Zephyr Contest #14 - Unique Summoning

[IcemanBo]

Unique Summoning
Create a spell that summons one or many units in a unique way.
Eventually consider implementing a specific unit/s behaviour after summoning.
A good example is Tinker's Pocket Factory.

• No submission may violate any of the Site Rules.
• If a submission does not follow the Spell Submission Rules the creator may/will be disqualified.
• Your submission must be posted before the deadline. The post containing your final submission must also contain the following:
  • An in game screenshot showing your submission in action.
  • The file in the appropriate format. It must be openable with vanilla WorldEditor.
  • File name must be: "<username> + <spell name>".
• You must show at least one unfinished preview of your submission (Wip), before the deadline, as proof that it’s yours.
• Your submission may not be started/made before the official launch of the contest.
• Judges may not participate.
• Teamwork is not allowed. Finding testers to help you with your submission is not considered as teamwork.
• Imports may be used in the map, however they must all be credited.
• You will not be penalized if you use GUI over JASS.
• Convenience over effort won't be an excuse to make use of third party programs (exception: Jass New Gen Pack). GUI actions that do not exist in the vanilla editor's database may lead to disqualification. WEU (World Editor Unlimited) and UMSWE fall into this category.
• You can use any enhancing system (xe, IsDestructableTree, Damage detection systems, etc.), as long as the judge(s) and/or host give(s) consent to its usage.
• All code must have decent documentation. This should ensure easy understanding of code, and simple test conditions.
• An infraction of any of the rules stated above may result in a disqualification.

Attention: Questions related to rules may be asked right here, in this thread.

• 
  
  
  • First Place: 45 reputation points and your entry on the award icon
    
  • Second Place: 30 reputation points and an award icon
    
  • Third Place: 15 reputation points and an award icon
  • Remaining entries: 5 reputation points
  • Judge: 5 reputation points

• Anitarf (code)
• Bribe (visuals)
• PurgeandFire (concept)

Coding	Is the skill bug- and leak-free? Does it support multiple instances? Is there a good documentation and are there enough configurable variables to fit the needs of different user? Does it cause performance issues upon effect? Is the code fitting for a decent spell submission, or is it too simple?	/20
Concept	Is it unique? How creatively was the idea executed and is it fitting the contest theme?	/10
Visuals	How does the whole spell procedure look? Is it overloaded with special effects? How explanatory is the tooltip/description of its functionality?	/10

FinalScore = (30*PollVotes/POLL_VOTES_TOTAL) + (70*JudgeScore/JUDGE_SCORE_TOTAL)​

• The contest shall begin on 28th of April and conclude on 29th of May (day is included).

<< Click here to see table of entries. >>​

===============================================

Assigned Staff: BPower

The Poll | Results

 

[Chaosy]

Claiming my concept already. It may change, but for now I am going with this:

Alchemist's Creation Passive
	Putting certain combination of items into the Alchemist's Cauldron (building) will craft a minion scroll. Using the scroll will the summon a minion, depending on the ingredients used. Felweed + Mana Potion = FelHound Ring or Protection + Frost Orb = Ice Reveant etc ​

Would this be acceptable? it's kind of a system and not a spell.

 

[Meatmuffin]

I'll start working on it once the contest starts, will post at least ~2 wips. Looking forward to this!

EDIT: ahh, "damge" typo, so embarassing.

 

[Chaosy]

So basically it's a delayed summon, one demon per enemy hit.
Can a unit be hit by the same spirit twice? Are the summoned demons permanent or do they have a timed lifespan?

 

[Meatmuffin]

Yeah it's how you described it. Also, lets say the unit is standing still and the soul hits him, there will be two souls, two souls hit him at their respective timings, now there are 4 and so on. Just want to point out that they will mimic the first initial soul.
Yes it can, I've already considered how am I going to avoid multiple souls being summoned at every loop iteration upon impact. They are going to be locusts with coded movement/attack and a timed life. The movement will be somewhere around the caster, but I don't feel like sharing any more info.

As for your entry, I'm not entirely sure if they are going to accept that.

 

[fladdermasken]

Moved to main forum and put up a notice.

Good luck, sheeple.

 

[Shar Dundred]

I plan to create a spell that sacrifices units in order to transform the caster into a Demon
or Undead creature (not sure yet) that attacks everything in sight, infecting it
with a virus that makes the unit, when dying, be re-animated as either undead or as a
demonic something.
All summoned units would have a timed lifespan and if there were no units to attack,
the summons would run around, searching for and attacking the next units nearby.

Pretty basic concept so far, gonna enhance it a bit in May.

 

[Warseeker]

Good luck to the participants

 

[xxdingo93xx]

Have no idea what to make yet, but I'll participate. If it doesn't work out, well shit happens

 

[Chaosy]

As for your entry, I'm not entirely sure if they are going to accept that.

Maybe I can tweak the concept into a spell somehow..
Perhaps if I skip the scroll part and make it an active ability that you cast on the cauldron instead. Then the concept itself is clearly a spell, though the major part of the code would be a system.. kind of.

 

[Tank-Commander]

Right I suppose I best claim my concept:

Nano Plague:
- The caster releases a nanobot within themselves which feeds on all mechanical units
- The nanobot eats away at the caster dealing x damage per second and duplicating itself y times per second for z seconds total
- Duplicates are thrown out of the host body into the target area of the ability
- Released nano bots attack all enemies normally, and infest all other mechanical units (option to stop them infecting allies) and in turn adds the ability's effect to them
- Each unit can only be infected once by each unique cast of the ability (no infinite infection chains), nanobots attempting to infect an already infected enemy will instead deal w damage (higher than default attack damage) and has u% change of instantly creating a duplicate

Notes:
- Two separate unique casts can infect a unit causing it to produce nanobots for two players simultaneously, optionally infecting it with a new nanobot will kill the old one if it is an enemy of the current
- Unit classification is obviously optional for what the virus can infect - setting it to Alive units would naturally allow it to infect all living things
- Infected units assume the casting point is their location
- All nanobots die optionally when either A) timed life expires, B) their are no nanobots in production for that unique cast

 

[Flux]

I'll claim my concpet:
Air Support:
- Summons an unmanned plane containing your army of robotic minions. The plane shoots all enemies within range and targets them based on their hp. Once Air support is casted, it turns into another ability which is "Deploy Paratroppers", upon activating it, Paratroppers will come out of the plane.

Con: Not much room for eye-candinesss

 

[Daffa]

Everyone's creative.

Concept :
Deploy an altar that sucks all living force nearby. Once a certain treshold reached, the altar will summon a powerful unit for player to command.

Notes :
1. Altar is not invulnerable.
2. The damage from altar is random (min, max), health loss makes difference. Has minimal damage.
3. The altar, as long as it remains, can keep creating summons when it reaches treshold.
4. The summon will die if the altar dies or they timed out or they reached out of their own altar's maximum range.
5. (Check possibility) Altar's timed life increases whenever a summon deals damage.

 

[Almia]

Wow many people are posting their ideas already

So here's mine(can't decide whether to make it a passive or active):

A Sufferer's Contract (3 level Passive?)

Activate to sign a contract and receives a buff. If the unit receives X amount of damage while the buff lingers, it invokes the contract, summoning the embodiment of his agony.

The Embodiment escorts the unit for N seconds within N radius and moves at a speed of 600 ms. and has the following abilities:
Level 1 - Shadow Assault
Attacks a unit in front of the embodiment, dealing N damage. If the embodiment passes through a unit, the unit receives % of the damage. The embodiment returns to the unit and then rests the attack for N second cooldown. (This attack prioritizes targets)

Level 2 - Veil of Ordeal
Envelops the unit with the Veil of Ordeal. Every time the unit receives N amount of damage within 2 seconds, the unit blocks N% of damage and reflects it on nearby enemy units. The damage also feeds the Embodiment which then increases it's life duration by N seconds.


Level 3 - Roar of Pain
If there are N units in front of the Embodiment, the Embodiment releases a painful roar, which deals damage and stuns units. Has a N second cooldown and can only be used N times. Affected units won't regenerate health while stunned.


I am trying to mimic J4L's Sandman, tho I don't have the idea of how will my summon look like XD

Good luck to us participants!

[edit]

Forgot to ask questions:
- Are sub-abilities allowed? if so, how many?
- Can summoned units receive abilities? if so, what is the max? can a behavior function like an ability, even though the summoned unit don't have the "ability"(i'm pointing on to the object)?

 

[KILLCIDE]

This is going to be one awesome contest I can not wait to see the submissions!

 

[Chaosy]

To be honest I want to start already while the motivation/hype lasts.
Though I doubt anyone would notice if I did :3

 

[DD_legionTN]

The competition gonna be really competitive with such amount and skilled people joining!

My concept :

A gravitational field is created at the targeted point. A sphere will starts to generate within X seconds, in the meantime dragging nearby enemy units and damaging over time. After N seconds later, the sphere starts to fall down, push back all nearby enemy units as well as damaging them, and summons a unit at the center of the field.


Concept might change in future.


EDIT : After a day of figuring, I've decided to tweak it a little bit so that the whole spell would be more directly relating to the theme.

New Concept :

An AoE spell which a sphere will be generated at center of the targeted point with certain height. During T seconds of the spell time, a total N number of projectile will throw out from the sphere separately with fixed interval between them and randomly land at any points within the AoE of the spell. After the projectile landed, nearby enemies unit will get damaged and a X unit type will get summoned with Y life time. After the life time of X unit type expired, it will get reabsorbed to the sphere. At the last phase of the spell, the sphere will fall down and Z unit type will be summoned which it life is dependent on the number of unit type X absorbed.

Notes :
1. number of projectile will increase according to the ability level.
2. Unit type X would have 3 levels (3 different units) which has its health, damage and armor increase according to spell level.
3. Unit type X will only get reabsorbed if and only if the life time of unit type X is over.
4. If unit type X is killed instead of expired, a small AoE damage is dealt to nearby units.
5. The sphere will explode and disappear if none of the unit type X is reabsorbed, and Z unit type will not get summoned.

 

[Meatmuffin]

^ Sounds like a totally unrelated concept to the theme, just with a summon dropped at the end.

 

[DD_legionTN]

I feel so, so it not a final concept. I would probably modify it a little bit so that whole spell would relates to summon instead of only the last part.

 

[Warseeker]

I got two ideas in my mind, here are some spells I'm trying to work on :
Concept :
Mana Field : summon a transparent protection shell using a dummy unit that serround all units arround the caster, based on mana shield ability, the shell can take x damage (Absorb damage in other way caused by attacking units, including some spells like shockwave, fire bolt...etc, the damage taken will be absorved by the shield while units inside it stayprotected from damage and spells and can regerate HP and MP when they are under the effect of the shield.
Note : once a unit is containted inside the shield she can't gets out, unless the the shield is disabled.
So how it's work, As I said before, Ally units and your units won't take damage from outside the field neither spells, as well as they can't cast spells or deal damage to outside units.
About regeneration and damage: Every time the shie,d is hitten, the caster lose his mana count depend on the absorved damage caused by attacking unit (including spell damage too), if the mana of the caster get to 0 the shield will be disabled, and ally units and yours will be targeted.
Ally units and yours can regenerate their status from your mana, units will gain +10 hp or mp every second which means that reduce -10 mana points to the caster in each time.
- If an enemy unit is under the effect of the shield it will sustain a -15 HP penality on each passed second.

This is the first idea ^^

Rock tornado : Summon a big tornado of rocks (not like cyclone) but a banch of breakable rock that rotate arround a Heros/ units which serround him and hard to escape, if a unit get hitten by a rock :
If that unit is a Hero, the rock will explode and cause x damage to the target plus stunning him for a while.
If it's a regular unit under level 5 the unit will explode this time instead of the rock.
If a unit is immunate against magie, The unit will be only stunned and does not take damage plus the explosion of the rock.
The rocks can't be targeted or destroyed.

And that's the second idea I have for this contest.

 

[IcemanBo]

DD_legionTN, mind to make en example? I'm not very sure I understood correctly.

 

[DD_legionTN]

Basically, it an aoe spell which dragging/damage nearby units, at the same time generating a sphere (it has certain height) within X seconds. After that, the sphere will eventually fall down, summoning a unit as well as damage and knock back nearby units.

Concept would get changed in future, since the front part doesn't even relates to the theme. I'm currently thinking the way to modify it.

 

[IcemanBo]

I guess you can do that. But if the "creating" part is too little, you might want change it a bit, as the all-in-all concept should be about "unique summoning".

 

[DD_legionTN]

Thanks. Currently I figured out 2 ways :

1. Sphere randomly shoot out a projectile , after the projectile landed it will summons a unit.

2. After the unit get affected by the gravitational field, chance to knock back it out of the spell, as well as summons a unit.


Not sure which is better though. If it is 1st option, probably a missile system would be needed to lower the complexity of the spell.

 

[Rheiko]

Amazing concepts thus far everyone! This is indeed going to be a wonderful contest. I wish I weren't so busy this month. </3
I will participate once I get over all my businesses.
But anyway, gonna claim my concept:

"Summons a tree of life which will be orbitted by 3/4/5 wisps. They will all link together, absorbing the life force of nearby enemy units and healing nearby allied units. If the link breaks, the tree of life will explode and spread its seeds randomly within 1000 AoE. The seeds will then cause another smaller explosion and spread a poisonous fog which cause a dps overtime."

Still an idea, not sure if I can realize it yet. =P
Let's make this contest awesome people!

 

[Meatmuffin]

Warseeker, I think you misunderstood the theme, it should summon units. Your idea doesn't really fit, those are just AoE spells with duration.

 

[Warseeker]

Dummy unit.

 

[Rufus]

I'm in!

I will go for a dangerous dark spirit, restrained inside its summoning circle, that can even be dangerous for the caster if not used wisely.

 

[Rheiko]

Dummy unit.

The contest is about summoning a summoned unit, not dummy units. Like pocket factory, Feral Spirit, Summon Bear, and others. The rest is how you improve them with your creativity to make them unique.

 

[Warseeker]

Nah, they were just proposition of mine, I wasn't meant to subscrib...

 

[Almia]

Actually you can summon a dummy unit, though that unit, i think, should do a big role as to how the spell should work.

and it should also focus on the keywords: Summon or Spawn

 

[xxdingo93xx]

Well I think I got an idea overnight. Not sure if anyone here has posted a similar concept already since I didn't read all of the posts, but anyway, I was thinking about something like this:

Souldrain (name may change):

The caster releases a wave of unholy energy (somewhat like Breath of Fire) and manipulates targeted units somehow, damage, decreased regen, something like that. Mainly, they will have a negative buff with a custom lifespan, which depends on how close the targets were hit by the spell, maybe I'll include some other factors as well. Point is, the spell is stackable, which means if the unit is hit by the spell again, the lifespan of the buff will increase. If the lifespan reaches a certain threshold, the unit dies(/gets hurt/whatever) and a unit will be summoned out of it. Because its soul was drained out. Or something. You get the idea xD

Some people who know me probably wonder why I'm not falling back to my lightning spell addiction, but meeehh, couldn't think of something like this. Anyway, I think this concept could be nice, too, and maybe even evolve into a lightning related theme.


Edit:
Another idea I thought about:

The caster drains the soul out of allied units and collects them. After he has collected X souls, a unit will be summoned. Power, spells and stats depend on the collected unit souls.
I feel like this concept grants a little too much space for creativity though, since the summoned unit could vary like crazy and have another set of custom abilities. This contest is about making only one spell, right? xD

 

[Tank-Commander]

A lot of these ideas have a lot of focus on things other than summoning stuff, the summon should be absolutely integral to what you're doing or it'd barely count as a summon ability at all - at least not make it seem like an afterthought

though I will say specifically about attempting to do a sandman-like spell (Almia) that that kind of thing is probably better left to modellers XD Good articulation would be difficult to do programmatically and needlessly draining while giving essentially nothing aside from visuals to the ability (I see some arguments for it, though they'd all be for naught if warcraft III could manipulate models like SC2): the idea is good, but I'd just use a model for the embodiment

as an aside I disagree with the use of dummy unit summons unless you can at least see the unit (that is to say you can have a summon with locust, but not an invisible summon with locust)

 

[Almia]

I am choosing whether or not to disregard that idea XD

Sandman gave me headaches whenever I analyze it, but if i where to mimic the idea of it, I can just do a simple "model" with simple "animations"

About the dummy units, I think it should not be forbidden. The only rule is that Dummy units should act more of a normal unit than it is a special effect.

 

[Daffa]

It's quite difficult to make the summoning unique, while keeping it integral.

I'm going to making the summon from the altar an integral part of the spell somehow. There's a possibility to throw stuff there.

 

[IcemanBo]

A dummy unit is a tool that is used for pre-defined purposes or goals. For example casting spells, attaching effects, or any other job you need to be done by a medium.

Summoning real units that may walk, fight, cast, or have any other possibilities with no obligation to act only pre-defined, is something very different.

 

[Chaosy]

A lot of these ideas have a lot of focus on things other than summoning stuff, the summon should be absolutely integral to what you're doing or it'd barely count as a summon ability at all - at least not make it seem like an afterthought

Am I guilty?

 

[Almia]

A dummy unit is a tool that is used for pre-defined purposes or goals. For example casting spells, attaching effects, or any other job you need to be done by a medium.

Summoning real units that may walk, fight, cast, or have any other possibilities with no obligation to act only pre-defined, is something very different.

How about units like drones, mounts, etc?

 

[Loner-Magixxar]

I know this is going to be another disappointment for me but still I will participate as one last chance.

I will make a locust spiritual companion that is summoned and it will have a unique AI of its own to stick with its master and do actions which depend on the caster's actions or units around him and other things. Don't want to spoil it, though.

I think the only challenge I might face, is that a really fine prioritization for AI implementation is needed, which I love

So...
Concept Claimed!

Will not begin the design before the competition is started.

Update
If the above concept is out of the theme I may work on this instead:

A stone golem with a passive ability: This unit has a maximum life capacity and Scaling value, say 1000 and 3 respectively. whenever it gets hit, its scaling value is reduced and its maximum hp is reduced along with its current hp. Whenever it gets total of say 200 damage one of its stones drops, stunning the area and turning into a tiny golem after 5 seconds. The tiny golem has a delayed-activated ability to attach itself back to the main stone golem and increasing the maximum hp of the golem until the maximum is reached.

This Concept is also claimed

If none of the above is fitting, I'm OUT!
Someone enlighten me, please

 

[Chaosy]

The summoning itself has to be unique not the summoned minion.

At least, to my understanding.

 

[Shar Dundred]

Is my whole "sacrifice to morph/summon" still fitting the theme?
Else I can easily make the caster sacrifice himself to
create the summon instead of morphing him directly.

 

[Ardenian]

Uh, it is some time ago I created an actual spell.
May I ask what is the best ability to base a channeling/cast ability with visible icon on ?
I think Channel does not show an icon, does it ?

 

[Chaosy]

It does. You just have to change a field in the object editor to show the icon for some silly reason.

 

[Ardenian]

It does. You just have to change a field in the object editor to show the icon for some silly reason.

Oh lol, thank you! Missed that field, silly me...

 

[xxdingo93xx]

The summoning itself has to be unique not the summoned minion.

At least, to my understanding.

Same for me. The description says this:
"Create a spell that summons one or many units in a unique way.
Eventually consider implementing a specific unit/s behaviour after summoning.
A good example is Tinker's Pocket Factory."

So the summoning is the focus which has to be unique, according to this.

 

[NightStalker]

WOW! Looks fun! I may try to come up with a spell, if I can't just, subscribing to see what others create

 

[Ardenian]

The description says this:
"Create a spell that summons one or many units in a unique way.
Eventually consider implementing a specific unit/s behaviour after summoning.
A good example is Tinker's Pocket Factory."

Question, does summoning means there actually has to be a controllable unit afterwards ?
What about demon possession, for example ?
Do the rules define the relation between caster and summoned unit ?

Is the summoning itself important or the summoned unit's circumstances and behaviour ?

 

[Chaosy]

I don't think it needs to be controllable, no.

 

[Shar Dundred]

You can also create and use a specific behaviour or AI for the summon.
That's my plan, at least.

 

[Chaosy]

I wonder if you get bonus points for that.