Greetings,
First of all: I don't know if this has been done, or if any existing maps come close to it. Please let me know if either is the case.
An optional bit of background:
I've been trying to come up with an idea for a competitive map for a while now; a "competitive map" in the sense that part or all of the challenge in it is based on player actions so that the experience reflects how the map is played to improve replay value. The thing is that maps in which the challenge is based on the players' choices, such a TD's where players in some cases send mobs against each other, tend to be rather confined. For example, I wish to build a hero map, but if I choose to let the players do the mob spawning, the role of the heroes will have to be strictly defensive since I will surrender my influence on when, where and with what units the teams are attacked meaning I can't rely on progressive sequences where players fight their way through dungeons, bosses, etc. since those would pose unfairly ideal spots for massively built-up spawns from the opposite team. This tendency seems to be rather persistent.
As a consequence, I started looking into hybrids. In particular, RPG maps seem to offer a good base for non-repetitive maps since they allow for both freedom in choosing of general direction for the players and boundless possibilities for concrete challenges for them to overcome since I get to decide what happens where and when given a particular player-chosen path. However, this predestined nature implies very poor replay value since every playthrough will offer the same challenges, albeit in a potentially different order depending on player choices. Also, with no player-based challenges, enemies will be purely mobs - mobs chosen by me in advance, that is.
And so: How could one achieve a map, in this case a hero map, in which players can comprise challenges for each other while the gameplay still has more depth than what a single aspects like defense or PvP has to offer?
The idea is actually quite simple: Provide players with the classical choice of heroes and then drop each selected hero onto the battlefield on random places selected among a certain set of possible spawn points.
Player relationships will initially be neutral, and none will know where the other heroes are currently located. Once heroes meet, the player controlling one can propose an alliance with the other who can accept or decline. Once an alliance is made it offers the players shared vision and can be expanded by accepting more heroes into it. Any participant can leave his alliance without warning thus voiding the shared vision between him specifically and the rest of the group which remains allied.
Furthermore, any player can at any time opt to attack another causing a hostile relationship between attacker and attackee (which should probably affect alliances in which they participate as well - specifics to be determined).
So, heroes must make their alliance(s) themselves. How is this interesting?
Well, initially, players will probably race to achieve the highest level before encountering potentially hostile players, but sooner or later they will have to cooperate in order to complete more challenging tasks (large dungeons, hardcore bosses, special objectives requiring multiple participants). Ultimately, the players will have to comprise a large band in order to complete the game's main task (or one of several available main tasks - to be decided). At the very end of that task, only one player can achieve its goal. As a consequence, players will make alliances knowing that one of the participants will eventually be required to kill off his friends in order to complete the objective and win the game.
Thus, the main challenge in the game, aside from the obvious one of fighting through mobs, is figuring out when and where your allies are going to turn on you. This should certainly provide some pretty unpredictable gameplay from time to time!
What do you think? Is it feasible? Has it been done? Am I missing something vital about human psychology?
Thanks.
First of all: I don't know if this has been done, or if any existing maps come close to it. Please let me know if either is the case.
An optional bit of background:
I've been trying to come up with an idea for a competitive map for a while now; a "competitive map" in the sense that part or all of the challenge in it is based on player actions so that the experience reflects how the map is played to improve replay value. The thing is that maps in which the challenge is based on the players' choices, such a TD's where players in some cases send mobs against each other, tend to be rather confined. For example, I wish to build a hero map, but if I choose to let the players do the mob spawning, the role of the heroes will have to be strictly defensive since I will surrender my influence on when, where and with what units the teams are attacked meaning I can't rely on progressive sequences where players fight their way through dungeons, bosses, etc. since those would pose unfairly ideal spots for massively built-up spawns from the opposite team. This tendency seems to be rather persistent.
As a consequence, I started looking into hybrids. In particular, RPG maps seem to offer a good base for non-repetitive maps since they allow for both freedom in choosing of general direction for the players and boundless possibilities for concrete challenges for them to overcome since I get to decide what happens where and when given a particular player-chosen path. However, this predestined nature implies very poor replay value since every playthrough will offer the same challenges, albeit in a potentially different order depending on player choices. Also, with no player-based challenges, enemies will be purely mobs - mobs chosen by me in advance, that is.
And so: How could one achieve a map, in this case a hero map, in which players can comprise challenges for each other while the gameplay still has more depth than what a single aspects like defense or PvP has to offer?
The idea is actually quite simple: Provide players with the classical choice of heroes and then drop each selected hero onto the battlefield on random places selected among a certain set of possible spawn points.
Player relationships will initially be neutral, and none will know where the other heroes are currently located. Once heroes meet, the player controlling one can propose an alliance with the other who can accept or decline. Once an alliance is made it offers the players shared vision and can be expanded by accepting more heroes into it. Any participant can leave his alliance without warning thus voiding the shared vision between him specifically and the rest of the group which remains allied.
Furthermore, any player can at any time opt to attack another causing a hostile relationship between attacker and attackee (which should probably affect alliances in which they participate as well - specifics to be determined).
So, heroes must make their alliance(s) themselves. How is this interesting?
Well, initially, players will probably race to achieve the highest level before encountering potentially hostile players, but sooner or later they will have to cooperate in order to complete more challenging tasks (large dungeons, hardcore bosses, special objectives requiring multiple participants). Ultimately, the players will have to comprise a large band in order to complete the game's main task (or one of several available main tasks - to be decided). At the very end of that task, only one player can achieve its goal. As a consequence, players will make alliances knowing that one of the participants will eventually be required to kill off his friends in order to complete the objective and win the game.
Thus, the main challenge in the game, aside from the obvious one of fighting through mobs, is figuring out when and where your allies are going to turn on you. This should certainly provide some pretty unpredictable gameplay from time to time!
What do you think? Is it feasible? Has it been done? Am I missing something vital about human psychology?
Thanks.