Scenario Type Ideas

from Stardock Forums

Servo is the kind of game that has a lot of potential for some really gnarly game types.  So I thought I'd make a post to see what ideas we could come up with to make an already great game (even in alpha!) even better.  Making a bunch of new scenario types probably isn't a big priority for the developers right now, but that doesn't mean we can't come up with some ideas and hash them out while they're working on other things!

 

On that note...

 

I had a thought on a game type that could be interesting, it' kind of a spinoff on the Creep Rock City map with a few twists.

 

You don't purchase bloom-spawn like troops; they spawn themselves in periodic waves.

 

My main thoughts are this:

 

  • No bloom-wells
    • Only way to get Resources is killing bloom-spawn and bounties from killing enemy units.
    • Increase bounty from killing bloom-spawn and enemy units by a certain % to make up for not having bloom-wells
    • Have Capture Points on the map that, when held, increase the bounty by a greater %.

 

It might be kind of tough to balance so that players don't find themselves waiting for the next wave of bloom-spawn too often for credits, but it could certainly be a busy map!

 

It would make the player balance offense and defense.  Do you go for an all out assault in hopes of beating the next bloom-spawn wave?  Or else which servo do you leave behind for defense?  Or possibly, do you make it look like your going for an assault while instead diverting to the enemy's bloom-spawn wave to gain extra credits for yourself while denying them to the enemy?

 

Maybe make it so the more Capture Points you hold; the more bloom-spawn that come in each wave (or the faster the waves come) to the other player.

servo
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Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top

Nice.

We are absolutely looking for/interested in more map ideas. At any point in time, we have 3 or 4 maps in test (maybe 1 out of 3 is good enough).

More ideas would be great.

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

When you look at ideas and/or layouts for new maps, what is your process?  Like what sort of goals or guidelines do you set for each map?

 

Like the Creep Rock City map, awesome idea to buying the bloom-spawn.  What was the design process for that map?

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Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

BTW, are there any plans for a post release map editor? Would be cool to be able to make weird maps, even if we didn't get rewards for playing them.

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting Matrix_GD, reply 2

When you look at ideas and/or layouts for new maps, what is your process?  Like what sort of goals or guidelines do you set for each map?

 

Like the Creep Rock City map, awesome idea to buying the bloom-spawn.  What was the design process for that map?

Our process is really driven by an idea someone has. CRC is my map. For that one, I just did the standard thing of "let's have you do something you normally cannot". We also had some folks asking for that specific feature (buying units you couldn't directly control) for a while. And then it got a jokey riff on an old song name (not sure that's staying, though).

There are other factors, too. PvP maps need to be fair, etc. (well, the potential to be fair once balanced). Co-op wants players to generally be together (so they can help defend when needed). That sort of stuff. Plus, we're still figuring out what fun co-op maps are in this model.

Once we have an idea, design roughs out the map quickly. We just use representative textures and whitebox stuff. CRC, for example, had all the buildings roughed out with 11 or 12 boxes. If the idea is clear, that's a couple of hours. The it goes into the build and we play and iterate the map. We played CRC until the "city" felt right and things were positioned where we wanted (corridors tight enough to remind you of a city, but not too tight as to be annoying). The bloomspawn stuff isn't balanced yet, but we didn't sweat that because we know we can balance it over time. At some point (generally denoted by the amount of hootin' and hollerin' that goes on in playtest), we decide/realize that a map is fun. Once that happens and we feel like the layout of the map is set, it goes to art to make it look good.

We don't actually have any maps that we'd consider finished yet. Some are close on the basic terrain paint, but they're all missing objects and doodads to really sweeten them up.

 

Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting Dracohouston, reply 3

BTW, are there any plans for a post release map editor? Would be cool to be able to make weird maps, even if we didn't get rewards for playing them.

Yeah, we'd have to not give rewards there in official multiplayer.

It's something we can/will look at, but it'll definitely have to be post-launch. We just don't have enough folks to add that prior. So, right now, it's in the wishlist hopper. We'll see where it ranks in terms of user requests once we get the game out.

Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top

Had another scenario thought:

________________________________________________________________________________

|                                                           ________                                                     

|          Bloom-Wells to                               Player 1                 Bloom-Wells to                 

|         either side of base                         _________             either side of base              

|                                                                                                                             

|          Creeps, many creeps                   ________               Creeps, many creeps         

|        to either side of temple                   Temple                to either side of temple                                 

|                                                        _________                                                       

|                                                                                                                             

|                                                           ________                                                     

|          Bloom-Wells to                               Player 1                 Bloom-Wells to                 

|         either side of base                         _________             either side of base               

|                                                                                                                             

|_______________________________________________________________________________

 

  • Open map, say a grassy plain.
  • Bloom-spawn start out hostile toward the players and there are so many that trying to walk an army up the sides of the map would be suicide.
  • The temple in the center makes the bloom-spawn neutral toward the player who gains control of it and holds it.

 

The player who holds the temple has a great freedom to move their armies anywhere on the map, and attack the other players bloom-wells and economy.  This would create an enormous meat grinder on the temple grounds, make it a very difficult place to hold (perhaps make it so you can't drop in turrets near it).

 

The bloom-spawn in this map serve two purposes, an obvious one and a not-so-obvious one.  The obvious one is to block avenues of attack to the player who does not hold the temple. 

 

The not-so-obvious one is extra resources through bounty.  Perhaps make it so the player that does NOT hold the temple gets a greater income through bounty to make it harder for the OTHER player to hold the temple for an extended period.

 

Edit: Another thought hit me after I hit save: If neither player holds the temple for 1 or 2 minutes straight, the bloom-spawn go berserk and attack both players... The player who would win in that case would be the one who survives the longest.

 

Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top

Another weird idea! (Man, I'm full of it today... not saying what "it" is though...)

 

There are 5 to 8 temples scattered throughout the map; holding each temple spawns a small group of 3 or 4 bloom-spawn (from that temple) every minute or two that then attacks the nearest enemy unit or building.

 

The game would become a rush to capture the temples, hold them, and deal with the resulting waves from the temples you didn't make it to in time. 

 

Make it so the bloom-spawn from the opposing players can't attack each other so that the players themselves have to deal with them.

 

Perhaps even make it so the bloom-spawn prioritize resources as a target, so you HAVE to deal with them before they wreck your economy.  Though, this might make the game go too quickly.