GalactiConquest

[JGadrow]

Ok, I'll use GalactiConquest as a 'working title' as until about 2 weeks ago, I owned the domain name associated with this. I'm not totally sold on the name though, so I let it go when re-registration time came around.

This project is for collaboration with individuals wishing to do such. Some of the key concepts of the game are as follows:

• Players will create a unique account which can be tied to any number of games (if I decide to create multiple servers in the future).
• The main resources in the game (ranked by order of value, lowest first):
  
  • Credit - Basic unit of currency
  • Metal - Used to produce objects
  • Fuel - Used to run objects and feed citizens
  • Citizen - Used to man objects and labor at tasks
• If a player has no bases in that server's universe, a new base is created
  
  • if the player has less than 50 credits, the player now has 50 credits
• Each base has its own storage for resources except credits (which are globally shared) - NOTE: Players are limited to 5 bases
• Bases can perform a variety of tasks:
  
  • Construction - Building a new Structure
  • Manufacturing - Building new Vessels
  • Production - Generating Resources
• Structures and Vessels share a set of attributes
  
  • Name - Name for the object
  • Cost - Cost is broken down by resource type - NOTE: Structures never cost Civilians
  • Durability - This is how much damage an object can take before being destroyed
  • Components - These objects add functionality to the object
  • Advanced - This is a simple true or false field calculated from the object's cost and the player's level. A player may only create 5 advanced objects for each base they control
• Vessels have an additional set of attributes
  
  • Chassis - The frame that the Vessel is built upon. Determines base Civilian cost, Maneuverability, and Mass
  • Rank - The level of the Vessel, used to modify Reactions, Targetting, and Maneuverability
  • Experience - Number indicating progress towards next Rank
  • Reactions - Number ranking how quickly a Vessel can react in combat
  • Targetting - Number specifying a percentage chance of hitting a target of the same Rank
  • Maneuverability - Number specifying a percentage chance of avoiding damage from a target of the same Rank and Mass
  • Mass - Number representing the size of the Vessel, used to calculate Maneuverability, Reactions, Flight Time, and the speed at which the Vessel travels
  • Fuel - Number of Fuel resources present on Vessel, used to calculate Flight Time
  • Flight Time - Timestamp representing the amount of flight time remaining before the Vessel runs out of Fuel - NOTE: a vessel that has its Flight Time expired during transit and is not refueled within 24 hours becomes debris
  • Crew - Number representing the number of Civilians are needed to pilot this Vessel, used to affect fuel production of a base to which this Vessel is docked
• Each player account may be 'free' or 'upgraded'
  
  • No base limit
  • No advanced object limits
  • Increased resource production and building speed

That is probably enough to get things started. Also, Vessels and Structures are NOT hard-coded into the game. The end user picks the components they want for each vehicle and structure which modifies the cost. Each player also can store their own template library which allows for creation of multiple, similar items. Additionally, the site administration can add global templates that will be available to all players.

[saljutin]

Interesting idea, but this game will "die" soon.
Why?
Read again the advantages user gain when she/he upgrades account...

[codestryke]

Interesting idea, but this game will "die" soon.
Why?
Read again the advantages user gain when she/he upgrades account...

Agreed.

You've created a whomever buys the most stuff with real money wins the game. If everyone is limited to X then everyone needs to be limited to X even if they gave the game money.

Other then that though it seems like an interesting concept... Not sure how original as I don't play a lot of space games but interesting nonetheless.

[JGadrow]

It's probably important that I mention the fact that I plan to do absolutely nothing about multi-accounts.

Thus, the upgrades need to be substantial so that simply paying $5 / month is a more effective solution than multi-accounting.

I've actually thought that I'm not giving ENOUGH advantages to encourage upgrading.

Also, these aren't all of my ideas. For instance, you can join a guild (which I call a 'federation'), I am introducing the concept of having 'free' guilds and 'upgraded' guilds. An upgraded guild is NOT a guild full of upgraded members. Basically, your guild has an account, which people can pay to (and guild leaders can see who has paid into the account). Guild leaders can then upgrade the guild to receive advantages that apply for the entire guild.

One such advantage could be an attack which will inflict massive damage to a base / fleet / etc. Thus, if you can't afford to pay for the game, you still can have a good time and a fighting chance if you join a decent guild.

Probably MOST important is the fact that fleet size is to be CAPPED! Upgrading will NOT remove the limitation on fleet size. I'm thinking fleets of 20 vessels are about as high as I'm wanting to go.

The whole point of the game is TACTICAL combat, not 'he who has 1,000,000 ships.' And combat is randomized, which adds another layer of help for the free guys.

But, really, as a revenue generator, I want to encourage users to upgrade. I'd rather have 100 people on my server who are paying monthly than 1,000 who aren't.

[Chris]

I think it is way too early to worry about revenue. First you need a game, then you need to put it online and test it, then you need to gather a decent base of players and after all this you can worry how to pay the bills
At least that's how I do it.


How tactical combat will work? Since it is the most important part according to your post you should concentrate on this first. For starters, I would discard all these bases and vehicle building and make a game when you select a fleet from predefined designs and then go to fight. This way you won't waste too much time on secondary features in case it won't work out and you were forced to discard the whole project (from your post it seems that if tactical combat won't work then nothing else would matter, correct?).

[JGadrow]

Correct. However, most of this IS already planned out.

On the first post I stated: 'That is probably enough to get things started.' Which means I have MUCH more in my software requirements planning than was input into the first post.

I was trying to avoid making everyone read the ENTIRE requirements document lol.

The attributes specified on each of the objects is there for a REASON.

For instance, combat is handled in the following manner:

Correct. However, most of this IS already planned out.

On the first post I stated: 'That is probably enough to get things started.' Which means I have MUCH more in my software requirements planning than was input into the first post.

I was trying to avoid making everyone read the ENTIRE requirements document lol.

The attributes specified on each of the objects is there for a REASON.

For instance, combat is handled in the following manner:

• Determine combat location and time and add relevant Vessels
        
  • if Base, add Structures to Combat
     
• Determine combatant order based on Reactions (Structure Reactions are always a static number)
• Begin Round Loop
        
  • Check if round is less than MAX_ROUNDS
                
    • if not less than MAX_ROUNDS, end round loop
             
  • Mark first combatant as active
  • Begin combatant loop
                
    • Select active combatant
    • Determine number of attacks
    • Begin attack loop
                        
      • Determine target based on 'tactics' settings (not discussed for brevity's sake)
      • Roll attack
                                
        • if attack hits, roll defender's Maneuverability
                                        
          • if Maneuver succeeds, continue attack loop
                                     
        • Determine damage
        • Reduce damage according to defender's armor and shielding
        • Apply damage to defender
                                        
          • if defender destroyed, remove from combatants group
                                     
                             
      • Select next attack
                     
    • Mark next combatant as active
             
  • Determine if one side has been destroyed
                
    • if one side is destroyed, end round loop
             
  • Increment round number
     
• Submit Battle Report to combat participants

[codestryke]

What type of numbers are you thinking here for these loops? If small then no problem if large then we'll talk more because I have very intimate knowledge of large loops and a game that is popular

[saljutin]

but where is the tactics in this battle system? I mean it is not the same as system where you calculate damage from attack and defense, but still it uses some sort of D&D or RPG system.
Tactics means that users actually decides about things, lets say in basketball manager user must choose proper tactic that players would play (play on bigmen, shot 3pts, ...).

[JGadrow]

Codestryke, the numbers are kept small. Each combat is executed in a batch of rounds, probably 3 - 5 depending upon server impact, then there's a 30 second delay, then it executes again if any ships remain in the area. This allows combat to be performed with only 1 player online, but gives players a window to respond to an attack if they happen to be online.

As far as the tactics are concerned, each Vessel is customized. Some weapons deal more damage to shields, less damage to armor, fire faster, etc. Some modules allow a vessel to be ignored for the first round of combat, to maneuver twice per round, etc.

Thus, the ships that you create add an initial layer of tactics to the combat.

However, each vessel has a 'tactics' configuration that will allow you to specify target priority. I'm thinking three priorities per vessel, but testing will determine available number.

You can set target priority by (some examples):

Chassis (Structure counts as Chassis)
Attack Power
Defense
Components
Mass
etc.

Also, you can specify roles for your vessels. This role will adjust some of the statistics of your vessel. If you choose 'defender' as a role and target 'Monitor' as a Chassis, your vessel will attack any vessel attacking one of your Monitor class vessels, but will not take attacks.

Yes, this modifies the attack structure a bit, but the above attack structure is a 'typical scenario' not the entire structure.

[Chris]

Oh, so it is a strategy level combat, not a  tactic level. Why limit of 20 units then? Since player doesn't need to manually order them around...

It's too bland to my taste. There are bases (everywhere are some kind of bases/planets), fleets of space vessels that are given order to attack and set some kind of damage dealing priorities (so a typical combat like in 60% of space empire games). I don't have anything against clones, but if you want to make it popular you should provide something better that all the other games of this genre. Take a look at Hyperiums for example, at the first glance it follows the pattern but they went for extreme simplicity (4 buildings total, 5 units total in the whole game!), by adding some unique features (infiltration, Hyperius protection gov. type) they made a very unique gaming experience.
So far I like in your design the "Advanced" thing and how it is connected to bases count, everything else is "saw it 1000 times already and got bored to death". This design so far lacks "spirit" or some general "vision".

I think you can go 3 ways:
- strategy - a lot of planets, hordes of ships, not much to decide during combat, focus on economy
- tactic - a few ships, combat outcome depending on player orders not the technology or fleet strength (at least 24 hours to respond to combat, otherwise no point doing this since everyone will be killed during sleep), focus on space combat
- standard with unique feature - like all the games around  but add a few qunique features (galaxy council of players, NPC alien attacks, etc)

[saljutin]

well Chris actually the ability to add components to ships would make game unique. I don't think there are many games where you can build your own 5 legged tank with 7 MGs and a milkshake carrier
that could work, or not. Only time & players will tell you that.

OT: Chris why don't you add screenshots section to your game...i think lots of players like preview of game before they register

[Chris]

well Chris actually the ability to add components to ships would make game unique. I don't think there are many games where you can build your own 5 legged tank with 7 MGs and a milkshake carrier
that could work, or not.

Strange, I saw countless games with these... They even use the same pattern (hull, weapon, armour, shields, engines, computers, sensors). But I agree there are not many games (I can't recall even one) where this worked well (except for Master of Orion 2, but this is not MMO).

OT: Chris why don't you add screenshots section to your game...i think lots of players like preview of game before they register

My game's gfx sux, the gameplay is what draws players. If I were to put screens too many would quit without trying ;-)

[JGadrow]

The number of units is small because most games allow you to build massive fleets.

I didn't intend this game to be 100% unique. I'm basing a lot of my ideas off of an old game called TradeWars 2002 that I used to enjoy when BBS were popular.

However, this thread is not really for 'marketability' of the game. It's for the benefit of those who wish to collaborate (as per my Anyone for Collaboration? thread). It's not supposed to be this busy yet as not even a scrap of code has been posted :p

It's supposed to generate enough information to perhaps pique someone's interest to see if they'd be willing to collaborate on the project. As far as it's marketability is concerned, I want it to be a similar experience to other games for the same reason you develop an application with similarities to other applications: It reduced the learning curve for users who have utilized programs with similar intent / style.

For instance, if you write a text editor, you don't hijack the key combination Ctrl+C to mean 'Open a New File.' Because it would totally screw up everyone's experience lol.

[Cosmo86]

This sounds kewl, the idea of tactics and stuff has great potential and I'm interested to see the implications that has on typical space-empire gameplay.

I suspect I would lack the required coding skill to collaborate with you on this project Makari, but I would like to address the other posters if I may.
As a gamer, I'm not necessarily looking for a super-original idea -there are many games I do not try simply because they look too far-out or different. When I'm looking for a new browser game I have a definite idea of the sort of game I want to play: usually a empire-building strategy game or a roleplaying game. After playing numerous examples of these games there are certain common characteristics that I like and that need not be changed, and certain things that I want to see handled differently (which is what makes me look for a new game in the first place).

The idea you are describing interests me Makari because is features things that I want to see in a space empire building game, but doesn't try to fix things that aren't broken, or require me to learn too many new concepts. (As a side note, I also favor text-based games with simple and efficient site design because of my slow connection speed.)

The game I currently play is Astro Empires (http://alpha.astroempires.com/home.aspx). Its obvious why this game attracts me but there are some fundamental flaws in the combat system that detract from my enjoyment of the game (flaws that your approach may provide a solution to). Another problem is that the mechanics of the combat system (targeting etc) are not explained -as if this somehow adds to the quality of the game (GRRRR!).

As for upgraded accounts, I would like to see a game that somehow provides members with enough bonuses to make the upgrade worth purchasing, yet still keep the game fair for free accounts. Perhaps by including units/weapon types/structures/whatever that aren't available to free accounts, but aren't completely superior to standard stuff. Ie give upgraded accounts greater flexibility, but not superiority.
Astro Empires does this fairly well -the super units you can build with an upgraded account are not necessarily better than the standard units, and worse in many situations. Unfortunately some of the other bonus are totally OP (over-powered), and equate to buying your success in the game.