Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2018 9:53 pm Post subject:
TC Fantasy Mod for RA2 (Semi-discussion)
Subject description: Something I never see done for some reason.
Let me begin by saying I don't know if this belongs in this section but, this is something I've wanted to work on for a long time now and I would like to maybe make this public in the future, but in the mean time:
I'm having trouble deciding on a non-cliched magic system that would work on the RA2 engine and I was hoping maybe I could get some feedback. Of course story can be worked on later, but I need a basis to what can and can't be done. My possible solutions thus far are (still a bit cliche):
1) Based on the chinese Wu Xing magic system that's less cliche than the western magic of Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth which, lets face it the last 2 are very boring in their reactions to the others. This would create 5 sides being Wood, Earth, Steel, Water, and Fire. Wood parts Earth, Earth absorbs Water, Water extinguishes Fire, Fire melts Steel, and Steel destroys Wood. But also these elements interact with each other in a way that can create instead of destroy as well. Using this, I could create a Water side that has to build on water BUT can create fields of water (at an expense). Wood would depend on trees nearby and but could also grow them. Earth again would be rather boring, but could create land where water was leaving a decent reaction with water. Fire would also depend on trees, but could only build on scorched earth and rock and their buildings could obviously only be made of concrete, brick and metal (making it troublesome for wood to damage it, making perfect sense). And finally Metal is the hardest to really sell, it would have to build on earth sure, but theres really nothing that would set it apart and Fire would make sense to be able to damage wood to be honest. These elements also offer a good range of things that actually make sense in an RTS battle, wood can create earthen walls to stop fire (but so could anyone else really) whereas Fire could create metal to hinder Water.
2) A system of Mental, Spacial, Time, and Life. These would not be a traditional fantasy type of "elements weak to one another". Instead for example, Mental would be an entirely different thing than Spacial or Time, Mental being the ability to move things telekinetically, but at the same time cannot move things physically instantaneously from one spot to another, nor can it erase something from existance more than making someone forget. Equally, Time cannot create or destroy life, it can make it progress quickly sure, but it can't stop it from ever existing. Time also can't effect space in a way more than slowing, stopping, or accelerating physical objects. Life can evolve to be aware of things like mind control or time manipulation, but it cannot completely stop it. etc. etc. Creating sides and countries that manipulate these are also pretty clean. There can be magicians that control Time, Life, and Space, they can also all be manipulated mentally, so the Mental side would be focused on manipulation therefore having a lower general defense. Spacial on the other hand would be all about manipulating the space around them, walls and such would be simple and probably the strongest. Life would most likely be based almost entirely on infantry, but not limited to it as life can be trees, wildlife, etc. (most likely no voxels at all ). Lastly Time would probably be just as offensive based as Mental, with thin defenses, but able to age matter to their whim, healing and buffs would be their forte.
Now the questions I have are, which would be a better system? Is there a better system? Do they complement each other and work in tandem? Is there another better system you can think of?
Maybe I want this to be a semi community-based mod of sorts with your input, I don't know. But I do know I'll make this happen one way or another and based on your feedback it might be better than what I could come up with.
So please, throw me your suggestions, improvements, criticism, it's all welcome, I just want this to be the best it CAN be and I know my creativity is lacking. I can handle the graphical parts, but my mechanical knowledge of the engine isn't the best anymore. Thanks for reading this giant wall of text!
TL;DR: I need your input on a magic system that isn't cliche for a total conversion mod. _________________ "Don't beg for things; Do it yourself or you'll never get anything." QUICK_EDIT
I'm not sure how you expect cumulative destructive or constructive forces to work in the engine, but I see nothing wrong with the earth/wind/fire etc routine.
The engine already supports particles with trailers, you could make convincing tornados or crashing waves along with the fire. Some of the effects kenosis has showed off with his touhous lie spawning an ice crystal or rock and shooting it at the target would also make sense. Think Fullmetal Alchemist...
The damage system would just have to have standard versus strengths against other objects if you want to make it semi-realistic, but even here I would start with them equally effective against all things. I would instead focus on making the weapon ranges and behaviours different... even the superweapons could match, hail of boulders, an explosion of fireball debris from a point, a blast of air like a concussive explosion etc.
I suppose it could still make sense with equally effective damage environment-wise. And yeah, I'm not too worried about implementing it; Earthquakes, debris trailers that was discussed recently, IsFlamingGuy on tornados, ice storms via meteor logic + a high detonation airburst, etc. are all pretty feasible.
I just wasn't keen on using the whole cliche earth/wind/fire routine is all, it's extremely overdone and hard to explain thematically. Though I suppose most mods are shallow in explaining why things happen in their mods (I'm looking at you, Foehn ( ?° ?? ?°) ), I'm just somewhat of a fan of worldbuilding.
The 2nd set of ideas would be practically a side of mind control, a side of chrono without the chrono twinkling, a healing, speed buffing side, and I guess a cloning and resurrecting side (infantry leave bodies that can be mutated).
Obviously these would be not so simple, but that's just the general gist of it. _________________ "Don't beg for things; Do it yourself or you'll never get anything." QUICK_EDIT
I think if the anims are really nice and the general behaviour is smooth and expected, no one will think it cheesy or cliche.
One of the weapon/unit design aspects I was talking to Nolt about before was the idea of generalists vs specialists, even if you have a conventional tank game, you don't want each tank completely useless against anything, even if it's really good at one thing. Only one halo unit house should be that black and white, something that you build for one purpose like destroying a conyard or a cluster of infantry. You should be thinking more personality test and less rock-paper-scissors.
If your top tier units are no good against something, doesn't matter what, in a battle you as a player will get frustrated with them if you don't have the perfect mix of other support units. This makes it either too much of a micromanage grind, or becomes all-or-nothing where one mistake and you're wiped out. See Starcraft ahaha... _________________ http://www.moddb.com/mods/scorched-earth-ra2-mod-with-smart-ai QUICK_EDIT
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