WIP Monoliths- The Divided Goal

Zack1996

Working on a Map
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68
Monolith.jpg

Map Basics
Size: 128 x 128 (Small)
Tileset: Ashenvale
Player Limit: 8 Human Players, 4 Computer Players
Match-up: FFA
Type: Hero Arena / Scenario
Current Stage: Alpha xD
Special Features: Creep Movement, Goal​

Background Story
After the destruction of the Four Main Mystical Monoliths, their magical energies disrupted the thoughts of the other creeps bound to lesser Monoliths. As a result, the creeps divided themselves into armies and started clashing against each other. You are one of the last heroes who can rebuild a Monolith and restore the unity between the creeps, can you do it? Or will you be crushed by the others who aim for the same glory?

The Original Monoliths
You can test the Blizzard version, its just in your Frozen Throne -> Scenario folder. I'll just explain the gameplay here:
In the Blizzard version of Monoliths, you select a melee game race. Based on how many players there are, you will face the same amount of creep enemies. Each creep owns a Monolith, which your team will has to destroy. The creeps basically have a simple Tech-Tree and is controlled by an AI, each of its units are from the basic Ashenvale creeps.
There are also Monolith Shards in the Blizzard Version. If picked up by a creep player, they gain lumber, allowing them to build a rather powerful defensive tower. If picked up by a player, it turns all the creeps players into enemies of each other, and gives some of their units to the Neutral Hostile player. This is where I got the idea of the creeps clashing.

Idea Behind the Map
Monoliths, does this name ring any bells? It should, because it was a map that Blizzard made in hopes of teaching mappers about the more advanced features of WC3 World Editor. However, it leaks and got boring after a while. After some weeks of planning, I have finally embarked on a new project three days ago. Note that the following are merely plans for the future.

Gameplay
The game is played similarly to any other hero arena, with some twists.
You start the game with a "Start Location" sort of thing. You then choose a hero (most of which come from the original version of Monolith, with JASS triggered spells). Your Start Location will turn into the building which fits the race of your hero.
There will also be 4 lesser Monoliths, each spawning a set of random creeps (they are determined at the beginning of the game), consisting of 1 Commander Creep with an aura, 3 melee creeps, 1 caster creep and 1 ranged creep. These creeps have no set path and will wander the forest in search of enemies. Your hero will gain EXP and Battle Points (its basically a form of score) when near a battle. Participating in a battle grants him more of the two stated points.

When you feel like ending the game/when your thrashing the enemies but feel that they will turn the tables around, you can take your hero to look for some Monolith Shards. They can be found on little critters that run around, you just need to take it form them. You can then charge the Shards by going near a lesser Monolith for 5~10 seconds (undecided). Simply bring the Monolith Shards to the middle of the map (marked by a Circle of Power) to place the Shards in a circle. You will have to gather 16 shards (4 charged by each Lesser Monolith) to end the game. The scores will then be tallied and the players will be ranked based on overall, monolith or battle points.
You gain Monolith Points whenever you do somthing Monolith related.

Charging Monolith Shards
Let's first take a look at this screenie, which shows a hero charging his Monolith Shards:
ChargingMyMonolith.jpg

As you can see, there is a Blue Lightning Effect between the hero and the Monolith, this shows that the hero is charging his shard. Charging is done by using the Monolith Shard item on a Lesser Monolith. The Link breaks if the hero dies or leaves the area (500), cancelling the charging.

Here's another screenie which I will use for more in-depth explanations.
Inventory.jpg

As you can see, the hero has 6 slots, all filled by icons representing Monoliths. Each of these slots are filled at the beginning, with their charges at '0'. The slots are as such:
1st slot- Neutral Monolith Shards
2nd slot- Monolith Charging Progress
3rd slot- Charged Monolith - Gray
4th slot- Charged Monolith - Light Blue
5th slot- Charged Monolith - Dark Green
6th slot- Charged Monolith- Brown
Whenever you acquire a Monolith Shard, you gain 1 charge for the item in your first charge. This is the one you use on the Monolith to charge. When you begin charging a Monolith Shard, you lose 1 charge for the item in the first slot. The item in the second slot also starts gaining charges, until it reaches 100. When it does, you gain a charge to the item which shares the same color as the Team Color of the Lesser Monolith you used to charge it.

The process takes about 5 seconds (might be changed).

Races
The creep races are ripped from Blizzard Entertainment's Monolith(aka Monolith: When Creeps Attack), since they were pretty good. They are as such:
Furbolgs
Satyrs
Wolves
Beasts
Dark Trolls
Spiders
Thunder Lizards

Plans and Progress
Progress
Progress is curretly fairly good, but temporarily slow.
An alpha version is downloadable at the bottom of the post.

Things Done

  • Randomly Generated Terrain
  • Monolith Spawning
  • 4 Heroes (UPDATE!)
  • Shard Charging System (5/09/09)
  • Creep Movement System [Improved] (04/10/09)
  • Battle EXP System [Grants EXP when you/someone else does damage] (25/09/09)
  • Revival/Hero Choosing System (03/10/09)
  • Regeneration System (03/10/09)
  • Critters and Shards :)

Plans for Beta
  • 7 Heroes
  • Monlith Shards and Winning Condition
  • Game Modes

Plans for the Future
  • Unit Help Hiring System
  • More Heroes

Screenies
LifeChain.jpg

LifeCycleChain.jpg

BurstingRoots.jpg

COB.jpg

FlamingLeash.jpg

FlashFire.jpg

WingMark.jpg

ClawMark.jpg

Credits
magIc_seeKer - Suggestions + Support
Blizzard Entertainment - Original Map Idea and Warcraft itself.
Bloodcount - Support, Ideas, Help
BlackRose - Support, Help, Testing, JASS Help, Beta Testing
Damage- Support, Suggestions, Beta Testing
FhelZone- Beta Testing
Damage- Beta Testing
Dragonson- Beta Testing, Support, Terraining
Tyrande_ma3x - Handle Counter

Comments are appreciated!

 

Zack1996

Working on a Map
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68
*bumping the buried thread*
Updated first post with more information and screenies of the new progress. Once again, feedback is awesome.
 

Bloodcount

Starcraft II Moderator
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Like, I said before, sounds promissing. Just don't give up half way through :)
 

BlackRose

Forum User
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239
Lol. Reminds me of Monolith Shard map thingy Blizzard had. And after reading it, it turns out it is BASED ON IT.. HAHA
 

Zack1996

Working on a Map
Reaction score
68
Like, I said before, sounds promissing. Just don't give up half way through :)
Thanks! I really appreciate all your support ever since I told you about the project :)
Lol. Reminds me of Monolith Shard map thingy Blizzard had. And after reading it, it turns out it is BASED ON IT.. HAHA
I really liked some of the concepts of that map and I decided to base something off it, since I already have some of the basic ideas thanks for Blizzard :D
Its supposed to be a sequel.
BTW, when did you realise it was based on it? The background story?
 

Zack1996

Working on a Map
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I hope that creating a continuation of a Blizzard map didn't kill the interest of half the world.

Anyway, I made a nice little Monolith Charging System. I hope that someone could look at it and comment :D
I came into 1 problem though, how do you make a Disabled Icon use itself as the Disabled Icon? Just look at the screenie under the "Charging Your Monolith Shards" spoiler. There's one showing an inventory with an item using a disabled icon (I thought it should be that way when charging wasn't occurring or something)
 

BlackRose

Forum User
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NO! I'm quite interested in this!

About the disabled icon:

Just insert the path of the disabled icon?
ReplaceableTextures\CommandButtonsDisabled\DISBTNxxxICONPATH

Although I hope you plan for an AI in later stages. Do you have Garena? Maybe when its almost playable I can test it with you xD
 

Zack1996

Working on a Map
Reaction score
68
NO! I'm quite interested in this!

About the disabled icon:

Just insert the path of the disabled icon?
ReplaceableTextures\CommandButtonsDisabled\DISBTNxxxICONPATH

Although I hope you plan for an AI in later stages. Do you have Garena? Maybe when its almost playable I can test it with you xD
Thanks for support :)
Anyway, I thought a disabled icon needed to have the same name as the base icon, except with "DIS" in front. So if I used a Disabled icon as the base icon, do I need to import the disabled icon and add a DIS in front? Making it DISDISBTNxxxx?

I did plan for a simple AI for the later parts of the game, and I do have Garena :D
I'll inform you and some others as soon as I manage a playable version.
 

BlackRose

Forum User
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Err.... just import the same icon twice, give one the normal path, and the other one the disabled path.
 

Zack1996

Working on a Map
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68
BUMP!
This isn't dead yet.
I was slacking, but I managed to make a Monolith Shard Charging System and a Creep Movement System (the party of creeps thing). Neither are polished yet though.

Thanks for the reply, BlackRose. I found a way around it (1 less import).
 

BlackRose

Forum User
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239
I'm guessing just placing BTN behind it as the only path.

EG:

BTNIcon.blp

Or just Icon.blp?

There better be some good eyecandy ^^
 

Zack1996

Working on a Map
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68
I haven't tested the icon thing, mainly due to my comp getting owned by a virus (its impossible to get rid of, so I'm currently reformatting the hard-drive). The map is safe though, don't worry :D

BTW, I'll try my best to do some eye-candy. I love those kinds of candy the most (the rest are usually too sweet or not sweet enough). The creeps (those computer controlled ones) will have triggered spells too, once I finish the basics.
 

Zack1996

Working on a Map
Reaction score
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Updated. Battle EXP system is completed.
2 new spells (and screenies) done :D

Also, people who help/comment will be sent previews of the map before the rest of the public knows about it! So comment :D
 

Zack1996

Working on a Map
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68
Would come later.

The creep AI is generally simple, just moving around and casting basic spells.

The hero AI, however, might take a while to implement. I have no experience with AI making so it'll take a while.
 

BlackRose

Forum User
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Random tip: Don't have too much imports, World Editor then takes forever to save :( I espescially hate "move, attack, patrol, etc." imported icons. They are stupid.
 

Zack1996

Working on a Map
Reaction score
68
Hopefully, I'll only import:
1) Loading Screen
2) Map Preview
3) Whatever JASS scripts that are useful
4) Essential Icons (I'll mod my spells to fit in-game icons, hopefully)

Anyway, I'll send you a new screenie soon. No explanation, that'll come tomorrow xD
 

Zack1996

Working on a Map
Reaction score
68
Made some progress: Finished the first hero. Started on the Second hero.

There is also a hero selection/revival system. I've also done the regeneration thing, but I shall not reveal it yet :D

Any comments are appreciated! Supporters will be credited and sent previews of the map before the rest.
 
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