-= SLAYERZ DYNE =-
About this map
Well then what is it? The object of the game is simple: choose 1 out of 6 hero characters, and beat the snot out of the other players' hero character. More specifically, killing another player's hero gives you points,and the first player to reach 100 points wins. Battles take place in the arena filling the bottom portion of the map, and up to 6 players can participate.
FEATURE NO. 1
Interface Design Simplicity
The main commands are handled via a load/unload system, which consists of a shuttle(for hero abilities) and dropship(for items) at the top of the map. There is also a secondary, context-sensitive, command system, but more on that later.
Abilities can be categorized as Magic, Prayer, Curse and Summon, with each hero having a unique ability from each category, meaning that each hero has 4 different abilities. Abilities cost mana, which is represented by the amount of minerals you have.
Magic - These are damaging spells, using them either spawns units for a short period of time that do direct damage, or set health to a certain percentage.
Prayer - Using this grants you some sort of advantage in battle, mostly healing health, energy or shields.
Curse - The opposite of a prayer spell, it is used mainly to put opponents at a disadvantage, usually by limiting their mobility and battle choices in some way.
Summon - Pretty self-explanatory, but just in case, Summons here are defined as controllable minions that stay out for as long as they have HP.
Of course, due to limitations, the abilities menu is only able to display the general labels of the abilities, and not is's hero-specific name and use. However, to get a detailed list of the functions of the abilities as it pertains to the hero, simply select the Abilities menu and right-click anywhere. This is the context-sensitive command system mentioned earlier, as selecting the shuttle and right-clicking is also used to confirm a variety of in-game decisions.
The item menu works the same way as the abilities menu, through unloading units, but all items are one-time use only. Items are bought using gold (represented by your gas amount) which is obtained from slaying enemy summons, and can be bought from the shop which occupies the top right hand corner of the map. To teleport to the shop, select the Items menu and right-click anywhere. The shop is also a safe zone where no fighting is allowed, meaning that you could use the shop teleport to get out of a tight situation. However, because of this shop teleports cost 5 gold, and all summons would be removed from the arena. To get back out of the shop, once again select the Items menu and right-click anywhere.
FEATURE NO. 2
Hero Classes and Items
I have worked to make sure that the abilities of each hero complement each other well, and there are several possible ways to play a hero. So check it out:
Barbarian
Unit - Zealot
Abilities (Expand for description, screenshots inside)
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Advantage - Newbie friendly, little micro required.
Disadvantage - Can only have one summon out at once.
Assassin
Unit - Zeratul
Abilities (Expand for description, screenshots inside)
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Advantage - Somewhat newbie friendly.
Disadvantage - Magic spell is highly situational, lacks a truly damaging spell.
Druid
Unit - Medic
Abilities (Expand for description, screenshots inside)
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Advantage - Healing capabilities make team-ups with this class very viable.
Disadvantage - High mana cost for all abilities.
Mage
Unit - Tassadar
Abilities (Expand for description, screenshots inside)
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Advantage - Able to do a lot of damage, using Psionic Storm with ease due to prayer.
Disadvantage - Low HP and Shields, with nothing to make up for it.
Ranger
Unit - Ghost
Abilities (Expand for description, screenshots inside)
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Advatage - High amount of range plus pretty good damage.
Disadvantage - Micro intensive.
Sorceror
Unit - Infested Kerrigan
Abilities (Expand for description, screenshots inside)
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Advantage - Has the potential to become really powerful and virtually invincible.
Disadvantage - Extreme caution and preciseness needed: One wrong move and you're as good as dead.
Items
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FEATURE NO. 3
Bounty System
To recap, I mentioned that killing enemy summons nets you gold that can be used either to upgrade or buy items. On it's own, this leads to two problems: Firstly, upgrades will 'snowball', with players spending more being able to kill with better efficiency, which gets them more gold to upgrade more etc. Secondly, this will lead to people creep denying, that is, deliberately not using their summons, or killing their own summons a la DOTA, in fear of other people becoming more powerful. However, this is resolved through a bounty system: The more summons a player kills, the larger the bounty on his head, and the larger the bounty, the more points another player would get for killing that player. In short, there is an incentive for killing stronger players; it brings you much closer to winning the game than if you kill a weak player.
Progress
UPDATE:
TO-DO LIST
In order of priority:
*Bug testing and balance testing: Testers required.
*Implement sound and look into possibility of bgm, while keeping the download small.
*Implement player number detection and modify point goal according to player number
*Polish terrain: remove blockiness and decorate with sprites.
*Look into adding different modes: 3vs3, Comp Stomp and Last Man Standing.
*Look into making graphical changes using SCMLoader: Decloaking DT(Somehow, with overlays possibly?), changing Lava Ghouls and Flame sentry into something more appropriate looking, for example.
Post has been edited 7 time(s), last time on Jun 7 2008, 12:38 pm by MalFunkShun.
None.