Being in the corner, I did not get approached by kodos most of the time. The other bases served as a shield. And then everything snowballed so hard with the 3 gold mines and tons of harvesters, we could have conquered the whole map if we cared to expand. No, I definitely do not see features like gambling (overly randomization), uncontrolled exaggeratedness, loss of overview, rendering players completely useless until another player frees them, advantageous secrets and harrassing support as indicators for quality. Replayability should be achieved mainly by good gameplay. The players have to get a tight sense for the objective and need to be pressed to display moment-to-moment skill in order to fulfill it
Now that's the exact kind of feedback I wanted to get during the playtest! Thank you.
Wall of text incoming:
Yeah, you were protected nicely by your allies. Working together is a key part in any Kodo Tag map. Whether it was done intentionally or not. I prefer being the front line player myself, as getting no kodos attacking your base gets pretty boring after a while. Unless you enjoy teching up (I do.)
Although you did get the #1 most kills so it looks like the kodos did end up finding a way to you. Or you to them
![Smile :) :)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
I did also place two waygates to allow alternative paths for the kodos, but they only get used if players completely blockade the center, or one half of the entire map. (...Thus defusing my favorite strategy; tower the middle!)
Rendering players completely useless is part of the Kodo tag subgenre, I do not wish to alter that. (Edit: Oops, I just did. Read on past my signature.) Risking your hero's life by going to the middle and saving these stranded, captured players is an important and fun, core aspect of the game.
I added the Gamble option, and the spells on the so called "roasted pigs" in the middle so they don't die of complete boredom while waiting for their rescuer.
Kodo tag is not meant to be challenging. It is an AFK-able game once you have enough towers. You can even go hide in two bases where kodos cannot get in, and survive the 30 minutes that way. But going afk is no fun! Players rather test their limits, see how many bases they can capture and hold for the rest of the game. Hint: The top left corner of the map is the best spot for this challenge. Very hard to take, but snowballs like a wet rock.
If there isn't enough challenge, you can always add an extra level, by teamkilling everyone that comes near you and attempting to send "soldiers" on "missions" to "help" your allies, then backstab them. Killing the "enemy "soldiers" that have come to "help" you, before they can actually "help" you to an afterlife is all part of the fun. Requires players to remain alert or risk losing their entire base and gold investment.
You'll have to watch a WTii kodo tag video to see how much fun this can be. Teamkilling is not for everyone though! If you can't handle it don't allow it. Red can kick teamkillers. That's why I feel safest when teamkilling as red.
Getting tons of harvesters was a good idea, but you only need 3 per gold mine, or 5 like in a normal ladder game if you decide to use the cheaper harvesters. (That are faster to snowball but take up more food.) Yes, snowballing into a wealthy magnate is also a core gameplay element. The richest players are a prime target for team killing. And you know you are not dealing with an ordinary subgenre if tasteful team killing is encouraged in it.
Gambling system is quite weak indeed, but for a GUI-only Reign of Chaos map from 2006, it is passable. I believe I can do much better today. And I will, with your encouragement.
The objective in Kodo Tag is loosely defined as "Survive 30 minutes or so by whatever means you would like to try." This goes against both of our values and standards. Yes, I would like to improve upon it, but I am not sure how without straying too far from the original subgenre. Veteran players will expect similar gameplay to other versions of Kodo Tag.
Secrets are all part o the fun too. For example You know to drop +health and mana items before right clicking a Moon Well. This is an undocumented secret trick for progamers.
Many maps contain secret heroes that you can only unlock by walking your hero chooser Wisp to a specially marked or non-marked spot in the selection area. These are in no way fair at first, but upon the first replay of the map; keen, observant players will have figured it out because the saw the hero selecting process. Secrets should spread by word of mouth. Be forgotten for moths until someone rediscovers them. The feeling I get when figuring out a secret feature in a map rivals ecstasy.
Thank you again for playtesting my map everyone,
Daniel "3ICE" Berezvai
Edit: New ideas!
Escape the middle: For completion of a small mazing (or other alternative?) challenge you can choose two rewards. One: Free yourself but lose another 50% of your gold. Two: Get 135 gold. Replayable, but difficulty increases.
Teamkilled players get 75% of their buildings' costs back, Kodo killed players only get 50%. Previously this was 0%. I'll need to port my RoC-compatible sell system over from 3ICE's Hell TD for this to work. Sell animation: Holy Light.
Butterflies will give you gold in the next version if you can catch them. pigs eat butterflies
![Smile :) :)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
Butterfly kills: respawn butterfly. Bonuses for roasted pig kill (with firebolt) gives double cash. Melee kill gives normal +10% cash. Tower kill gives normal cash.
Add hints about all the secrets.
RENAME IT!!! Rename to 3ICE's Kodos vs Pigs or 3ICE's Kodo Tag with Pigs.w3m
Once timer runs out: Would you like the game to end now? vote (If no, game continues)
Bugs!
Score screen icon of heroes is wrong (MK instead of pork captain)
Steve is not a good name for a female archer. (Steveelias, who asked to be the archer is still with us, so I can discuss with him what to do about this.)
Two-fold typo: "recieved::" → "received:"
Nerf Steve (archer with sun) and Scientist armies.
Add trueshot aura to level 5 farms, reorder the obtaining of auras (vamp. should be last as it makes your pig OP, weak auras will come first)
Revamp terrain:
Mark best castle placement locations by different terrain tiles like most maps in Starcraft 2. So I don't have to search for the right distance each time.
Visual warning before kodos spawn, like a channeling animation ending with a storm clap, or a simple progress bar. This is so you don't run in to save someone and get stomped on by a respawning kodo army. Alternatively: stun the respawned kodo and fade it in via the opacity changer, then unstun it.