Concept: The game is based around the concept from many popular MMORPGS. There are many ideas from that game that have been WarCraft III'ed into this map. You will notice ideas and images from EverQuest all the way to World of Warcraft.
Zoning System: Areas of the map are broken into "zones". Each zone has a different difficulty, some zones have requirements for entering them let it be a key, a quest, or a minimum level. This system is rarely seen in many maps, it restricts the field of vision for a player to a given area. This is a feature that allows players to have sectioned off areas much like other RPGS. It is great for dividing up difficult areas of the game with easier ones. It is also very nice to if you need to hide during those PvP times!
Hero Selection: The map features a very unique hero selection system, the template designed by Magos, with alterations made by me. The hero selection method allows a user to view detailed information about the hero they are debating to choose before they make their decision. When a hero is selected, the unit grows in size and rotates slowly, it is visually stimulating!
Combat System: The map uses a unique system for combat. Damage values follow appropriately with any unit, but the armor values are all at the 0%, the standard Warcraft III armor values are percentage based, in this map though the armor values are a straight value. If you get hit for 10 damage and have 5 armor, you take only 5 damage. The armor value is not shown on the unit itself, but rather in the Multiboard.
Character Classes: The classes in this map closely resemble many RPGs, but it is difficult to deviate from what is tradition, so the map hasn't. The map has 14 functioning classes, but may so more as time progresses.. After the base are completeled and balance is relatively even, I will create additional classes that break out from the standard feel. The spells are done entirely in JASS allowing for multi-instances of spells and a great deal of efficency with no memory leaks. Although the spells and such are designed to make for the feel of most RPGs, the spells are designed around the basics of ideas, although some are very unique.
Terrain: The Terrain has been a constant struggle in this map. I am a perfectionist and the map has seen 3 Terrain artists and 4 overhauls. The current, and final version of the terrain yields credit to Krewl Rain of Clan TDG. The terrain previous to her work was very fitting for the map, but the size just resulted in too many problems. I would like to extend a very warm thank you to Millie and Lewt.
Summoned Pets: The summoned pets will automatically follow the hero. The unit will follow closely and automatically attack units which attack the hero. The pets follow a generic AI coded into the game. Unit's with abilities will automatically use them accordingly. This allows the Player to focus on their Hero primarly, instead of dealing with 2 units at the same time. Beware players...the pets can get you into troule!
Creep Respawn System: Forgot to put in one of the best features about this map, the creep respawn system allows for units to respawn in their original position. The JASS trigger is only about 150 characters long and it takes care of every unit. I've also encoded different respawn times for each area so units from different areas will take longer to respawn than other. Boss mobs will behave on their own system [re]spawn trigger.
Multiboard System: Much like a traditional Multiboard, the one in this map houses player data for the user to see. The armor of a unit is not displayed on the unit itself, so for a player to see this information it has been placed on the Multiboard. This is standard for most Multiboards in maps, but the unique feature in EQSagas is that the buffs are listed and recorded onto the Multiboard itself. This allows eliminates limitations given from the World Editor, and also gives a very nice twist to PvP combat. Enemy players can no longer see what buffs you have!
Save / Load Feature System: The system allows a user to save every aspect of their game experience with a code. The save / load features have been completely reworked. A simple -save will take all of your character's data and generate a code for you. The code saves quite a bit of data so please understand it may be lengthy. It saves your Hero, Hero's Level, Hero's Experience, Hero's Stats, Your resources, Your items, Your Backpack's items (Yes, all 18!), and it personalizes your code to your name for security. The length of the code is roughly 35-40 characters long.
Attribute System: Thanks to weaaddar's system players can customize their unit's stats. The stats are saved and loaded, this means no two heros will be alike. Each player will carry further uniqueness with their playing.
Backpack System: This system has been designed to allow users to carry 18 items in a backpack that are saved with their hero. The backpack can be recalled at any time to take out items at will. If the hero's inventory is full and they go to pick up an item, it will be automatically moved to their backpack. When saving all 18 items inside the backpack will be saved, including the 6 on the hero itself.
Equipment System: This is relatively simple, it allows for a user, depending on their class to only weild one weapon, one shield, one piece of armor, etc...
Experience System: The system allows for experience only in certain situations. Quests can yield experience, killing standard units can yield experience, but killing Boss units or unique spawns rewards players with the most experience. The system scales experience per level, more experience required for higher levels. Experience has a level range limit too, you can only be within certain levels of an enemy to receive experience. Ontop of that limit, there is an actual range (distance) measurement that also exists. You must be within a certain distance to gain experience.
Item Drop System: Coupled with the Experience system comes the Item Drop System. The two systems function together to give proper Experience and Items based on your hero's level and the enemy's level. Each unit can hold 10 (Subject to change for bosses) different items to drop and drop on a percentage based scale (1-100%). The system is written entirely in JASS and has a built in error system if anything should go wrong with it. The system is also completely leak free.
Buff System: This system allows for multiple buffs of the same type to stack. Now this does not mean that Flowing Thought I will stack with Flowing Thought II, but rather 3 types of Hitpoint regeneration spells can stack. The system is completely leak free, it handles every unit at the same time. The system has been redesigned from scratch 3 times now, and should finally function without error
Player vs Player (Coming Soon): Always a favorite subject, PvP combat. The game is setup to handle player versus player combat. The triggers all can allocate damage properly, to trigger the system you must unally via commands with other players. But beware, you won't be friendly to townsfolk. You also cannot go hostile with anyone at anytime, this would result in rampant killing when an ally gets low. You must be in town to go hostile with others. This will not initially provoke the guards, but after you attack another player, you will be seen as an enemy to the townsfolk. Hostility to townsfokl reset upon death.
And much much more...
, spells are a headache in map making.
