Mikali
15th Mar 05, 5:02 PM
I'm working on a 4x strategic game based on Homeworld.
Here's what I've got so far:
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Quadrant/3864/files/index.html?HWEmpires.zip
-----------------------------------------------------------
game components
units
type
ship
same as in HW2
facility
refer to HW canon wherever possible
stats
movement speed (ACP) [ALMOST DONE]
speed in the strategic game could be based upon acceleration, as defined in .ship files, distance, and the turnlength as opposed to maxspeed values [DONE]
resource consumption (fuel)
doesn't occur in HW2, but thought we should do it anyway
resource production (if applicable)
refining ore would be an example, as would trade
can't think of an instance in HW canon or in the game, but I thought I'd list it anyway...
usually a property of terrain
damage [DONE]
get the damage/second for each ship from data in the .ship files [DONE]
adjust for scale [DONE]
hitpoints [DONE]
same as in HW2, adjusted for super-squad sizes
regentime (recuperation time) [PENDING ADDITION/REMOVAL OF REGEN]
adjust regentime, as defined in .ship files, for time [DONE]
maybe disable regentime in the tactical game
otherwise, not necessary to calculate it for the strategic game
hitchance [DONE, BUT MAYBE NOT DONE RIGHT]
is calculated on a unit-vs-unit basis
determine the time for each unit to kill every other unit using data in the .ship files [DONE]
then use PlayBalancing mod to determine the 'real' values [DONE]
the ratio (stat values/real values) is the hitchance
or, ignore hitchance (set it to 100%) and make damage a fraction of its maximum value
super-squadron size [DONE]
not related to squadron sizes in HW2, but works in the same way (e.g. ships are built and controlled in groups) [DONE]
only SuperCapital ships (not including destroyers) should have a squadron size of 1
the average squadron size should be 10
can cpumilitary.lua be used as a reference?
cost to build [DONE]
same as in HW2
adjust for squadron sizes [DONE]
time to build [DONE]
adjust the time to build, as defined in .ship files, for scale [DONE]
adjust for squadron sizes [DONE]
build speed (if applicable) [NEEDS DOING]
adjust build speed, as defined in .ship files, for scale [NEEDS DOING]
sensors [NEEDS DOING]
need some sort of % chance of detecting different classed objects in space [NEEDS DOING]
special abilities
types
build ability (if applicable)
same as in HW2 (except for facilities)
hyperspace
convert hyperspace enter/exit time to ACP the same as you would damage [NEEDS DOING]
convert HS radius to super-squadron limit [NEEDS DOING]
hyperspace inhibiting
convert radius of effect [NEEDS DOING]
cloak
defense field
need to figure out how this shold be done in the strategic game [NEEDS DOING]
EMP
terrain modification
etc.
stats
ACP cost
duration of effect
sprites
research
type
ship tech
should be more or less the same as in HW2
facility tech
refer to HW canon wherever possible
stats
cost
time
required units/facilities
required research
sprites or icons (maybe)
terrain
type
planets, suns, moons
asteroid fields
clouds, nebulae
empty space
stats
resources
modifiers
unit speed
unit vision
unit health
unit hitchance
sprites
AI
not sure how Xconq handles this
scale
time & distance should retain the same proportions as in HW2, if at all possible
time unit
not sure
turnlength
tactical game-time units are converted to strategic game-time units using the following formula:
60 tactical seconds = 50 strategic time units
distance unit (tilelength)
each tile is one light year in diameter
average distance between stars is 5 ly
every 25th star has orbiting planet(s)
how big is the map?
how many tiles is the map comprised of?
eyecandy
badges
team colors
RPG elements?
quests
NPCs
NOTES
* The game will probably be an Xconq module.
* Players will take their turns simultaneously. Combat will then be resolved at the end of each turn (e.g. like LSN or XCom as opposed to Civ or JA2)
* Production/resourcing will probably be disabled in the tactical game (except probes).
* Only shipyards will be able to build ships (except probes).
* Need special role for MS so that it's not completely useless. Maybe as starter for new base/facility (e.g. settler unit in Alpha Centauri)?
* There should be an ample supply of terrain types that have varying effects upon units (e.g. radioactive tiles would cause damage; resourcing could not occur in empty space, etc.).
* Terrain modifications should be possible as well (e.g. terraforming, triggering supernovae, destroying planets, etc.)
* Note that all testing using PlayBalancing mod should be done using squadron sizes, as testing with multiple ships instead of single ships takes into account the effects of regentime and differences between group and individual ship behaviors.
Also, ships will be less likely to time-out without inflicting damage.
* Regentime may be disabled in the tactical game.
* Hyperspacing may be disabled in the tactical game.
* Hyperspace platforms may be disabled in the tactical game.
* I think Xconq's built-in AI should suffice. Not sure. Supposedly, it can 'learn' the rules.
* Carriers, MSs, BCs, etc. will no longer be limited in the number of individual ships they can fit in their holds or 'carry' with them into hyperspace.
Instead, they will be limited in the number of super-squadrons.
Hyperspace piggy-backing will probably be a function of the ship's HS radius.
Hyperspace-capable ships count as 2 squadrons, so the ship can 'send' an additional two squadrons into hyperspace than it can 'carry'.
I know this isn't in HW canon, but it adds a nice tactical element.
* Hyperspace can only be done once per turn.
Units remain in hyperspace until the beginning of the next turn (is HS instantaneous?).
* Transport routes are needed to transfer RUs & other necessities between tiles.
* Colonists must be transported between tiles using transport ships (or MSs?)
* Shipyards stats should maybe be upgraded to Shipyard_Elohim to make up for the lack of a shiphold/regen.
* Technically, the length of a combat round is determined by the number of ACPs left after the last player to enter hostile terrain has arrived.
However, since turns last a long time, this probably doesn't matter.
* Distances are a little too great for normal means of travel. Maybe make hyperspace ability req'd to move from one tile to another?
* Maybe decrease fighter accuracy vs. capships to make up for lack of regen. This will also (hopefully) make frigates stronger and anti-bomber defense more critical.
* Special abilities like cloak, defense field and minelaying will probably not have a time limit.
NEED TO DO
* create ship sprites
* create terrain sprites
* create facilities
* create facility sprites
* create research
* ship special abilities
* auto-generate ship positions on maps (e.g. platform formations)
* add additional units (Tanis, Chimera, Prison Station, etc.)
DONE
* distance/time scale & units
* damage for all ships
* squadron sizes for all ships
* movement speed for all ships
* build cost for all ships
* build time for all ships
* regen time for all ships
* HP for all ships
Here's what I've got so far:
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Quadrant/3864/files/index.html?HWEmpires.zip
-----------------------------------------------------------
game components
units
type
ship
same as in HW2
facility
refer to HW canon wherever possible
stats
movement speed (ACP) [ALMOST DONE]
speed in the strategic game could be based upon acceleration, as defined in .ship files, distance, and the turnlength as opposed to maxspeed values [DONE]
resource consumption (fuel)
doesn't occur in HW2, but thought we should do it anyway
resource production (if applicable)
refining ore would be an example, as would trade
can't think of an instance in HW canon or in the game, but I thought I'd list it anyway...
usually a property of terrain
damage [DONE]
get the damage/second for each ship from data in the .ship files [DONE]
adjust for scale [DONE]
hitpoints [DONE]
same as in HW2, adjusted for super-squad sizes
regentime (recuperation time) [PENDING ADDITION/REMOVAL OF REGEN]
adjust regentime, as defined in .ship files, for time [DONE]
maybe disable regentime in the tactical game
otherwise, not necessary to calculate it for the strategic game
hitchance [DONE, BUT MAYBE NOT DONE RIGHT]
is calculated on a unit-vs-unit basis
determine the time for each unit to kill every other unit using data in the .ship files [DONE]
then use PlayBalancing mod to determine the 'real' values [DONE]
the ratio (stat values/real values) is the hitchance
or, ignore hitchance (set it to 100%) and make damage a fraction of its maximum value
super-squadron size [DONE]
not related to squadron sizes in HW2, but works in the same way (e.g. ships are built and controlled in groups) [DONE]
only SuperCapital ships (not including destroyers) should have a squadron size of 1
the average squadron size should be 10
can cpumilitary.lua be used as a reference?
cost to build [DONE]
same as in HW2
adjust for squadron sizes [DONE]
time to build [DONE]
adjust the time to build, as defined in .ship files, for scale [DONE]
adjust for squadron sizes [DONE]
build speed (if applicable) [NEEDS DOING]
adjust build speed, as defined in .ship files, for scale [NEEDS DOING]
sensors [NEEDS DOING]
need some sort of % chance of detecting different classed objects in space [NEEDS DOING]
special abilities
types
build ability (if applicable)
same as in HW2 (except for facilities)
hyperspace
convert hyperspace enter/exit time to ACP the same as you would damage [NEEDS DOING]
convert HS radius to super-squadron limit [NEEDS DOING]
hyperspace inhibiting
convert radius of effect [NEEDS DOING]
cloak
defense field
need to figure out how this shold be done in the strategic game [NEEDS DOING]
EMP
terrain modification
etc.
stats
ACP cost
duration of effect
sprites
research
type
ship tech
should be more or less the same as in HW2
facility tech
refer to HW canon wherever possible
stats
cost
time
required units/facilities
required research
sprites or icons (maybe)
terrain
type
planets, suns, moons
asteroid fields
clouds, nebulae
empty space
stats
resources
modifiers
unit speed
unit vision
unit health
unit hitchance
sprites
AI
not sure how Xconq handles this
scale
time & distance should retain the same proportions as in HW2, if at all possible
time unit
not sure
turnlength
tactical game-time units are converted to strategic game-time units using the following formula:
60 tactical seconds = 50 strategic time units
distance unit (tilelength)
each tile is one light year in diameter
average distance between stars is 5 ly
every 25th star has orbiting planet(s)
how big is the map?
how many tiles is the map comprised of?
eyecandy
badges
team colors
RPG elements?
quests
NPCs
NOTES
* The game will probably be an Xconq module.
* Players will take their turns simultaneously. Combat will then be resolved at the end of each turn (e.g. like LSN or XCom as opposed to Civ or JA2)
* Production/resourcing will probably be disabled in the tactical game (except probes).
* Only shipyards will be able to build ships (except probes).
* Need special role for MS so that it's not completely useless. Maybe as starter for new base/facility (e.g. settler unit in Alpha Centauri)?
* There should be an ample supply of terrain types that have varying effects upon units (e.g. radioactive tiles would cause damage; resourcing could not occur in empty space, etc.).
* Terrain modifications should be possible as well (e.g. terraforming, triggering supernovae, destroying planets, etc.)
* Note that all testing using PlayBalancing mod should be done using squadron sizes, as testing with multiple ships instead of single ships takes into account the effects of regentime and differences between group and individual ship behaviors.
Also, ships will be less likely to time-out without inflicting damage.
* Regentime may be disabled in the tactical game.
* Hyperspacing may be disabled in the tactical game.
* Hyperspace platforms may be disabled in the tactical game.
* I think Xconq's built-in AI should suffice. Not sure. Supposedly, it can 'learn' the rules.
* Carriers, MSs, BCs, etc. will no longer be limited in the number of individual ships they can fit in their holds or 'carry' with them into hyperspace.
Instead, they will be limited in the number of super-squadrons.
Hyperspace piggy-backing will probably be a function of the ship's HS radius.
Hyperspace-capable ships count as 2 squadrons, so the ship can 'send' an additional two squadrons into hyperspace than it can 'carry'.
I know this isn't in HW canon, but it adds a nice tactical element.
* Hyperspace can only be done once per turn.
Units remain in hyperspace until the beginning of the next turn (is HS instantaneous?).
* Transport routes are needed to transfer RUs & other necessities between tiles.
* Colonists must be transported between tiles using transport ships (or MSs?)
* Shipyards stats should maybe be upgraded to Shipyard_Elohim to make up for the lack of a shiphold/regen.
* Technically, the length of a combat round is determined by the number of ACPs left after the last player to enter hostile terrain has arrived.
However, since turns last a long time, this probably doesn't matter.
* Distances are a little too great for normal means of travel. Maybe make hyperspace ability req'd to move from one tile to another?
* Maybe decrease fighter accuracy vs. capships to make up for lack of regen. This will also (hopefully) make frigates stronger and anti-bomber defense more critical.
* Special abilities like cloak, defense field and minelaying will probably not have a time limit.
NEED TO DO
* create ship sprites
* create terrain sprites
* create facilities
* create facility sprites
* create research
* ship special abilities
* auto-generate ship positions on maps (e.g. platform formations)
* add additional units (Tanis, Chimera, Prison Station, etc.)
DONE
* distance/time scale & units
* damage for all ships
* squadron sizes for all ships
* movement speed for all ships
* build cost for all ships
* build time for all ships
* regen time for all ships
* HP for all ships