Unit Converter

[R5L25CPS]

Hello everybody,
I have been lurking this site (and its forums) for some day and (finally) today I've joined.

I joined firstly because I wanted to submit a map ("Unit Converter").

In reality it's not a complete/playable map but only a test for a "device" I implemented.

A Unit Converter is a device (usually displayed as a set of circle of powers) that lets a player to "convert" its units into other units of equivalent level.

For example, if you put in the Unit Converter a footman (level 2), a rifleman (level 3) and a knight (level 4) you can see in the preview of the unit converter a random level 9 (2 + 3 + 4) unit.

If you confirm your choice by putting one of your heroes into another "confirmation" circle of power, your old units (footman + rifleman + knight) are removed and the new unit is yours.

I have put some work and some time into the realization of this device, anyway not that it has been completed I have no good ideas for new maps based on it.

Please, give me some hint. Either on new maps using the Unit Converter or on ways to improve it.

P.S. The "Unit Converter" map has been uploaded to this site some minute ago.

 

[RH.Vol]

Nice idea my fellow friend ^^

I look forwards to see for good work from you

 

[imported_Bort]

sounds like it could be a useful ability for some maps, not sure exactly which ones, not that difficult to make tho..
Also, could you theoretically put in 5 footmen and come out with a red dragon? coz i mean... thats not that fair. A lv10 creep is much more powerful than 5 level 2 units.
You might need to look into stuff like this.

Bort

 

[R5L25CPS]

sounds like it could be a useful ability for some maps, not sure exactly which ones, not that difficult to make tho..

I've already realized that the Unit Converter as a device (look in Maps section for "Unit Converter" (Misc section)), while I don't know if it would be useful to have it as an ability (too powerful, at least the way I've implemented it).

The real problem is, which kind of maps it can be used?
These days I was thinking about two possibilities:

1) "Unit Converter Defense": you have a Unit Converter and some building that generates lvl 1 units, the you can convert them to more powerful units to defend your town. (You can think also to upgrade the Unit Converter during the game (e.g. initially you have a UC that can make almost lvl4 units, while after some wave of enemies you can get a UC that can make almost lvl6 units, etc.));

2) some kind of melee map where every player has a Unit Converter and a lvl1 unit generator that he can convert to get more powerful units to use for creeping and against the other players. (A possible extension: the money get from the creeps can be used to upgrade the UC).

Also, could you theoretically put in 5 footmen and come out with a red dragon? coz i mean... thats not that fair. A lv10 creep is much more powerful than 5 level 2 units.
You might need to look into stuff like this.
Bort

At the moment the behavior of the Unit Converter is exactly what you describe: you put in 5 lvl2 units and you get a lvl10 unit (e.g. a black dragon). Anyway consider that, for the map author, the Unit Converter is configurable: you can decide the maximum level of the converted unit (e.g. you can make a UC that only produces, at most, level 5 units).

For example in the map "Unit Converter", there's a Unit Converter that can produce up to level 10 units, while there's another one that can produce up to level 8 units.
In addition that's a UC that can only convert enemy units (this makes me think to another way to use the UC: a kind of large-scale possession).

 

[R5L25CPS]

Also, could you theoretically put in 5 footmen and come out with a red dragon? coz i mean... thats not that fair. A lv10 creep is much more powerful than 5 level 2 units.
You might need to look into stuff like this.

Bort

Ok, I've modified the Unit Converter (and submit "Unit Converter 1.1" in Misc section of Maps area) so that the calculation of the level of the converted unit is (optionally) customizable and, when the default is used, is performed by substracting half of the number of the units to convert from the sum of the level of the units to convert (i.e. converting 5 footmen you get a level 8 unit (5 (footmen) * 2 (footman level) - 5/2 = 10 - 2 = 8 ).

 

[R5L25CPS]

Also, could you theoretically put in 5 footmen and come out with a red dragon? coz i mean... thats not that fair. A lv10 creep is much more powerful than 5 level 2 units.
You might need to look into stuff like this.

Bort

Ok, I've modified the Unit Converter (and submit "Unit Converter 1.1" in Misc section of Maps area) so that the calculation of the level of the converted unit is (optionally) customizable and, when the default is used, is performed by substracting half of the number of the units to convert from the sum of the level of the units to convert (i.e. converting 5 footmen you get a level 8 unit (5 (footmen) * 2 (footman level) - 5/2 = 10 - 2 = 8 ).