"Digger"

[GreyArchon]

How does this idea sound?

If you've played Water Wars, you know what inspired this idea.
Otherwise, read this thread: http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51451

Basically, my idea is to create a map where you command a Crypt Lord in a desert world. This world is *huge*. The objective would be to destroy your opponent Crypt Lords. But here is the twist.

You can dig underground, twice. The first-level underground area is a dark copy of the overworld filled with subterranean chambers and water. The bottom level is even darker, filled with lava and such. There could be destructible rocks filling most areas, so you really have to 'dig out' the area. And when you dig through rock somewhere, you can see dust and tremors in the area above.

Hidden within the layers of earth can be creatures, ancient treasure, or elements that create something in the other levels. Say, destroying a rock plugging a subterranean pool causes it to drain into the lower level, extinguishing some flames there. Or destroying a supporting pillar causes a land-slide in the upper levels.

 

[Eleandor]

For some reason, it actually sounds interesting.

Some questions: If you would make it 4 levels, you could split a map in 4 equal squareish layers...

How can you dig up/downwards? Is it just an ability you cast that takes you to another level, or what?

Is terrain going to be randomly generated or are you - if you played the map enough - going to know the exact locations of everything...

 

[GreyArchon]

Nah, could use three sections, all slightly wider than they are high. So rectangles, not cubes.

Digging would be done with triggers and dummy abilities. One "Dig Upwards" ability, one "Dig Downwards" ability. Say each section of the map is placed ontop of eachother. The Crypt Lord is on the top level. The player clicks "Dig Downwards". Crypt Lord plays his digging animation, spawns a "ruptured earth" graphic, screen fades to black for player, Crypt Lord is moved to the exact same X location, but with a -200 Y location, the camera centers back on the now-moved crypt lord, screen fades back to normal view for player.

Handy dandy graph:

(These are purely examplary X/Y coordinates of course, in the map they'd be higher)


For keeping things fresh, I was thinking:

Place everything everywhere, really a *lot* of content, but at the start of the game, remove a random 66% of it. That way it'll be a new playing experience every time.

 

[MoCo]

The idea with more than 2 levels came to my mind too when I read the submerge-thread. I first thought about a map with maybe heaven, hell and such, but the digging idea is very cool too.

What about a Micro-Scenario?
I'm just thinking of VERY large flowers, grass halms etc. in the normal above-underground area, everything would be insect-size and you are feeling small, just like a little bug.
And of course you'll meet a lot of real ugly insects in the undergrounds.
This might give it an even more individual touch.

I would looking forward playing it, if you decide to make it!

 

[GreyArchon]

Excellent idea. Could use those models from Blizzard's official Easter map for flowers and such.

 

[MoCo]

Yeah, I thought of that too..

I've made a quick try basing on the easteregg map just to check out how it could look like..

Use of some custom doodads could be helpful too..

Pic1: The raccon, rabbit and chicken all are scaled to max (10.0), the crypt lord is scaled to 0.40.

Pic2: A try with larger Flowers, crypt lord at 0.5 scale

Pic3: carrots larger, ants and spider smaller

I think the second looks better concerning the 'micro-feeling' but the models for the raccoon etc. are too small for it in 10.00 scale. I guess the third finally is best concerning the dimensions.

---

Now imagine digging underground and fighting a large army of ants.. or a giant mole.. or some earthworms.. Could turn out to get real funny with some good custom models.

 

[THE_END]

I think this is a great idea
But maybe we need to skin the Crypt Lord model to fit accordingly?

 

[GreyArchon]

Perhaps, perhaps.
I didn't check, does the current Crypt Lord still have his un-used 'digging' animation, or would I need to download the custom one?

 

[Eleandor]

I think the second looks better concerning the 'micro-feeling' but the models for the raccoon etc. are too small for it in 10.00 scale.

Actually, I think the largest scale is like 99.
Just hold shift before trying to change the unit's scale and you'll be able to enter a number above 10.

4 levels (with 1 above ground) sounds much cooler imo

 

[GreyArchon]

4 levels, sooo.. that'd be Above Ground, Underground, ?...? and Molten Core.

 

[MoCo]

I guess 3 areas are enough for this scenario, maybe even 2 would do for the start. The 3rd and maybe 4th could be easily added later then. One problem with using too many areas is, that you only have a limited tileset. More areas will decrease the quality of the terrain in each area.. So my approach would be having less areas with more detail and cool terrain.

But even if you just want to make only 2 or 3 areas, it might be a good idea to split the map into 4 square-areas, just for simplicity and easy-handling reasons. And if you do so, you can easily add a 3rd/4th area later if everything else works fine so far.

If someone would start this project, I would offer to help with terrain and maybe some triggering if necessary.

It's definitely something innovative that's worth to be made, and it shouldn't even take too much time to finish this, especially if the map size isn't going to be extremely large.

 

[Los_Tacos]

Perhaps, perhaps.
I didn't check, does the current Crypt Lord still have his un-used 'digging' animation, or would I need to download the custom one?

Actually I think it does.
I just checked, it does. It also has a neat "spell throw" animation where it jumps in the air and sticks its head up; you could use that animation for digging to upper levels.

I like the idea; but with 3 layers you could make the map 3x1 so the world can be square shaped.

If someone would start this project, I would offer to help with terrain and maybe some triggering if necessary.

Likewise.

 

[Rakdos Defiler]

I think just 2 underground layers are good for now. Also for tiles use WEU the tile amount you can get from that would be perfect for multiple layers, also the blue underground tileset, as an ice type layer could work. Because part of the crust of a planet is really cold cause insulated with no heat source, untill thousands more miles it starts to get warm lol.

also don't forget to adjust shadows, like MoCo forgot to do with his pics =P but yeah sounds interesting.

 

[TheDivineBoss]

This really reminds me of the map Ant Colony.

 

[MoCo]

Yeah, but the ant colony map doesn't feature the digging-ability and just looks terrible. Anyway the idea of two ant colonies fighting each other is very interesting too.

 

[GreyArchon]

Digging should be the main feature of this map, yes.
That and influencing terrain by digging in specific places / performing certain actions underground.

 

[Rakdos Defiler]

I personally, once again, think this sounds like a great map idea and can't wait for the finished product. Thought of possibly having random occurences of cave-ins, digging above your floor could have a small percentage to also cause them. would hurt/kill units under cave-in, and re fill up area with rocks. So if you don't die must start digging once again.

 

[Hi.Hi]

Hi, I read your ideas and it sounds awesome (never liked water wars) Just a idea, but you could add like groups of insects, ants, spiders, bees, plant eaters, fight each other to make it more natural feeling of survival when your a bug. (plant eaters as in Chickens, if they have a attack). Um... thats really all i have to say. please do keep working on it since there haven't been any recent posts. ( Or did u start a thread in map development?)

 

[GreyArchon]

Once I'm satisfied with MTG, my current hosted project, I have the choice between turning this idea into a map, or continue with a 2% finished map called The End of Battle.net.

I'm not sure what to do just yet. This idea is rather cool.

 

[Rakdos Defiler]

should make a thread explaining it. will it be users from thw who get on b.net, in like a true story experience LMAO. i'm just messin

 

[GreyArchon]

should make a thread explaining it. will it be users from thw who get on b.net, in like a true story experience LMAO. i'm just messin

http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51393

5 pages long, enjoy.

 

[dubbleD]

uhm...there was a map called SIM Ant that had something to do with ants underground and above ground in a garden...
i found on epic war: http://www.epicwar.com/maps/7143/

water wars is an awesome map. i played b4 =)
thought youre trying to relate this idea to water wars, the SIM Ant map doesnt actually use the map boundaries. they simply put in portals.

 

[MoCo]

The Sim Ant map is pretty cool I think.

It uses some really nice ideas, like the spider, the food system etc. and is very near to what I had in mind. But as dubbleD mentioned above, it uses portals and no digging ability so there is still some space for innovation.

 

[dubbleD]

yuh =)
you can use worms and bugs instead of just only ants
and also other imaginary dirt creatures =D

 

[MoCo]

Maybe it would add some tactical depth when using portals AND the digging ability. So some units can digg, others have to use the portals. And of course there should be areas like rocks where no digging is allowed.

So there could be different hero units - spiders, ants, bugs etc with different abilities and stats. Combined with a good gameplay and a cool terrain this could get a real nice map.

 

[GreyArchon]

Hmmm...

Bear with me on this one:

How about a "hunter" / "carnivore" type creature that eats the digging creatures... but he cant dig himself.

However, whenever a digging creature digs, a portal-like unit appears (named, for instance "hole") in the spot where it has dug, on a 30 second timer... one that can only be used by the hunter/carnivore.

 

[MoCo]

Yeah, sounds interesting.

If you decide to create this map, I'd offer help in terrain and/or jass stuff if you want since I would be happy to contribute on this project.

 

[Rakdos Defiler]

i love the portal hole idea ^.^

 

[Zanam]

Gar, Grey! Albeit completely different in gameplay concept, I've been working on a map involving the Venture Mining Co., where players play as expeditionary teams vying for a promotion by collecting gold from an unexplored cavern. I had the idea of making it multi-tiered, allowing players to dig deeper into the caverns, but you got to it first! I doubt I'll finish mine anyway, I seem to have a problem finishing projects.

I love the screens of the gigantic flowers and tiny crypt lord, that's an idea I've never seen before. I think it would be interesting to have to avoid surface creatures when you are travelling on the surface level... in the case of a barren wasteland, these could be things such as giant wandering scorpions or snakes. I'm not sure if your world is scaled-down or not.

 

[MoCo]

*push*

No one decided to start this thing up yet hm?

 

[TheDivineBoss]

If we take it, we let you know then.

 

[Xzife_TD01]

*push*

No one decided to start this thing up yet hm?

I hear ya, this map sounds really fun to play, should anyone decide to actually make it. I would definitely lend a hand, but some of the systems and such that would be required for it would undoubtedly be over my head at this point.

Hmmm...

Bear with me on this one:

How about a "hunter" / "carnivore" type creature that eats the digging creatures... but he cant dig himself.

However, whenever a digging creature digs, a portal-like unit appears (named, for instance "hole") in the spot where it has dug, on a 30 second timer... one that can only be used by the hunter/carnivore.

Sounds like a cool idea. Perhaps have a differant type of creature for each level of terrain? Like for example: Overworld has bears, underground has worms, and molten core has oversized fire elementals, or perhaps a re-skinned mountain giant?