The RTS Development Thread

[Olothontor]

Here are my thoughts:

We use a 3-layer system to handle each aspect of the game; the first layer would contain the map, presumably an array with 3 possible numbers (0 for empty space, 1 for room/hallway, 2 for doors. Any other things can be added later, like traps or the like). The second would contain items, both those lying on the floor in singular or group form, and chests or other loot containers. Third would contains critters, both player(s) and monster(s).

From there, it should be fairly obvious. Read as: "From there, I dunno what to do."

[thade]

Here are my thoughts:

We use a 3-layer system to handle each aspect of the game; the first layer would contain the map, presumably an array with 3 possible numbers (0 for empty space, 1 for room/hallway, 2 for doors. Any other things can be added later, like traps or the like). The second would contain items, both those lying on the floor in singular or group form, and chests or other loot containers. Third would contains critters, both player(s) and monster(s).

From there, it should be fairly obvious. Read as: "From there, I dunno what to do."

I still think this'll work better in GML, but you guys stopped giving me feedback when I really needed it, so...

[Olothontor]

... Anyone know Python? I can't do any arrays in Construct without hardcoding them.

[Tzan]

I can't do any arrays in Construct

Uhmmmm... thats bad.

[Olothontor]

Well, it's kind of a high-brow GameMaker. You're kind of expected to know Python before going in, which means arrays are expected to be hardcoded.

[ForlornCreature]

Hey, could someone have a go at doing some sprites for me? Olothontor, you're spriting seems really good, would you mind having a go at some ants in this sort of view?:


(This is the sprite I'm using)

Other things I might like would be a dirt tile/terrain map, large grass and a matching anthill to go with it?

I'm just asking, if you're not interested that's ok.

[Olothontor]

I can definitely see what I can put together. Never done an ant... might take some reference images, which means more time.

I'm presuming you want black ants from the pic, let me know if otherwise.

[ForlornCreature]

This is a local ant here in Australia:


It is called the green head ant or Rhytidoponera Metallica if you have OCD like I probably do.

They are approximatelty 5-8mm long I think, or around 1/3 of an inch long. Their nests are normally just little holes in the ground like caves, but if you're gonna have a go at a nest too, it would be better to have a sterotypical mound. You don't need to do too much detail, these will be made quite small anyway. Have a go at some dirt tiles as well if you want, atm I'm just using ones ripped from minecraft. If you really are into it more things to do could be -
-Grass fronds that are to scale
-A waypoint arrow/flag
-Ant lion holes/other insects
-Anything that you feel like
-Scaled ant castes (winged, warrior, worker, queen - The queens of this species are a little bigger but don't have much else different, but you can do whatever species you think looks best though, if you don't like this one, I don't really care, whatever works)
-If you have a look at the cap file I think I posted earlier on the ants need some animated walking sprites (moving mandibles and legs) and when they're stopped they just move their antenna. Some other animations I might want are dead ants which in real life is more like a curled/crunched up ant

...I think that is enough, just remember, this is all optional

[ForlornCreature]

Are you still gonna have a go at ant sprites?

[Ogel96]

No, he's planning on trying AUNT sprites. Take a look!

[ForlornCreature]

I don't think you're gonna follow this game through with the kind of scale you're talking about.

Isn't it worth it to dream? Hush ye, nay-sayer.

Too early to say 'told ya so?'

[Olothontor]

Not at all.

You do realize how long development takes, yes?

[ForlornCreature]

Too early

[ForlornCreature]

A gif concept for a game. It's basically a block-based isometric (possibly rts) game, where blocks placed in certain formations become structures that do rts stuff, like resource gathering and spawning soldiers.
I can't find any read-able cap files for construct and there are no tutorials for isometric colission/pathfinding, and for that matter not even any decent tutorials for any program.

[Olothontor]

You know what that'd be great for? An RTS Minecraft mod.

Build structures (possibly merge with previous mods, like the Runecraft mod) to create mobs, and then you act as the sole thinking "Hero" of your forces. You retain all of your normal abilities as a Minecraft player (i.e. you can harvest materials, remove and place blocks, etc).

The player would harvest resources and maintain management over the "base" as a whole, and each of its outposts. There could even be a custom map-generation algorithm that creates pockets of slowly renewing resources, so that traditional RTS-style resource gathering is possible without too much hassle. The algorithm could also place random "neutral" units and outposts sitting on top of resource quarries, etc.

It'd be a big undertaking, and so I'm not immediately going to jump on this idea, because.... it just wouldn't happen. It would be fucking sweet, but it's not gonna happen without some insane commitment. Oh well.