Need An Opinion for my next map

Just want to get an opinion on how to do this..

In detail:

#1 will be just like a normal RPG, you vs the PC to gain exp and beat the bosses

#2 will be like a normal RPG except there will be 3 forces. The Good guys, the neutral hostile (for exp / cash), and the Bad Guys (probly 1 to 3 people) They will be exactly like the good guys, but thier job is to level up and stop the good guys from winning, these will be player controled heroes. Bosses will still be computer controlled.

Number 2 sounds kinda cool but i'm not sure how popular it would be. Seems sort of like an rpg mixed with AoS.

Sounds like an interesting idea. Will the evil forces be allied with the bosses, and allowed to fight against the good guys during boss fights? Will there be 'good' bosses for the evils to fight? How will the victory work for the Evil team - just killing the good guys or by completing an alternate storyline?

Overall would be a cool thing to see implemented.

in my opinion the masses fear change, and a game liek number 2 probally won't go over as well with the people on battle net, even though it is an interesting idea.

The idea of #2 is very good, and sounds fun but I think it would end up lacking in a game.
Firstly to have both sides to have enough interest in action without one watching story and the other watching story so little interaction between them, would cause you to have to weaken story. Second you have the problem of death, its annoying if you get ambushed and killed while retreat and games over from cunning (Though admittedly this would be incredibly fun for villains) after you have been doing quests with group for an hour, and if you have a revive system, it seems pointless for villains. As well as the concern that everyone will either want to always be villain or always be hero, depending on how fun one is.
Though as counterpoints the nice things of being a villain, is that you could integrate story, such as having villains destroy town and then heroes come back to find town destroyed. You can have interative boss battles, fighting the villains in different places of their advantage and forcing them to retreat with a feeling of success. Also you can fit story so that Villains and Heroes, who have been fighting for so long finally have to join together.
Though #2 is a great idea, the balancing, and story telling would be incredible pain thought it. To make it enjoyable for both sides makes it incredibly hard as well.

OK here is the deal. As much as i would like to do a map like option #2. I would have to agree, i would need to basicly kill any cinimatic storys because turning on letterbox or cinimatic mode for only 1 player causes a instant desync. The way i was thinking about doing it would keep interest in both sides, but i think ill just stick with my original idea:

If anybody has ever played my Fantasy World map for starcraft (its on umsmaps.com under SC rps if you wanna see it). I think ill just copy that combat system. That way the map can easily be done Solo or with a full house and still have cinimatic storylines and whatnot.

This is a bit off topic, but does anyone know what would happen if you were to play two different cinematics but have them sync'ed still so that cinematic mode and transmissions are all the exact same length?

In other words, take Dakan's idea for #2 and then play an evil and good cinematic at the same time.

My guess is it wouldn't work, but just a thought.

oh........ never though of that... very interesting Trav.. i must try that out.. because if that works.... hmm

That's too bad. I was really hoping you'd do #2. Be nice to see a little variant of the RPG style. I don't know why you all think it wouldn't go over with the masses. The masses love games that pit themselves against each other. I mean let's face it. No matter how good your AI is, there is something about having a REAL opponent that makes it more challenging and adds some variety.

In terms of REPLAYABILITY, I think option #2 wins hands down.

well the only reason i wasnt planning on #2 was because of the lack in a storyline. but if what Trav said here actualy works. problem solved. When the good guys will trigger a story event, i can sync a story event for the evils... Of course it wont totaly match what the evils are doing.. it would fix the lack of story issue. I can have the evils get a vision or something from the Prime Evil.. i donno im still workign out the story for part3 anyway heh.

"Sounds like an interesting idea. Will the evil forces be allied with the bosses, and allowed to fight against the good guys during boss fights? Will there be 'good' bosses for the evils to fight? How will the victory work for the Evil team - just killing the good guys or by completing an alternate storyline?"

Yes the evils will be allied with the bosses, Here is exactly what i am thinking about

you got 3 forces, the good, the hostile, the evil. There will be 3 types of towns.. good, hostile, evil.. The good's prime objective will be to defeat the 5 (or is it 4... i think 4 cuz one of them died in episode 1.. gotta check my story line) prime evils remaining. There will also be other mini bosses. Like in episode 1, all mini bosses will have a seperate battle box, but unlike episode 1, the boxes will be much bigger, and contain hazards to avoid (traps and whatnot) along with cliffs and ledges, so ranged units can miss sometimes and add a stratigic touch to the battle instead of just standing there whacking the boss to death.

The good will trigger all the storyline by traveling to the towns. I allready created 50 unique NPC units ranging from villages male and femal, children, preists sorcies and some other units. All with unique names. I got a way to make them all interactive and based on triggers and varibles set. they can say different things at different times (gonna be alot of programing)

The hostiles will be where the bulk of exp and cash come from. I will not do it like i did in episode 1, have them spawn and travel a set path. Instead im gonna give all enemies the wander ability, make about 5 spawn points in each area, and when a monster is killed, add it to a varible list, and respawn all the dead monsters every 5 min or so. that way players arnt bogged with combat all the time and can explore the map.

The evils job will be to gain exp, and gold. and of couse. Kill the good, the game will end when the main town Good has been destoryed (the portal town) or if the good kills all the prime evils to break the seal leading to the final temple where the big boss guy is. Now to make things more interesting, the evils will be able to build towns, towers, units and whatnot, but thier food limi will be capped so they cant make a zerg and just totaly destory the Good.

When the a mini boss is engaged, the evils will be notified and be able to be "summoned" to that point if they choose to. After the battle they will be ported back to the spot they were at before the battle. This will add a interesting twist. No units they have built will be moved, just the heroes.

This will take a TON of balencing and programing... i will probly be looking for help on this, if anybody might be interested but i am still unsure...

P.S. if you read this entire thing..... you got 2 much time on yr hands :P

Dakan,

Your plan sounds good, (I enjoyed your previous two maps) but it seems like the objectives for Evil are kind of vague If you threw team Evil a difficult, but obtainable objective (like "assemble some kind of portal to summon the Lord of Evil") that Good had to actively thwart...

that could result in fun gameplay!

If you need testing / balancing, send me a PM.

Yes, their will be 4 more prime evils that must be summoned. that could be an objecive the evils must complete, then after the evil is summoned, the good have to try and kill it while the evils defend it. Im thinking about making towns capturable also, after its HP drops below a certin % the building will be converted to the other side. so the game could turn into a tug of war also.

currently i work on 2 projects, but i dont have much time >_<
the first one is a AoS style map, but it includes a new statsystem and stuff... i will also include random quests that get BOTH teams.
the other one is a big rpg in a medieval city, with 4+ different factions controlled by players... all with different quests

I think number 2 would be cool. Just think it out.

Bloodlust stay on I'm going to PM you in a few minutes