Portal Camping Deterrents

[Achille]

Hello all!

I'm currently creating a Northrend based RTS map, and I find that a few of my portal bases are too defendable (Surprise!) I really need to implement a system to deter stacking defenders on the point of entrance, but I cannot decide what to use.

Some systems that I have seen that can accomplish this are a low impact immolation on the inside of the base or a "bombing" system that allows you to deal damage to the inside of the base for a price.

Does you have any unique suggestions? Is there a favorite system you've encountered in the past?

 

[RG00]

There is no need for triggers, there are lot of ways to make the point of entrance of your base harder to defend, some possible solutions are:
-Make the entrance wider;
-Make many different points of entrance;
-Make units unable to go to the walls-cliffs at the sides of a point of entrance;
-Don't give tank units to the defenders;
-If you want a "bombing" system just give the attackers some artillery units like the mortar-team;
-Give the attackers some flying units.

 

[Achille]

I appreciate the quick reply and suggestions but I suppose some clarification is in order.

I am refering to a Portal Base. Which means that its is otherwise inaccessible without the use of a 'waygate' portal. Its conception back in the old days of warcraft 3 mapping was to suspend disbelief for the implementation of interiors.

In the image, the enclosed area on the left represents the interior, where as the right represents where the units enter. The problem I am having, is balancing the defenders capability of defending the region (on the left) from forces that teleport in (from the right), as the units that teleport in are vulnerable to large stacked groups of defenders on the interior (known as portal camping), as the attacking units enter in smaller groups. In certain circumstances, you can even cover the region (left) with units to prevent the outside portal (right) from even being used, preventing attacking units from entering.

My problem then is thus; how do I deter defending units from standing on the indoor region in which the enemy units teleport too?

 

[RG00]

Sorry, I didn't understand the situation correctly before. However the image isn't available so I can't see it. I think however I have other solution to your problem:
-If the portal is in a room connected with some corridors you could just create gates in the corridors that only opens when an attacker unit is close;
-You could give the attackers some kamikaze unit so that they can teleport these units first to see if the defenders are camping there, and if they do they'll just explode(try to give the kamikaze a high range of explosion);
-You can create invisible walls by using path blockers and destroy them when attackers' units are close, and then revive them when they aren't close.

 

[Achille]

It's no worries! I'm a bit new to posting things like this, so thank you for your patience.

I like the kamikaze unit idea, perhaps making them available through a mercenary camp would be a nice way to balance the map without disturbing the natural flow of the game.
Unfortunately the barriers are out of the question, as the units belonging to the faction that controls the base need to be able to leave and re-enter.

 

[cleavinghammer]

Have a special spell that targets one way gate and does AoE damage/stun/knockback centered on the linked gate. Or trigger any AoE spell (Blizzard, Earthquake, Attack Ground with Disease Cloud/Burning Oil...) cast on/within a short range of the first way gate to have the corresponding effect centered on the other.

Put unbuildable terrain that prevents building too many towers near the gate (see for example the map design on Gates of the Abyss in Frozen Throne).

Turn the waygates into wormholes that automatically draw in and teleport units within a large radius (say 1000 to prevent siege weapons attacking ground) and drop them outside the radius of the corresponding wormhole.

Make each Way gate able to use abilities on the other one (again, AoE damage/stun/knockback) after some channeling and an obvious warning. Makes camping more dangerous because you can severely disorganize the defenders, but they can also disorganize an attacking army.
Other abilities:
* An ability that teleports all units within X radius of the linked gate to the casting gate (as with the wormholes, but active).
* Randomly modifies terrain within X radius of the linked gate so some terrain becomes unbuildable and vice versa. Buildings now on unbuildable terrain are damaged/destroyed.