S.A.D. (Seek and Destroy)

[hotdog1234]

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[font="Impact"]BALKSTONE

[hotdog1234]

This is the last of the units. But I'm still working on graphics while work continues on the tilemap routine. Next up is unit weapons.

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[font="Impact"]SPLITRON

[GloryMXE7]

nice keep up the good work unfortunately my opinion isnt worth much since i have never have gotten this far if i was you I just dont have the ability or focus

[hotdog1234]

As many of you understand by now, many, many different things that are weeks or even months away from development are being planned at this moment, because planning is important. One of these is the campaign mode...work on the campaign will not begin for quite some time, not until the S.A.D. demo (more on that in the far future) is released. But I have been doing some planning on how to go about this.

In order to keep the main S.A.D. application small, the campaign is provided as an external file, with the campaign execution information hard-coded into S.A.D. itself. This does have three advantages, however:

1. Another bonus included with the game: A Windows-based campaign designer (This is good news for you guys, but of course, it also makes it easier for ME to design the campaign :biggrin: )
2. Campaigns can be large, with many, many features, and yet divided into several parts
3. A player can include the campaign if he/she wants to play it. If only multiplayer and Skirmish is preferred, the player can have just a basic, small application.

So, with an external campaign designer, there are several features I'm going to incorporate to allow the designing of high-quality campaigns for those willing to dedicate their time making their own story lines. But I would like suggestions on what else to include in terms of features.

Here's what I have so far for features:

* Sequential Script Reading, meaning campaigns do not jump to labels
* Any number of missions
* Password protection to prevent users from skipping ahead if the campaign is divided into several parts
* Text Display for displaying just text on a white screen. This can be used for stuff like Mission Objectives, Timeline information, tips, etc.
* Mission Breifing Room: Up to three portraits, with custom-designed sprites, can be displayed on the top, and the proper portrait will be highlighted when the character is talking. Text is displayed below the portraits. The portraits are still, meaning non-moving, portraits.
* Cutscenes. This is an important, if limited, feature that will better help in story lines. The only things you can do are display sprites (custom or those provided with the game), display tilemaps, and display text, with a character portrait for the person to know who's talking. If you've played Earthbound or any similar RPG, you'll know what kind of cutscenes I'm talking about, and you'll also understand there's SO MUCH you can do with these three features.
* Custom objects, used only for mission objectives. These can either be destroyed or "reached" (Example: Destroy this object, or get this ship to this object). They can also be built, but do not do anything special, rather they just "sit there." Like starcraft, you have to pretend it does something
* Custom tiles...although custom tiles are supported for external maps, you can create tiles specifically for the campaign, or use tiles from an external source, though the latter is not recommended
* You can pause between scenes, but only between scenes. This makes a little bit of a "dramatic" transition between missions and scenes
* A Splash Screen can be displayed before each mission
* Custom Units can be created for the AI. THESE ARE LIMITED: You can either create a unit with 1 sprite, or 8 sprites (1 for each direction). In addition, the units have no special abilities, and can only fire a basic weapon, using a custom sprite if desired. Fire rate, Air Attack, Ground Attack, Range and Speed. Acceleration, Sephrane Gas and Fuel cannot be altered, and indeed are not used. As for structural units, custom structures can be created, but only as equivalents of other structures.
* Three AIs are available for any use. You can have three AIs on a team against the player, 2 AIs teamed and 1 AI aiding the player, etc. AI difficulty can also be set.
* You can alter the tech tree to a limited extent, in that you can choose what can and cannot be built. In some cases, you can choose to have a combat mission, meaning that nothing can be built.
* Possible Mission Objectives:

---Destroy X Units of any type or specific type
---Destroy X Structures of any type or specific type
---Destroy X Custom Objects of any type or specific type
---Build X Custom Object
---Find Custom Object
---Get Unit to Custom Object
---X Units must survive
---X Custom Object must survive for Y Time
---Build X Strucutres of any type or specific type
---Destory everything
---You must survive for X time
---Ally must survive for X time
---You must have X crystals left

I'm willing to add extra feautres if they are not hard to incorporate, but I can't include all suggestions. Also, PLEASE DO NOT suggest an extra feature if you don't plan on designing a campaign...the last thing I need is to add a feature that nobody uses.

By the way, there's no deadline for suggestions, since the campaign designing is not happening for quite some time. Feel free to add a suggestion any time you think of one.

[ztrumpet]

This is looking great!

What if you had to get two objectives like X Units must survive and Destroy X Units of a specific type.

Also, what if you had to have a specific number of Belthium Crystals left?

[hotdog1234]

[ztrumpet]

[hotdog1234]

[GloryMXE7]

you know how in age of empires there is a wonders objective where you have to build a wonder then defend it from destruction for x amount of time. well, what if you made a similar objective where you have to buid a "super structure" and after its made it has to survive for x amount of time. heres an example of why it would be used, say you need to build a super lazer tower whitch ,when charged, would defeat the enemy, but it takes a realy long time to charge, and if it is destroyed the enemy will win, so you have to protect it until it is charged and ready to fire

[hotdog1234]

[ztrumpet]

[hotdog1234]

[GloryMXE7]

i think it would be a good idea to put a time limit option for objectives that normally dont have to do with time, also you could add a capture the flag like objective where you have to bring a custom object ,either from an enemy or fromthe middle of the map, to your "base" to win. for example you have to steal an important object that each player own and bring it back to your base to destroy it and once a players object is destroyed they lose.

[hotdog1234]

[Mapar007]

About this "X crystals left" objective:
(assuming a campaign has multiple scenarios/battles)

- You need a minimal amount of money to please someone
- You have to buy a certain upgrade in the next level
-...

[hotdog1234]

[GloryMXE7]

could if there is a two versus two campain you could add an objective that your ally has to survive x amount of time. your defending a convoy from two raiding partys perhaps, or if ypour ally survises it builds trust between two nations

[Weregoose]

I'd rather that we don't lock out the 83+ crowd.

[hotdog1234]

[Weregoose]

I was saying that time in seconds wouldn't work because the 83+ doesn't have a clock.