Re: The map that will never be
 

I'm having an easter break, and since JK is working on his day time job he can't prevent me from working on Gath instead of working on our new project http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif. Actually, he doesn't try to, but it is more fun to work together on that project, so when I'm free I tend to switch back and forth between dom3 and our other project.

I'm proud to say I almost succeeded in making the tartarian 'shattered soul' mechanics work without aid from JK. It didn't work all the way though, and he has to take a look at it, and also add the special stuff.

The first units take some time. I spent several hours on the first of the Gittites and the Kohen Gadol, but then it gets easier, changing equipment and colors and stuff. Giving them stats is just a matter of minutes once the sprites are made.

Simple sprites (human units) might take half an hour for the first one and then about 5-10 min for the rest. Unless I want them to differ more.

Gath is as Gregstrom said the home of Goliath. The nation will be a near eastern nation of giants with influences from Israelites, Canaanites and Philistines. It will be based on accounts of giants in the bible and near eastern texts, such as the Ras Shamra Rephaim texts, Book of Enoch and the like.

Since the Rephaim are huge of stature (size 4) I get stuck in details (I tend to evaluate sprites pixel by pixel even when the sprite is 80 pixels high) and the first ones took a lot of time. Once you have a warrior template and a mage template things tend to go faster.

Gath was a bit quicker than the earlier eras, since they have a larger human population. It was also clever to begin with them since I could rezoom them to make crude Rephaim templates to work from. Making a size 4 unit from scratch is a bit more time consuming.

Descriptions were finished four weeks ago when I has a spring break from school. It was about when 3.15 was about to be released, so I didn't want to make new units that would end up half finished in the map, so I made descriptions instead. It really helps with creativity. You should try it.

Re: The map that will never be
 

Mmm, I wonder if we'll get Nephilim as well? Not to be asking a leading question or anything, really. I like the sound of the word, mostly.

Re: The map that will never be
 

There will be Nephilim in the early era. The Rephaim are their descendants.

Re: The map that will never be
 

So, Kristoffer, how *is* Dominions in Space coming along? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: The map that will never be
 

Tzing! Tzing! Banzai! [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/MusicalNote.gif[/img] [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/MusicalNote.gif[/img]

Re: The map that will never be
 

Was that a reference to Star Control? Or just general bizarreness? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: The map that will never be
 

Star Control?

Re: The map that will never be
 

Star Control 2, actually.

You might know it better as The Ur-Quan Masters. That's the free (and best) version. The source code is also free, I believe.

It's basically the most complete gaming experience you can get in a space game. It's got role-playing, good story, really evil villains, a few dozen fairly fleshed out unique/interesting/bizarre alien races, actiony space combat, a sense of ownership, a great sense of humor, some strategy (a bit too light for my tastes, but it's there), a comfortable level of graphics, and a heck of a lot of depth. It's even free. I just wish it A: didn't have a time limit, B: wasn't a click-fest when it comes to combat, and C: had more strategy and open-ended sandboxness (it has them, I just want more, because I'm greedy).

If Master of Orion is a 4X game, then Star Control is, like, 9X. It really gives you a sense of being inside of a good classic space opera.

Re: The map that will never be
 

Exploration, Expansion, Exploitation, Extermination... then Excursions, Examinations, Excellence, (fatal) Exceptions, and finally Exhaustion?

Re: The map that will never be
 

Re: The map that will never be
 

I think you forgot Erotic Extraterrestrials [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/icon27.gif[/img] http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/heart.gif

Re: The map that will never be
 

Ooh! You just convinced me, I have to check this out. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif
Where can I find it?

Re: The map that will never be
 

It's an Infinite Universe, so they must be out there, somewhere...just keep looking up! [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/icon10.gif[/img] [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/icon10.gif[/img] [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/PointUp.gif[/img]


In the meantime, go to Google or Wikipedia (or both) and type in "The Ur Quan Masters".

Just don't forget to sign the petition http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: The map that will never be
 

Ooh! You just convinced me, I have to check this out. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif
Where can I find it?

[/quote]

Admiral Zexx and his Shofixti Maidens aren't what you think they are, though, and I never found the Syren homeplanet.

sc2.sourceforge.net

Re: The map that will never be
 

Wait for it... wait for it...

Re: The map that will never be
 

(double post)

Re: The map that will never be
 

Tzing sounded like the kind of noise some of the ships make when firing in Star Control. One of the ships (the Shofixti) is kamikaze, and I could imagine it saying "Banzai!" as it shot in to its own destruction (I'm not actually sure what banzai means). Finally, the winning ship always played its own theme tune after every battle. So you see, it was a perfect fit!

Incidentally you should all definitely download the Ur-Quan Masters. It's awesome. Especially for an open-source game (it was originally commercial but later the code was made available).

Re: The map that will never be
 

The Banzai charge was the infantry equivalent to the Kamikaze airborne attacks.

Re: The map that will never be
 

Okay, thanks.

Re: The map that will never be
 

April Bump

Re: The map that will never be
 

I want to change this post to "The map that will certainly be"

Re: The map that will never be
 

'''Imagine a beautiful woman saying this''''
I want the map that will never be. It looks so cool.

Now will you finish the map? pleeeease http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Martini.gif[/img] http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image.../beerglass.gif

Re: The map that will never be
 

There it is! But... that's not Edratman! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/shock.gif

Re: The map that will never be
 

Can I sue? Who and for how much? :grin http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/Injured.gif

If this was a union shop I would at least get a grievance and 4 hours pay. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

I am still holding onto my self-bestowed semi-offical title of PITA. As the late, great Charlton Heston once said "From my cold, dead hands." http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/cool.gif

Re: The map that will never be
 

Charlton http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/rant.gif

Re: The map that will never be
 

Some threats should be locked for general being boring and to much useless posts of KO in particular.. look at his last replies...

Re: The map that will never be
 

KO needs to vent in the forums... he's suffering internally because his subconcious mind hungers to work on Dominions_4, yet he's currently enslaved working a new project.

At this time we can pray for him... and maybe capture him some blood slaves.
http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: The map that will never be
 

My subconscious mind also tells me there is so much that would have to be done to make dom4 good it would only make me sad http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

I prefer prayers. Blood slaves tend to get icky when sent by postal services. They are also difficult to discard, since there is no gore-waste-bin in the local recycling station.

Re: The map that will never be
 

That's okay, we'll send them dehydrated - that way they're only 4 inches high and don't struggle in the parcel (that's how blood mages carry them around while teleporting/Cloud Trapezing/flying - they sprinkle a little water on them just before battles start). As for the gore afterwards, just dig it into the garden. It'll bring your dahlias up a treat.

Re: The map that will never be
 

Bump! Bump-bump-bump..!

Re: The map that will never be
 

Bump! Almost about to fall off the first page!!

/crackswhip!

Re: The map that will never be
 

May bump.

Re: The map that will never be
 

June bump.

Note that I've got my original name back in the last month.

Re: The map that will never be
 

How about releasing a playable beta? Even if it isn't perfect, it's still a damn sight better than the generator.

Re: The map that will never be
 

KO will release it eventually. It will probably be in a game udpate.

Re: The map that will never be
 

My summer vacation has just started. That is probably good news for the map.

Re: The map that will never be
 

And a huzzah to that.

Re: The map that will never be
 

Huzzah! Huzzah! Huzzah!

Re: The map that will never be
 

Huzzah! Huzzah! Huzzah! Huzzah!

Re: The map that will never be
 

Vacations are for mapmaking. Hurrah.

Re: The map that will never be
 

Good news for the map is great news for us. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: The map that will never be
 

"...after eighty-three days in the wilderness of Zambizi, our food supplies cut drastically short, with barely enough clean water to keep us alive, our only companion the constant drumbeats of the Tsutsuwanna tribe, I began to realise that, for some of us, the Map, the great impossible Map, was becoming our God. And then I knew fear, for where would this map possibly lead us, if not to our graves?"

Re: The map that will never be
 

Did you really quote that from some writing? Or did you just make it up?

Re: The map that will never be
 

Anytime you wish to retire early and devote more time for playing and developing games... we're here for support !

Re: The map that will never be
 

Hmm, I wonder if Honeybadger's quote is from King Solomon's Mines or something.

Re: The map that will never be
 

It's rare to be so happy about a Finn taking a holiday. Uusually that sort of news makes me resentful, angry and slightly hungry.

Re: The map that will never be
 

No I just made it up http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Re: The map that will never be
 

But thanks!!! It's not every day my writing gets compared to the incomparable H Ryder Haggard http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

I did base the name of the "Tsutsuwanna" on the Kukuana tribe in King Solomon's Mines, so there is some connection, apart from any writing style I may have borrowed.

Re: The map that will never be
 

That's a nice, evocative quote. I thought it sounded like it could have come from "Heart of Darkness". Which I have admittedly not read.

If Yarnspinners 3 ever happens, we now know who to recruit. But that would be madness, pure madness.

Re: The map that will never be
 

We really ought to do something like that for Dominions 3.

Maybe have a contest to see who can write the best story set within the Dom3 "universe"?