Enhanced Attack by Expending Highlight Tiles

At the last meeting we discussed the possibility of an enhanced version of each pickup weapon's attack that can be used by expending a certain number of highlighted tiles:

- When a player claims tiles by walking, the tiles change to the player's color and become also highlighted (we should discuss whether to allow tiles gained from attacks to gain the highlight)

- Highlighted tiles grant the player points over time just like normal colored tiles, but may also be expended to fire enhanced attacks with the currently equipped pickup weapon, and after expenditure will revert to normal colored tiles

- There is no maximum number of highlighted tiles the player may have at one time (we may want them to revert to normal colored tiles if enough time passes after they are gained however)

- The player may re-claim a currently owned colored or highlighted tile to highlight it, and this replaces any old highlight with a new one

- When a player fires a pickup weapon, if the player has more than a certain number of highlight tiles, that quantity of them is expended, and revert back to normal colored tiles (reverting in order of oldest to newest acquired)

- When highlight tiles are expended to fire a pickup weapon weapon, an enhanced version of that weapon's attack is fired (we may also want the improved attack to not expend the weapon's single use ammo, and allow consecutive shots as long as highlight tiles are available) (we may want to implement a cooldown between improved attacks to avoid a player gaining too much advantage from attacks with disabling effects)

- It will be difficult to build up a large number of highlighted tiles because other players can claim those tiles by walking or with attacks

- If a player's highlighted tile is claimed by an enemy player, all the player's remaining highlighted tiles gained prior to the one just lost will lose their highlight status and revert to normal colored status

- Highlighted tiles or the player should show some visible display that there are enough highlighted tiles to fire an enhanced attack

- Highlighted tiles should show some visible display that they are being expended for an enhanced attack rather than simply being lost without purpose

- It should require sufficient time and effort to gain enough highlight tiles for the enhanced attack that they cannot be fired frequently, and gaining enough for two enhanced attacks should be nearly impossible unless opponents are totally ignoring the player

Endgame Super-Mode

As Tony wrote in his email, we now have a new win condition for the game:

- The player with the most tiles by the a certain time no longer wins

- Players gain points per unit time for each tile they currently own

- When a player reaches target point total, this activates the endgame mode

- Each player's progress toward reaching the point total is displayed in a meter that fills up

- The first player to reach the target point total gains a super-mode with increased abilities

- Super-mode abilities may include:
--- no ammo cost for any attacks
--- increased movement speed
--- increased fire rate
--- increased damage
--- quicker activation time for healing
--- a more devastating replacement for the main weapon
--- a particle effect aura around the character

- It is possible for multiple players to be the first to reach the point total and activate the super-mode

- After the endgame is activated by the first player to reach the point total, players stop gaining points from tiles and cannot attain super-mode

- During the endgame, death is permanent, the goal is killing, and the victor is the last player left alive

- It is possible for a player to be victor without gaining the super-mode from reaching the point total first, but this should be very difficult since players with super-mode have significant combat advantages.

- When a player gains super-mode, the game freezes for a moment while the camera zooms in for a closer view of the super character in an animation that shows the transition to super-mode. If multiple players gain the super-mode at this point, then they animate one at a time and the camera zooms to them one at a time. During this transition sequence, players have no control over the characters, and both characters and any attack effects are frozen. After all the animations end, the camera returns to normal, and normal character control and weapon effects resume.

Arena Base

So here's my attempt at the Arena's base. The first image is a reference shot to what I was working with. The second is to showcase how this piece can be mirrored. Hope it helps. I emailed the Max file and augmented texture to Brett. Thanks you guys. I'm sorry I can't stick around to help out any more. Best wishes to all with warmest gratitude.

AI - Finite State Machine

Design Thought

After Momo's post on the blog, I started thinking about the current overall design plan...

In our case (a competitive multiplayer game), I'm thinking "collecting" is only fun if collecting is unrestricted and clearly gives sufficiently great benefits (like in Bomberman). In other words, I think the current design plan which involves collecting 1-time use weapons, where you can't pick up additional weapons is entirely missing the point of using the "collecting" mechanism. I might be wrong, but I think it has the following design flaws:

1) you get in situations where you have to avoid "situationally bad" weapon drops since it may be at a good position to fire ( but you'll pick it up if you fire your current weapon there),

2) having to constantly run around to pick up 1-time use weapon drops can feel like a drag and can conflict with claiming/coloring new tiles, and

3) the weapon drops (or icons) can visually clutter the level, since they can't be all picked up right away.

We can still have "collecting" be a part of the game-play (e.g., power-ups, enhancements, buffs, etc.), but I don't think 1-time use weapons work.

Anyways, right now I'm thinking what if the player can have up to 2 weapons at a time (Note - "2" so that they can make a meaningful choice between which to use), but they obtain it automatically (like the puzzle blocks in Tetris). After using a weapon, it takes some short duration to obtain a new one that fills the slot. The only thing that greatly disturbs me is how to elegantly display the weapons that each player has. Currently, I'm thinking a visual icon will temporally pop-up right above the player character's head to indicate which weapon that character just obtained, but a more permanent display of the weapon will be somewhere more out of the way; also, if the player has no weapons (i.e., used both weapons almost simultaneously), then maybe only 1 weapon is recharged at any one time so that there is only 1 temporal visual icon at any one time. (I've also thought about achievements that can skew the chance of obtaining certain types of weapons. The chances can maybe also be skewed based on situational context.)

What do you guys think about all this? Any criticism or different ideas you'd like to share?

Just a thought

Hey guys. Just a thought.

What do you guys think if we add another extra button for sheild? I'm thinking this shield is able to use any time and however many times you want. It will protect you from any attack. But the draw back is, while you're using it, you won't be able to attack. Also, there is a few second recharge time once it's used. This may solve the problem of not being able to dodge the shots... Just a thought.

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