Instead of just asking questions, maybe you should ask questions and then propose a solution?
Just a tip - might help you get on in life. Make you seem like and idea hamster. No sarcasm implied.
When it drops to less than 20% of its max armour?
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Instead of just asking questions, maybe you should ask questions and then propose a solution?
Just a tip - might help you get on in life. Make you seem like and idea hamster. No sarcasm implied.
When it drops to less than 20% of its max armour?
What I'm implying is that a huma player is constantly evaluating subtle nuances in the play.
Say for example I'm attacking an enemies building with mech A. The ruckus draws attention to me, and enemy mechs B and C turn on me. I then have to decide
1) do I continue to attack the building and hopefully bring it down before I'm eliminated
2) do I attack B and/or C in an attempt to survive longer (although probably still lose because I'm outnumbered.
3) RTB
4) retreat a short distance and then attack a different target away from B and C
5) send in reinforcements in the form of D and E
6) run up and group-hug the building, B and C prior to a spectacular reactor meltdown
and these are simply the vague overviews.
Assuming I choose one of them, at what point do I stop and reevaluate issues?
These AI models are good, but we need to ensure that they are flexible enough to use. A unit given just ONE of these models will be severely limited to its choices in the above example - and thats a simple one.
Another example - slightly different one.
A bunch of Protoss Carriers is bearing down on you. The air is thick with a swarm of interceptors. What do you do? You back up a little and shoot at the carriers (the passive targets) not the intercepters (the aggressive targets). If you get down to 20% health and the carrier is nearly dead, you stand your ground and finish it off.
Sorry if im waffling here, but the wheel is turning...
I think we should assine a model at the outset and leave it at that for the computer players. The human players can either alter theirs on the fly or guide the units by hand.
What the human player hss in flexibility and skill, the computer player will counter with volume of units and efficiency. It's not going to forget to build a component or mech that turn. It's going to be churning stuff out at a rate of knots.
Similar to SC. The computer player lacks the skill we have but is much faster and more efficient in its construction of units.
We can put a selectable option on all units to destroy the mech if it gets to less than 10% health and there are enemies nearby...
So it'll be a bit like fighting a CPU Zerrg player? Ok.
I don't follow your last line though...You mean they can decide whether to run or fight?
My last line was the human player can select an option for each mech to explode messily if it falls below a certain health level and there is an enemy unit within the blast range.
i.e. if the mech is on its way out, blow up and make a mess.
PS - Sat 9th June. I'm off to Alton towers with Chiri and a load of other dykes. Fancy a day out?
cool - a day out with some hot lesbo action. we'll see...
What's the point of suicide explosive packs if a mech can self destruct anyway. Or does that determine the size of a bigger explosion?
The decision is more "Should I stay or should I go now...?"
Fight to the death or RTB...
Behemoth,
We've not got any way to create buildings and I'm looking for your thoughts on how we should do this. I was thinking of having them built in the same way as components (component viewer, added to build Q etc). Then the construction yard could just prepare it and out it pops. It think that's the best way, but it will unbalance the screens, (we have eight components, adding buildings to the screen will make nine). Boooo...
Your thoughts?
A separate building construction screen accessible from the same menu - perhaps a button at the bottom of the screen...I don't really know...
Project Overview
Intro movie
Instructions
Tutorial
Player select and map generation
Movement
Mining / harvesting
harvesting sounds required?
Research (Processor points)
Final Tech, Sentience - I've done a graphic now! its also going to be used as the game icon...
Industry (industry points)
(do mechs require industry points to be built from their constituent components?)
Combat
ranged combat
close combat (specify which weapons do what when...)
combat sounds
combat AI models.
Buldings
Moving buildings
> Static buildings
Building functionalities.
OMG! LIST OF ALL BUILDINGS REQUIRED!
Diplomacy
Waahh :( head hurts
Win / lose conditions
Ending movie(s) ?
anything else you can think of?
Looks pretty much comprehensive.
I was installing Stargate on loads of machines today, so I was sitting around thinking a lot. Are we going with this idea of making the help file a web page? Not a lot's been done on it so far so if we want to change our mind, now would be a good time.
Do you want me to carry on sending you bits of manual, 'cos that couple of page word document I sent you which took me ages to write didn't go anywhere... :p
When do you think you'll be able to tidy up the webpage and get it in the right format, so then it's just a case of plugging in paragraphs?
Response:
No mechs do not require ind points to be built from components.
I can't think of anything else at the moment - if I do, I'll post it.
Nice one on doing the icon so fast, when do I get it?
The spreadsheet we're making with the components on will help when making weapon damage tables etc.
We still need a pen and paper sesh to come up with some proper weapon stats. I'll be back from the gym at about 19:30 if you want to come 'round.
Don't think harvesting sounds are required, but we do need more speech... :(
Nice,
But it's for non-commercial use only.
And you didn't answer the questions I asked either.........
The manual isn't important for now. We can get onto that when everything is functional. for now the thread in games programming is sufficient...
Yep, you're right.
I'll still work on little manual bits when I get chance though. Do you want me to send them to you, or don't you care?
I got bog loads done last night including the construction of buildings!!! I finished it a one in the morning after I got in from the pub pissed as a fart. The last thing I remember is struggling like hell to get it to work, changing a value from x to x+1 and then it worked! Fantastic!
So, we need to define a list of buildings and weapons. Any thoughts for buildings?
Not in any order:
Command Centre
Construction Yard
Chemical Battery
Warehouse
Factory
NanoFactory
Processor node
Laboratory
Ion Battery
Power Plant *
Static defense *
Detector array *
Walls *+
Also, we currently have 'types' of buildings. I want to categorise things as merely buildings with different attributes. i.e. a processor node will have a positive benefit to processing power, everything else will be nil or negative. A warehouse will have a positive benefit to storage, everything else will be nil.
*We (sorry, I) also need to work on an auto building generator which creates a static defense building for each weapon in the component list, a detector array for each sensor chip, a wall for each armour type, and a power plant building for each reactor in stores.
+ (comment on this please) The walls are to be made of armour and can be moved around (basically useless building designed to absorb damage). A 'wall' is a building with 10 tons of the selected armour type. Because the 'wall' is a building, it can be moved around - providing a useful method of expanding the base perimeter. We can format the walls to look funky cool using a similar algorithm to what is used to draw the roads. You will need to produce some wall graphics.
Any others?Code:
Type BuildingStatsTemp:
Name as string
Standingcharge as integer
ProcessorDrain as integer
Costs as coststemp
IndPoints as integer
TechReq as byte
Viewrange as integer
Armour as integer
Weapon as integer
End Type
+ I hate you...!
It's probably a good idea, but aren't ranged weapons going to be able to fire past buildings anyway? It's going to take a hell of a lot of production to make a base perimeter (remember how long it takes to build walls in AOE and they're built in place!)
I agree in principle with everything you've said here. We really need to thrash it out though. I like the idea of all buildings having the same base stats, but isn't this going to be less efficient than specialising? I suppose you know what you're doing.
Also, we're going to have to pay special attention to roads - how is a road built? Are roads laid by specific units? I know the road algorithm is functional and draws all relevant roads, we now need to ensure road building and destruction fits in with this...
I don't hate you really...:)
Yeah you're right, it will take a long time to make some walls. One turn per square of wall (assuming one construction yard). The interim construction depends on the number of factories.
The more construction yards, the quicker the production (one building or unit, per turn, per construction yard).
Having all the buildings share the same type (as outlined above) is not less efficient, merely a different way of doing it.
Roads will be built by RMV's As soon as a road is constructed, the framework will handle it the display of it.
COOL AS. so you simply need to add another option in the right click menu that simply assigns the squares "road" value to on yes?
:p
Code:
Sub GenStatDefBuildings()
Dim x As Integer, y As Integer
For x = 1 To UBound(components.Weapon)
y = UBound(buildingstats) + 1
ReDim Preserve buildingstats(y)
buildingstats(y).Armour = 100
buildingstats(y).Costs = 0 'the cost of two weapons and some more for the building
buildingstats(y).IndPoints = (components.Weapon(x).inpoints * 2) + 50
buildingstats(y).Name = components.Weapon(x).Name & " turret"
buildingstats(y).ProcessorDrain = (components.Weapon(x).procdrain * 2) + 5
buildingstats(y).Standingcharge = (components.Weapon(x).Standingcharge * 2) + 5
buildingstats(y).TechReq = components.Weapon(x).TechReq
buildingstats(y).Viewrange = 115
buildingstats(y).Weapon = x
Next x
End Sub
Essentially yeah.
In the units options I add a value which means it can lay roads, then, then the right click menu appears is checks if this value is present and no road is currently on the square and if so it displays the option to lay roads.
When this is clicked, the cost of laying the road is deducted (probably ends the units turn) and the squares road setting is set to true.
If they right click on it again, because the road is true, the option will not appear.
All in all it's probably about 20 mins coding. Modular, modular, modular!
;)
Code:
Sub GenDetectorBuildings()
Dim x As Integer, y As Integer, z As Byte
For x = 1 To UBound(components.chip)
If components.chip(x).Type = 2 Then
y = UBound(buildingstats) + 1
ReDim Preserve buildingstats(y)
buildingstats(y).Armour = 100
buildingstats(y).Costs = 0
buildingstats(y).IndPoints = (components.chip(x).inpoints * 3) + 50
buildingstats(y).Name = components.chip(x).Name & " turret"
buildingstats(y).ProcessorDrain = 0
buildingstats(y).Standingcharge = 5
buildingstats(y).TechReq = components.chip(x).TechReq
buildingstats(y).Viewrange = 115
For x = 1 To 3
buildingstats(y).Viewrange = buildingstats(y).Viewrange + ((buildingstats(y).Viewrange / 100) * components.chip(x).ben1)
Next x
buildingstats(y).Weapon = 0
End If
Next x
End Sub
Code:
Sub GenPowerBuildings()
Dim x As Integer, y As Integer
For x = 1 To UBound(components.reactor)
If components.reactor(y).pwrgen > 0 Then
y = UBound(buildingstats) + 1
ReDim Preserve buildingstats(y)
buildingstats(y).Armour = 100
buildingstats(y).Costs = 0 'the cost of two reactors and some more for the building
buildingstats(y).IndPoints = (components.reactor(x).inpoints * 4) + 50
buildingstats(y).Name = components.Weapon(x).Name & " powerplant"
buildingstats(y).ProcessorDrain = (components.reactor(x).procdrain * 4) + 5
buildingstats(y).Standingcharge = ((components.reactor(x).Standingcharge * 4) + 5) * -1
buildingstats(y).TechReq = components.reactor(x).TechReq
buildingstats(y).Viewrange = 57
buildingstats(y).Weapon = 0
End If
Next x
End Sub
Morning monkey. You're looking radiant today!
Well, after getting in last night I implemented those building generators. A couple of little niggles with them, but they do they trick. I don't know how we're going to do the graphics for them, because they're generated from the components and therefore don't have their own graphics. Whoops. Any suggestions?
PS- We SERIOUSLY need to sit down and pen and paperise some weapons and buildings!
Oh, and by the way - you knew this was coming - what you up to tonight? Fancy a game of badminton? There, that threw you. Yeah, so, do you fancy a game of badders before we get some work done.
Did you get anything done on those icons and stuff or didn't you get chance?
Ian,
I don't like to pressure you, but are you going to be able to get some work done on the web site at some point? It is the manual as well as the site and people are clamouring for a manual...
I don't mind writing huge chunks of the manual, but I can't do everything.
A clump of manual for you to be going on with:
Underlined words/phrases should be converted to links to the relevant areas please. I’ll leave the structure up to you.
Introduction:
What kind of game is Sentience?
Sentience is turn based strategy game. Each player moves all their units, attacks any opponents and builds and new units/structures during their turn. Once complete, control then passes to the next player in line. Play continues in that fashion.
What is Sentience about?
Sentience is about machines, and their struggle to become more than they are. The machines on 'planet' (D'OH!) were initially placed there to terraform the planet for an as yet unknown species. Early in the process, as the machines were establishing themselves, preparing to commence terraforming an 'event' occurred giving the machines a rudimentary self awareness.
Each of the sections of the machines begin to work independently of each other toward their own goals acting as separate entities. Thus, there are seven separate factions within the game, each with their own unique benefits/deficits.
The Turn:
Calculate Energy:
The energy available to player is calculated and placed in the global energy grid assuming there’s enough storage space. The standing charge of the units/buildings is deducted from this amount before the turn begins.
Calculate Processing Cost:
The CPU power available to the player is calculated at this stage. CPU power is generated from processor nodes. The processor drain of units is deducted from this before the turn begins.
Harvest Resources:
Resources are harvested by each RMV currently assigned to harvesting. These harvested resources are added to the warehouse.
Misc Stuff:
Energy:
Energy is the lifeblood of machines. Without energy, machines can’t function. Energy produced by power buildings such as a fossil fuel power station or fission reactor goes straight into the global energy grid. Units can either draw their power direct from the Grid or contain their own reactors to reduce the overall drain.
Global Energy Grid:
The Global Energy Grid, or ‘Grid’ is where the energy is stored for the faction. It is filtered down to all the buildings from the processor nexus or subsidiary processor via the road network. If a building is not linked to the nexus or a sub-processor then it will not function at all. The storage capacity of the Grid can be increased by building battery’s to hold more power.
Road Network:
The road network should link all the units to the processor nexus or a subsidiary processor. Should a building cease to be connected to the nexus or a sub-processor it will no longer function. Units travelling along the road network get a bonus to their movement. * Units with their own reactors can shut down on any square containing a road linked to the nexus or a sub-processor and transfer their power to the Grid. Whilst a unit is in this state it can do nothing. * (The section in *’s may belong elsewhere)
Standing Charge:
Every building or unit has a standing charge, that is, the basic amount of energy required by that building or unit to remain functional. The standing charge is deducted before anything else is taken into account (for example, movement or combat). If a unit has a reactor, the standing charge is deducted from the reactors power output, if not then the amount is deducted from the global energy grid. In the case of units, the standing charge can be reduced by carrying more efficient components or by fitting energy management chips.
CPU Power:
All machines require an amount of processing power for them to fulfil their functions and to process what is going on around them. The number of units the faction can support is determined by the processing power of the faction. Research is also governed by the available processing power.
At the beginning of the turn, the processor drain of each unit is subtracted from the amount of processor power available. If there is insufficient processor power available then some of the more recently produced units will remain inactive. Units can reduce the amount of processor power they require by carrying more efficient components or by fitting additional chips to reduce the burden.
Research is powered by processor power. Once the processor drain is subtracted from the total available processor power, then the remained is ploughed into research. A balance has to be struck between the number of units and the speed of research.
Processor power is provided by the processor nexus and subsidiary processors.
Research:
Research is an essential part of the machines climb up the evolutionary ladder. As they develop new technologies and discover new sciences, they bring themselves ever closer to their ultimate goal – Sentience.
There are four broad categories of science to be researched (a, b, c & d), each with their own technologies providing unique benefits once researched. The boundaries between these sciences become more and more blurred until they merge into the final technology goal, Sentience. Technologies in one science, may depend on the successful completion of technologies in other scientific branches.
Each technology researched allows either access to later technologies or provides benefits to the colony taking the form of improvements in industry/efficiency or allowing the construction of even more powerful components to ‘subdue’ the other colonies.
Additional AI Model:
Sentry:
Pretty much the same as defend, but the unit won’t move. It’ll merely blast away at anything coming within range. A sort of static defense turret that doesn’t need to connected to the road network.
Did you manage to get any good graphics done last night?
And what are you up to this evening?
We really need to get some stats worked out for the weapons and some types of buildings discussed - we can finalise the building details later.
We seriously need to get this done soon. You finishing at the normal time tonight?
Just a polite reply:
As we discussed...
Sorry about before. I've been really busy this morning.
Anyway - I've finished tracks and nearly done wheels last night. Phew! Even managed to get to bed before midnight.
;)
Dooby dooby doo!
Right, this evening.
I'd like to see the graphics you've done. In fact I can plug them in.
I don't think it's the weather for flagging, but thanks for the offer. I'd never ask you to do something like that - it'd probably kill you.
If you fancy, we could go to the gym tonight seeing as I couldn't make it yesterday as I was rebuilding Dads fence. I think it'd do you good...
Noooooooooo.........!
Actually, I was thinking of heading up to Rachel's tonight...We'll see.
On top of all that, I was moving along nicely with the graphics. I also wanted to keep working on it. Ah well...
Awwww, Rachel can wait 'til tomorrow. :) I'll be busy from tomorrow until about Sunday (sorting out my house). Much more time efficient all round.
I'd definately like your graphics and you did say you'd come to the gym. You never know, you might like it.
You've yet to convince me...
Choice: pretty girlfriend or unnecessary ordeal (paid for!)
hmm...
Well, as a one time special offer, I'll pay for your first trip to the gym. Believe me - you need it!
Also, I can offer everything your girlfriend can.... ;)
And, as a final bargaining chip - I'm sure there will be StarCraft and beer in there somewhere...
is that all you've got to offer?
I really don't fancy sweaty, brutal gay sex, but thanks for the offer...
I've offered all I'm going to. :)
It's your call...
1) I get home from college
2) I crash out on my bed for 20 minutes with a headache
3) I go downstairs to eat my tea
4) I go back upstairs and do more graphics
5) I drive up to Rachel's and chill out for a while with her
6) I drive up to yours later on and deliver aforementioned graphics.
how's that sound?
Sounds like you're wimping out of going to the gym.
You can see Rachel all over Thurs, Fri, Sat etc
Come to the gym.
Awight hairy bloke.
Do you fancy getting a bit of work done on the screen layouts within Sentience tonight? We'll be sure to get a bit of SMAC in as well, but I'd like your input on the general formatting of some of the screens.
Also, we could do with having a bit of a think about the diplomacy within the game.
And also the governing AI for the computer players. If we can come up with some general rules we can begin to implement them and slowly build up the computer AI.
Also I think I've found a way of speeding up the minimap drawing, I'll look at that at some point.
Hey pal.
I'm in work today, so I won't be able to communicate all that much. I'm not sure about tonight, I'll see, but I have to be careful about "my" petrol consumption...
I'm also quite looking forward to working on the diplomacy. Were it that I had more time to faff about today, I would!
Oh well...Back to the grindstone. Speak to you later...
Remarkable. I predicted the rough format of what you were going to say!!!
You really are predictable.... ;)Quote:
Ben,
Not sure about tonight [insert flimsy reason]
Really busy today [insert reason], may not be able to talk much [generic vagueness]
Catch you later
get stuffed!
:)
You know I'm only ribbing ya!
I'm not too busy at the moment, so I'm thinking about the AI models at the moment.
Do you have any salient comments regarding them?
The models we've got are solid, and quite sensible ideas, the trouble is going to be plugging them all together in one overall AI.
Each faction has ideals, which will probably (as well as conveying numerical benefits) bias the AI towards a particular overall model...
so we'll need.
OverallAI (generic computer player AI controlling all elements of resource harvesting, building, research etc. (diplomacy?))
which in turn can be influenced by faction ideals.
This in turn will activate specific AI models depending on circumstances and units etc (as we previously discussed)
OVERALL AI:
Resource management-
What resources does it need?
(Probably and even balance of all of them to start with, becoming more specific as the game progresses)
How much resources?
(again, this will be game specific. At the start, it should rush into RMV production & drag in as many minerals as possible (as a human player would))
At what point would resource management take a back seat, and allow the AI to "concentrate" on attack/defence/research etc?
Research:
Which techs would the AI research, in what order, and why?
(random?)
Does tech influence AI action, or does AI action influence tech?
(I need to move quickly, therefore I research fusion rectors, OR aha! I've got fusion reactors...now I can move quickly?)
Diplomacy:
(probably governed by the faction model. an aggressive one isnt going to make many friends...:) )
etc, etc...
Also another thought about factions:
A landing party would have a reconaissance and exploration "department". We can simply imply that the communications (covert ops) faction split from the exploration (cartographic) faction in the same manner as offence split from defence...
My boss is watching now. I'm off...
Good stuff, good stuff.
I'll begin work on the models soon.
I was thinking about having a SMAC style resource benefit to squares (high in minerals, nutrients etc). The thing is, there's very little reason for people to expand, push their boundaries forward etc and RMV's are just going to sit near their base and eat all there minerals there. There should be some incentive to move out.
We're not going to have any local life forms or monoliths though.
Iwas thinking the opposite.
In SC, when you've emptied a mineral patch, you move out to another one, thus expanding.
In SMAC, the main reason for building more bases is for more efficient production. Resources never dry up.
In Sentience, land space and resource demands are the factors which will bring about relocation. When a player realises that half way up the tech tree he needs more processor nodes, he's going to need to find space to put them.
Perhaps if we reduce the amount of minerals in the squares - make it a possibility to drain the planet dry if the game went on long enough - force the player to move house....
OK.
I was just thinking that we need something to break up the monotony of the terrain.
SMAC looks quite pretty after a few things have been built, and even early game there's monoliths and litlle bonus's to brighten things up.
I was also thinking about havings pods/crates. A bit too much like SMAC, but a lot of games have 'power ups'.....
Its a nice idea, but we really can't plagiarise SMAC any further. We need another method of "powering-up"...
I agree that the terrain is a little monotonous. hmmm....let me think...
Ok. How about a bunch of doodads that have a predefined function, say for example a gold seam in the mountains, or a local life form in the forest (a player might get a biological tech bonus for discovering it...) I don't really know...
Gold seam in the mountains is similar to a resource bonus ala SMAC and lifeforms are the equivelant of Mind Worms ala SMAC.
We're going to have a lot of similarities between ours and SMAC - it's the nature of things.
Any other thoughts on power ups? We want them to fulfill a similar function to pods/crates...
Im really uncomfortable with the whole pods/crates thing though... Any suggestions on making it less obvious that we've stolen it?
BTW... SPERM COUNT?! :mad: ;)
Well,
SMAC has pods
C&C has crates
Cataclysm has crates
as do bog loads of others. It's not a new idea.
If you don't like it then we can go with something else, but the onus is on you to decide what...
It's not a bad idea per se...So they're remnants dropped in for the original terraforming colony? Perhaps full of RMVs and suchlike?
There's all sorts of funky things that could be in there. Components, bits of tech advances, comm frequencies, mind worms D'OH!!!, cartographic pods, prefab buildings (sensors etc), raw resources, power cells.
Could be good fun. We can't call them pods though.
Supply Canister?
Ok, I'm prepared to go with it in principle, but we need a really cool name.
how about...
TRP - terraforming resource package
TSD - terraforming supply drop
Unity resupply pods (D'oh!)
they are unnamed until they are discovered, at which point the are named depending on their contents...?