ID:87920
 
Keywords: ai, design, hud, interface, rts, ui
So, after finishing the HUD prototype for when you select on a building, I was ready to move onto the HUD prototype for when you click on the empty ground or space near one of your own buildings. This new HUD would provide the player with an interface for building all possible buildings. It would need to be a similar design to the previous HUD but I would need more buttons for all possible buildings. Since I didn't know how many buttons I needed, I sat down and hashed out some needed buildings. Well, one thing lead to another and by 2am, I had put together a spec for my buildings and units. As part of this "design as you go project", I thought this was an interesting event.

If you skim through this, please understand that it was essentially a single pass effort. I did not spell check or think about it a whole lot.

I'd love to hear ideas, comments, or even criticisms at this point.

1. Factory
a. Upgrade Options
i. Increased HP (HP)
ii. Increased Armor (AR)
iii. Reduced Power Consumption (PC)
iv. Lower Unit Costs (UC)
v. Increased Production Speed (PS)
vi. Increased WayPoints (WP)
b. Modes
i. Stealth Unit - No attack and act like mobile radar (SU)
ii. Small - Scout/Repair Unit Light Tank - Machine Gun (SC)
iii. Medium - Medium Medium Tank - Laser (FR) - First Response
iv. Large - Big Slow Tank - Cannon + Flame Thrower (Ma)
2. Energy
a. Upgrade Options
i. Increased HP
ii. Increased Armor
iii. Increased Energy Production
b. Modes
i. Storage
1) Description: Stores excess energy
ii. Solar (SO)
1) Description: Low cost and fast build time but incoming energy is variable and unpredictable for duration
iii. GeoThermal (GT)
1) Description: Medium cost and medium build time which you pay up front. Once you find out what your rate is (could be low or could be high), that energy is consistent. You could rebuild and try again
iv. Nuclear (N)
1) Description: High cost and and long build time. Your rate is guaranteed high and maintains until it gets blown up. Could be a steam explosion or melt down spewing radiation to surrounding buildings.
3. Turret
a. Upgrade Options
i. Increased HP (HP)
ii. Increased Armor (AR)
iii. Increased Rate of Fire (RF)
iv. Increased Range (R)
v. Reduced Power Consumption (PC)

b. Modes
i. Machine Gun - Fast rate of fire, light damage
1) Speed: Fast
2) Attack: Machine gun fire
3) Damage: low
4) Range: base (MAX 2)
ii. Laser - Slow rate of fire, heavy damage
1) Speed: Slow
2) Attack: Laser
3) Damage: high
4) Range: base
iii. Rockets - Anti-Air
1) Speed: Medium
2) Attack: Anti-Air only rockets
3) Damage: medium
4) Range: +2 to base
iv. Flame Thrower -
1) Speed: Constant (with cool down which is the risk)
2) Attack: Constant
3) Damage: High (Buildings and light tank otherwise insignificant)
4) Range: 1; (Locked)
v. Sniper - Long Range
1) Speed: Slow
2) Attack: Bullet
3) Range: Starts with a +1 on top of current range level
4) Damage: High
vi. Barricade
1) Attack: None
2) HP: base +100;
3) Description: The wall can take lots of damage and prevents stealth units from passing but does nothing else
4. Mine
a. Upgrade Options
i. Increased HP (HP)
ii. Increased Armor (AR)
iii. Increased Gather Rate (GR)
iv. Reduced Power Consumption (PC)

b. Modes
i. Storage
1) Description: Stores excess resources
ii. Gather Mineral Type X
iii. Gather Mineral Type Y
iv. Gather Mineral Type Z
v. Gather Mineral Type XYZ
1) Description: Gathers resources at a base rate of 5 which is the safe middle. Mining for resource X may yield 2 while Z could be 7.
5. Base
a. Upgrade Options
i. Increased HP
ii. Increased Armor
iii. Increased Effect Range
iv. Reduced Power Consumption

b. Modes
i. Fortress
1) Description: Increases nearby building armor
ii. Repair Center
1) Description: Slowly repairs nearby buildings
iii. Labor Union
1) Description: Reduces build times of nearby buildings
iv. Command Center
1) Description: Improves attacks of nearby units and units communicate their actions
6. Research
a. Upgrade Options
i. Increased HP (HP)
ii. Increased Armor (AR)
iii. Reduced Power Consumption (PC)
iv. Reduce Cool Down Timer of SCUD (CD)
v. Reduce Stealth Conversion Time (SC)
vi. Increase Range of EMP
vii. Reduce Cool Down of EMP
b. Modes
i. Enable Gigamech
1) Description: When light and medium tanks come into contact in the field, they automatically combine to become a repair/attack unit with machine guns and lasers)
ii. Enable TerraTron
1) Description: When a Gigamed comes into contact with a heavy tank, they automatically combine to become a Terratron. They can heal themselves slowly over time, use machines guns, lasers, cannons, and flamethrowers. These takes are essentially a game winning event.
iii. Stealth Conversion Kit
1) Description: All units passing through this Research facility will become invisible and can pass through enemy buildings)
iv. SCUD
1) Description: Player can select a target and send a high damaging attack across the map. The mode has a cool down timer and cost resources each time it is fired.
v. EMP
1) Descroption: Okayer can select a target and send an EMP to momentarily shut down everything in range of the blast.

7. Airfield
a. Upgrade Options
i. Increased Unit Distance (UD)
1) Description: Planes go out and come back
ii. Increased HP (HP)
iii. Increased Armor (AR)
iv. Reduced Power Consumption (PC)
v. Reduced Fueling Times (FT)
1) Description: Cool down for planes
vi. Increased WayPoints (WP)
1) Description: The player can specify where the planes go when they leave the airport
a) Level 1: 0 (Or should we start at 1?)
b) Level 2: 1
c) Level 3: 2
d) Etc…
b. Modes
i. Fighter (machines guns)
1) HP: Low
2) Attack #1: Low
3) Damage: Low
4) Speed: Fast
ii. Bomber (bombs)
1) HP: Medium
2) Attack #1: Bombs
3) Damage: High
4) Speed: Slow
iii. Fighter/Bomber
1) HP: High
2) Attack #1: Machine Guns
3) Damage: Low
4) Attack #2: Bombs
5) Damage: High
6) Speed: Medium
iv. Stealth Craft (no attack)
1) HP: Low
2) Attack: None
3) Speed: Medium
8. Radar
a. Upgrade Options
i. Increased HP (HP)
ii. Increased Armor (AR)
iii. Reduced Power Consumption
iv. Increased Power (IP)
1) Description: If two players have overlapping jam/radar, the player with the higher power wins.
v. Increased Range (R)
1) Level 1: 1
2) Level 2: 2
3) Level 3: 3
4) Level 4: 4
5) Level 5: 5
6) Etc… 1 Radar station could uncover whole map. Space saver but losing it could be costly and cost is really high
b. Modes
i. Radar
1) Description: Uncovers FogOfWar at the given level.
ii. Jam Radar
1) Description: Creates FogOfWar for enemy players
iii. Anti-Stealth Scanning
1) Description: Uncovers enemy units which have stealth allowing your units and defenses to attack


A couple of interesting things about the list.

Modes - Change the behavior of a building after it is built. There will be a "change-over" time and most likely a small fee. As an example, you can configure the Factory to build a certain type of unit. That example is not original but having the base switch from a "Command Center" to a "Labor Union" should be. :)

Upgrade Options - I wanted strategy options for the player. This is how I decided to do it. I'm hoping this doesn't increase the click fest but increases the thought required to play. We'll see. This is open for discussion.

This morning, I was able to easily (relative to the first HUD), hook up the buildings HUD. Here's the screen shot. Again, this is an early prototype HUD so little effort was put into eye candy.



I'm very interested in allowing multiple themes. Especially since I'm reusing everything to make the HUD. The units and buildings in the HUD are the same as the ones placed on the map by the player. With a simple switch, I can replace all the tanks with spaceships. :) We'll see.

The next step is to do the special modes HUD. When you select a building, some buildings will allow you to configure them. I think "Modes" are a pretty unique approach. It enables more things to do in the game while reducing the amount of HUD needed (I think). I intend to change the buildings icon to reflect the current mode so it isn't reducing my artwork. I may change my mind about that. :)

ts

Damn good unit/upgradables list. We're of like mind about the kinds of things we'd like to include.

The HUD is quite encouraging looking as well, even in prototype mode.
Thanks. I'm trying to keep it simple but it's entirely too easy to keep adding units and modes. :) Although, a mini-rts jam packed with strategy options is a fun thing to envision.

ts