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[center]MechnoGears[/center]

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Whew. Lots more work than I thought it would be. I think I've gotten it to a good stage now where I can begin to start putting in actual gameplay now, finally. This is where the fun begins. But before I do that, I'll take some time to tell you what it's about.



Overview:

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Previously my entry for the Robot contest, but thanks to my usual fashion of overcomplicating things I decided to just go ahead and turn this into a full-fledged release. At it's core it's a team-based AoS/DotA-style map (look it up ) with a twist: You get to assemble and control your own Mechnogears: Robots made from combinations of various attack, defense, support, and functional parts, that you get to pilot onto the battlefield.



Mech Construction:

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In the beginning, players select their pilots; their main unit, and then enter their respective team's hangar. As mechs are the main way for players to conduct battle (but not the only way), this is where you get to choose the parts for your mech (as well as other non-mech options such as upgrades or deployable forces). Mech parts you purchase automatically assemble into their respective positions on your mech, so it's really only a matter of choosing the right parts based on cost and need. I may however do a system later that lets you control which parts go where.

There are four classes of mech parts (not including launchables):

• Cockpits: This is basically the head and heart of your mech. If your cockpit is destroyed, your mech goes with it. When in mobile mode, your cockpit controls your mech's movement. Different cockpits have different abilities and features, including stats, special abilities, and storage capacity for launchables, as well as providing power for other parts of the mech.
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• Armor: Armor protects your mech from damage. You can't actually use your armor components directly (or you shouldn't, at least), as they're meant instead to prevent your other mech parts from recieving damage from attacks (particularily your cockpit). Armor comes in 4 flavors: Organic, Repairable, Energy, and Heavy.
  
  It's not wise to enter battle without any armor.
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• Weapons: Your Weapons parts are what you'll be doing your attacking with. Weapons come in several varieties, but all do the same basic thing: Pummel enemy units within range. Some weapons are meant for air only, some ground, some skirmishing, etc. Weapon components also safeguard your cockpit in case your mech's armor is destroyed, in turn absorbing damage into themselves before leaving your cockpit vulnerable (though not an affective substitute for actual armor).
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• Specials: When idling or preparing to attack, activating Intercept mode engages your all-range units. These can go wherever you please while Intercept mode is active; either to scout the surrounding area, skirmish with enemy forces, or take potshots or ambush enemy mechs before your mech's main portion is engaged.

Combat:

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As mentioned above, when using your mech you can change its modes when deployed. These modes include:

• Mobile: This is your default mode allowing you to move your mech around where you please. Movement speed is restricted by the slowest unit in your chain. Or in other words, you'll have to start "pulling" your mech's cockpit against the resistence of any slower units in your chain in order to keep it moving. This is the only mode that lets you use your cockpit's natural abilities freely (besides attack).
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• Offense: Freezes your cockpit and engages your weapon systems for close range combat. Your attacks are limited by the types of weapon components you chose; either air, ground, or both.
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• Intercept: Lets you deploy free-range units with various abillities. Cockpit and weapons remain offline during this mode.
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• Launch: This mode gives your mech only partial mobility, but lets you activate your mech's missiles and bombs. This mode is primarily for busting through heavy fortifications or lightly-defended enemy mechs, without needing to get up close and personal with your weapons systems.

In addition to mech combat, you can also engage enemy forces in two other ways: Directly with your pilot, or by proxy by constructing support or defense structures. Both are functions of the different pilot types, depending on which you select. Pilots alone are typically not effective against enemy mech units, but can hold their own against regular enemy forces or help bolster your team's offense and defense, thus hindering or even repelling enemy mech progression. In fact, you can even devote yourself outright to team support and forgo mech use altogether, though at the price of personal vulnerability.



Project Status:

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Currently, I'm done with the core mech, player, and hangar systems. I'm ready now to start on gameplay, gameplay progression, unit balancing, play testing, and other odd jobs.

That is where you come in. I wish to make this a limited team project, so as to introduce a good process for handling teams in the future, and to get this darn thing finished faster. I don't have unlimited time, so to finish this, I'll need help with the following things (coming soon):

• Testers-
  • Bug Testers: About 1-3 people who can be available on call to help find and isolate gameplay, mech system, and other bugs. An understanding of Starcraft's workings and trigger knowledge are a plus.
  • Play Testers: About 2-8 people who can be available at scheduled dates to help with balance testing. Only patience, commitment, and some ability to tell what needs to be nerfed or beefed are needed.
• Foley Artist- I need one person who has a good ear for sounds to help with selecting, compressing, and embedding sounds for various uses in the map. Some trigger skill recommended, but not required.
• Events Planner- Just a simple job I need of someone with some creativity, and preferably experience with AoS/DotA-style maps. Basically a form of script writer, sans the characters or distinct story. Just come up with ideas for events to occur during gameplay to make it more interesting.

More positions might become available as need dictates, but for now all I'll really need coming up soon is testers and someone to help with sound and planning, mainly. Sign up here if you're interested.

I may post the alpha eventually, once everything is together, and allow for some limited public testing later. For now though, it's all gonna be in-house.


Note: Unless you're actually willing to commit to a role, and not just curious about seeing the map, I'll ask you to wait on it so I can get it prepared in the way I want it to be seen first. This is not a player-friendly version, and whether or not you expect to find anything "cool" for yourself, I'll still expect you to perform your role, or else simply wait it out until it's done. I plan on giving full credit where credit is due, of course, so you needn't worry about that.

Damn this sounds pretty exciting! if you need some testing or ideas let me know

Couldn't you just call them Mechs?
Looking forward to it, I just hope you don't complicate it further and give every player six Defilers. Hiyo!

Omg looking good... I hope this doesnt take forever like rush did...

Also you might want me as a bug tester, im pretty good with triggers now... and i find bugs pretty easily.

No. Ludicrousy or bust!

OOo, now there's an idea!




Ok, if you guys are interested in testing, I'll need you to PM me to get a good time to arrange it. My first test will be coming up soon, where it's just the mech systems only: No unit balancing, pricing, or anything. This is just to find bugs and test whether the current set of features work. Ideas welcome, but I'm more interested in determining whether things work or not, and how to fix them if not, instead.

I may also be electing a lead tester later to help manage a group of playtesters later. I'll most likely choose whoever helps the most with the current bug testing stage for that job later, so keep that in mind if you're interested.

Sounds ALOT like Chromehounds for the 360, which I beat A on everything.

Never played it. But think of it this way then: I'm making something in Starcraft you'd otherwise have to pay for as a commercial game.

Go me?

So what does this Progression Planner need to do exactly? I don't mind testing with ya, but it would have to be on the "fixed schedule" type of system because I work almost daily. But I'm good with keeping track of things, organization, and planning. Oh and I've written many scripts. So I figured I'd inquire about the Progression Planner's duties.

Sorry, I wasn't clear above. I edited the post with better information.

Basically, just think of a cool progression of events to happen on the battlefield. If you've played any AoS-style maps, you'll have some idea what I mean. Like one side will get reinforcements 5 minutes in, then the other will get backup at 7, but then the other team has a new hero enter the fray or something... that kind of thing. I haven't even really defined much of a story for this or anything, so there's plenty of room for creativity here.

well, i wouldn't mind writing a storyline, don't really care much for planning out game events though. so, if you split those two up, i'd gladly go for storyline writing. my writing skill is straight A quality so you won't have to worry about bad spelling/grammar etc.

You never know, some people just may play sc on a friends pc and like this game you made so much they buy starcraft. I think it will be fun still, chromehounds was a 9/10 game. I can't wait to see how you make this complicated stuff idiot-enabled . (As in those who don't like to read)

Meep! I'd love to be a bug tester if you have any room.

Well extensive writing probably won't be involved, except maybe a few alert messages from HQ reporting incoming enemy forces or reinforcements or whatever is appropriate for game events.

Anyway I'd prefer someone who has some experience with an AoS/DotA map for this role, if possible. Or at least has a knack for making things interesting in what would otherwise be just an uninteresting, continual pattern of gameplay.


EDIT- Heck, now that I think of it, there's no reason I couldn't randomize events, to make things more interesting. Would add replay value, with things being different each time.

In fact, that's what I think I'll do. Then it's only a matter of thinking up cool events, and not necessarily what progression they need to be in.


Zeratul, if you can stay on reserve for awhile I might use your help posting a good release thread for this if you're good at writing. I usually fumble around or overelaborate with these kinds of things, so it would be nice to have someone else take over for a change.

alright sounds good !

Random events sounds a lot better. If you need ideas, I'm available to contribute.

As far as gameplay goes, is it basically a team versus team battle where you've got these "Mechnogears" that fight alongside (presumably) computer controlled forces during war? If so, there are a lot of different things you could do as far as events go.

That's the plan so far.

Hmm this looks like an idea that I had a while ago except a lot more advanced. Obviously this will turn out good, now I can't wait to play it. Is it going to be sound extensive or a map that will spread throughout battle.net? And sorry I'd probably be busy to help you test.

This seems good for me. Im a writer of poetry lyrics and stories, i can show you some of my stories if you like just to get a feel of how i do things. I think i can commit to this and help out, and ive played enough DOTA to put koreans to shame. Let me know.

-Ex

Already PM'ed you.

I'd like to be one of the play testers, but I'll need to see a schedule first. I'm not as available now due to school.

Ok I'm looking at Saturday as they day I'll start showing the map. I don't think I could divy up triggers or anything with whats left, but that's not that big of a deal. It's mainly bug finding, balancing, and play testing that I need help with.

Yay today is saturday!

show the map already im excited!

I know you never even looked at my post as if i dont matter but id like to see it to... if you can get on east... my account is Oo.IcY.oO

Id love to be a play tester, ive loved all of your maps
Besides, i got nothing else to do