[Altered Melee] Looking For Some Input

[Zoldam]

For a very long time I have been working on a "melee remix" kind of map (I only do a little bit now and then, hence the length). It will play as a melee (Build your army and defeat your opponents, no fancy events and such), but it has new factions and added stuff to older ones. A few examples are...

Each faction has three masteries. Said masteries increase the fighting capability of the units tied to it, but more importantly unlock new researches and even new units. For example, the Horde consists of Orc Mastery, Darkspear Mastery (Not Troll, which I will explain later), and Brute Mastery (Consists of Tauren and Ogres). Each other faction has their own.

Humans: Human, Dwarf, Elf
Orcs: Orc, Darkspear, Brute
Night Elves: Sentinel, Druid, Wild (Animals)
Undead: Undeath, Cultist, Creature (Nerubians, etc.)
Naga: Naga, Sea Dweller (Humanoids), Creature (Animals like Hydras, etc.)
Legion: Have not started this one really.
Creeps: Don't know quite yet.
Trolls: Forest Troll, Ice Troll, Dark Troll (Hence why the Horde was specifically stated as Darkspear and not Troll)

Another major update is named heroes. You can still get "generic" heroes like in a melee game. Named heroes are stronger, but also more costly. You will also need a tier 3 town hall to buy them (And upgrading town halls take more time then normal). This essentially limits named heroes to one, but at the same time allows someone to go without a hero early game for the payoff of extra stronger heroes late-game.

Another update that the micro managers will love, is casters have gained a 3rd tier (And each faction also has a new one). The 3rd tier ability will generally be one a hero uses, only not as strong. For example, Necromancer's gain Dark Ritual in their 3rd tier.

Also each mastery has an "elite" unit which is limited to 3 and is sort of a demi-hero, think of the Naga Royal Guards from the Naga campaign. An example would be for the Alliance. Human is a champion, a powerful mounted warrior with strong melee capabilities, for Dwarves a siege golem an extremely durable unit that can just wreck buildings, and for Elves, and arcane monstrosity, that is a not as durable as the previous two, but has mana draining abilities making it excellent as an anti-caster/hero unit.

I'm not quite ready to upload a map just yet, I wish to have each faction in a playable state (For example, Naga is unfinished while Legion has barely started). So my request is any interesting ideas anyone might have, especially for the new factions (Legion, Creeps, Trolls)

 

[Awsan]

For the Legion, you could have the following:
Portal Mastery: Focuses on creating portals to summon large amounts of demonic units. The "elite" unit is a Summoner that can spawn lesser portals (similar to the Pocket Factory spell), and maybe restore health on friendly demons.

Void Mastery: Focuses on spirits such as Voidwalkers and Nether Dragons. The "elite" unit is a large Voidwalker spirit that van scale cliffs and trees like an air unit, but fights like a ground unit (sort of like the movies' ghosts, which can travel through walls)

Overlord Mastery: Focuses on brute force of the larger demon lords (doomguards, pit lords, Eredar warlocks) to wreck enemies. The "elite" unit could be a giant infernal.

For the Creeps:

Dragon Mastery: Focuses on the creeps enslaving dragons, allowing dragons to be trained. The "elite" unit is a Dragon Hunter, an archer/warrior with an ensnare ability that becomes more powerful as it faces larger enemies.

Strength in Numbers (Numbers Mastery): Focuses on having large amounts of creeps to overwhelm the enemy. The "Elite" unit is a large commander with auras that affect as many of your units as possible.

Adaptation Mastery: As there are so many Creep Races, they are able to adapt to any situation. The "Elite" unit is a spellcaster that can transform into a creep depending on the enemy it faces. For its immense versatility, this "elite" is weaker than the other elites:
-Humans tend to use armored units, so the Human adaption is an armor-destroying unit.
-Orcs tend to use brute force, so the Orc adaption is a heavy magic attacker.
-Night Elves tend to use magic along with ranged forces, so the Elf adaption is a heavy melee unit that can soak up that damage.
-Undead tend to use magic and masses of units, so the Undead adaption is a heavy ranged unit with splash damage.
-The Legion tends to use a mix of many weak units along with several powerful ones, so the Legion adaption is an all-round unit that can face any danger.
-The Naga tend to use their mobility in water, along with their rapid regeneration, for quick battles, so the Naga adaption is one that can keep up with them and travel over water while killing enemies quickly.
-The Creeps tend to be versatile, so the Creep adaption uses brute force to kill enemies.
-The Trolls tend to use ranged and magic forces in quick battles, so the Troll adaption is a unit that is fast and can shut down spellcasters.

 

[Ujimasa Hojo]

What if for the Horde faction, you can choose which additional units you'd want. By using researches and triggers, you can have the players choose whether they'd get Jungle Trolls and Tauren OR Forest Troll, Ogres, and Goblins (Kinda like New Horde vs. Old Horde). You can also have another route where the Orcs become Fel Orcs but they don't get any other racial units.

 

[Zoldam]

@ Awsan

I really like the idea of adaption and numbers, I'll see what I can come up with.

What if for the Horde faction, you can choose which additional units you'd want. By using researches and triggers, you can have the players choose whether they'd get Jungle Trolls and Tauren OR Forest Troll, Ogres, and Goblins (Kinda like New Horde vs. Old Horde). You can also have another route where the Orcs become Fel Orcs but they don't get any other racial units.

I forgot to mention, each faction has an "ultimate" mastery. Super expensive, very late game. The Horde is Fel Blood (Alliance is Black Dragonflight Pact which let's Onyxia and drakes fight for you!)

Another question, need help with some named heroes. Each faction has six, each different, so for example no double paladins, there is one exception, and so far I have...

Alliance: Arthas (Uther if I make Arthas Scourge only), Jaina, Muradin, Sylvanas (Living), Kael'thas, and Garathos.

Horde: Thrall, Drek'thar (Drek'thar's abilities will be different from a normal farseer), Vol'Jin, Rexxar, Cairne, and Grom

Scourge: Arthas (Baron Rivendare if Arthas is Alli only), Kel'Thuzad, Anub'arak, Prince Kaleseth, Sylvanas (Undead), and Patchwerk.

NOTE: The Dreadlord, now being a Legion hero, has been replaced by the Blood Prince hero. The Blood Prince plays nearly identical to the Dreadlord for those of you who love using that hero.

Night Elves: Illidan, Tyrande, Malfurion, Maiev, Shandris, and Naisha.

Naga: Lady Vashj, Morogrim Tidewalker, High Warlord Naj'entus, ???, ???, ???

Trolls, Legion, and Creeps don't have anything really yet. Although there are a couple obvious ones, like Zul'jin for Trolls.

 

[Ujimasa Hojo]

For the Naga, are you going to include other sea creatures such as Mur'gul, Makrura, and Water Elementals? If yes, then you can representative Heroes for each of them (For example: An enslaved Neptulon).

As for the Trolls, you can have the Council of Elders as separate Heroes.

 

[Zoldam]

For the Naga, are you going to include other sea creatures such as Mur'gul, Makrura, and Water Elementals? If yes, then you can representative Heroes for each of them (For example: An enslaved Neptulon).

Yes, except Makrura. For whatever reason they have no swimming animation, and the walking on water kind of irked me. Teh masteries now are...

Naga
Mur'gul
Creature (Dragon Turtle, Snapdragon, Hydra, Coutle (sp?), etc.)

 

[Eagle XI]

I thought about something similar once: Each race would be divided into 3 sub-factions, at game start you select one ingame.
First one is always the part that plays a lot like the faction as you already know it.
Second is more or less different, with emphasis on how do they get shit done rather than where they are trying to get to.
All share the same philosophy of that side, with the exception being every 3. which alters the faction radically.
Managed to dig up the scrap i had written down about this, it was some time ago.
Keep in mind that i had been planning this for only alliance vs horde and more akin to a total conversion, intended to remove heroes(and give casters more spells instead to compensate), introduce a one-time super-unit inplace of respawning heroes etc. etc. so sorry for the inconsistencies in comparison to regular melee.
The reason i have scrapped is that there simply isnt enough material to make all sides unique, would end up having duplicates instead which is the goal of doing this.
Since ive scrapped this, maybe inspires you:

Subfactions for the Alliance
League of Men: Unleash the combined might of the seven human nations, united against their common foe, the orcish menace.
Pros:
+ will be the easy, beginner faction
+ general allrounders
+ expertise in the usage of light(can keep up healing far longer than anyone else)
Cons:
- frequent mana problems on casters, obviously
- will require to expand more than anyone else to maintain a steady production.
- lack of a decent ranged/siege/flyer
They would get Crossbowman as ranged, Footmen and Knights would be here. An simple Catapult would be their only siege early on which can be upgraded to an Cannon. Would probably give an angelic super-unit that is rather supportive in its role like the Paladin hero is. Would get Cleric(heal and manashield at 1,holy light and dispel at 2, innerfire and ress at 3) Wizards(water elemental and slow at 1, invis and teleportself at 2, polymorph and blizzard at 3) as casters.

Hammer of the Alliance: Take command of the iron-clad legions coming from Khaz Modan to smite the damned interlopers for once and ever.
Pros:
+ gunpowder usage
+ mechanical units
+ generally robust and resistant units
+ strong at melee
+ masters of the siege
+ superior airforce
+ badass
Cons:
- Slow units and production
- costly production
- high maintenance therefore fewer units in the field
- badassry too damn high
- inb4 OP 1!11!
- the new 'nightelves'
Two types of Siege machine(an Apc and a Steam Tank. however seeing they base on same chassis may require player to upgrade Apcs to tanks trading off its purpose for another), mortar teams, copters, planes, griffonriders, submarines. Possibly an huge airship or an huge steamtank as super unit. They would have one caster, however they'd make up for the lack of magic with mechanical abilities.

Forces of the Crescent Hawk: Command the noble High Elves in their effort as they honor and stand by the Alliance.
Pros:
+ Are generally faster than others
+ Excellent usage of magic(meaning: has the type of spell that are a lot more useful than being just situational use)
+ Strong at ranged
+ assassins
+ tesla defence-towers
Cons:
- army composed of fragile speedster units
- once mana runs out GG against horde

They would be more akin to WC2 time highelf lore, having druids, treants and other nature stuff. Archers, Rangers, Battle Mages, Super-unit the Tree of Life(very buffed)

Subfactions for the Horde:

The Endless Assault: Crumble Azeroth under your iron fist as you unleash the combined might of Draenor upon the unfortunate inhabitants of this brave new world across the dark portal.
Pros:
+ Grunt spam
+ Ogre's
+ access to fel magic (limited undead capability)
+ drakes
Cons:
- boring spam rotation gameplay
- weak defence

Grunts, Wolfriders, Spearthrower as ranged, Ogres replace Tauren, drummer replaces kodo-beast, drakes are 2-stage that replace wind riders when a grunt gets on them(drake rider). They get Necrolyte(raise dead at 1, curse at 2, firestrike at 3) which has only 3 spells because everyone gets 2 casters and orcs 3 so the total of 12 is distributed accordingly as 2. caster in absence of Witch Doctor. Shamans(Purge and Spirit Wolf at 1, Lightning shield and Farsight at 2, Bloodlust and Chain Lightning at 3) remain however. Ogre Mage has only 3 spellsEye of kilrogg at 1, Shockwave at 2, Runetrap at 3)and not a full spellcaster because fighter/caster hybrid. Super-unit would be master of the invasion: Mannoroth!

Masters of the Forest: As the delight of a burning sight of Quel'Thalas and the joy to spill the blood of every Thalassian in existence is promised to the Trolls, they decide to aid the Orcs in their goal of ultimate conquest, in the hopes that they would keep their promise in spite of past betrayals Azerothians had made against them.
Pros:
+ high regeneration
+ voodoo spells(some of them mimic their alliance counterparts)
+ ranged heavy army(fe. theyll have different types of upgrade avail for the ranged unit, and may allow a 2. type of it. Possible radical approach: They wont have any melee and siege, building demolitions would be handled over spells(fe. an modified earthquake that single-targets the building) and tankiness over buffs(fe. Spirit link))
Cons:
- may struggle in melee
- simple construction, weaker buildings

Axethrowing trolls, an edited Witchdoctor(detectorward and spirit link at 1,serpentward and healy wave at 2,healward and Res for Trolls only at 3)their healer, will get Shadowmage(and at 1, shadow strike and disenchant at 2, hex and ethereal form at 3) as caster. Super-unit would be an time-limited Demon type creature(an demi-god/avatar, minor incarnation of Hakkar).
Their builder unit wont construct any defenses besides the burrow which needs to be manned, wards are used like towers.

Mercenary Company: Whatever goblin's could gather as the Horde keeps rolling the gold, be it Gnoll-bands, privateer fleets, harpy flocks, hand-select crazy machine operators or maniac outcasts that want to blow themselves up. All of them will continue to serve this side of the conflict as long the goblins keep getting paid for it by the diabolical masters of the horde.

Undecided on Pro's and Cons since concept not ready at all.

Hereby i want to experiment with ideas.
The units would train in groups. get hired for large sums of resources at once rather than trained one by one, however they still act each figure independent, otherwise as normal units.

The point of existence for this subfaction would be that i want this one to be the counterpart of League of Men in terms of gameplay, also i want this one to be the 'pro'-faction as it would be "the noob faction".

They would have a triple worker mechanic, gold gatherer would prolly be a Kobold Slave, their wood-worker Shredder, builder Engineers. (or a wagon that unfolds into a building, consuming self in the process like Wisps)
Zeppelins would have a morph that alters its cargo hold, the quirk being that Sappers can only board in the secondary mode and then only as an one way trip as you cant otherwise unload them. The only way to empty a zeppelin after atleast one sapper boards is to fly over an enemy building and drop the cargo within as living ammo on it!
Engineers would get individually upgraded to more insane Sapper units.
Engineers can get upgraded as the tech-tree progress to do things like laying mines, constructing and manning bunkers, repairing own and capturing enemy mechanical units etc. Otherwise youll pretty much rely on units to defend.
Super-unit would probably be a Mega War-zeppelin or -what-a-suprise- another mega tank counterpart to the dwarven one.