BEGINNINGS--PROJECT DETAILS--MUST READ news

GAME: CONTINGENCY

TYPE: Real-Time-Strategy

RELEASE DATE: 2013

Hello everyone.

I know the project has changed around it a bit, and for the better. I have been modding WIC for a while, and I have felt its limits. It is time to push this mod into its full potential, as a standalone game. Yes this will be a longer development, and yes it’s a lot of work, but this is something that needed to be done. WIC is dying, the interest has fallen. I hope that with this new direction, it will open up the audience and stakes to make something everyone can enjoy. This will be a main post discussing some of the gameplay features, setting, and workflow.

NOTE: I am clearing out the member list, please post if to this article if you are planing on working on this project, two weeks from this post I will remove any how have not posted.

SETTING:

The setting is somewhere between 2100-2300. Interstellar travel has created colonies across many different star systems. Following a long and bloody revolution from the outer colonies, two separate interstellar governments exist. Our story takes place on Epsilon Eridani d. During an attack from the newly created government.

Epsilon Eridani d: What I had in-mind:

The system itself consist of large debris disks, and a relatively young star. Large magnetic activity will create aurora borealis in more frequent and bright events. The debris will create more meteor showers.

The planet has two orbiting moons, creating a more unusual tide system. Having more extreme environments as a whole, something each map will utilize in its own way.

Only home to smaller life, not many land animals, plenty of plants. Oceans home to most life, as to be expected.

GAMEPLAY:

There are two main things I want to accomplish in this game:

1. Large Scale Maps

2. Full Spectrum Combat Operations

I will took about map design after this, but the goal is a 5km x 5km map. Its not gigantic, but size can be a downfall. We want to keep the combat focused but balanced with large scale operations. We also must keep performance to high level, everyone hates lag.

So full spectrum means you have access to air, land, sea, and space. Incorporating space will be harder, but the rest is like any other RTS. Each player has access to all units, of any type and role. I posted a UI image, and it follows that system:

ARMOR:
-----MBT
-----IFV
-----Amphibious
AIRCRAFT:
-----Attack Helicopter
-----Transport Helicopter
-----Ground Attack Jet
-----Mulitrole Attack Jet
-----Cargo Plane
SUPPORT:
-----AA
-----MLRS
-----Repair Vehcial
INFANTRY;
-----All-Purpose Squad
-----Anti-Tank Squad
-----Sniper

Once you call in your units, they will spawn at the Forward Operating Base. From there you can use cargo planes, helicopters, and transports to get your troops to the combat zones, aka command points.

These bases are out side the combat zone, each player has access to a certain point number(acting like a population cap). The game is won by destroying all the reinforcements or holding all objectives for a certain time.

Reinforcements work like this: You can only have 50 points at a time. Most units just take up one, jets will take 2-6(again balancing may change this). Once you reach the point cap these units spawn instantly at the base, but every time you call a unit it takes away from the reinforcement number, which is 100-300. It works by limiting the number of units say 50 at one time per player, but they have a reserve of 100-300. When units get destroyed they call more in from this number, but only having 50 at a time.

Example:

Game starts like this with me ording units: AVAILABLE( 200 ) / DEPLOYED( 0 )

------------------------------------------------10 tanks
------------------------------------------------10 helicopters
------------------------------------------------30 infantry

This means after I order, it looks like this: AVAILABLE( 150 ) / DEPLOYED( 50 )

Lets say I lose some units, now it is this: AVAILABLE( 150 ) / DEPLOYED( 20 )

If you have played the battlefront 2 before, the system parallels that.

MAP

I might make a diagram of this if it is not clear, but for now my words will suffice. Each map needs to be 8192x8192 meters. The play field will only be 4000-5000 square meters of that map. Both ends of the maps have a spawn zone (Forward Operating Base), these can be what ever you want. For example one side might have access to a airbase (defenders), and the other is a field with some fortifications (attackers). These do not play a big role in the gameplay, and are each near to edges of the map. I want all maps to have something unique that makes them standout, huge mountains, glaciers, valleys and different terrain that make it feel like a different planet, and add depth in tactics.

SHORT TERM GOALS

Okay, now that we know what the game is, lets get to work.

The team is small right now, but my hope when it is bigger, is to divide the team into three separate sub-teams. These teams would be in charge of there respective tasks, so that I ask for a map, and they can work together on it without me having to monitor.

MAPPING
Mappers
Concept artists

CODDING
Scripters

ASSETS CREATION
Modeler
Texture Artist
Concept Artist

I need all of you to pick one of these categories, ideas are great, but we need people to create. I also need people who can deliver, I am not saying two day turn around, but taking four months to get a tank done just doesn’t cut.

Now it is time for the short term goal. I want to make the announcement about this, but we need something to announce. Not a working game, just a video or images of maps. I know I have seen time and time again people post projects and have them fall to the wayside. I want some eye candy let people see and get interested.

MAPPING:

We need a promo map, if you are new to cryengine 3, this is the time to get familiar. Using the guidelines I said above, we need a prof of concept map fulling the requirements. Pick a environment (ice, lava, desert, grassland, mountain, etc.) and start designing.

CODDING:

Still figuring out cryengine, but getting the basic gameplay functions is the most important thing. I will have more updates on this at a latter date.

ASSETS CREATION:

Pretty simple, create anything and everything. Vehicles, buildings, vegetation. Keeping poly counts to maximum of 3000. Working with mappers to create props is a must.

CONCLUSION:

This is post should give you some insight, but it is only a basic information, all the gameplay details will have to be worked out over time. As to work and tasks, this is just a place holder, so you now what direction to head in. I want everyone to be part of the creative process, post images of WIP, diagrams, ideas. Let people know of the progress, and possible comments on refinement.

NOTE: I am clearing out the member list, again post to this article with positions you want to full. Comments and questions can be posted with it, but not without it.