Undersea MG (Aqua-Pack)

[Mr War]

7zip of Tech Tree folder for MG. http://www.sendspace.com/file/fvrxdv

2 factions:
Atlantis Project
Kingdom of Neptune

Also, latest working copy of Dark Ocean tile set http://www.sendspace.com/file/fxv1ug

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++




Inspired by eliminator's excellent underwater tile set, I've started work on a tech tree for underwater factions. The structure of resources and pace of play is also influenced by ishmarus annex although units generally move slower in water.

Units are more or less divided into shallow and deep. In glest XML shallow = air and deep= land. There is no reason why a faction won't gave more shallow units than deep units although there is no hard rule.

I have several factions ideas planned :-D

Before I share the first alphas, I'd like to canvas the community for ideas and gauge interest. So what clever and cool ideas does everyone have for underwater megaglest? Happy to take advice and requests if they fit with the themes

[MightyMic]

After I finish my Lego tech tree, I plan on making an underwater Lego faction. Or maybe just a scenario, but I'm not quite there yet

I think an under water water tech tree would be awesome (as well as the scenario Elim is creating) but it would be weird playing it on a different tileset like spring or something like that, so... I still think we should be able to limit the tilesets somehow per tech tree (see Limit Tilesets per Pack) and this is a perfect example of why we should be able to do that

Sounds awesome Mr War! can't wait for the first release

[Mr War]

Haha, Lego underwater sounds cool. Probably doesn't fit with the tech tree I'm building but cool in it's own way. Love the Lego mod idea btw.

Well so far the flood of suggestions for units, tile set tricks, themes and factions has been overwhelming.

I will share the alpha in a few days or weeks though.

[ElimiNator]

Screens you showed me look great, can't wait.

[Ishmaru]

Well a monsters of the deep faction would be cool, giant squid + angler fish combo (a 4x4 or 5x5 sized unit) trilobites as workers.

 A mermaid/merman/ civilization of the deep would be cool too.  More magical based weapons.

Being underwater also grants a unique oppurtunity: 3D bases. Certain structures can be built in deep or shallow waters and may even change their purpose depending on which field they are built. Ex: deep turrets attack deep units shallow turrets can attack shallow units. Same goes with a barracks.

[Omega]

Being underwater also grants a unique oppurtunity: 3D bases. Certain structures can be built in deep or shallow waters and may even change their purpose depending on which field they are built. Ex: deep turrets attack deep units shallow turrets can attack shallow units. Same goes with a barracks.

I think it would be pretty confusing, though, having such a large number of units in different fields. At least with regular air units, it's usually very obvious they're in the air.

[Mr War]

Sea monsters, excellent. Maybe as a Neptune, king-god of the sea faction. Neptune thinks that all the treasure of the sea belongs to him, so he throws vicious sea monsters at any faction that tries to take it? Sharks, giant squid, electric eels...

I just added an angler fish lamp to my midget sub for the base faction :-)

The floating buildings is interesting. I'll see how workers work in "air" (shallow) mode. That line of thought will take longer to explore, do not in base faction, but definately would be cool.

Omega hits on one general challenge with underwater faction design. In glest engine it's not always obvious whether a unit is in air or land... Shallow or deep.

[wciow]

Hey Mr War, if you need any extra models check my unused models pack in the contributions thread. Its got starfish, jellyfish, shipwreck, giant squid, and a few others

[MightyMic]

Hey Mr War, if you need any extra models check my unused models pack in the contributions thread. Its got starfish, jellyfish, shipwreck, giant squid, and a few others

Link's dead 

The shallow vs deep sounds cool, but when you think about how it would be played in the game you start to think it might not be such a good idea too bad, because it sounded really cool. You can test it out and see how confusing it is/isn't and decide where to go from there...

[John.d.h]

Here's an underwater concept I mapped out a long time ago, but never got around to making (except maybe one or two models): https://forum.megaglest.org/index.php?topic=5092.msg40210#msg40210

I envisioned the "sea folk" to be something along the lines of Sahuagin or Locathah.

[tomreyn]

I'd love to see nicely done seahorses, probably as a meelee unit which either sligs its tail around a victim, or hits it with this (lightly) armored tail.
A main building could be a coral reef.

[Mr War]

so many ideas. Vicious sea horses though, aren't they little harmless animals?

First[big] Alpha[/big] of "Atlantis Project" faction. about 1 week to build. The Atlantis Project is a deep sea exploration and salvage corporation, focused on finding (and looting) the lost city of Atlantis. Relatively modern, conventional and well balanced, their quest for gold will bring them into conflict with sea monsters and fiendish foes they can not yet even imagine!!!

When testing, please download both the tech tree and the tile set, as it really won't work visually without an underwater tile set. This tile set is not as good as Eliminator's "Underwater" one so if you have that....
Tech Tree folder (7zip): http://www.sendspace.com/file/a51ple
"Dark Ocean" underwater tile set (7zip): http://www.sendspace.com/file/7l41tv

Units:
Utility Sub = worker
Base Sub = main base
Aquadome = barracks, can produce both deep (seabed) units, and shallow units
Sub Pen = factory. Builds both deep and shallow subs
oxygen pump = produces oxygen

Frogman = basic infantry, shallow zone. Can engage both shallow and deep targets with basic harpoon
Deepsea diver = seabed infantry. Slow, can only engage deep targets. Can repair buildings and deep subs
Chariot = more mobile deep diver. Better harpoon gun
Hunter-Killer = advanced midget submarine capable of engaging both deep and shallow units. Particularly good against structures.
Sea-devil = deep sub capable of engaging both deep and shallow units at decent range with powerful squall rocket-torpedoes
Manta-sub = deep sub good for attacking buildings

To-Do:
base defenses
more capable frogman
upgrades and dependencies
tech lab type building for research

Feedback very much appreciated. How does it play?

[MightyMic]

Ha ha wasn't really expecting it to play like Annex

The models are AWESOME! and the tileset is great (though a few more/different models wouldn't hurt).
The resources at the top... they're all the same picture (I'm sure you know that, but it was a little confusing)
All the attacks seemed a little bit too slow or maybe too weak (it just seemed to take forever to take down the enemy's base)

But I love the tech tree! I can't wait for the next release... 

You mod a lot faster than I do

[John.d.h]

You mod a lot faster than I do

He mods ridiculously fast.  I have no idea how he does it.

Hey Mr. War, what's your secret?

[Ishmaru]

Pretty awesome, great underwater feel with art + music. Love the steam punk feel of the units + hud, though I agree that there needs some flora+fauna added to the tileset.

Ha ha wasn't really expecting it to play like Annex

Did i start a new "genre" of Glest mod? jk

You mod a lot faster than I do

Mr War's Glest Portfolio

Imperial Faction GAE (including a new navy for Tech Faction)
Sci Fi Pack (3 factions)
Cold War Pack (3 Factions)
Imperial 2 Pack (2 Factions)
Great Ming Faction
Ludum Dare Game
Astral Marines
Underwater MG

Hard to believe Mr War started Imperial mod a few months after I started Annex 

[Mr War]

Thanks for all the feedback everyone. Yes the tile set needs work. Eliminator's tile set is better done, so hopefully people can play it with that also - I made this tile set try to be different from his.

Ishmaru, re you 3D building idea. Found that 'buildings' don't really work in air zone, but workers can. Too late for my utility subs which are styled on deep sea midget subs, so made the 'harvester' unit a shallow sub that salvages treasure by dropping long cables down with bucket-claws etc. I was actually trying to make it more a mobile base where utility subs can take treasure but that didn't work.

Inspired by this type of thing

(click to show/hide)

Source: http://rolexblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/deepest-deep-sea-dive-in-history-us.html

Wciow, please re-link your models, would love to use some if they are suitable. :-)

[ElimiNator]

Download for my under water tile-set is here.

[Mr War]

thanks man, that tile set is excellent!

[big]Alpha2[/big]: Iteratively improved Atlantis Project faction. only worth downloading if you are a) loving this mod, or b) haven't yet downloaded the original alpha. Many small improvements, including:
* new 'harvester' type salvage unit added
* utility subs are a bit stronger, takes more than two harpoons to kill
* Frogman, Deep sea diver and Chariot are a bit stronger
* Defense structures added
* improved animations for sub-pen

DOWNLOAD: http://www.sendspace.com/file/2b5ah4

I think the next faction will be a sea monster faction representing Neptune. Neptune believes that he is the only king of the oceans, and that anyone who tries to salvage the treasure is stealing. So he turns the natural weapons at his disposal, a variety of sea monsters, on the intruders!

worker = turtle or cuttlefish
Shoals of fish for food
Various sharks - tiger sharks, hammerhead sharks and maybe a great white shark
Giant squid (shallow, size 3 or 4!!), giant octopus (deep, size 2 for pathfinding)
conga eels and shoals of barracudas as defenses

[ElimiNator]

I made a bunch of fish and a shark. If you I coul PM them to you.

[Ishmaru]

Tried second alpha, I like new subs

My biggest issue is that the economy is very slow in this game for its speed. Units produce in a couple seconds, however it takes a long time to get the resources to build subs. Also buildings take a long time to be destroyed as well, especially the main sub which can make base attacks really dragged out.

[Mr War]

pm in your mail box eliminator :-)

Thanks ishmaru, I definateky need to step back and thing about basic resource-build-strength balance. Will try to fond time to map it out in a spreadsheet etc. But agree with your observations. Structures surviving so long is def a prob.

Mr War's Glest Portfolio

Imperial Faction GAE (including a new navy for Tech Faction)
Sci Fi Pack (3 factions)
Cold War Pack (3 Factions)
Imperial 2 Pack (2 Factions)
Great Ming Faction
Ludum Dare Game
Astral Marines
Underwater MG

Hard to believe Mr War started Imperial mod a few months after I started Annex 

Yes, more mods than downloads :-/
The downside of being a spam-Modder is that I've left a trail of unfinished bits. I was really intending to revive the sci-fi pack to take advantage of latest MG features, and generally improve gameplay. But then I saw an underwater tile set, and.... spam spam spam

[wyvern]

And the cold war pack could take some improving

[Mr War]

need more sea monsters, so looking forward to Wciow's and Eliminator's models :-D

First view of "kingdom of the Ocean" faction.

(click to show/hide)

Long lost statue of Neptune (king-god of the ocean) with 'worker' turtles and a hammerhead shark

[MightyMic]

COOL!

You should make the statue a little tilted and sunk in one corner into the sand. Also maybe a broken pillar...? Looks great by the way. The shark is awesome

[wciow]

Sorry been away for a few days. Heres a link to my underwater stuff: http://www.sendspace.com/file/6j1bkp