then I might get back to work on this; if not, I might as well use my time on something else. A simple yes or no would be great (though reasons why would be even more helpful, and therefore even more great).
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Killer_Kow(MM) on 2006-07-17 at 09:40:18
I might. It sounds like you're going to put quite a bit of work into this. It looks like it might be fun to play, but it also seems like it COULD be overly complicated for the average player... I'll have to see it, I guess.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by OverTheBelow on 2006-07-17 at 10:38:19
You asked for it...
Yes.
Yes.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Wing-of-no-Wing on 2006-10-29 at 11:01:49
Update 10/29/06: for no particular reason, I have decided to resume work on this project, picking up where I left off in July. I'm going to need some testers for checking specific systems as they are implemented, and additional testers for the map as a whole when it is eventually completed. Just to give a sort of preliminary timetable, I hope to complete this map before I leave the country at the end of January, but considering that my progress will likely come in short bursts seperated by long periods of procrastination and business, I can't promise that it will be done by then. I'll be spending the spring semester overseas, and am not sure if I'll be able to work on this project then, so if worse comes to worse, this might turn into a summer project for 2007.
By the end of the morning, I should have the Tachis (what is a Tachis, anyway? As I see it, there's a good chance that futuristic/sci-fi weaponry will be sufficiently different from anything we have today that, in order not to call it by a name that's more like a descriptive sentence, people will have to invent new words for it. I think the Tachis is some sort of cannon based on biotechnology, in order to form a mass weapon that regenerates fire capacity like an energy weapon...it's similar to the Techno Wyvern/Kamikaze class ship, and that's supposed be biotech, so it's pretty reasonable that the Tachis would be biotech, too.) fully functional for all players, and will be getting started on the Axe Missiles. At the very least, I want to run a preliminary action test of the weapon system in general (probably using the Tachis) and the effects of asteroids on gameplay pretty soon, probably within the next week or so...I want to see how much the asteroids affect things before the gameplay gets too different from the 1.4 model.
By the end of the morning, I should have the Tachis (what is a Tachis, anyway? As I see it, there's a good chance that futuristic/sci-fi weaponry will be sufficiently different from anything we have today that, in order not to call it by a name that's more like a descriptive sentence, people will have to invent new words for it. I think the Tachis is some sort of cannon based on biotechnology, in order to form a mass weapon that regenerates fire capacity like an energy weapon...it's similar to the Techno Wyvern/Kamikaze class ship, and that's supposed be biotech, so it's pretty reasonable that the Tachis would be biotech, too.) fully functional for all players, and will be getting started on the Axe Missiles. At the very least, I want to run a preliminary action test of the weapon system in general (probably using the Tachis) and the effects of asteroids on gameplay pretty soon, probably within the next week or so...I want to see how much the asteroids affect things before the gameplay gets too different from the 1.4 model.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Knx. on 2006-10-29 at 11:11:52
I guess you have to make a tutorial 
Report, edit, etc...Posted by EcHo on 2006-10-29 at 13:54:50
Lol wing, I know all your maps, and they are all definietly fun. I liked your previous version. The previous one was really fun . I know this one is going to be way better because of the new items >:D
. I know this one is going to be way better because of the new items >:DReport, edit, etc...Posted by Cnl.Fatso on 2006-10-29 at 15:14:52
I will gladly test anything that comes out of this.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Snake)Ling on 2006-10-30 at 16:04:41
I'm SS-SilentAlfa =). Star Mercs is very good, everyone should play it, especially with fullhouse.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Wing-of-no-Wing on 2006-10-30 at 17:18:30
Alfa, Echo, thanks for the props, guys. This version is going to be far more than an improvement on 1.4...I've already done about as much work on the new version as I put into making the original from nothing, and the majority of the new stuff isn't even in yet (though it still "feels" similar to other versions, as I hope it will when I'm done).
So yeah, I finished the Tachis. Salvo fire works pretty nicely...I might have to tweak the weapon endurance rates if it goes away too quickly, but it seems to be about right. That would be easy to do, though, as the weapon firing is largely handled by shared and slot-based triggers, rather than having independent systems for every weapon in every slot for every player. Anyway, we'll see if it even needs it.
Anyhow, on to the Axe Missiles...these are going to work a lot like the Tachis, but with limited ammunition. They'll be a long-cooldown, high-damage, space-biased weapon. The idea is to give the all-too-rare fighter jocks something to play with, especially for people who like to put shields on their fighter for hit and run attacks.
So yeah, I finished the Tachis. Salvo fire works pretty nicely...I might have to tweak the weapon endurance rates if it goes away too quickly, but it seems to be about right. That would be easy to do, though, as the weapon firing is largely handled by shared and slot-based triggers, rather than having independent systems for every weapon in every slot for every player. Anyway, we'll see if it even needs it.
Anyhow, on to the Axe Missiles...these are going to work a lot like the Tachis, but with limited ammunition. They'll be a long-cooldown, high-damage, space-biased weapon. The idea is to give the all-too-rare fighter jocks something to play with, especially for people who like to put shields on their fighter for hit and run attacks.