Game System

[czar]

I am just starting to put on my thinking cap for a pet project of mine.

I want to do a remake of Rebelstar (fore runner of Xcom) but in 3d. Rebelstar is a Turn Based strategy game. Where you move members of your squad around and destroy the enemy.

I will be using DJX and I have some basic prototype code already.

However, there are a number of things I want to have in my game so I figure it is best to work out before hand what they are and how I may achieve them.

So here is my wish list for the game. I would value any ideas that people may have that go towards achieving these aims.

I will be adding stuff to this thread as I work out how I am going to do it.

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The Game Wish List.

1. Possible to play in both
"You-Go/ I-Go" format and as "we go" format.

2. Sides can be computer or player controlled.

3. Single, two player and multiplayer possibilities.

4. Can be played over a network/internet.

5. Individual movement and squad leader movement. To speed things along I want to be able to tell the squad leader what I want to do and the 4 other squadies tag along with their leader.

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So far I haven't put a huge amount of thought into the internal mechanics, I have been dealing with the 3d graphics and learning 3d Studio Max instead.

However, this is as far as I have got.

First off there has to be a "Action Decision Component"
This can be a human physically dragging units or a computer AI (lite) system.

All the actions must be stored in some list.

There must be room to "re-evaluate" the action. e.g., in a You and I go format you maybe tell a squadie to move into a room where he comes into visual contact with the enemy. It should be possible that the rest of the actions are paused allowing the decision to be re-evaluate. i.e. to shoot at the enemy.

In a we-go situation similar things are more likely to occur as the enemy is moving at the same time. But in this case only "automated" reactions to the situations should be possible. i.e. an otherwise human-controlled squadie may choose to blast the opposition, or turn around and retreat.

Ok, that seems like enough for now.

If you have any suggestions or comments or links to websites that have some useful stuff then please reply.
http://upload4.postimage.org/262822/rebelstar.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/262822/photo_hosting.html)

[WILL]

Hey this is an excellent idea. As some of you guys may know, I am a HUGE fan of 'UFO: Enemy Unknown' (aka X-COM).

One thing that has always left me somewhat wanting in all the X-COM games was that layer of advanced tactics or support of them in these games. As some of you guys may not know, I was in the Infantry for 6 and a half years and I know a thing or two about combat tactics, urban warfare and general battlecraft. ie. Cover and Movement, Pieing off doorways and opennings, clearing rooms, platoon-section-team formations, effective firing positions, weapons, etc, etc, etc...

It would be nice to at least fit in some of these more advances things into a game. So if you are interested, I'm humbly at your service. :salute:

I kinda like the TU (time unit) concept. It works well in many cases. Perhaps you might be able to find a nice multi-player type medium in using TUs. ie. both players can use as many TUs as afforded to each character within the round within that 'turn'. And everyone controls their team at the same time. Once the round is over via a timer(can be set for 1 - 10 mins) all the characters on all the teams TUs are reset and they play the next 'turn'. Has anyone ever played FreeCiv? And I think Civ.NET and/or Civilization III does this kind of gameplay too.

[czar]

HI Will,

The Time Unit system sounds like what I referred to as the "we-go" concept.

I first encountered this system when I bought Combat Mission.

Both parties make their move and indicate when they are done.

Then for 60 seconds the computer does all the work as your moves are played out.

It really add something to the game as it introduces the uncertainty element. Will orders work or will something unexpected occur?

[WILL]

Ah ok, so you're taking the same-time turn-based appraoch and putting and seperating the results from the actual control portion, leaving to chance what happens afterwards. Well that is kinda neat. :)

I think 'Risk 2', if you have ever player it (it's based off the classic board game Risk) has a mode of play that resembles this kind of play.

[czar]

I have been think a bit more about my game system.

I have decided to ditch I-Go You-Go TBS style. Just too boring and there are lots of games like that out there.

Instead I will concentrate on the simultaneous-turns (We-Go) system

http://upload4.postimage.org/278849/server_client_diagram.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/278849/photo_hosting.html)

I will base it on time. Every game turn takes say 30 seconds of real time. The players spend their time doing actions.

Movement, Shooting, Reloading, going into over watch. Each action takes time.

Because it is based on time it means that it is possible to chronologically order the events. When submitted to the server it can order the events and play them out.

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If possible I will see if I can get a level editor up this weekend.

Then I can start putting together the frame of the main game.

[aidave]

Your diagram is spot on.

You may want to consider coding your game so that the client/server topology is built into the underlying engine. Ie even the singleplayer game would use that separation. This will make the multiplayer seamless to add on top.

[czar]

Yes, that was what I was thinking. Server is used in all game modes. Server doesn'r care where it get its data from. Whether that be local, multiplayer play by email etc