Biophysics is a mod that unstarcraftifies StarCraft quite a bit. The story is that humans have discovered a way to create living starships.

In the mod, there are four main types of units:

Overcruiser: There are three different Overcruiser designs; you select which one you want by which "race" you select. (I will put more information about the three designs later.) The Overcruiser is the "Mothership"; it builds your other ships and researches upgrades. You may not build more Overcruisers, you start with one and that's your only one. If your Overcruiser dies, you're eliminated.

Rampant: Rampants are swarming attack units. They are very fast but their attack is short-ranged. Rampants have low HP but high armor.

Bastion: Bastions are large assault vessels. They attack with rapid-fire burst laser batteries. Bastions have high HP but low armor.

Phoenix: The Phoenix is based on the Devourer from vanilla StarCraft. It attacks with Acid Spores which function like normal Acid Spores, but it also does splash damage, not just splash spores.

So, it seems like a "Rock-paper-scissors" setup: Rampants beat Bastions because their armor absorbs most of the Bastions' damage; Bastions beat Phoenixes because the Phoenix's splash isn't useful against Bastions (Bastions are best used in small groups due to their cost an size); and Phoenixes beat Rampants because the Phoenix's Acid Spores can break the Rampant's armor. This is somewhat true, but not as much as it might seem.

There is a mechanic I have not yet described that makes it a lot less rock-paper-scissors-ish. Each unit may be customized with up to two special abilities. Each individual ship is upgraded with abilities individually. So I might have three Bastions, one of which has a StimPacks style ability and is permanently cloakes (think Dark Templar), one which can use Mind Control and is a Detector, and one which can use Yamato Gun and regenerates HP. Note that "stronger" abilities like Yamato Gun, Mind Control, or Psionic Storm may not be equipped on Rampants and there are some abilities that are Bastion-only. (There are normal weapon/armor upgrades as well.)

Mining is simplified in this mod. There are "Asteroids" (Vespane Geysers) scattered around, and the Overcruiser may build Refineries on them. You gain 1 mineral per *insert length of time here* for each Refinery you own. The Overcruiser may also build defensive structures to defend Asteroids, although keeping a few ships on standby for defense is a good idea.

A second type of neutral object is the Space Shark Nest. Periodically, a Space Shark Egg (critter with a speed of 0) appear in each nest. The number of eggs in a given nest is capped at 3. Eggs may be eaten (Consume spell modified work on eggs but not normal units) by your ships to rapidly raisr the energy of the ship that ate it. (Nests are basically energy regen stations.) Adult Space Sharks are placable as normal critters, as well. They are Detectors, so they may be Parasited or Mind Controlled for cheap detection ability. They may not be consumed. (I might make a mechanic to let Space Sharks spawn at nests occasionally.)

EDIT: DeVouReR is working with me on this mod.

EDIT2: Thanks for the name idea, FaZ!

EDIT3: Here are the unit models! (I haven't done the Overcruiser, Space Shark, egg, nest, or asteroid models yet...)




Post has been edited 5 time(s), last time on Jan 11 2009, 8:33 pm by TassadarZeratul. Reason: New Rampant model is new!

Genesis Rising, much?

It sounds nice though, even if it is a rip from an already made game. Good luck with it.

... Crap, you're right! I knew this sounded familiar... Oh well, I'll do it anyway.

sounds pretty cool... untill the space shark egg thing. A whole bunch of air unit, i like.

How are you doing GRPs?

I think DeVouReR said he could do the GRPs, or I can do them in a modeling program if he can't.

So what's wrong with the egg thing?

i dont know, its just like you have a bunch of ships with cool attacks and special abilities and there are all these explosions and chaos everywhere and then you have floating nests in the middle of space that have little sharky eggs in them and then there are flying sharks available for your ships to have a steak dinner. (sorry that was probably a little harsh)

I do like the vespine geiser thing though, but didnt someone make a mod a while ago with a similar system? something like planets that you captured and then gave minerals everyonce and a while... oh well.

and when you say the units are customizable, is it just there are three types of bastilons, each with different specials, or you actually have a system that lets you choose what abilities they have?

How fast do the units move?

And you know what: this mod reminds me of Ad Astras as well. The mineral system and the customizable units are somewhat similar. Subspace wormhole=space shark nests.

I've never played Ad Astras or read much about it... Isn't that that mod where you're fighting for like the entire galaxy?

As for customizable ships, you can actually select what abilities you want on each ship, and give each ship up to two abilities. Each ship upgrades individually. Each ship may have /any/ combination of abilities.

As for the eggs: The nests are there to make another objective besides "Capture asteroids and kill your enemy." Getting blasted by a Bastion with an uber attack spell (eg Psionic Storm, Yamato Gun, Mind Control) is bad enough, but if your enemy has found a nearby "steak dinner" and the Bastion can eat it and blast you a second time, it's twice as bad. It also rewards microing, something that I really want to be emphisised in the mod. (Hence the simplified mining system.) And btw, you can't Consume the adult Space Sharks, only the eggs.

Post has been edited 1 time(s), last time on Dec 10 2008, 4:32 am by TassadarZeratul.

This sounds a lot like Ad Astras. Maybe you should play it

@above: I can has link? And, can you customize your ships on the fly in AdAs? (No seriously, can you?) Keep in mind, the abilities you give to your ships have a large effect on their role, almost as much as their base type?

EDIT: @FTS: I'm not sure about the unit's speed. It'll be subject to balancing and playtesting so it's not too fast or retardedly slow. Also, you can upgrade units' speed, by selecting a speed boost or StimPacks for one of the unit's abilities.

Oh btw, specials are added after the ship is built, kind of like how Mutalisks can morph at any time.

Post has been edited 1 time(s), last time on Dec 10 2008, 4:41 am by TassadarZeratul.

http://www.staredit.net/topic/3023/

And yes, you can "customize" ships.

Yah, but AdAs customization =/= RoB customization. Here, modifying your units, both tactically and strategically, is a very large portion of the game. I suppose it is in AdAs too, but not nearly the same way.

id like to see this custimization thing, sounds cool. alright i see the whole space shark egg thing, i would just personally use different things with different names.

If you have a better idea for a name for the eggs/nests, I'm eager to hear it. The adult sharks are just critters tho, so I'll leave them as is.

Ad Astra's upgrading is based on the idea that older ships you've sent out to attack your foe across the solar system wouldn't magically receive newer technology you just researched. Instead, ships must be built with said technology beforehand, creating a system of antiquation amid your fleets.

TZ's idea is different. Your existing ships can be mutated into new ships of your choosing, reflecting the upgrade. The similarity of the two ideas ends at the fact that they both involve individualized upgrades, instead of SC's instant apply-to-all-units upgrading.

I'm failing to see the similarity to Ad Astras, besides that they're both fleet-based.
I've not played AA much, but judging by the extremely slow pace of the game, micromanagement is very de-emphasized in favor of well-planned assaults and tech. orders, something which TZ explicitly expressed opposite intentions for in his mod. Ship "customization" in AA was basically, "if you have the proper tech. level, you can get a better ship for more cost". That's like comparing the customization of most RPGs ( +1 weapon, or +1 armor?? you decide! ) to games like Temple Siege ( more hp, more armor, more weapon, more mana/regen, or a new spell?? you decide! ) .

Well
I can make graphics with single parts of other units, so I combinate 2 or more units to one.

Making a good complete new will be hard and I'm really bad in art >.<

@Herc, EzDay: Correct and correct.

@DeV: That's fine.

And does anyone have an idea for a better name?

Energy balls. Space bugs.

I'm assuming you're talking about new names for the eggs, right? The thing to keep in mind is that they respawn, so "Energy balls" or "Space bugs" wouldn't make sense... And wouldn't space bugs fly away instead of staying in one place?

Although Space Bugs might work for a name for the mod...

EDIT: FaZ- had a good name idea: Biophysics. I'll be using that. THANKS FAZ-!