Mail Order Monsters

Puke · #1 September 6th, 2002, 02:34 AM

yes, that certainly was a great game. Kudos to anyone who remembers it

and no, this post has nothing to do with that game. you have been deceived.

I was thinking about the frequent newbie games of "all-players against the AI" on the PBW server, and thinking that its a shame that cooperative games for advanced (or mediocre, as in my case) players cant really work with the current state of the AI.

And I was wondering, as you may infer from the title of this post, if anyone has tried a "humans against AI" with Rollo's Devnull Space Monsters floating about. I figure, get as many human players as you can find, then drop in one monster race for every two or three humans. If any of the humans survive to victory, then it really will be "Kudos to the winner!"

Ragnarok · #2 September 6th, 2002, 05:37 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Puke:
yes, that certainly was a great game. Kudos to anyone who remembers it

and no, this post has nothing to do with that game. you have been deceived.

I was thinking about the frequent newbie games of "all-players against the AI" on the PBW server, and thinking that its a shame that cooperative games for advanced (or mediocre, as in my case) players cant really work with the current state of the AI.

And I was wondering, as you may infer from the title of this post, if anyone has tried a "humans against AI" with Rollo's Devnull Space Monsters floating about. I figure, get as many human players as you can find, then drop in one monster race for every two or three humans. If any of the humans survive to victory, then it really will be "Kudos to the winner!"

I sort of have an idea like this awhile back. But no one seemed to say anything about it. I was just going to have 1 monster race with about 5 or 6 humans. But I like your idea better - having 1 monster race for every 2 or 3 humans. If you set this game up I'd like to join in on it.

DocShane · #3 September 6th, 2002, 05:50 AM

Ya, Puke. You're the king of hosting unique games. In fact, how about "Space Monster Junkyard Wars"? The theme would be multiple civilizations reduced to ruins by invading space monsters. The remnants of the those civilizations are left without their great scientists. They now must reach out and reclaim that technology to battle the space beasts.

This would dramatically alter game play. Players could win by allying and wiping out the infested junkyard.

Without research, could you mod each monster race to possess different tech levels? This way each would produce a variety of beasts of different complexity. Or could you alter your mod to allow research for the monsters, but block it for the humans?

Baron Grazic · #4 September 6th, 2002, 06:42 AM

Never heard of "Mail Order Monsters" but the title sounds interesting, almost as intereting as this game is sounding...

Puke · #5 September 6th, 2002, 07:57 AM

never heard of Mail Order Monsters? GET OFF MY THREAD!

kidding. MOM was sort of like the modern (90's) console games "Monster Rancher." you are a stablemaster, and you have a fixed ammount of cash. you use this money to buy monsters, and then train them, and then genetically modify them with different things like chloropLasts or tentacles, or tails, or firebreath. you buy them weapons (melee weapons, bLasters, tank guns, tac-nukes, everything) and equipment. then you send them out and controll them as they fight your buddy, or the computer.

there is a strategic map where you manuver to fight in terrain that is favorable to your monster (some get on better in water and swamps, others better in mountains, some of the bastards fly). also on the strategic map, you can launch your nukes at each other.

if you make it down to tactical combat, thats where you use your claws, firebreath, autocannons, flamethrowers, shocking grasp, acid touch, tank guns, laser cannons, and anything else you might have.

Such a great game. made in the mid 80s, if i remember. I played it on a C64 at my friends house.

sachmo · #6 September 6th, 2002, 05:35 PM

Puke,

This is a "remake", but requires two players

http://www.soap.at/ats/mailomon.htm

While this is not the original, it shows promise...

www.theycamefromhollywood.com

Here is a game called Battallion, which is interesting:

http://www.evl.uic.edu/aej/AndyBattalionFAQ.html

Also, if you download a C64 emulator, you can play it until your eyes pop out! Wheee!

[ September 06, 2002, 17:16: Message edited by: sachmo ]

Rollo · #7 September 7th, 2002, 03:18 AM

yeah, mail order monsters was cool

oh, and nice game idea from puke, too. I would like to play such a game.

Actually Quikngruvn and myself talked about something very similar recently as a twist for a 'big fat zero' game. very simply get four (or more) players in a quadrant with zero race points, add monsters with 3000-5000 points and medium to high

bonus.
sayonara, human cattle

.

Rollo

Taz-in-Space · #8 September 7th, 2002, 04:19 AM

Rollo, perhaps even easier and more deadly would be giving the Space Monster Colonizing capability

The spread should be...well Monsterous!

[ September 07, 2002, 03:21: Message edited by: Taz-in-Space ]

Rollo · #9 September 8th, 2002, 04:22 PM

Not so sure about that, Taz. The way the monsters currently work, colonizing will be a problem. Most of the monster concept is based on the premise that they don't colonize.
They don't really need colonies to be dangerous. Their homeworlds are similar to Proportions Mod homeworlds with a 'monsterous' intel output. Resources are not a problem for them, since their hulls have such a large maintanence reduction that they actually produce resources. All their hulls have quantum reactor, so range is not a problem either.
If they would colonize, then there would be ways for a human to get a hold of their colonies and capture those super-facilities. Also I kinda like the way it currently works that you have to destroy their stars to beat them.

It certainly could be done and I believe I might have found a way to get around the intel problem in a different way. That way they would even be able to do some offensive intel without being too overwhelming. I might just do that and also create another monster race that behaves more like a 'swarm' that also seems to be interesting.

So, to make a long answer short: Yeah, could be done with a change of the current concept. But it certainly would not be easier than a few mouse clicks in the game setup, though.

Rollo

DocShane · #10 September 10th, 2002, 11:39 PM

Yea, I played a game AS the Space Monsters. You all ought to try it. You can colonize worlds and create custom ships, not just monsters.

You have access to the technology tree.

And boy with colonizing, you kick major butt!

Furthermore, you can protect those colonies with space stations equipped with the monster cloaking device, which I think makes the planet and all items in that sector totally invisible.

A very one sided game, but that is the whole point when you are an undulating mass of tentacles bent on the wholesale destruction of the universe!

(evil cackle) MUAH HA HA HA HA....