Hi,
I'm currently collecting ideas for a new small game to develop. I thought of something like the old Missile Command where you have to intercept missile that come from the top of the screen. I know that many clones of this game exist, this is why I want to extend it.
What I've done so far:
-Two bases: one on the upper field's edge and one at the bottom (you can scroll up and down)
-Each base has it's own gravity field, this causes a missile exactly between the bases to stand still
I want to re-use my tile-engine I used in other games, so a base can consist of tiles.
Some mechanics that be fun in Missile Command:
-Strategy elements: you have to buy towers and place them
-Auto-Turrets: Would make it a bit like tower defense
What do you think? Is Missile Command for 2 players a good idea and what mechanics should it use?
Missile Command extended
Are the two bases against each other or in cooperation? If they're against each other, then either base is hurling missiles at the other base which needs to intercept them. If they're in co-op on opposite sides of the screen, then there must be a common enemy between the two bases.
If they're working in co-op on opposite sides of the screen, then what would drive the human players to work together? If one player is destroyed, what happens? The other player has a game of Missile Command all to his own. Game is over and starts over when that player is done.
Another option: Put the two players as turrets in the center of the screen, back to back. Player one faces up, player two faces down. If either one is destroyed, the game is over, and it starts over.
Let the player(s) choose which set-up they want, and you'd have an action game.
If they're working in co-op on opposite sides of the screen, then what would drive the human players to work together? If one player is destroyed, what happens? The other player has a game of Missile Command all to his own. Game is over and starts over when that player is done.
Another option: Put the two players as turrets in the center of the screen, back to back. Player one faces up, player two faces down. If either one is destroyed, the game is over, and it starts over.
Let the player(s) choose which set-up they want, and you'd have an action game.
Author
Thanks for your anwer!
I did not think about coop-mode, I meant that each player controls one base and tries to destroy the other one.
Do you think it would be fun to make it like tower-defense or is it better to let the player fire manually?
I did not think about coop-mode, I meant that each player controls one base and tries to destroy the other one.
Do you think it would be fun to make it like tower-defense or is it better to let the player fire manually?
You could have missile production in your bases, and manually adjust the angle to shoot, having a firing queue. Player level could add larger missiles, missiles that divide themselves into smaller bombs, EMP missiles that sabotage radars, etc.
Am I correct in assuming that this game will be tile based terrain with 3D assets occupying the tiles?
If so, I think that having a main base that fires at the other while you buy/build other auto-turrets to help protect your base from the enemies missiles would be awesome! Though, there may be some building stage with each player getting X amount of credit to spend on their auto-turrets. Either that or you could have smaller, PC controlled bases that can be destroyed in order to gain enough money to build up your own base and maybe make your missiles fly far enough to connect with the enemy base.
All and all, I think it would be a fun game that could be played real time with each base trying to find the other over the battle field and building up defenses to protect themselves from enemy fire. Kinda like Scorched Earth 3D.
If so, I think that having a main base that fires at the other while you buy/build other auto-turrets to help protect your base from the enemies missiles would be awesome! Though, there may be some building stage with each player getting X amount of credit to spend on their auto-turrets. Either that or you could have smaller, PC controlled bases that can be destroyed in order to gain enough money to build up your own base and maybe make your missiles fly far enough to connect with the enemy base.
All and all, I think it would be a fun game that could be played real time with each base trying to find the other over the battle field and building up defenses to protect themselves from enemy fire. Kinda like Scorched Earth 3D.
Neat idea!
I think it's an interesting concept because it removes the basic pillar of strategy: maneuver. You know where the enemy is, and you have only one way to get there, so it gives you an oppurtunity to focus on the other aspects of attack and defense, plus resource management.
I kind of imagine at a basic level like two-way Plants vs Zombies. You have limited slots in your base, that you can use for offensive structures (long range missiles), defensive structures (anti-missile guns), and resource generators (factories). The real gameplay is in balancing the three aspects, so you have enough resources coming in to generate attack big enough to get through the enemy defenses, but have room left in your base for long-range missile silos to carry out those attacks, all while keeping everything from being blown up by the other guy with your anti-missile defenses. On top of that essence, you can add tech trees or special units to whatever depth you want.
I think it's an interesting concept because it removes the basic pillar of strategy: maneuver. You know where the enemy is, and you have only one way to get there, so it gives you an oppurtunity to focus on the other aspects of attack and defense, plus resource management.
I kind of imagine at a basic level like two-way Plants vs Zombies. You have limited slots in your base, that you can use for offensive structures (long range missiles), defensive structures (anti-missile guns), and resource generators (factories). The real gameplay is in balancing the three aspects, so you have enough resources coming in to generate attack big enough to get through the enemy defenses, but have room left in your base for long-range missile silos to carry out those attacks, all while keeping everything from being blown up by the other guy with your anti-missile defenses. On top of that essence, you can add tech trees or special units to whatever depth you want.
Author
Thanks for all this great ideas!
Yes you're right except that I'm doing everything in 2D because I'm not good enough in 3D for now and I don't think it's necessary in this game.
This would be awesome but unforunately this would require radial gravity in my engine. For now I just take the two-base concept (one on the upper field-edge and one at the bottom) because this works with axis-aligned gravity. I want the game to be a combination of tactics (where do I place what towers?) and skill itself (controlling manual towers like setting angle and initial missile-velocity, like in Cannon Hill or Worms)
Limiting space is a good idea I have not thought about yet - Maybe I can add a feature where you can extend your base with additional slots/tiles.
Factories that produce for example ammo are much better than just buying everything. Thanks for this great idea!
What special powers can you buy again after you used it? I thought of something like sending a troop of ships (controllable by the player with arrow-keys or controlled by AI?).
Tech trees are cool and make the game more complex, but this comes later ;-)
Edit: Grammar, Question "how is the player involved in the game" removed because Prinz Eugen already described it
Philipp
Am I correct in assuming that this game will be tile based terrain with 3D assets occupying the tiles?
Yes you're right except that I'm doing everything in 2D because I'm not good enough in 3D for now and I don't think it's necessary in this game.
Either that or you could have smaller, PC controlled bases that can be destroyed in order to gain enough money to build up your own base and maybe make your missiles fly far enough to connect with the enemy base.
This would be awesome but unforunately this would require radial gravity in my engine. For now I just take the two-base concept (one on the upper field-edge and one at the bottom) because this works with axis-aligned gravity. I want the game to be a combination of tactics (where do I place what towers?) and skill itself (controlling manual towers like setting angle and initial missile-velocity, like in Cannon Hill or Worms)
You have limited slots in your base, that you can use for offensive structures (long range missiles), defensive structures (anti-missile guns), and resource generators (factories). The real gameplay is in balancing the three aspects, so you have enough resources coming in to generate attack big enough to get through the enemy defenses, but have room left in your base for long-range missile silos to carry out those attacks, all while keeping everything from being blown up by the other guy with your anti-missile defenses. On top of that essence, you can add tech trees or special units to whatever depth you want.
Limiting space is a good idea I have not thought about yet - Maybe I can add a feature where you can extend your base with additional slots/tiles.
Factories that produce for example ammo are much better than just buying everything. Thanks for this great idea!
What special powers can you buy again after you used it? I thought of something like sending a troop of ships (controllable by the player with arrow-keys or controlled by AI?).
Tech trees are cool and make the game more complex, but this comes later ;-)
Edit: Grammar, Question "how is the player involved in the game" removed because Prinz Eugen already described it
Philipp
"How is the player involved in the game?"
Again, this is how I envision it...
All the possibilities (some crossover in categories):
Attack
Defense
Resource Management
Disclaimer: I played a tower defense game once six years ago for maybe an hour or two, so there's probably solutions in that genre that might work better.
I'll think of some special abilities later, right now I have to get back to work...
Again, this is how I envision it...
All the possibilities (some crossover in categories):
Attack
- Selecting/aiming at targets (where to hit enemy base)
- Choosing how to split available weapons among available targets
- Selecting what weapons to use
- Choosing the timing/order of weapons fired
- Steering missiles (micro-managing attack in progress)
Defense
- Aiming defenses (classic Missile Command style)
- Activating defenses (turning on defenses that can only operate for X seconds before requiring Y seconds of cooldown)
- Arranging structures (maximizing coverage area for each defensive structure)
Resource Management
- Selecting what to build (basic cost vs benefit)
- Picking the order in which to build structures (factories only and no defenses for the first part of the game, gambling the opponent won't hit you early?)
- Selecting where to build (see arranging structures)
- Balancing the allocation of limited space (offensive/defensive/resource split)
- Balancing the allocation of production units/credits (offensive/defensive/resource split)
- Making decisions regarding tech tree research
- Operating factories (manually harvesting resources ala Plants vs Zombies requiring you to click on the "suns")
Disclaimer: I played a tower defense game once six years ago for maybe an hour or two, so there's probably solutions in that genre that might work better.
I'll think of some special abilities later, right now I have to get back to work...
Author
Thanks for this detailed overview. Sometimes I get stuck because I'm not very creative 
But this is really a lot I can work with.
But this is really a lot I can work with.
Glad I could help! I'm writing this in between software crashes at work...
Random list of possible special abilities (generated by special structures or purchased seperately, depending)
Defense
Offense
Random list of possible special abilities (generated by special structures or purchased seperately, depending)
Defense
- Force Shield- stops enemy weapons, but is time-limited
- Time Field- slows enemy weapons, giving you more time to react
- Deflection Field- deflects enemy weapons to another point on your base, so you can funnel them into a group of defense turrets, for example
- Reinforce Structure- Make specific structure more difficult to destroy
- Advanced Radar- increases accuracy of all automated defenses (time limited as an ability or takes up space as a structure)
- Smoke Screen- Hides buildings in a certain radius making targetting for the enemy more difficult
- Mirage generator- Creates phantom buildings or shows structures as something they aren't (what look like factories to the enemy are in fact heavy defense platforms)
Offense
- Sensor Ping- Shows real health value of enemy structures
- Illuminator- Reveals structures behind smoke screen
- EMP- knocks out enemy defenses for a short time
- Freeze Ray- neutralizes single enemy structure for X amount of time
- Accelerator- Your weapons fired within area of effect recieve speed boost
- Ion Cannon- neutralizes shields for a moment, but has different travel time than missiles, requiring good timing to optimize the sequence (ion cannon take out shields, allowing missiles through)
This topic is closed to new replies.
Advertisement
Popular Topics
Advertisement
