Stag Tag

Stag Tag

Summary:
The basic idea of tag maps is some hunters attempting to capture the hunted, and the hunted attempting to rescue their captured comrades. In this, Stag Tag is the same, but I am trying to create a new take on the tag genre, requiring thought and skill in order to victor, as well as trying to get rid of the old troubles by some radical changes.

The hunters will be equiped with a variety of situational abilities. For example, at present they have an ability called 'Break Earth', which not only damages surrounding buildings, it also does DoT for between 30 seconds and a minute on the area, effectively stopping any building taking place there.

The stags will also have a variety of different situational buildings. For example, at present they can build two magical barriers, which take 60 seconds to set up, but have very high armour (100). As armour has very little effect while in construction, during those 60 seconds the magical barriers can be easily destroyed, but after that they are tough to destroy.

A problem with previous tags was that the best tactic was simply to mass build farms, and the hunters could never catch up. I have made buildings gradually decay over time while no stag is close by (500 radius). This makes mass building no longer as effective, and means that over time stags cannot become unassailable.

Camping has also been an issue in the past, and one that was apparently impossible to crack. Instead of the old system of sending those captured to the middle, I decided to opt for a 'stuck-in-the-mud' system, where all you have to do is walk through the spirit to save them, as they stay where they were when they died. This has proved so far to be effective.

Stopping stags from quickly demolishing their buildings has meant that thinking ahead is now required. For example, you could block off that narrow entrance, but you wouldn't be able to escape that way. It also means that building at speed carries a risk, especially in confined spaces. Though you can get out if blocked, it may take too long.

Features:
- Innovative new direction in the tag genre.
- Mostly JASS triggers, hopefull leakless.
- Strategical planning as a requirement, rather than mass building.
- Enjoyable game play, without camping.

To Come:
- Large range of abilities, many triggered.
- Varied constructions for the stag to build, for different purposes.
- Balanced game play.

Team:
Captain Griffen - Leader, object editor, triggerer, terrainer, general.

Progress:
Currently at version 0.1, early beta.

Requests:
Ideas for innovative and situational buildings and abilities would be helpful, credit of course given for any used that I hadn't already planned.

Seems to be a very good tag idea. If I was you, I would increase the building-stop-decaying over time range to sumthing more like 800 or 900 (Aura like). But it is just my opinion I didn't saw the size of the map.

The point is that I want it to be more fast paced, and force players to keep moving and constantly have to build a new base. The current AoE achieves that quite well.

Actually I'll upload the map soon, just want to add a few more spells and buildings.

O.k. but the 500 range is 250 each side from the middle or 500 each side from the middle? Because this can confuse people.

Always works with radius, rather than diameter.

Well, if its like that.... I'm waiting your map with impatience

Just out of the open: Do you think / are you hoping that "skilled" sheeptaggers will welcome this game? I'm asking this question because the sheeptaggers wich I have talked with didn't like a high-quality tag-game such as tropical-tag because they felt it got too complicated and didn't focus enough on pure gameplay. Do you think they would feel differently about your map?

Hopefully yes. I know very well that one of the beautiful things about sheep tag is that it is simple, while still having deeper strategies. As such, I'm not going for any (very) complicated stuff, but trying to keep it simple, and all of it will be focused on achieving the desired game play, rather than the game play being based around the features.

I'm aiming for the map to still revolve around the hunted building to try and stop the hunters, but in such a way that neither is boring, but not without making it complex. The obvious way of doing this is to give hunters some proper abilities to use on the farms, and to turn the building into something other than a mass-farm-fest.

I've been playing sheeptag for far too long and although abilities can perhaps stop a "mass-farm-fest", terrain can also play a big part in how a tag map works, so if you can make terrain of varying heights etc, it may help to stop your "mass-farm-fest". However, I think a lot of people would like a bit of terrain to build in, as massing does use a lot of skill.

Had to iron out an odd bug with boolexprs not being local, but here it is, the beta version. Note that this is early beta, balance is in no way guarenteed, and I reckon you can probably jump on top of cliffs (haven't tried though). Currently three hunter abilities, a stag ability, and three stag buildings.