[Strategy / Risk] Battle for Azeroth (WIP)

[Hellborne]

Introducing Battle for Azeroth (WIP):

A strategy map inspired by Azeroth Wars / Warcraft Legacies, Lordaeron the Foremath & Aftermath and other strategy maps.

Introduction:

The map is set during the fourth war between the Horde and Alliance. Geographically the map covers most of Azeroth and some attached worlds, strongly inspired by World of Warcraft terrain while also reflecting what Azeroth looks like a decade after the events of the Cataclysm. The map follows lore closely, but occasionally deviates for the purposes of gameplay.

The gameplay itself is built around action strategy, build your own base, units and heroes to fight alongside your allies and seek victory by capturing the capitals of your enemy. There are events and dungeons to get legendary items, choose different elite units while always leaving you with opportunities to customise your forces and strategy to defeat your opponents.

This project is meant to be open source. All created assets and the map itself will be available for any developer to take it further in their own direction, however accreditation would be appreciated.

All feedback would be welcomed! If you want to give suggestions, or just chat about the project, please feel free to respond here, or join our discord: Join the Rogue Alliance Discord Server!

Want to get involved?

Great! Currently the map is being worked on by myself as lead developer, as well as by Herrdave and Yujin.

We’re particularly interested in getting support for coding and modeling, however we would welcome assistance on any part of the map design, subject to an interview and alignment of principles.



Core Principles:

- Fun gameplay: first principle, most important. The gameplay from opening to conclusion needs to be fun, avoiding long single player starting experiences.

- Balance: It is critical that all factions perform similarly during late game, aiming for one faction to have no more than a 5% win rate advantage among equally skilled players.

- To follow the lore of World of Warcraft up until the start of Battle for Azeroth as close as possible, while deviating where required to make exciting and engaging gameplay.

- To limit the use of Town Portal scrolls for movement, creating alternative systems that allow for greater tactical play, particularly in zone control and movement of your army.

- Encourage control group usage of between 4-6, or 48 to 72 troops.

- Make naval combat engaging and relevant.

- Innovative game play mechanics, so long as they add to the fun rather than take away.



Factions:

The map is currently being set up as a 10v10. We are considering mechanics that allow for late game chaos and multiple factions, however we are not currently implementing them. We also intend to make variations of the map, that are not limited to 2 teams.

The current break down is:


Alliance:

- Reformed Lordaeron

- Gilneas

- Stromgarde & Aerie Peak

- Ironforge

- Stormwind

- Frosthold

- Val’sharah & The Wardens

- Kul’Tiras

- Darnassus

- Exodar



Horde:

- Silvermoon

- Undercity

- Revantusk

- Dragonmaw

- Blackrock

- Icemist

- Suramar & Highmountain

- Zandalar

- Orgrimmar

- Thunder Bluff

Notable Mechanics

• Naval diversity: Different factions get different types of boats. Each faction has at least 2, options include: Carrier, Frigate, Battleship, Submarine, Siege Ship. Transport ships to carry 12 instead of 10 units, to make them more user friendly.
• Waystations: to facilitate faster movement speed, and the construction of “infrastructure” across your empire, waystations have low hit points, but dramatically increase movement speed in their radius. Meaning, you can build highways across your empire, but your enemy can also destroy them to prevent reinforcements.
• Garrisons: A building which can summon 12 units, good for placing at key points to protect your base
• Capitals: Capturable, provide food and income, as well as unique elites and events.
• Control points: Primary source of income
• Demi-Heroes: Revivable units that don’t increase in level
• Events: Story events based on how Battle for Azeroth unfolded, and/or to encourage strategic approaches. Rewards include: unlocking unit types, resources or bases.
• “Forces”: To avoid having factions separated from far flung outposts, far flung outposts are “capturable” when you arrive, but not immediately controllable.

Progress

• Terrain: 60%
• Custom Models (created and sourced): 80%
• Scripting: <5%
• Tech Trees: 40%

ETA:

• Small scale balance testing (3v3's etc.): End of June
• First full Beta: November

Credits:
Will list a full list of assets, and their creators when we start publishing. Beyond that, this map has been inspired by great maps, and brilliant map makers, while some were listed at the top, there are many more. Will try create a full list before publishing.

 

[HerrDave]

-sheds a manly tear in dwarf-

 

[Achille]

This looks very neat! I'm always impressed with how large maps like this manage to create evocative terrain over such a vast distance, both Lordaeron and Silvermoon look very clean. I'm also very happy to hear that there will be a focus on naval dynamics. Too often these kinds of games degenerate into portal wars or turtled shores in the late game resulting in a frustrating back and forth. By putting an emphasis on naval combat I feel that you will be giving BFA's naval thematic thread a decent nod while also curtailing the often yawn-worthy naval combat of grand-strategy's past.

I think that making a variety of boats is good, as that 'rock-paper-scissors' gameplay made age of empires and other strategy games engaging, but I always feel like Warcraft 3 has some special potential. I would love to see some ships with abilities not just damage types as that is what makes warcraft 3 combat feel engaging. However this is accomplished I am just over the moon to see someone actually thinking about this before hand and I think that will take this map far!

Regarding 'restricting' the scroll of town portal's movement potential, what exactly is in mind currently? I can see how it might be an issue in a 10v10 match, as it would likely result in massive battles teleporting all over the map which does sound ridiculous. Is there going to be a maximum amount that can be purchased a game or is there some other sort of limitation?

All in all looks neat so far! Hoping to see more updates on this one so keep at it guys!

 

[Hellborne]

This looks very neat! I'm always impressed with how large maps like this manage to create evocative terrain over such a vast distance, both Lordaeron and Silvermoon look very clean. I'm also very happy to hear that there will be a focus on naval dynamics. Too often these kinds of games degenerate into portal wars or turtled shores in the late game resulting in a frustrating back and forth. By putting an emphasis on naval combat I feel that you will be giving BFA's naval thematic thread a decent nod while also curtailing the often yawn-worthy naval combat of grand-strategy's past.

I think that making a variety of boats is good, as that 'rock-paper-scissors' gameplay made age of empires and other strategy games engaging, but I always feel like Warcraft 3 has some special potential. I would love to see some ships with abilities not just damage types as that is what makes warcraft 3 combat feel engaging. However this is accomplished I am just over the moon to see someone actually thinking about this before hand and I think that will take this map far!

Regarding 'restricting' the scroll of town portal's movement potential, what exactly is in mind currently? I can see how it might be an issue in a 10v10 match, as it would likely result in massive battles teleporting all over the map which does sound ridiculous. Is there going to be a maximum amount that can be purchased a game or is there some other sort of limitation?

All in all looks neat so far! Hoping to see more updates on this one so keep at it guys!

Thanks!

So we have planned abilities, specifically things like air craft carrier having air strikes, destroyers having board etc. Potentially also boats with healing/repair abilities. Will take a bit of fiddling, but hopefully we can create cool mechanics.

As for TP scrolls, had some ideas, one being can only TP to a specific building type that is very vulnerable, and they are costly. IE, want to encourage other types of movement.

HATE portals and the pathing issues they create, so intend to avoid as much as is possible. So far, only portals will be to raids (IE creep spots to get items, and may prevent building in those areas), and dark portal. IE, Dark portal is supposed to be the only tactical portal in the game.