Greetings SEN,
I've started my latest probably-never-going-to-be-finished project, making an RE LOTRish map. For those of you unfamiliar with this genre of map, players are either a nation or a hero.

Nations have a timed spawn, the quality and quantity of which are based on time played and castle counters, which you build and take a very long time to do so. Nations must protect their important buildings / spawn points in order to keep getting units to fight with. Most LOTRish maps use Arbiters to make mass unit management easier. I may or may not include them in this.

Heroes are as their name implies singular characters that can make special events happen, and can sometimes recruit reinforcements but nowhere on the scale of the nations. Think of a Nation as a battalion to the Heroes firing squad, if that.

This particular map in my mind is going to have three important factors:
Accuracy - In the city design, time line, and events. As an avid RE player this isn't too hard for me, but I'll make sure to double check my dates and times.
Balance - Always a killer. I hated in maps like Kerrigan's Fall From Grace how you could use the siege tank hero and scout+recall to do cheap stuff. Not happening here.
Immersion - To me this is a chief concern. Proper unit names, text formatting, unit placement, sound effects. This has to be a good RE map that will be of quality for the SENner types and flashy enough for the pubs to gawk at.

Right now I am compiling maps of Raccoon City from various sources. For anyone who's seen a map of RC, its very obvious at first glance that it isn't an ideal layout for such a map. But I think it can be done.
Example:


Here's one without the key:


However I think I'll flip the map's direction like so:


The RPD being more in the north with the forest/mountains to the south west should work out much better.

Players/Factions/Ect:

Force 1: Heroes
Players: 1, 2, 3
Allies: Force 1, Force 2
Enemies: Fore 3, Force 4

Unlike most LOTRish maps, players in the Heroes force will select their hero at the start rather than fighting over slots in the lobby.
Players may choose from three heroes: Leon, Jill, Carlos
Each player may recruit one side-hero: Claire, Mikhail, Brad
There is no set link between hero and side hero. Whoever gets to them and does the required action will receive them, but you can only have one.

Force 2: RPD / UBCS
Players: 4, 5
Allies: Force 1, Force 2
Enemies: Fore 3, Force 4
The RPD will command their officers as well as some police vehicles. The RPD had no access to tanks, artillery, or anything of that sort, so you won't be seeing it. Weapons on the officers will also be accurate.

The UBCS were equipped with assault weaponry and combat gear, this will be reflected accordingly. They may have chopper access, but again, no tanks or artillery, because that just didn't happen.

These two forces will focus on the defense of the city until time runs out. If they achieve this they will get a nice 'Victory trigger' ending, however the ending text will still be focused on that fact that despite their heroic attempt, the nuke is still launched on the city. The actual story will be followed to the letter.

Force 3: Umbrella
Players: 6
Allies: Force 3, Force 4
Enemies: Fore 1, Force 2

The Umbrella forces will consist of their private USFU teams that were used to complete various objectives before the tactical nuke hit the city. Umbrella's goal in this map is going to be to keep key locations and evidence way from RPD/UBCS teams, and making sure various BOWs are set loose to get the combat data they sent the UBCS in for. Their winning condition is to complete enough of these counter-objectives to make the nuke hit the city.

Umbrella will be one of the smaller 'Nation' type players, relying on smaller numbered USFU squads and BOWs, which they don't have a very large supply of. They'll be contesting with the Heroes more than the RPD/UBCS.

Force 4: The Undead
Players: 7, 8
Allies: Force 3, Force 4
Enemies: Fore 1, Force 2

The Undead will be your larger, swarm like kill-fucking-everything 'Nation'. Their goals will be the destruction of RPD/UBCS defensive positions and ultimately HQs in order to secure a quick victory. One should note that although they are allied with Umbrella, the early nuke ending is a defeat in their conditions, meaning they would probably not be actively aiding Umbrella in its goals. In fact, if all positions are being played properly, they'll have enough of a problem dealing with the RPD/UBCS. The Undead can lose if the RPD/UBCS manages to retake the Park/Forest/Sewers or if they do not exterminate them before time runs out.


This is all I've got thus far, screens and additional info will be added as I go. Input is appreciated.

Post has been edited 1 time(s), last time on Nov 30 2009, 4:10 pm by Excalibur.

I feel this is poorly explained, as i dont believe you would make a force with no way of winning..

It'd be like asking someone to play a moneymatch in any game, using half the required controls, with you using full. They can, and might, think they can win, but once they realize they cant, itll be all rage and QQ...

If they last until the timer runs out, they get the nice 'Victory' trigger action. However, the ending text describing that ending will have the tone of 'Unfortunately, despite their heroic attempt, a tactical nuke is launched on the city...' Because that's what happened story wise.

Umbrella's goal is to make the nuke happen sooner: Less chance of evidence/survivors/anything getting out alive.

It sounds like a good idea. However, I'd generally be more inclined to play as a hero, because it would be more interesting. To balance that out, you have to make the nations interesting to play, as well. If not, you'll have players fighting over the heroes and ignoring the nations (for the most part).

Will the nations have their own heroes, perhaps not as powerful?

I don't think either are any more or less interesting than any other map or the genre would have them be.

Of course, like any other map of the genre, Nations will have heroes. However I've seen some maps where they squeeze every little character into a role or try to anyway. That won't happen here. I'd say at maximum, 3 heroes per Nation, if that.

I see some good and bad in this.

first off...please god no arbiters. Maybe except for the biggest undead player...like LOTR LA (arguably the best lotr). arbs make it cheap and unrealistic...especially fo rhero harass. also another thing. don't make it some hero wars map where the heroes are so effing strong that they can kill a spawn in 4-5 hits and the entire map is just running heroes around killing spawns.

lastly i think that having 3 players just using a hero and no nation is lame. Half the fun of lotr maps is having a nation and seeing all the stuff specific to you. Like elves get elven swordsmen, lords, archers etc. Plus all the micro that is required to upgrade units, move armies, defend spawns, help allies, etc. I think that people that have one hero will be bored. Especially when their hero is hurt and they can do nothing but sit and wait till it heals.

Lastly, what will your building be that increases the spawn size? ie the 'castle' in lotr maps?

i would very much like to be a tester for this map =]

If you read carefully I'm not much a fan of arbiters either. They may or may not be included, leaning to not. Its a sort of 'Not unless we have to' sort of thing. If time proves they're needed, I'll have to, if not, I wont.

Heroes can recruit minor reinforcements and a second side-hero. That's as good as any other map to me.


RPD, UBCS, and Umbrella will all use different gun wielding units, and each Undead player will have access to different BOWs.

Remind me where I said I wasn't going to include a heal of some sort?

I haven't decided yet.

Production just started, so the map isn't anywhere near testing, but I'll keep this in mind.

Just wanted to note that some maps use astronomically high stat systems (Ex. 350hp for a normal infantry unit.), I will be keeping things as low and simple as possible. You will not be seeing 5k HP heroes or anything of that sort.

Use an obs or overlord or devourer for mass target, not an arbiter. In fact, maybe have an ovie, that has a unit that when dropped, starts the mass and is reloaded.

Possible. I may implement a dropship system with multiple options.
Order all units to stop.
Order all units to attack to target (Probably obs).
Order all units back to base. (Unique location for each player's home base.)
Ect.