Dominions 3000 (name confirmed!)

[HoneyBadger]

I think the first thing to do would be to brainstorm as many nation ideas as possible, and start narrowing them down.

I also think we should start working on a Damn Big Map, and ideas for how we want it to look, and function.

As far as a working level of playability-Ideally, the nations we come up with ought to be playable against the existing ones. On the same level atleast. No need to re-invent the wheel, we just want to take the wheel into space.

I definitely want to be an active partner in the project, but I'm not going to be the one doing everything, because that's just not realistic of my abilities and time.

[Endoperez]

HoneyBadger said:
As far as a working level of playability-Ideally, the nations we come up with ought to be playable against the existing ones. On the same level atleast. No need to re-invent the wheel, we just want to take the wheel into space.

I don't think that's a good idea before you have any idea of what the nations will be or how they will work. Even if they happen to be somewhat playable, they'd look very silly if the fights were supposed to take place in space or underwater, and then I'd expect abilities such as flight and perhaps resistances and AoE abilities would also be quite common.

[Darkwind]

HoneyBadger said:
I think the first thing to do would be to brainstorm as many nation ideas as possible, and start narrowing them down.

I also think we should start working on a Damn Big Map, and ideas for how we want it to look, and function.

As far as a working level of playability-Ideally, the nations we come up with ought to be playable against the existing ones. On the same level atleast. No need to re-invent the wheel, we just want to take the wheel into space.

I was going to make this huge post detailing specifics for a bunch of different ideas, but then I realized that basically all one needs to do is mix-and-match stereotypes (Technologically advanced lizards! Warlike bugs! Fast-breeding birds! Fish descended from an ancient galaxy-spanning civilization!) in order to produce ideas. Not all of them will be good, but it's just brainstorming.

Also, I doubt the nations for Dom3k will be comparable with normal nations, since some might have incredible ships but horrible land units while some might have an incredible planetary army but practically no space-faring navy. Using the same basic averages (an average unit has 10 attack, 10 defense, 10 defense, etc.) would be a good idea though.

[Aezeal]

I'd like to have an active part in development, idea's for the setting and races, mostly developing a race..

but I can't do graphics but if someone with a gift for graphics would work with me I'd love to do my part

I'm doing my part (starship troopers)

PS for the space transport I really think letting the troops have SOME function would be good.. letting them just sit in space might be getting boring (if for some reason the "much stronger" ships etc would target them first then loosing your ship which is firing on the troops might be cost effective.

[rdonj]

Even if the lasers are going to be invisible, you should consider trying to give them some sort of "hit" art, so you can at least tell what they're pointing at...

[Endoperez]

That's perfectly feasible, because flying and hit animations are independent. There are some missile weapons that work like that, like Starspawn mind burn.

[Darkwind]

I made a chart



Please excuse the general nastiness, it was made in "Microsoft Spreadsheet" (I thought it was Excel, but I guess not) and then tinkered with in Paint. But anyways, yeah. There are ninety possible options (9*10), which is more than we need. Also, since this chart definitely doesn't have every good idea for a nation on it, I encourage not using it. It doesn't even have a "zerg-like" or "enslaves other species" option. In fact, it doesn't have a lot of things.

But anyways, I'm going to go pop this open in paint and see if I can find any good ideas in this mess of fish that live underground and cold-blooded lizards that live in a perpetual tundra.

[HoneyBadger]

Don't forget: Energy based creatures, fungi (from Yuggoth or otherwise), molluscs/cephalopods, copper-based critters, parasites/symbiotes/multiorganisms, trichordates, artificial life, Incertae Seris, and Bizarre/Extra-dimensional/Other.

[Aezeal]

Setting: dominions in space
general assumptions (which could of course be changed if pplz disagree) I've made
- words water and space are equal
- more ranged combat
- generally longer ranges for ranged combat
- armour more like LA
- more AP damage
- troops have a waterform in space
- large spaceships (water only)
- shuttles (amphibious)
- pplz in space live in space on space stations (some aliens might not but whatever)
- more water provs relatively low pop but doesn't HAVE to be
- more mines in space (meteorfield with nice resources ( this is used a lot in game.. even though I think planets would be much more resourcefull.. but it's better for balance I think to use it too )
- maps: clusters of planets around a sun (say 5) which ALL have land move options between them between those clusters only space, no land travel options to next star system

Humans/Ulm in space: (a more catchy name: "space marines" 'n stuff will follow): I'm thinkin on moddeling it a bit (no correct that: the basis will be A LOT based on WH40K)

Weak statted ground troops but with decent tech level for their guns (in space h2h will have to be lower on the priority list)

basic human militia:
7 gc, 1 resc (extra cheap due to no watershape)
hp 10
prot 0
morale 8
mr 10
enc 3
str 10
att 8
def 8
prec 10
map 1
AP 10

weapon: pistol (or laspistol) damage 10 AP (strength doesn't count), range 50, 2 resc
basic armour (prot 5, 2 resc
basic shield (prot 10, 1 resc)
basic helmet (prot 5, 1 resc)

no watershape
------------------------------

marine (light inf/soldier)
10 gc, 1 resc
hp 10
prot 0
morale 10
mr 10
enc 3
str 10
att 10
def 10
prec 11
map 1
AP 10

weapon: lasgun damage 15 AP (strength doesn't count), range 60 (resc 3)
medium armour (prot 10 resc 2)
basic shield (prot 10 resc 1)
medium helmet (prot 10 resc 2)

watershape

same stats
same armour
different gun
Heavy gun 20 AP damage, range 60

--------------------------------

heavy marine (elite heavy veteran soldier)
hp 11
prot 0
morale 11
mr 10
enc 3
str 11
att 12
def 12
prec 11
map 1
AP 10

weapon: lasgun damage 15 AP (strength doesn't count), range 60 (resc 4)
heavy armour (prot 15, resc 3)
heavy shield (prot 15, resc 2)
tactical helmet (prot 10 + 1 precision, resc 3)

watershape

same stats
same armour
different gun:
Heavy gun 20 AP damage, range 60
--------------------------------------------

So hows that to start with?
so pics needed for this are

3x armoured human troops with increasingly heavy gear
2x space suit armoured with heavy weapons but one heavier than the other.

PS Which numbers should I use for weapons and troops with I make my dm file?

Also we need someone who will start making a map if noone volunteers I'll make a REAL nasty looking 2 player map with 3 star systems of 7 planets and between that loads of space (a very very black map that will be)

[llamabeast]

Yeah, using Starcraft sprites is probably illegal, but frankly I hardly think Blizzard are going to care. If anything we'd be creating advertising for Starcraft 2. More importantly if they cracked down on the mod, we'd just be back where we started (with no graphics). So I suggest using them, at least as standins. Because if you do, you'll have a working mod in minutes. If you don't, I think it's possible you're going to have problems getting graphics together.