23 replies to this topic

[Superscope]

I posted a smaller version before in a thread on this fourm. I wanted to get more eyes on this post here so i've re-created it with alot more detail.

As being a huge fan of Total anniliation and Supreme Commander, I'm hope that there will be a machine race of sorts to play with. I always fancy myself as a machine overlord. I'll just leave here for ironclad (Who made use this concept with my permission) quick overview of a idea for a machine army of a fanasty/steampunk theme:

Lore - The Machine consortium is a group of brillant, but broken, minds. They think of things well beyond this era's technology, but hate magic in most forms.

Worker unit - Mad Engineer (can only build)

Your stock standard worker. He's quite mad (hence the name) but a utter genius in the field of machiery.

Can Construct:
-Factory
-Clockwork Turret
-Clockwork Servant
-Supply Deposit

Collector Unit - Clockwork Servant (can only harvast resources)

Built by the Mad Engineer. This fellow does his work day in, day out without a single complaint.

Upgrades:
- High Grade Gears (Added mobility)

Early game attacker - Clockwork Construct (average stats, slighty low mobility)

The Clockwork Construct is the first unit you can build en-masses and send towards your enemies. These mark I models are armed with simple melee weapons. Swords, axes, etc.

Upgrades:
- Crafted Plates (Additional health)

Ranged attacker - Clockwork Gunner (Low health, good attack, ranged)

The mark II model is armed with a simple, gunpowder based weapon. It's very slow to fire, but it packs a nasty punch.

Upgrades:
- Intergraded trigger (increased fire rate)

Utility - Clockwork Genius (Moderate health, ability to absorb incoming magic in a area and turn it into a shield equal to a % of the spell's cost and effect)

The mark III and final model for the clockwork series containts a complex magic response / relay system, that feeds on magic. When fed, it uses the excess energy to create a field that repels magic in a area around the unit.

Upgrades:
- Enlarged capacitors (increased % of spells absorbed)

Late Game attacker/defender - Steam Golem (Massive Health, High Attack, very poor mobility)

The Future. This large being, shaped like a well built man, while slow holds amazing power. It's body is made of a steel alloy, capable of walking off almost all forms of known attack.

Upgrades
-Thickened plates (Additional Health and Armour)
-Strengthen boiler (Slighty enhanced speed and power) (very expensive upgrade)


Game Ender - Steam Behemoth (Think a giant, walking tank with a bulldozer on the front to push units out of the way, a close range flamethrower to remove melee attackers and cannons to blast those trying to run away)

This is from the work of many scientests working together. Straight from their crazed dreams this mighty beast of steel came from. Armed with many weapons and technology of the future, the behemoth is sent to prove that science is superior to magic.

Upgrades
- None (doesn't need any)


You have engineers as your workers, using them to build everything you need to get your factories, and the power of mass production, up and running. You have clockwork constructs and Gunners as your basic fodder, armed with simple weapons to deal with weak fleshlings. When they begin to fight back with their knights and fleshy beasts, you bring on the golems. Big, bulky robots weighing tons, and hitting things until they turn into mush. If the pesky fleshings being using magic, we shall absorb it and use it as a shield against itself with the clockwork genius. If they still insist on fighting, the might of the Steam Behemoth will come crashing down on their army, heros and base and still keep asking for more.

Plus... golems damn it! Sorry.. i got a love of golems. Love the concept of them.



Anyhow. If your interested in the idea of a machine army, please leave a comment with constructive input.

[WeReWalRuS]

Its funny, but I posted picks on another thread concerning some of the ideas that you just mentioned.

How about champion ideas?

A support champion:

Ability 1: speeds up a unit of attached infantry
Ability 2: ranged harass
Ability 3: reanimates fallen infantry unit
Ult: Causes an entire unit to emit steam, causing AoE damage

By the way, I really like your ideas...maybe you can flesh them out more. What would be the advantages vs weakness of this army be? What powers would the General have? More champion ideas....etc.

Edited by WeReWalRuS, 10 April 2012 - 08:40 AM.

[HorneyBull]

I would like to see this race be a bit more upgrade orianted because when you look back on machine through out history, all of them started out poorly but ended up being upgraded to a better version. The first tank was just a big meat shield that would break down every km.

[IanD967]

Though it may be a nice idea the devs have stated they wont be any alien or sci-fi based anything. I am guessing machines (especially SupCom-inspired ones) would fall into sci-fi.

[Jeru_Sorrin]

I don't know Ian they might do a steampunk/old classical age tech kind of like in zelda. In the temple of time in the twlight princess where there are things that are tech but they are severly restricted and sometime downright magical.

[Teal_Blue]

I think Superscope has some interesting ideas, and i  think it could fit in with the mideval/fantasy setting if it were as he says portrayed as a steam like technology. Though what i would prefer to see not just in ideas for factions, but the rock-paper-scissors types of strengths and weaknesses to other factions. So Steam-Tech is sort of a "Tanking" faction, relying heavily on strength. So lets say there is a wood-faery faction that undermines the surface by digging trenches, felling trees, or almost so as traps, creating or exposing underground springs so that ground water slows and or drowns units? (depending on how deep the rivers are). So in this sense, The wood-faeries are the SteamTechs arch nemesis. So to could Human woodsmen, lay wooden planking down to counter the trenches and the rivers and could build cages to capture the wood-faeries, which would allow the commander to sell them back to their faction for a price.  

Anyway, i think you get the idea, each faction can and should have unique skills and talents and abilities, but also there should be counters for each of those, perhaps of course some battles will involve tactions that are not 100% counter balancing, so in those circumstances, Heroes will supply some of the counter skills, lets say from 5% to 30% or 40% which would mean the faction playing the better game, with their commander getting more resources and researchable unlocks could counter the stronger faction, or hold off a stronger opponent by blunting their strengths.  

Anyway, those are just my thoughts,

-T

[IanD967]

Jeru_Sorrin, on 10 April 2012 - 04:03 PM, said:

I don't know Ian they might do a steampunk/old classical age tech kind of like in zelda. In the temple of time in the twlight princess where there are things that are tech but they are severly restricted and sometime downright magical.

Steampunk is the only way I can see somesort of machine factions fitting the lore of the game but how many fantasy games do you see with a machine race?
I can only think of one and that was Skyrim with the Dwarf-made automatons

[WeReWalRuS]

League of Legends has some steampunk, with Victor/Singed/Blitzcrank/Yordles (Bandit city).

[IanD967]

Yes it does and it also has Aliens (Cho'Gath, Kog'Maw, Nasus, Malphite, Skarner, Renekton etc),  varius sentient animals (Alistair, Soroka, Volibear, Anivia etc) but then again the League of Legends dev's havent stated they wanted to keep it within the medieval fantasy setting either which is why they designed and created various Champions from all over the place (I have no idea if you class Heimerdinger a Yordle or an Alien.)

Also Singed isn't steampunk. it's just a thin gun with bandages with a big bottle and a shield. Rumble and Urgot are closer to Steampunk than Singed

Edited by IanD967, 11 April 2012 - 07:15 AM.

[Sayan]

What is this the Butlerian Jihad, next thing you know the fantasy world of SOADA is being invaded by cymeks and skynet?

Seriously its an interesting idea but I'm hoping it stays as an idea, recently we've had a slew of MOBA game developers from Petroglyph games to S2 Games run out of ideas for their IP's, Petroglyph bought in a US marine named KAOS in the fantasy world of Graxia, with machince guns and RPG's and S2 Games butchered their game with a full deployment of a hero called Artillery, a Mech. I mean seriously how bad are you as a developer if your creative team can't bother to refine a mech into your existing worlds lore and just dump an abomination such as a futuristic tech or machine or something that doesn't quite fit into worlds existing lore, Then you don't deserve to be developers IMHO, why even bother? It's just extremely awkward in both feel and aesthetics, it just doesn't fit in a world that has half or more of the populace using bows, arrows and some other form of ancient weaponry and then you add some one with a gattling gun. Like WTF are you thinking?

Edited by Sayan, 11 April 2012 - 07:22 AM.

[WeReWalRuS]

IanD967, on 11 April 2012 - 07:13 AM, said:

Yes it does and it also has Aliens (Cho'Gath, Kog'Maw, Nasus, Malphite, Skarner, Renekton etc),  varius sentient animals (Alistair, Soroka, Volibear, Anivia etc) but then again the League of Legends dev's havent stated they wanted to keep it within the medieval fantasy setting either which is why they designed and created various Champions from all over the place (I have no idea if you class Heimerdinger a Yordle or an Alien.)

Also Singed isn't steampunk. it's just a thin gun with bandages with a big bottle and a shield. Rumble and Urgot are closer to Steampunk than Singed

U do realize that sentient animals are a huge component of fantasy right? Reference Shelob from LOTR/countless examples in other books. Granted, LoL does have a diverse universe, but the majority of its champs fit in with the fantasy archetype minus the space brothers and the void monsters. I get your point concerning the Medieval focus though, which I prefer TBH.

As for Singed, technically he leans more to Chemist side than the Steampunk site, but still illustrates how someone manipulates their own body via research and science (via Lore). But you're right, he's not Steampunk, he's something else.

Skarner: he's a remnant of an ancient civilization, more akin to a prehistoric creature with a second chance at life....not an alien.

Edited by WeReWalRuS, 11 April 2012 - 08:28 AM.

[WeReWalRuS]

Sayan, on 11 April 2012 - 07:19 AM, said:

What is this the Butlerian Jihad, next thing you know the fantasy world of SOADA is being invaded by cymeks and skynet?

Seriously its an interesting idea but I'm hoping it stays as an idea, recently we've had a slew of MOBA game developers from Petroglyph games to S2 Games run out of ideas for their IP's, Petroglyph bought in a US marine named KAOS in the fantasy world of Graxia, with machince guns and RPG's and S2 Games butchered their game with a full deployment of a hero called Artillery, a Mech. I mean seriously how bad are you as a developer if your creative team can't bother to refine a mech into your existing worlds lore and just dump an abomination such as a futuristic tech or machine or something that doesn't quite fit into worlds existing lore, Then you don't deserve to be developers IMHO, why even bother? It's just extremely awkward in both feel and aesthetics, it just doesn't fit in a world that has half or more of the populace using bows, arrows and some other form of ancient weaponry and then you add some one with a gattling gun. Like WTF are you thinking?

I agree with this.....mostly. IMO, Steampunk has its place within the Industrial Revolution, or even the Victorian Era-esque times. While these time periods are definitely different from the one chosen for this game, I don't think that the devs should exclude the use of technology altogether (please keep in mind that I'm not saying you u don't want any tech in the game). The medieval era extends to 1500 AD, with the use of black powdered weaponry seen as early as the 1300s (Europe). So, I think these type of weapons have their place, but to what extent?

Perhaps a race that tinkers, uses tech, but not to the extent of Steampunk? Take a look at this doomwheel. Its from a tabletop game, but illustrates some innovation without advanced tech.  http://3.bp.blogspot.../Doom Wheel.jpg Just ignore the prong things in the front, throw some scythes on the side, and you have a medieval engine.

How about repeating crossbows?

Bombs- The game already has a Sapper anyway.

Something akin to the armored battering rams, just replace the ram with a nozzle the spews Greek Fire.

Edited by WeReWalRuS, 11 April 2012 - 08:23 AM.

[Jeru_Sorrin]

WeReWalRuS, on 11 April 2012 - 08:14 AM, said:

I agree with this.....mostly. IMO, Steampunk has its place within the Industrial Revolution, or even the Victorian Era-esque times. While these time periods are definitely different from the one chosen for this game, I don't think that the devs should exclude the use of technology altogether (please keep in mind that I'm not saying you u don't want any tech in the game). The medieval era extends to 1500 AD, with the use of black powdered weaponry seen as early as the 1300s (Europe). So, I think these type of weapons have their place, but to what extent?

Perhaps a race that tinkers, uses tech, but not to the extent of Steampunk? Take a look at this doomwheel. Its from a tabletop game, but illustrates some innovation without advanced tech.  http://3.bp.blogspot.../Doom Wheel.jpg Just ignore the prong things in the front, throw some scythes on the side, and you have a medieval engine.

How about repeating crossbows?

Bombs- The game already has a Sapper anyway.

Something akin to the armored battering rams, just replace the ram with a nozzle the spews Greek Fire.

Oh boy someone hasn't played age of empires 2. The chinese had a repeating arbalest. Also good point with the fire ram. However the sapper uses fat and magic to make explosions/fire or from what the guess's are. Also there are chariots, battle wagons, and other siege equipment one could consider too.

[WeReWalRuS]

I was trying to focus on European History, but you're right, the Chinese had some interesting ranged weaponry.

[HorneyBull]

You could make them golems stone, earth and wood to start off; and as the game progress, they become more metalic.

[IanD967]

WeReWalRuS, on 11 April 2012 - 07:44 AM, said:

U do realize that sentient animals are a huge component of fantasy right? Reference Shelob from LOTR/countless examples in other books. <had to cut it down a bit>

As for Singed, technically he leans more to Chemist side than the Steampunk site, but still illustrates how someone manipulates their own body via research and science (via Lore). But you're right, he's not Steampunk, he's something else.

Skarner: he's a remnant of an ancient civilization, more akin to a prehistoric creature with a second chance at life....not an alien.

Yes I do realise that but my point was that they could walk around, talk to others (not sure about Anivia on that though) wheras Shelob was just a giant spider, she wasn't capable of talking to other people, use tools or even visable signs of emotions such as compassion, anger, rage or happiness.

Well yes he is a chemist (hence his title "The Mad Chemist" but I was just wanted to point out he wasn't steampunk plus steampunk isn't about people manipulating their own body, it's about technology being powered by clockwork and/or steam.

Skarner? ahh well...I didn't know too much about him in all honesty. I just love his Sandscourge skin

WeReWalRuS, on 11 April 2012 - 08:14 AM, said:

I agree with this.....mostly. IMO, Steampunk has its place within the Industrial Revolution, or even the Victorian Era-esque times. While these time periods are definitely different from the one chosen for this game, I don't think that the devs should exclude the use of technology altogether (please keep in mind that I'm not saying you u don't want any tech in the game). The medieval era extends to 1500 AD, with the use of black powdered weaponry seen as early as the 1300s (Europe). So, I think these type of weapons have their place, but to what extent?
< had to cut it down sorry>

I agree completly with this and the suggested replacement tech such as repeating crossbows, Greek fire and stuff are pretty interesting!

HorneyBull, on 11 April 2012 - 12:36 PM, said:

You could make them golems stone, earth and wood to start off; and as the game progress, they become more metalic.

I like the idea of Golems in the game. It fits the Medieval setting aswell as the Fantasy!

[WeReWalRuS]

@IanD

IanD967, on 11 April 2012 - 03:55 PM, said:

Yes I do realise that but my point was that they could walk around, talk to others (not sure about Anivia on that though) wheras Shelob was just a giant spider, she wasn't capable of talking to other people, use tools or even visable signs of emotions such as compassion, anger, rage or happiness.

I should have used a stronger example: any story with elves communing with the forest, essentially talking to animals and trees.

Is Smaug an animal...he was a dragon...lol.

[IanD967]

Smaug? Ahh yeah from the War in the North game.

I would've classed him as a sentient animal same with Alistair, Volibear etc

[CraigFraser]

We do have sentient creatures of various forms

[WeReWalRuS]

CraigFraser, on 12 April 2012 - 03:30 PM, said:

We do have sentient creatures of various forms

Wanna share a little more than that? Come on...stop teasing!