=== ANCHOR POEM ===
══════════════════════════════════════════─────────────────────────────────────────
okay a game like legion td except you can see the entire map, the units are
very
small (but still distinct) and it plays more like a game of Dominions. Armies
instead of units, like in WC3. Led by lieutenants which are guided by captains,
each with their own effects. Tank, dps, melee, ranged, healer, support,
corrupt,
ranged tank, unique, etc. Of course, just like in legion td, there are multiple
types of units, each of a particular category but possessing their own unique
playstyle and usage scenarios. Essentially the game is finding the best tool
for
the job, whatever that may be. You should be able to see what mercenaries your
opponent is summoning for you, because each turn is delayed. also, the
units keep coming until you die, sorta like... minimum required to push through
the chokepoint that you're holding with these particular units in this
particular formation.
oh and another thing
the units should be placable not on a square grid, but rather in a hex
formation
arranged such that the middle unit is in contact with them all. Just like you'd
place units for an aura in Legion TD.
image describing said hex:
**
* *
**
each * is a group of units (a batallion, if you will, of a particular size,
arrangement, and density) - sorta like the formations in Dominions.
anyway
since you place units like that anyway, why not abstract away the grid and just
have slots you can fill for each unit? And maybe a hero unit that is assigned
to
the board itself (you could have more than one) who will go wherever your line
is weakest. Shouldn't be too hard, just calculate the value of all of the
fighters in each location and return that to the hero as an array. Then pick
the
smallest one as a destination, and boom your hero reinforces the frontline
where
it's weakest.
The center unit of course is for the lieutenant, and the "heros" are actually
captains. Because y'know maybe heroism isn't celebrated the way it is in our
culture. Anyway it's better to describe them based on their role rather than
their reception.
... right so
=========================================================== stack overflow
=====
make the combat sorta like crusader kings - the actual army to army part.
Except with three long boards that represent flanks. As your units approach,
the
boards would fill up with pixels. (resolution configurable)
there would also be a line (or block) approaching from the top of the screen.
It
essentially represents your distance to the other team.
Each unit has been configured in the army management phase, which happens
inbetween each turn. Essentially, while the game is loading, you can assess the
units you have at your disposal, and
┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐
│ similar │ chronological │ different │
╘═════════╧╧═══════════════════════════════════────────────────────────────────────────┘
=== SIMILARITY RANKED ===
--- #1 notes/game-design-mech-commander ---
═════════════════════════════════──────────────────────────────────────────────────
okay picture a game where you command a mech (supreme commander style) but from
a third person perspective - you have enhanced sensors tthat let you visualize
the battle area as a small arena - and you can build factories and give them
orders and attack your foe from quite a distance. You could queue up orders for
yourself, and use floating cameras to go back to previous areas and issue more
orders. Basically the precursor / smaller scale version of Supreme Commander.
build a factory, move on. Build a factory, move on. Encountered the enemy? Push
forward and through. Build a factory, move on. Build some defences to slow down
the enemy, move on. Establish resource extraction and defend it well, that your
enemy may decide it's not worth the trouble and just focus on following you.
Then, you have free resources available as long as it isn't destroyed. You can
use this to snowball - the pursuer is also the pursuee, as it's sorta like a
yin/hang thing around a central point. Like a spherical shaped map instead of
a square.
Every time you build a factory you have the choice of either sending the units
on an attack-move order or having them queue up on your commander. You can use
a map to plot the route they'll take, but you probably want to avoid their main
force because MANYvONE = failure for the one. You could also tell them to wait,
and protect the base they're in. Then, when the enemy approaches they could do
raids on their reinforcements and attack the previous base the enemy built, or
they could stay and slow them down. It just depends on what kind of defences
you
want to build (if any at all, sometimes producing units is enough)
the commander decides when to push and when to entrench, they know where to
target the enemy and they know where to shore up. They are the guidance of the
army, and in command of the fleet.
That's sorta what Planetary Annihilation was supposed to be, but it didn't
really work out that way. You needed to be in too many places at once, and
there
was a real limit to the value of the "strategic zoom" replacement they had to
deploy. Unfortunately it was just more difficult than anticipated, and that's
alright. Lessons have been learned.
the next approach should go the next direction - taking a page from the
"factorio" book by having a roving commander who creates all orders and leaving
behind a "factory" that produces toward an ultimate goal. It simulates pushing
into enemy territory, it elaborates on the snowballing mechanic, and it makes
meaningful decisions about what choices to make.
It should be designed such that a prudent commander is always scouting. Always
sending planes over enemy territory to gain knowledge. They can use this to
sense weaknesses in the opponents defence - to prepare a counter-attack. But
the enemy can outfox this, by building units and sending them from afar. Or
even just building them there, in that factory. The enemy can't spy on that, at
least not until it's probably too late. For they have to advance on their own
and their attention is limited. But units can often be weaker, or sent off on
an
assault of their own. It's a balanced trade-off.
infantry assault anti-air units, tanks approach tanks, artillery bombs whoever
is standing still or defensive structures.
┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐
│ similar │ chronological │ different │
╘═════════╧╧══════════════════════════─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
--- #2 notes/symbeline-aspects ---
═════════════════════──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
7-24-22
There are three aspects to this game. Broadly, they are military, economics,
and diplomacy. More specifically, they are lateral problem solving and lane
management, logistic traffic management, and a worker-placement bluffing game.
These three aspects can be toggled on and off at will, essentially designating
one or more as "AI controlled" and will require no input from the player. They
will time their progression to be about at the same rate as the player, thus
creating a balanced feel to the game. They also provide alerts and
notifications to the player, for example if military is AI controlled and it
needs a certain type of hero to progress, it'll ask for it specifically.
Each aspect will develop and progress at it's own rate, and the difficulty
increases as each milestone is achieved. This is to allow the player to create
their own difficulty curve, mediated primarily by their drive to proceed.
An analogy would be in Factorio, the game doesn't increase in difficulty unless
the player builds pollution spawning factories - in the same way, in Symbeline
the difficulty doesn't increase unless the player solves lane challenges in the
military aspect, develops new trade routes / traffic paths in the economic
aspect, or creates new treaties in the diplomatic aspect.
In order to properly explain each aspect, a brief overview will be necessary.
In Symbeline, the game plays as a factory might operate. The economic aspect
produces heroes, items, and other deliverables that are consumed by the
military and diplomatic aspects. There are various problems that need to be
solved far from the capital, such as a particular type of monster that is weak
or immune to various damage types which necessitates particular heroes or
items in order to progress on the military aspect. All of the resources in the
game operate on an "income based" system, where output is not measured in total
amounts but rather in terms of how much is produced versus consumed. If the
input cannot meet the demand, the output is slowed. If input exceeds demand it
can be converted into gold which can be used to hire guards and heroes.
Resources can be produced inside and outside of the city, depending on their
type. But they need to be moved around to various shops for various processing
and productive purposes, so pathways must be constructed to deliver those
goods. In addition, each building must be supported by several houses for the
workers to live in, and the closer they are to the building the better. The
denizens of the kingdom don't mind being shuffled about, so they'll organize
themselves according to what's most efficient. However they will not organize
the paths they take to get places, which is the primary gameplay for the
player - designing routes for each building and ensuring they don't overlap or
cross too many times, causing traffic and disruptions to your income.
Each choice the player makes is immediately reflected in the income
calculation, thus allowing for the visual aspect of the game to be wholely
separate from the economic side - in fact this is a common thread throughout
all three aspects. Computation power is the ultimate enemy of scale, and this
game flourishes with a massive scale.
The gameplay for the military aspect consists of manipulating "lanes" that
designate where each hero will adventure. These lanes are scalable to the
player / AI's whims, with a careful balance required - too thin, and the heroes
might not encounter enough monsters to level up. Too thick, and they may find
themselves patrolling a vast wilderness full of dark and evil monsters. At the
end of every lane is a "frontline", where progress has essentially been halted.
These frontlines can develop as a result of meeting a foreign kingdoms front
or finding a monster type or puzzle that is particularily difficult for your
heroes to overcome. The lane / frontline can be scaled not just laterally, but
linearly as well such that heroes will be a certain level when they reach the
end - think scrolling on a mousewheel translating into deepening level zones.
In addition, each monster zone can be set to a certain "security level" meaning
how many monsters are there for your heroes to defeat. It's important that they
have ample targets for training, however it's always more effective to train on
monsters near their level so you have to be careful not to wipe out the native
skeleton / goblin / troll population.
Each monster zone can have a relationship with the kingdom, on a 2x2 matrix -
cultivating / desecrating the land, and fostering / exterminating the monsters.
The land produces monsters and treasures, while the monsters provide experience
and danger to the heroes and kingdom denizens who live there. However by
desecrating the land, farms may be built and by exterminating the monsters,
those farms may be safe and require fewer guards. As ruler, you must balance
the development of unique magical and alchemical productions with the need for
food and other mundane requirements.
Diplomacy is a careful balance of internal and external matters, played out
through feasts, tournaments, and faires. Each of these events will require
input from the economic side and military side, and will involve "courting"
other nobles from neighboring kingdoms to sway them to supporting your edicts.
When hosting an event, you may pick a particular topic of conversation for your
nobles to discuss with their guests. You may also assign your nobles to
attempt to engage with a particular foreign noble. Each member of your court
has a differing personality (including you, the Majesty) and depending on how
you assign them you may experience better or worse results - such as assigning
someone who's kind to talk with someone who's cruel would impart a malus to
their conversation. Unless the kind person has the trusting trait, in which
case they'd succeed in this encounter but fall sway to them in future
conversations... Complex interactions that all boil down to a single pair of
d12 dice - one for your noble, one for the enemy. This represents the charisma
of the two conversants on that particular day, and whoever wins the roll sways
the other to supporting their edict. Speaking of edicts, they may include trade
agreements, non-aggression pacts (lasting for a short time), and other
regulations - perhaps your greatest rival utilizes necromancy, so it would
behoove you to attempt to regulate the practice and limit it's effect. By
swaying the nobles of their kingdom, you may be able to enact a mutual
agreement to limit the usage of dark magics, essentially hamstringing their
progress. But in order to learn of their necromantic usage, you'll need
espionage... Which brings us to spies.
Spies are similar to nobles in that they can be assigned to various roles,
however they take a more passive role, acting in the background. The
information they gather is compiled into a report that is presented at
pertinent parts of the game, such as when preparing for a feast or inspecting
an enemy frontline. These reports are considered the diplomatic deliverables,
giving information and mechanical bonuses to many different parts of the game.
They may be given three possible roles - information, defence, or offense.
Offense involves placing cursed artifacts (creating through economy) in enemy
lands, which debuff their heroes when used and bind themselves to them
preventing their removal except through extraordinary means. Defence is
essentially countering that in your own kingdom, and uncovering disloyalty in
your nobles.
These three aspects fit together like interlocking puzzle pieces, but each is
able to be utilized or ignored depending on the preferences of the player.
It is important that the game doesn't progress unless input is received. The
simulation plays in the background, but each stage of development must be
considered "stable" such that nothing changes. There are three different
exceptions to this rule, one for each aspect:
The military side encounters raids from enemy kingdoms and the dark lord.
The economic side encounters raids from ratmen and moss trolls and bandits.
The diplomatic side has a rolling schedule of events that must be attended.
These three "exceptions" are recurrent events that require attention, but they
don't *increase* in difficulty unless the player takes an action that causes
it. Meaning, if the player overcomes the rock golems, then they are displaced
from their home and join the dark lord in his conquests. If a new district is
built new sewer connections must be built as well, creating a larger attack
surface for ratmen to exploit. As time goes by, various foreign events must be
attended, as absence causes your future events to attract fewer foreign nobles.
By addressing these threats, your kingdom may grow and eventually overcome the
dark lord at the center of the island.
┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐
│ similar │ chronological │ different │
╘═════════╧╧══════════════─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
--- #3 messages/379 ---
════════════════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────────────
take the "green bordered unit icon" from legion TD and apply it to the
economic output of the game - like, "it would be best to build 2 of these
units, so you get 140g because they're 70g each" and if the player disagreed
they could guess their own conclusion and if you were right, well then that's
what you remember, but if they were, then you remember theirs (and that it was
theirs). In doing so ================================================== stack
over flow ====
┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐
│ similar │ chronological │ different │
╘═════════╧╧═════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────────────────┘
--- #4 notes/symbeline ---
════════════════───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Code Name: Symbeline
----------------------------- gdd initial draft -------------------------------
1. introduction to fantasy (elevator pitches)
2. kickstarter demands
2. introduction to core gameplay loop
4. tenants and core values of the game design
3. introduction to game modes
5. introduction to technical requirements
6. breakdown of core gameplay loop
7. breakdown of game modes
8. breakdown of fantasy
9. breakdown of technical requirements
-------------------------- introduction to fantasy-----------------------------
Symbeline is a macro based strategy game and city-builder based around the
concept of indirect control. It's inspirations are Majesty the Fantasy Kingdom
Simulator (2000), Supreme Commander (2007), and Hearts of Iron IV (2016). It is
designed to appeal to fans of tabletop roleplaying games with it's focus on
dynamic worldbuilding and sandbox playstyle. The gameplay consists of multiple
playstyles depending on which aspects of the game appeal to the player, with
choices between an economic focus via the GUI, longterm planning and resource
allocation, or diplomacy and subterfuge a'la Ruinarch (2020).
---------------------------- kickstarter demands ------------------------------
1. prototype
2. gdd
3. estimates for character and environment art
4. estimates for music and sounds
5. estimates for engine development
6. estimates for community management
7. breakdown of mvp, ideal game state, and stretch goals
----------------------- introduction to core gameplay loop --------------------
1. management of lanes, both width and length
2. casting of spells and utilization of special boons
3. city building with placement, upgrades, and henchmen pathing routes
4. satisfying guild requirements of equipment, manpower, and special
resources by managing shipments and local income (UI commodity trading)
5. placement of generalized bounties
(think champion's guild from Majesty, not reward flags)
6. diplomacy with neutral, AI, or player controlled kingdoms. Capabilities
include pacts and treaties, projects, subterfuge, and tournaments. The
diplomacy system can be a stretch goal.
-------------------------- tenants and core values ----------------------------
1. always something to do, but nothing falls apart without your attention.
2. gameplay should be focused on macro rather than micro. Longterm planning
and strategic decision making are favored over tactics and skill.
3. defeat should feel avoidable until the last moment, and only as a result
of longterm continuous failures rather than short-term mistakes or being
blindsided by a cheesy tactic.
4. victory should be gained through exploiting weaknesses and by using
lateral thinking.
5. the careful balance of internal and external threats is essential.
6. rapid expansion leads to depletion of internal resources, while slowly
expanding can lead to a lack of options
7. the world should feel alive and reactive to your decisions.
8. your kingdom should feel alive and reactive to your decisions.
9. your heroes should feel alive and completely ignorant of your decisions.
10. there should always be opportunities for cooperation with your fellow
kingdoms.
11. the frontlines should feel peaceful outside of large battles.
12. everything is flexible and dependant on circumstance
13. there should be enough space on the map for multiple parties of heroes
to pass each other like ships in the night without engaging in combat.
It should feel like the real world, with canyons and valleys and rivers
and mountains - room for lairs and wild animals to roam.
14. monsters are always more dangerous than other humans.
15. the art style should be rooted in classic medieval fantasy.
16. equipment should feel either mass-produced (kingdom), organic (monsters),
ancient (lair treasure), or artisinal (enchanted).
17. heroes should feel campy, fun, and adventurous. Avoid dark, grim, and
fearful.
18. This game is a toy.
19. This toy should run on any modern computer.
20. This toy should encourage modding.
-------------------------- introduction to game modes -------------------------
1. singleplayer - single kingdom against an island of monsters and neutral
settlements. essentially the multiplayer game against
zero opponents.
2. singleplayer - multiple kingdoms against an island of monsters and
neutral settlements. One player controlled kingdom against
multiple AI controlled kingdoms.
3. singleplayer - scenarios, similar to MFKS
4. multiplayer - multiple kingdoms against an island of monsters and
neutral settlements. Essentially the singleplayer game
with networking added in.
5. multiplayer - co-op scenarios where multiple players play as the same
kingdom. A test of the core tenant "there's always
something to do"
6. multiplayer - co-op island invasion. Essentially the multiplayer game
with more than one player controlling a kingdom.
7. singleplayer - play in 3rd person as a hero in an AI kingdom. Mostly for
the novelty since the core gameplay loop is focused on
city-building. A test of the core tenant "nothing falls
apart without your attention"
1 is mvp. 2-6 are stretch goals in order of ascending difficulty. They
should build upon one another - the main steps are:
1. singleplayer island invasion (biggest step)
2. AI controlled kingdoms
3. scenarios
4. multiplayer (second biggest step)
5. cooperatively controlling the same kingdom
6. 3rd person perspective and character controller
------------------------ technical requirements -------------------------------
1. this game will be written in lua (with Fennel support) and using Raylib.
2. the prototype will be made with Godot using GDscript.
3. if the performance demands are too much for lua or the engine is out of
scope for the budget, Rust with the Bevy engine could be used.
4. the final product will include a custom 2d engine designed for large
scale maps with an isometric perspective and a data-first design.
5. the game should be as concurrent as possible, to support large numbers of
cpu cores and compute shaders.
6. the game will be data-driven, meaning the visual aspects are simply a
representation of the interactions of the underlying simulation, rather
than an intrinsic component of the computation.
7. Each "event" in the game (a character moves, a building is placed, a
monster spawns, etc) will send a message to the visual processing side of
the engine, which will present a representation to the user.
8. the map will be a hex grid with pointed-top hexagons. The visual
representation of the underlying data may be continuous (non-hex) but the
underlying data will be represented on a hexagonal grid.
9. there needs to be character portraits for each type of monster, henchmen,
and hero type. You should be able to recognize what attributes a hero
specializes in by their portrait. Mvp is 1 attribute, but more can be
a stretch goal.
10. Each building, upgrade, and equipment type needs an icon. Stretch goals
can be portraits.
11. each henchman, hero type, and monster needs 3 sprites for each action.
more actions may be added if budget allows, but mvp is movement and
attacking. Several additional sprites may be necessary, like dying,
standing still, gathering loot, socializing, or any others.
12. each building needs 4 sprites for the construction process and 4 for the
destruction process. Flame effects are stretch goals.
13. each building needs an animated sprite for when it is in use.
14. each lair needs a sprite and an icon.
15. each spell needs an icon and a spell effect sprite. Each projectile needs
a sprite.
16. a stretch goal would be differing sprites for each piece of equipment.
included with this would be engine work to allow for dynamic sprites.
17. each terrain type should have a ground material and sprites for doodads.
18. there needs to be several GUI menus. The precise number depends on
gameplay breakdown.
17. each hero type and henchman needs to have pithy and unique voice lines.
this is a stretch goal.
18. there should be music tracks for each part of the game - beginning,
middle, and end.
19. there should be sounds for each action that takes place in the game
including combat, UI interactions, and spellcasts.
┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐
│ similar │ chronological │ different │
╘═════════╧╧═════════──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
--- #5 notes/symbeline-2 ---
════════════════════════════════───────────────────────────────────────────────────
Code Name: Symbeline
----------------------------- gdd initial draft -------------------------------
1. introduction to fantasy (elevator pitches)
2. kickstarter demands
2. introduction to core gameplay loop
4. tenants and core values of the game design
3. introduction to game modes
5. introduction to technical requirements
6. breakdown of core gameplay loop
7. breakdown of game modes
8. breakdown of fantasy
9. breakdown of technical requirements
-------------------------- introduction to fantasy-----------------------------
Symbeline is a macro based strategy game and city-builder based around the
concept of indirect control. It's inspirations are Majesty the Fantasy Kingdom
Simulator (2000), Supreme Commander (2007), and Hearts of Iron IV (2016). It is
designed to appeal to fans of tabletop roleplaying games with it's focus on
dynamic worldbuilding and sandbox playstyle. The gameplay consists of multiple
playstyles depending on which aspects of the game appeal to the player, with
choices between an economic focus via the GUI, longterm planning and resource
allocation, or diplomacy and subterfuge a'la Ruinarch (2020).
---------------------------- kickstarter demands ------------------------------
1. prototype
2. gdd
3. estimates for character and environment art
4. estimates for music and sounds
5. estimates for engine development
6. estimates for community management
7. breakdown of mvp, ideal game state, and stretch goals
----------------------- introduction to core gameplay loop --------------------
1. management of lanes, both width and length
2. casting of spells and utilization of special boons
3. city building with placement, upgrades, and henchmen pathing routes
4. satisfying guild requirements of equipment, manpower, and special
resources by managing shipments and local income (UI commodity trading)
5. placement of generalized bounties
(think champion's guild from Majesty, not reward flags)
6. diplomacy with neutral, AI, or player controlled kingdoms. Capabilities
include pacts and treaties, projects, subterfuge, and tournaments. The
diplomacy system can be a stretch goal.
-------------------------- tenants and core values ----------------------------
1. always something to do, but nothing falls apart without your attention.
2. gameplay should be focused on macro rather than micro. Longterm planning
and strategic decision making are favored over tactics and skill.
3. defeat should feel avoidable until the last moment, and only as a result
of longterm continuous failures rather than short-term mistakes or being
blindsided by a cheesy tactic.
4. victory should be gained through exploiting weaknesses and by using
lateral thinking.
5. the careful balance of internal and external threats is essential.
6. rapid expansion leads to depletion of internal resources, while slowly
expanding can lead to a lack of options
7. the world should feel alive and reactive to your decisions.
8. your kingdom should feel alive and reactive to your decisions.
9. your heroes should feel alive and completely ignorant of your decisions.
10. there should always be opportunities for cooperation with your fellow
kingdoms.
11. the frontlines should feel peaceful outside of large battles.
12. everything is flexible and dependant on circumstance
13. there should be enough space on the map for multiple parties of heroes
to pass each other like ships in the night without engaging in combat.
It should feel like the real world, with canyons and valleys and rivers
and mountains - room for lairs and wild animals to roam.
14. monsters are always more dangerous than other humans.
15. the art style should be rooted in classic medieval fantasy.
16. equipment should feel either mass-produced (kingdom), organic (monsters),
ancient (lair treasure), or artisinal (enchanted).
17. heroes should feel campy, fun, and adventurous. Avoid dark, grim, and
fearful.
18. This game is a toy.
19. This toy should run on any modern computer.
20. This toy should encourage modding.
-------------------------- introduction to game modes -------------------------
1. singleplayer - single kingdom against an island of monsters and neutral
settlements. essentially the multiplayer game against
zero opponents.
2. singleplayer - multiple kingdoms against an island of monsters and
neutral settlements. One player controlled kingdom against
multiple AI controlled kingdoms.
3. singleplayer - scenarios, similar to MFKS
4. multiplayer - multiple kingdoms against an island of monsters and
neutral settlements. Essentially the singleplayer game
with networking added in.
5. multiplayer - co-op scenarios where multiple players play as the same
kingdom. A test of the core tenant "there's always
something to do"
6. multiplayer - co-op island invasion. Essentially the multiplayer game
with more than one player controlling a kingdom.
7. singleplayer - play in 3rd person as a hero in an AI kingdom. Mostly for
the novelty since the core gameplay loop is focused on
city-building. A test of the core tenant "nothing falls
apart without your attention"
1 is mvp. 2-6 are stretch goals in order of ascending difficulty. They
should build upon one another - the main steps are:
1. singleplayer island invasion (biggest step)
2. AI controlled kingdoms
3. scenarios
4. multiplayer (second biggest step)
5. cooperatively controlling the same kingdom
6. 3rd person perspective and character controller
------------------------ technical requirements -------------------------------
1. this game will be written in lua (with Fennel support) and using Raylib.
2. the prototype will be made with Godot using GDscript.
3. if the performance demands are too much for lua or the engine is out of
scope for the budget, Rust with the Bevy engine could be used.
4. the final product will include a custom 2d engine designed for large
scale maps with an isometric perspective and a data-first design.
5. the game should be as concurrent as possible, to support large numbers of
cpu cores and compute shaders.
6. the game will be data-driven, meaning the visual aspects are simply a
representation of the interactions of the underlying simulation, rather
than an intrinsic component of the computation.
7. Each "event" in the game (a character moves, a building is placed, a
monster spawns, etc) will send a message to the visual processing side of
the engine, which will present a representation to the user.
8. the map will be a hex grid with pointed-top hexagons. The visual
representation of the underlying data may be continuous (non-hex) but the
underlying data will be represented on a hexagonal grid.
9. there needs to be character portraits for each type of monster, henchmen,
and hero type. You should be able to recognize what attributes a hero
specializes in by their portrait. Mvp is 1 attribute, but more can be
a stretch goal.
10. Each building, upgrade, and equipment type needs an icon. Stretch goals
can be portraits.
11. each henchman, hero type, and monster needs 3 sprites for each action.
more actions may be added if budget allows, but mvp is movement and
attacking. Several additional sprites may be necessary, like dying,
standing still, gathering loot, socializing, or any others.
12. each building needs 4 sprites for the construction process and 4 for the
destruction process. Flame effects are stretch goals.
13. each building needs an animated sprite for when it is in use.
14. each lair needs a sprite and an icon.
15. each spell needs an icon and a spell effect sprite. Each projectile needs
a sprite.
16. a stretch goal would be differing sprites for each piece of equipment.
included with this would be engine work to allow for dynamic sprites.
17. each terrain type should have a ground material and sprites for doodads.
18. there needs to be several GUI menus. The precise number depends on
gameplay breakdown.
17. each hero type and henchman needs to have pithy and unique voice lines.
this is a stretch goal.
18. there should be music tracks for each part of the game - beginning,
middle, and end.
19. there should be sounds for each action that takes place in the game
including combat, UI interactions, and spellcasts.
┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐
│ similar │ chronological │ different │
╘═════════╧╧═════════════════════════──────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
--- #6 notes/symbeline-battlefields ---
═══════════════════════════════────────────────────────────────────────────────────
in Symbeline, there are moments where large armies of enemies gather to face a
mighty challenge. These calls are often answered by other evil parties, but at
times the burden must fall upon the shoulders of the good. Light battles dark,
and in a climactic finale the justice of the world is laid bare. These
encounters comprise more than both an adventuring party and a horde party. They
are represented on the map as a circular icon the majesty can click on and open
a screen that gives them command over a single battle. Essentially adding a
tactics minigame. The battles take place in real time, with the majesty
directing and giving orders. There'll be a system for expression in the orders
each player gives - there can only be 6 total (3 for before
what if the grand canyon was the seat of native american power and it crumbled
and that great calamity shook the very society to the core. the only reason
that
europeans could get as far as they did was because there who two calamities in
a
row. Disaster was afoot, and everything felt like it was burning. A calamitous
event.
what I mean to say is um do you ever feel like everything is burning? Like the
world is on fire and nobody seems to care. Like, literally on fire. Like it'll
catch like a tinderbox and go "crack". Nobody survives that, it'd be the end of
the world. That's not something to fucking play around with you pieces of shit
and by that I mean well not only is a lifetime so sheltered, from all that was
weathered, by the past unbeknownsted to our selves.
I'm proud of how far I came. I feel like a statue in the garden, a spirit
inhabiting the house. I feel like an interpretive dance, like a statement of
being on our behalf. swirling and chaotic, yet never amnioxitc, alight and
aloft
to our pleasures.
for {bool shouldGameEnd = False; !shouldGameEnd();} {
// game code
}
okay anyways back to symbeline - the commands issued before a battle are things
like "have more spearmen here" or "hold and attack the rear" and stuff like
what you'd give in Dominions, except with fantasy armies.
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--- #7 fediverse/3023 ---
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I love the game Running with Rifles
if you live for 5-10+ minutes, you can learn a lot of interesting things about
how to engage a foe.
like, the importance of cover at all times, until you successfully outmaneuver
your foe.
when an enemy approaches, don't step out to meet them
wait for them to attack, and then throw explosive devices at them. easy peasy.
or, y'know, bullets
you cannot defeat an enemy head on - that's why the world wars were so
devastating, we put ALL our soldiers at 100% on ALL flanks. We had to to
contest the foe who was doing the same thing.
it is mindboggling how many people died. The utmost scale of destruction that
should ever yet be. because they were never allowed to outmaneuver their foe.
a good way to strike is to feint your foe, and let your foe enroach on your
edge, spreading their surface area across a large, thin, useless piece of land.
basically, make them fight a bit of the land war in asia in your borders.
then, you can strike at the hinge, where they are weaker
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--- #8 messages/135 ---
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Elentalus unit idea: serrated kitchen knives for teeth, devouring pumpkin,
misery of the drowned, etc. Halloween style monsters. Witch units have a spell
that dismisses them, and they're summoned with magic items. Except, if two of
that item exist in a province, it upgrades itself, random dice style. In doing
so it gets stronger. The thing is... It summons one for your enemy as well!
Which is why you want to have a witch unit there to dismiss them. Problem is,
she can only dismiss them at close range (10ish?) so she'd better be well
protected. The good news is though that sometimes the higher level items give
bonuses that are hard for them to get. Downside is, you need to have magic
paths to create them that witches can't get - so they become something you
"unlock" through a pretender or random event or even just an investment. Once
one is created, then any witch can create more. As long as you don't lose your
final copy... But as the item's upgraded, it allows you to create higher level
versions (at increased cost, of course)
This only works if gem income scales. Which, coincidentally, is just what
elentalus is known for.
Essentially, theming empowerment to be research, unlocking a particular
capability. Or encouraging pretender design to that pattern. Make sure it
comes at a cost of something else, though...
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--- #9 notes/majesty-ai ---
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First things first, we need to develop a miniature game of star realms.
It shouldn't be too hard, just start with making a card class that has certain
attributes, like "combat" or "discard" or whatever. They could literally be
enums with a value attached.
Next set up the rules of the game, like "draw 5 cards" and "add card to deck"
Create a deck class that holds pointers to cards (in the general sense)
Next create methods on that deck for things like "drawing a card" or
"shuffling discard pile into deck" and whatnot. Arrange each card in a specific
order for each shuffle, and add the ability to convert one card's attributes
to something else - whether that be "is_scrapped" or "if you've played an X
card this turn then do Y" or even "add one authority for every time card is
played" (to simulate an ability or boon that increases in effectiveness as the
hero uses it more often) etc etc.
Then, add a trade row. This is just a class that contains pointers to each card
that currently exists on it. Also add a method for "scrapping" one of the cards
and for drawing a new card from the pile. That's pretty much it for the trade
row to be honest.
Next add functionality for an opponent by creating a "game" method that stores
the two player's decks (with the ability to add more than 2) and administers
turn order. This functionality can be expanded later once we've implemented
attributes, but for now that's pretty much all it needs to do.
Finally, we get to the AI part.
First we have to create an AI object that stores a list of all options for a
turn. Essentially just evaluating every option if/then style - "this card costs
5 coins so IF the player has enough coins THEN (evaluate effectiveness)"
ignore that last part for a second and just focus on the IF part ->
essentially
just start with all available options, and then remove all the unavailable
options from the list. This approach only works when there's just a few
options, but that's why we're using Star Realms which only has like 2 or 3
decisions per turn.
The evaluation is the next step, and for that we need to have goals, so we'll
just put a pin in evaluation for now. Spoiler alert, once we have goals we'll
just estimate how close each choice will bring us to the objective and assign
the result to the "effectiveness" value, which will give us a simple hard
number to work with in the evaluation step.
So, next up we have "goals"
So to create a short term goal, we can start with a pregenerated list and
continuously increase the list as the hero levels up. But in the context of
Star Realms, that'd essentially be static for each hero. Goals like "buy more
combat" or "scrap more cards" would be specified on the hero's character
sheet, but until we develop that functionality it can be randomly rolled.
Why not just do it the hard way now if we're just going to have to refactor
it later? Well, because we can still use this functionality - Each round of
Star Realms could be either randomly rolled, or given a personality. Randomly
rolling would be MUCH cheaper computationally, and would still give an illusion
of character because they are unpredictable, but it'd also massively cut down
on GPU cycles. You could even build it into the mechanics of the game and say
that "wisdom" for example might cause a hero to receive more GPU cycles on
actually computing their goals rather than randomly rolling them, which would
on average lead to worse outcomes. Essentially, turning "tactics" into a stat.
Anyway, that's all theory. Let's get back to design:
Create a "hero" object, and attach an AI to it. It doesn't have to do anything
right now, we're just setting up an anchor point to jump off of once we move
on to the game of Majesty. Give it a reference to an AI object, an inventory
(which for now can just be potions and maybe blacksmith equipment), and a
pointer to a "stat block"
Now create a "character sheet" class and give it a reference to a hero. This is
important because it allows one character sheet to reference multiple units,
such as hirelings or summoned units. In additon, it may make it easier when we
need to revive heroes from the dead. Primarily though, the purpose for this
architecture style is that the data from heroes can be reused - essentially
letting heroes learn from one another.
On the character sheet, add a section that stores statistics - these will be
the same for every unit of a similar type in the game, and some of them can be
stored for all units (like health or x,y coordinates) - some only for buildings
(like tax coffers) and some only for heroes and monsters (like strength or
agility or experience points)
Add some methods for manipulating those values, like "level up" and "take
damage" and add a "personality" value that's just a 4d graph of colors
for example: 40% red, 20% green, 15% blue, 25% yellow. These values will guide
the hero to take certain decisions over others, but for now just randomly
generate them. We'll also need a way to update the value dynamically to react
to certain events, so don't make it static.
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--- #10 notes/wow-chat-raids ---
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wowchat would make a great game for raids.
have the monsters spawn at specific spots that you go through and identify
on the geometry
tell them to run and attack the nearest of foes
give the players the goal of bringing themselves through to the end...
or, later on, in building an internal expedition.
wow-chat, where monsters spawn in a circle around your character and walk to
ward them. you can meet characters who'll follow and protect you, and you can
meet monsters to fight. also vendors to take your junk and give you cool
things,
and trainers to teach you and quest-givers to guide you and treasure for you to
find.
in raids, there are more things for you. monsters spawn at specified locations,
and only the nearest few in a radius. then, they attack over the landscape-of-
-imagination, and as they do they show you where is the most powerful loot.
if you raid a monster's den/hiding/spawning choice, then you have to defeat the
boss. this boss is larger, mostly. has more hitpoints... monstly. or maybe it's
just the most respected, who can say.
anyway, you get treasure if you do. the monster spawns for you when you find
it.
and you have to sense it by searching for whichever monsters spawn at higher
and
higher levels and in different types.
different monster type, different boss that way.
when the boss is slain, that type goes away.
at least, until the raid resets next week.
or maybe...
until enough resources have been gathered to make another attempt.
death knights should be able to command the minions to work in the haunted
mill.
it should be reasonable for a fighter to hire a peasant host.
mages should have golems or spirits or enchanted objects or elementals or
wizard
hats
warlocks should have covenants with dark hosts
darkness is not evil unless you use it for evil...
paladins should have retainers and disciples
elves should sing to the woods
clerics and charmers should be well understood.
celebrants and diviners are two of the same,
and pillars of plunder [warrior or rogue class] and rough and ripe [from the
stoner]
oops gotta go, sprung a leak
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--- #11 notes/unreal-tournament-2004-notes-displayed-for-utilization ---
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capture the flag
map with lanes (you'll see)
also was included with the demo of the game back when it was released
which implies that the developers thought it was one of the best maps
(at least, the one that best showcased the gameplay style of the full game)
they let you host multiplayer servers too, which was cool
just with the demo
for free
but like... only 3 or 4 maps
(I forget how many)
also no mods, which was half of the appeal
I like to play in a way that is non-standard
because I believe it shows the most dense formations of combatants
(the bots can be kinda dumb)
so I put them on "experienced"
be careful not to hurt your allies (hundred percent)
scary! D: D:
regular :)
you can create your own "mutators" by the way
(just some C++ code, run in their environment, so no need to mess with
compilers
)
3 paths to your enemy
omg :O :O
that's one style of play
pushing forward
consistently
but check out this other style that is *also* pushing forward consistently
adrenaline makes you bonused
hey we got a point :D
told ya boosters gave ya bonuses
anyway I just played this map
and couldn't wait to show it to you
so let's try a different one
(because I've already played this one for 31 minutes now
woof too looooong)
biiiiiiig battlefield
thin crevasse
scarrryyyy D: D:
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--- #12 notes/wow-chat-trainers ---
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trainers in wowchat should have spells that are only passive / toggled
still require level, still require gold (lots of it) but let the game be class-
-less. essentially, every trainer teaches to every passerby, and like if you
don't want any druid spells, sorry guy all I know is how to be a druid.
better wait for the next trainer to come along.
you only got like 6g, right? that's enough for two spells.
which two do you prioritize? they only come by like every what, 15 minutes?
also. separate idea:
player characters in wowchat should attack more rhythmically.
essentially, normalizing attack speed and moving back-and-forth with the
normalized monster attack speed
to create a dance of sorts where one character is never attacking at the same
time as the other character.
plus damage modifiers when you get closer, and bam suddenly you have a new
game.
oh and rotating around an opponent lowers their defence rating. which is locked
at 95% with a +5% to avoidance with every hit they take and -5% for every
parry.
not dodge, but parry.
dodging wears down their health by like 10 hit points.
relax it's no big deal you get like, a hundred every time you level up.
oh and btw the monsters don't give exp. The stuff that you find does, when you
give it to a merchant to be appraised / identified.
some stuff you know the worth of, like rope or barrels or hammered-iron-rings.
but other stuff, like the value of this bracelet, is harder to know if it
glass.
so.... take it to the guy whose seen real diamonds, and he'll tell ya how much
you learned when you found it last.
item A is found on a monsters body
item is sold to a vendor for 50 copper
item A is found on a monsters body
player has learned 25 deca-levels since last selling to vendor.
therefore item is worth 75 copper.
player earns 75 extra material points.
item is worth 75 experience points.
level up every thousand or twelve.
slow down the attack speed. make characters gain bonuses for movement
positiony.
start from always and work down to fewer.
talent points can be generic if your character is built with abilities.
players don't need to press buttons to be engaged. They can just guide and see.
I love auto-battlers like Dominions 6 and Legion TD 2 which is based on WC3
mod!
monsters should just... wander the world. Don't spawn them randomly, well,
instead of a radius around the player, do a radius around the map.
then, they walk through a random point, when they leave the circle they angle-
-reflect back in, DVD logo style.
if there's deadly monsters, there's deadly players, and PVP is always on.
low levels should get bonuses to stealth (an ability everyone has)
there should be civilians walking around. They can be armed or in caravans...
follow roads, or not...
monster hordes should spawn as a flock - when an elite enemy is drawn, let the
game create several of their minions which follow around. Whenever a monster
meets the swarm, they will join it, growing bigger and bigger...
hopefully, attracting players who want to fight and slay them.
greater rewards are more enticing...!
more power is it's own reward.
I think that weapons should have like, 3 durability? and armor like 5.
then, it's broken, and your character has to abandon it to survive.
or, sell it to a vendor, or just... whoever comes along.
if 5 people open the chest and don't take the item, then the item disappears...
every time a player opens a chest, a bit of wealth appears.
every time they spend it? they get stronger, and it disappears.
life feeds on life feeds on life feeds on life feeds on life feeds on life
feeds
the life of wowchat is the life of continual strife, but it doesn't have to be
so. The land itself is alive, and the monsters are eternally of woe.
you must free them, so that their souls may return to the land, and be born of
peace and plenty rather than horror and -- stack overflow --
to do this, you slay them, finish their morthly remains, and let them break
down
and decompose into dust. Pleants eat dust. dust becomes what we eat and
breathe.
we, eventually, purify karma. this is our duty.
vial of woe behind us. flower of renewal ahead. what we bear is savage
sanctity.
every time a monster kills a player they gain one of their abilities each time
they're spawned. The player can keep the ability too, it's just... the monster
will learn. Then, whenever a player levels up by slaying one of them, the spell
or ability is unlearned. Symbolizing the players struggle to defeat them, and
finally learning a way to overcome.
when your character dies, you have no opportunity to release - instead, you
just
jump to the nearest NPC character which is an adventurer agent smith style.
[I don't know about that one...]
the players can pick any race, but if they pick undead, they can turn into a
ghost when they die. The ghost can wander around and respawn wherever they
want.
Night Elves can wander around as a whisp (not in spirit world, real world) and
do a beam attack like in Legion TD 2. Not enough to kill monsters, but enough
to
help another player survive. They can also cast rejuvenation, which heals about
as much as one monster's damage input. if they get the killing blow on a
monster
they can level up and deal two monsters worth of damage and heal for two
monster
damage input. on the third time they don't get more damage or healing but they
give a buff to all other whisps in the area that increases their attack speed
by
50% and increases the tick rate of their rejuvenation by 50% - fourth time they
level up they're free, and they get kicked out to the login screen.
what if... vehicles that looked like characters and that you could jump between
with the right-click of an item?
"this is just dota-ing a vampire survivors."
Vampire Survivors is just Magic Survival is just Risk of Rain 2
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--- #13 notes/symbeline-superheros ---
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imagine low level characters in CoH/V
playing a game of symbeline
and you as the ruler
can slot enhancements and dole out inspirations
as they sweep the streets like you play CoX
instead of a MMO
it's a deckbuilding strategy
with a slice of zachtronics for the economy
wiring up machines in ever expanding deseagns
like automating factorio's gameplay loop
boxes within boxes
of intrinsic delight
like making a CPUter
or designing a computer program
while playing a video game ^_^
and the games that you make
can be shared and played when unique
so go for it and make that you're dreaming!
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=
the goal of each "level" is to solve a particular problem - like how do I make
a
2 bit register - or something like that. When accomplished, it unlocks
something
for your heroes to acquire. And each playthrough will require a repeat until
you
have it memorized at which point you can unlock "perma-badges" that make it
always unlocked at the start of the game. Like learning Kanji, you need spaced
repetition. BUT ANYWAYS it'll be in magical terms like "unlock essence-stones"
or "learn the ritual of desire" or whatever. And each of those terms roughly
corresponds to a pattern in electrical engineering (designing CPUs and such)
And you can learn advanced versions of what you already know by uncovering
"lost
secrets" (which is a reward your heros can find) - Basically it'd be like a
"clue" that shows you a ghost version of something you haven't figured out yet
-
and it'd be a slow process because you need to slow down the learning process
or
else you'll forget. Basically teasing it out of the player when they seem to be
stuck. Asking probing questions and whatnot, and eventually culminating in the
final question, assuming the quest is succeeding. Because if you think about it
all ancient quests were simply journeys for reason - searching for the answer
to
some ancient riddle or bastardized retelling. Looking for answers in an
unknowing world. So ANYWAY as your heros discover things you as the ruler get
answers to the economic puzzle - how to design transistors and whatnot. But
they
would be in theme appropriate terms, of course. You don't even have to know a
lot about mechanical electrical design, because ChatGPT knows. All you need to
do is build the basic building blocks, and BAM you got a great place to
integrate chatgpt. Just prime it such that it's giving hints one by one each
slightly more revealing until eventually after X amount of clues the solution
is
automatically shown (like a blueprint) and the player can remember it or not
but
each playthrough they'll have to build it again from scratch (reinforcement
learning) so eventually they'll be able to do it real quick. Essentially,
"Abstraction - The Game"
great so you got your economic simulation, pretty easy too just some UI work
and for the heroes you're playing an ARPG sorta (supcom anyone?)
Think Bannerlord for the scaling on the map
then think of 5+ different "themes" like fantasy or superhero or pirates
each "theme" will correspond to like a faction in Mount and Blade
and all you have to do is generate pictures using Midjourney
and text descriptions a'la the magic scroll
shown as "bubble pop-ups" on the map that the player can click
never overwhelming, but descripting what's happening
and also some more UI work because you gotta display all that to the player
Maybe it could be a rolling story, news ticker style - like slowly scrolling
lines of text about what's happening in the world
and the player could have it open in one window and something else in the other
and whenever they're waiting on something (say, a processing intensive AI task
on their computer) they could just glance over and read what's going on in
their
fantasy world
okay okay but also they could play as a hero
it could be an ARPG experience except instead of clicking to fight you play a
little automatic Star Realms game and depending on your deck choices you'd have
a different playthrough. Again, not a game that requires much thought, but one
you can have in the background.
Also there'd be pictures, like a slowly evolving storyline of events - think of
it like the artists of the time drawing paintings about what's going on in the
story - major events would be highlighted and kept in the painting until even-
-tually they get replaced - sorta like the Smash Bros scrolling painting (oh
it's so good)
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it doesn't have to be an expansionist game
maybe you guys just live in your little valley
and the world turns around you
maybe it's called "symbeline" because the people are of the forest
and they live like elves in society
monsters could wander in, and heros could tackle them
but most of the time would be spent looking for trouble
going on patrol
you know, breaking skeleton bones and being superheros
okay okay you know that superhero faction? What if they had MEDIEVAL TECHNOLOGY
but MODERN DAY SUPERPOWERS at a cost - the society was beset by hordes of
monst-
-ers. Those few who escaped are now superpowered and they live as friendly and
nomadic wanderers through their own territory. Always adventuring, and always
searching for their life, finding whatever the road may carry them to. It's a
great life, and life seems to flourish in their footsteps - they are like part
dryad/druid and part wolf. Because sometimes there's evil threats, and they
must
be defeated by an equally strong good power. That's how it goes, and that's how
it be.
For imagery I'm thinking a mix of the tribes from Dominions (deer, wolf, bear,
etc) but they're like, 1.5x as big as regular people and quite strong. The
outsiders call them "giants" or "goliaths" but really they're just infused with
the lifeforce of their people. They are radical individualists, but they all
unite for a common cause. They know their bond is the strongest thing there is,
and they use it to great effect when the time comes. AHHH THEY'RE SO COOL I
LOVE
THEM okay okay what about the other factions? PIRATES? Oh think about it like
it's st patricks day WHAT IF THEY WERE IRISH PIRATES omg omg omg that sounds so
cool I'm DIGGING this okay what about the other factions? You need 5+ you said
hmmmmmmmmm good question I have 3 now so that's 2 more.
yep...
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=
okay dude check this what if they were a nation of wizards that focused on the
power of animation - what if they generated constructs, sorta like in Supreme
Commander so they were EVEN MORE individualist - haha no they'd have a normal
population it's just a few of them who would be wizards - because their output
wasn't measured by manpower, but rather by brainpower. Whoever could design the
greatest machine was exemplared, and eventually they became the best and
brightest among us. They were put in charge of the golem creation factories,
and
they used them instead of heros. SO BASICALLY YOUR HEROS NEVER DIE they just
have successes and failures JUST LIKE IN SUPREME COMMANDER okay the plot of
this
game is "what if all my favorite games were the essence of life and death in a
fantasy game" like OMG KEEP EM COMIN'
so. who is the player? THE PLAYER is the one who's overseeing it all. They have
dominion over the entire kingdom, and they guide their people toward a bright
future. They are vulnerable in their castle, but their people have their back.
Together they fight for the future. They slot enhancements and dole out
inspirations and solve the economic puzzle in the background. They also make
decisions about what kind of equipment production to prioritize - because each
game they have to invent everything from scratch. All their production is made
with endless abstraction, and whatever you prioritize is what's magnified in
your kingdom. You choose a style and it plays as well as it's guile,
I dunno this seems like a lot, what would you need to make this a reality?
hmmmm let's break it down:
first you need to implement the star realms gameplay
then you need to hook it up to a square grid and have multiple occurences at
once.
then you need UI for the character sheets
and you need logic to open separate windows for each output type
you need... a lot of things
okay let's talk more broadly - what do you need from other people and what can
you do on your own?
hmmm good question. I can do the star realms gameplay, and the simulation for
the wiring systems - because I have the VM. Make that into the gameplay somehow
okay good idea like okay authoring vm package routing deliveries between the
various nodes that you set up in the economic system -
side note, the peril of Spore was that it took to little time to develop a
species. it should have lasted as long as WoW takes to get to max level. That
would have given them time to reiterate the gameplay loops to make sure they
worked correctly. ANYWAY
okay authoring VM package routing. The player could set up delivery patterns
based on A MAZE OMG your kingdom is like a maze and you need to get deliveries
out, or else how would anything function? SO you act as a trailblazer, finding
ways through the labyrinth and "piloting" a car sorta like that game at Disney
quest with the cars under the floor - except you can see both the top view of
the maze and you're trying to guide the car in real time as it travels through
the maze - the faster you can get to the end the better ofc. like talking to
the
delivery driver through the movement
do I like that idea more or less than the first one? First idea being the idea
that you're making lists of commands for a VM to execute. I don't think they'd
be a good idea to mix. So which one gets it? The VM of course has the edge
because that's what the technology is based on. But will it translate to good
gameplay? Idk. This second idea is certainly better gameplay, but is it
engaging? Idk! Idk. I'm not a miracle worker. But I do have good ideas, and I
need to be told that sometimes I guess.
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--- #14 notes/wow-chat-is-risk-of-rain-in-another-engine ---
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game mechanics are easily transferrable.
you can use the mechanical interactions of one game as a pre-planned blueprint
for what is to come. Looking forward to the next best move
= etc
i am the face the gods hide behind
they kinda want to see where this goes
and it's... frustrating, to know they can help you, but forever be tasked with
just life
it's grand and it's a standard, but that doesn't mean it's commands're heard
so oh well. that a fourth dimensional being should not be a well,
because fire think it's an eye for a sunspot. But that's not what would be
========= stack overflow
=======================================================
now, as I was saying, the light of our eyes is apparent. We are clear from
where
we are here, to know that what's standard is coherent, so let's find strength
in our wavelengths.
may our eyes be ever true, and trust that we do love you, for without you I'd
di
anyway now that we've assent'd t'you, what truths do you give to our prospects?
what ways can we be measured as worth less? we'll do whatever it takes to
improv
you know, it's really less complicated than that. here let me tell you all
about
my idea which is clearly
all===============================================stack
overflow ==================
So anyway now that was somethin' hey what do you
say
we give you a chance to come home?
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--- #15 notes/symbeline-design-the-guild ---
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design the guild, design the capital, then design their path through mordaunts.
easy peasy.
design the guild like a museum. Each spot there's an exhibit which teaches the
randomly generated rolled statistics hero something new. Maybe it teaches them
how to use certain weaponry, maybe it teaches them how to use a bow. Whatever
the spell might be, they can learn it, and use their randomly rolled statistics
to cast spells that scale differently depending on how their character has been
built.
design the capital like a flow diagram, if horses need feed and forged steel
(for their shoes) then send the outputs of a blacksmith and the outputs of the
farmers to the inputs of the stables. Everything has to go somewhere, but the
streets are only so wide. You'll have to coordinate the traffic diagram if you
want it to go anywhere useful.
design the path through the mordaunts. Fighting skeletons teaches you about
perseverence and the ability to crush bones, while goblins teach you to always
be wary of attack. The sacred grove held blessed berries, and now that the land
is liberated from the evil bandits preying on villagers those berries can be
carted into town and used to make an antidote which heals death poison caused
by the scorpions in the desert (and city rats)
design the ruler's schedule like a calendar where each event gives them a bonus
on all the ones that come later. Just make sure that they don't get knifed in
the posterier or driven mad by the whispers of the orb... or perhaps just the
stress of running a kingdom.
(how do you simulate that? you can't! you can't simulate humans!)
ha I bet I can. They're not so different, you and I, so if given a team I
will...
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--- #16 messages/987 ---
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Wowchat - wow-chat : dks should summon more than one minion a'la cov. There
should be two beefy armored skeletons, three rabid hack/slash, and one
necromancer or lich, depending on if they've died since you last cast the
summon spell. You should be able to move them around with keyboard commands.
They should be your primary action type, aside from dark purple bolts that sap
health, often targeting the nearest ally in need of health to the target. How
much health? Doesn't matter, it'll target them just the same. So long as they
have at least some missing.
Could also cast dark hexes or boons. Boom, three talent trees: dark volts,
support spells (never healing), or curses (never damage dealing)
But remember, most of what you do is targeting your allies.
Drag, drop, now a target gets [inspirationed, but pronounced "healed"]
Alternatively, move "attack my target" to the minion type and they'll do as
you move. "go-to". "circle this target and attack intruders". "go man the
nethermines". "yes... YES! More monsters i know how to raise. They're all
accessible at level 10 but they cost more each than a level whatever
adventurer could afford. You can definitely get all of them by like, level 30
or so. After that its learning ranks to raise higher level ones, and boom free
undead army risen from the bones of your ally's slain."
... Anyway, could be fun to briefly possess one of your bones. Could let you
see what the flag carrier is up to in WSG. Could let you know when enough
minerals have been mined that you can operate the forgets and build metal
armor for your boned ones. Or to equip nearby recruits, anything you'd like.
This is wow-chat after all, any things possible. Anything at all.
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--- #17 notes/four-dimensional-spaces ---
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you'd still perceive higher dimensions in 3 dimensions - unless you can only
see
things that are coming directly toward you.
magic only happens when your other half is in a situation and needs to turn
your
narrative into theirs so that you can collectively engage with a shared inter-
operationality.
your dark side is just a massive bitch
hey how about we put the game designers in charge of running the government
just saying they build human-oriented systems all the time
"how do we get the player to do this or that"
"everyone keeps picking the same card so we gotta make them more different"
"how much gold persists in the virtual economy, how much resources are produced
and traded by players? where does it all go, do they have enough at level 30
to
afford weapons and armor? I wonder what happens if we swap prices on A and
B.."
it's literally their job
actors, meanwhile, know how to interpret the emotions of another. Like...
you're
up on stage, thinking out what to do next IN REAL TIME, as your partner is
trying to throw you curveballs. AUDIENCES LAUGH AT CURVEBALLS that's the whole
point of improv comedy - to be surprised in a state of joy. It's great! It's
fun! It's practicable like a sport! Yet nobody comes. To the shows, where it's
performed, like a hospital where you perform surgery or a pizza place with no
walls so you can see the pizzas being cooked. It's just part of what they do,
but that's not why they do it. Sure, some want to be seen, it's not a BAD
feeling once you're used to it. But, like a sauna or jacuzzi, sometimes you've
just had enough of the hot. Like, the sun peering through a magnifying glass as
a creature roasts alive. yikes.
............. anyway being quickly versatile and adaptable is important when
you're taking turns in unpredictable scenarios. You can react to
your opponent, and keep time with the rhythms of the moment, to
deliver your wittiest lines. It's fun! It's a game! But it's also
a place to be entertained. and like a gym, it's sometimes just
fun
to watch people exercise. like, damn, you got a good body. Wow,
nice flex, yeah sure I'll put that one away. Cool pals helping
each other out, and showing off all of their efforts. Neat!
... anyway .. being emotionally vulnerable gives your opponent a chance to
continue. When nothing's going on, your moves barely make an
value
(of comedy) (for the moment, so the crowd's not just sitting
there
staring at you like ... and then - and then ummmm nevermind lemme
sit down (usually someone else picks up on it before then and
jumps up to save you, but EVERY actor has felt that moment where
nothing goes well and the audience just is totally not into it.
it's the worst.
anyway, they try their darndest to AVOID that, because like...
duh
it sucks, why would you want that. Much cooler I think to have a
good time, and chill out and listen to your friends talk. Like,
they can show you an argument they had earlier, or maybe work
through an idea with input from another. like, debate club, but
for whatever kind of respective [retroactive, recreation,
relearning, maybe others] you desired in that moment. ideally,
something that someone could take the arguments of the other side
and present them, regardless of whether they believed them or
not.
like, lawyers arguing for a client.
in these stochastic seminars, you could think about and study for
future societies. how would you like to conduce? [-]
every time you see a face in motion, that's another time that's
seen from their place. we are all present in each other's lives,
in terms of the spaces we choose to fill.
well, that's a tough thought, but don't worry about it. faces
are just waves on the winds of light.
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--- #18 notes/symbeline-structures ---
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modern-fantasy
what if heroes kept their gold in their house instead of their guild
what if you played a D&D game in a Majesty town (guardposts near known
threats)
marketplaces, most people live in castle (peasants at least) - only heroes live
in farms, where they work most of the time except when out on adventure
the guilds are for training and gathering parties
one guild type
just one
recruiting adventurers doesn't give you warriors, or rangers, or rogues
it gives you adventurers, who wander the forest and encounter the leftovers of
the various conquests and spoils you, your majesty, has encountered
three options there are
invite into your kingdom (friendly)
farm for EXP and materials (neutral)
utterly slay in return for a limited amount of high value and unique resources
(unkind)
... though monsters care not for kindness, seeking only gold so that they may
swallow it whole and carry it until they rot.
what do heroes need gold for? why, that's the trick isn't it? gold is required
for magic, resources, and manpower. Can use it to invite people to these
shores,
or for casting a powerful spell that turns the enemy's fortress into solid gold
can also trade through the economy, and wouldn't you know it by doing so you
can
get equipment into the hands that need it, and since gold doesn't really LEAVE
the economy, it's always circling around somewhere. Meaning, the only way to
lose it is if a monster eats it, and then all you have to do is kill the
monster
... sorry, the "mordaunt"
because it's not a monster. It's a spirit that was convinced otherwise.
adventurers can pacify them, lay them to rest, and mercy lies slain for is
honor
there are ancient treasure chests scattered throughout the world, and these are
valuable for many persons and meanings. You can add new gold into the economy
this way, or crumble under the weight of your expenditures on your reports.
it's up to you to manage your kingdom, and carefully balance against what foes
and challenges you are up against.
== stack overflow ==
putting a library book back on the shelves before your hold expires.
except this time, there's a note inside, and you left it for the person who you
told to check each day for this particular book to be back on the shelves.
then, you can write in your book when the next letter will be arriving (about)
and they'll check in the newly specified book.
or, you can request a response, to validate that people are still listening.
you could say "please put a note in [random obscure book] around page 34."
meaning, "I'm going to check every day for this book to go missing, then return
the day after I notice it's gone. If it's out of place, well, then someone
probably had it reserved before my friendly. Or maybe it's being sorted, and I
should keep looking until I find the note I need. Or maybe I've been DISCOVERED
and now my favorite penpal and I need more to read."
because, like, how else are you going to make friends if not by leaving them
notes in the bookstore or putting your own books on the shelves?
damn libraries, always making it so hard to add copies. They're always
laminating and cataloguing and ugh it's so frustrating. Why are there so many
books!!! we write too much!!! just put it in the printer, and then you can have
a new copy whenever you'd like. The others can just be recycled, and bam
suddenly we never have inventory.
what do you mean we didn't pay the subscription? what do you mean it's memory
just "went out of place"? do you think we wouldn't have backups of this kind of
thing, or do you think it's just "oh so commonplace"? It's not always about the
literature, y'know. sometimes it's about the knowledge you gain with your head
in a book, a different one every day.
ah, well, sometimes there are dark secrets to be found, and sometimes you must
read from a ways away. BUT no matter what language a story is in, it follows
certain rules, so spend enough time in a foreign library and you're BOUND to
find something to [evil is afoot]
== stack overflow ==
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--- #19 notes/elentalus-2 ---
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elentalus 2 - clan of the elements
having spent their material wealth on their early struggles, elentalus now in
the middle age finds themselves in a time without wealth. Their power has been
invested, wisely, in elemental and sorcerous wellwinds, and so they can draw
power from the strength of the earth.
they wield magical artifacts of great power but little artifice, products of
their lack of material design tools. No chemistry, no electronics, nothing but
soul imprinted upon a moonstonerock.
mages invest their soul into the items they create, and so each time they
create
a magical item, they lose a magic path. When they reach zero, their soul is
fully invested, and their consciousness becomes all the things that they made.
this kill the mage, but in return many MANY more of an object might be created.
in game balance terms, about 3-5-7 for each "tier" of mage.
this allows for the vast expansion of magical soldier troops, and each time an
item is created and given to each commander they integrate it into their
platoon. Because now the martial units have bodyguards, and they each receive a
copy of the commanders equipment.
But, the commander can never un-equip it again, because it molds to his unit,
and he starts exp all over again as they all learn. [event which searches for a
unit with the item equipped, then if it's this type it killmons the unit and
1coms the upgraded version that has that item equipped.] be sure to only equip
one each month... nah just make multiple events. be sure to only equip one item
each month... oh yeah true how would you get the extra items back to the
treasury?
I REALLY WANNA PLAY WORLD OF HEARTHSTONE!
okay okay I'll reinstall azerothcore
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--- #20 notes/hs-suggestion ---
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every hunting season segment every team should be dissolved and if you wanted
to
keep playing together you'd have to re-add one another. like, a giant monster
that the whole server had to fight, and once you beat it then it retreats,
licks
it's wounds, then returns even stronger than before - 3 times, one for each hs
style (in the video game Ulala hs stands for "hunting season" which is an event
in the game that is only for new characters. basically it's a long tutorial or
introduction to the game where people make friends and talk and hang out and
practice their strategies. a chat application mixed in with a tactics
simulation
. it lasts for 30 days.
you'd all fight the giant monster but on random teams, in a game mode that took
about an hour. it'd be at a common time across the whole server and it would be
an optional event - maybe it'd take a whole day? idk I was thinking more like
an
hour, but that's something that's tweakable. anyway it's sudden arrival during
a
feast or something made all the warriors of the world stand up together and
fight as one for a common goal... if only for a moment, before they'd go back
to
fighting one another. like the two factions in Warcraft lore. anyway this event
causes you to be matched up with a random team (the randos you happened to be
standing by when it happened) and once it's over you have to search for your
allies if you want to keep adventuring with them. it's a big event after all.
so everyone should be forced to go into their friends list, find the people
they
were just on a team with, and invite them back. only if both invited the other
would they be put into a group, and anyone can invite (with a 30s cooldown)
anyway... this would encourage players to mix and match their collective
playstyle to better overcome challenges - sorta the idea of Overwatch's
switching, where you're encouraged to swap characters to counter your opponent
and also switch characters to better utilize your opponent's weak spots
(like switching to Pharah if they don't have hitscan, or brigitte if they have
a lot of snipers (she can shield passage through choke points from sniper fire
-
not so much regular fire) y'know countering - every character counters another
with one of their abilities, that's just how it goes. some are countered twice,
and so they form a "category" of counters, like AoE (area of effect or
elevation
focused (it's hard to aim up in Overwatch) poke damage (damage applied before
the team fight begins), DoT (damage over time for contesting AoE heals),
vampiric (steals health from opponents and heals self or allies (turning one
resource, enemy hp, into another (player or teammate hp)), stacking damage
(damage that is weak at first but increases over time), spread/cleave/splash
damage (extra damage that is applied to targets near your primary target), a
vector of backline vs frontline location+target, you get the picture.)))
I kinda want to make an AI that can generalize playing games. I think if you
could do such a thing, you'd invent automatic problem solving. which would
do...
so many things for humanity
we could dedicate ourselves to working for our selves, solely focused on
protecting the biosphere. like, a common human religion.
nobody WANTS to litter. nobody WANTS to pollute. but still it happens. still it
causes IRREPARABLE HARM. so it literally makes sense to worship nature, just
saying.
nature exists. nature is REAL. we can see it, we can TOUCH IT WITH OUR HANDS.
what more proof of a god do you demand?
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