So, I have an idea in my head for something new. And not for my current faction. This is something brand-spanking new. It's an idea I've had for a long time, though not necissarily for CC. I just recently realized it'd work fine in CC though. So, I figure I'll blather about it here a bit, to gain my bearings and maybe get feedback (now's your chance CandleJack!).

The faction is called the Flux. They're a "race" of sorts, beings made of spheres of pure energy. I don't have huge details on their origins, but in a way I don't think I ever will. They're trans-dimensional beings that come out of rifts in space and time. They don't talk or emote in any way. They just harvest resources to fuel themselves in our plane, and destroy anything in their path.

The functional purpose of them is to go for this "zerg rush" feel. Getting a whole bunch of them and just rushing like crazy, with no real tactics but to overrun through sheer numbers. So far I've got a few units planned out. The standard unit would be a "berserker" unit: a ball of fiery energy that just speeds towards enemies and burns them with very short-ranged attacks, and then explode when they die (or, really, whenever they feel like it). A couple support units would be one with a slow-firing long ranged attack, which is weak by itself but can be effective in numbers, as well as a flying, hovering thing that drops "gravity" bombs on things below it. Also, there'd be a "gatherer" unit that would have an "attack" akin to a digger.

Really, the units themselves aren't really the issue. The issue is how you get them. Since they're such a "swarm" faction, I kinda don't want to have it so you just buy units a few at a time. Rather, I'd like to set up some way in which perhaps you order one stationary spawn point that then proceeds to spew forth some number of them. Basically, you "order" a space-rift, or a giant energy ball that the separate from, or something. This is the major part I want to get worked out if I'm actually going to make this faction.

As far as the spriting goes, this mod would actually be really easy. Every unit is just a singular object with no real moving parts. The only challenge would be actually animating them so they look like they're flowing and pulsing with energy. Also, pretty explosions.

Will o' Wisp invasion. Sounds like fun.
Perhaps you can make them appear like the zombies in that old zombie mod. Although having them come from the sky might be pretty, like falling stars.

Bah, it sounds like an interesting idea, but CC doesn't really seem to have the capability to manage any number of actors, at least in the current build.

I recall reading in an official post or advertisement somewhere that CC is "squad-based", but this is largely denied by the fact that "squads" are generally composed of stepladders of exploding meat. I dunno how the AI would handle a swarm faction, and it seems like it might be tedious for the player.

But, the lightning ball dudes idea is a new one. It might be worthwhile to implement that, and leave large scale stuff to later? You could, of course, do it like a zombie mod, but... if they're based around resource gathering, how would they harvest resource?

As I said though, could be interesting. Just the engine limitations to get in the way, and in CC these are there to be bypassed for the most part. Plus, what with the Darklones, you're probably one of the people on these forums with enough experience to do something nonstandard.

On that note, how do you plan to organize these things, so far as AI, management, etc. goes?

Hm, I was almost thinking you went inside my head and grabbed what I was thinking...
I was thinking of an alien faction too, but its entirely different. Thank goodness. ; P


Anyways sounds good, but the thing is that zerg-rush kind of faction will need to have lots of units on the battlefield at a time. Now, since they are going to be AHuman, having tons of them on a level could start the lag-chain that usually ends up with several units exploding and finally your brain. And this idea pretty much promotes it.

Also from reading I see you want the player to be able to access them and play as them too.
Not sure how would single player manage doing such a thing... probably by assinging every flux he has to Go-To to the brain. And that is something that will make it feel like the player is working rather than playing because he's mostly busy assigning every unit to do something. And also that they are weak by themselves and die easily which forces you to create more flux all the time, it makes it even more nasty.

Well, if all else fails... remember my "zombie mod" I wanted to do? The Flux is kinda taking over that in my brain at the moment. So, I could try to make a scene where you fight them, so just the computer handles them.

As far as the player handling them goes though... I say "zerg rush" style faction, but that doesn't necissarily mean that you'll be dealing with 20 of them at a time. More like 5 at a time most likely. Also, I plan to use ACrabs for the ground-based units. Invisible legs so they look like they're hovering a bit.

Also, Numgun, I don't agree that people would find it un-fun. Really, I plan on these units to be treated like sentient projectiles, more than actual long-term units. You just make them and send them on their way, with a few other directly controlled units to back them up. Heck, I thought Final Fantasy XII would be boring at first, but then ended up having fun when I realized that the fun was in the planning, and watching your guys execute your plans.

This game IS part RTS, after all. I want to see if I can't capture that.

Maybe for the swarming effect you could use something like this. That way the wouldn't collide with each other, which increases they chances of surviving in group attacks and all.

Problem is, they need to be hittable by something. Or else how would you stop them?

I figure if I make them really hard to gib, they won't have a huge problem with hitting each other, since their body will be the only part that collides with anything.

I need to start working on this and see where it goes.

From what I understood, and I could be tremendously wrong (moding ignorant and all), they hit and get hit by everything that doesn't have those changes including gun fire.

On the other hand I'm quite a noob as I previously stated, so don't take my thoughts to serious.

If they're HitsMOs = 0, then they won't hit each other.

But if they hit something that's HitsMOs = 1, then they'll collide normally.

And; for the berserker units, why not make them something like the homing missile?

Why not just make them all homing missiles that use emitters to float and bring death?

Flotation emitters are very unstable perhaps?

Hrm... Couldn't it just be AHumans with null sprites for the most part and a emitter flash attached to the body? Have it emit smaller versions of itself (homing actors) and slowly decreasing HP. Shooting it raises its HP and allows it to swarm you with its babies more, which brings up the other thing, have it emit semi-lethal particles so two of them together can "charge" each other, but kill anything other then another energy based being.

Now for the babies, if it doesn't die, and it takes some hits, it has a chance to become a mature flux...

What if you make them kind of like those evil ascended beings(can't spell the name) from stargate? The flux them selves wouldn't fight, but they'd have super charged followers. You could also have a unit kind of like Anubis(also from stargate). This would of course need to be tweaked to match CC.

I went through all that code ♥♥♥♥ for nothing.

I said, Body Core = 0 HitMOS, and 1 GetByHitMOS and it'll phase through other Moids with it, BUT can still get hit.


Do I have to post TestDumps, >.<! Do you believe, now! Done within 10 minutes, the editing ( Cropping and recoloring ) and uploading ( Glaring at MediaFire ) occupied most of the time.

This is an easy as hell edit, I had to change one variable.

While inside the yellow Moid, I shot him in the cheek, his body is in the box.

The two cock-ups' names are Schlong, the thing is easy to do and shame on you if you don't get it, or can't do the EASIEST GAME EDIT EVAR!!!

damn cool. i think you should use craft that have wounds that emit one of these and some sparkles, and make your little workers have to spawn them. though if you shot one of the "rifts" with a digger it would cause insanity/lag. i like the idea of them being very unstable though, like if you were shooting at one of the berserkers he would release fireballs everywhere, and on death (caused by gibbing from wounds (when HP=1 - calculate it - or crushing) a sparkly explosion would occur. i can see the berserkers as red, spikeyer entities, and the harvesters as smoother ones that fade from blue through green.
these babies need to glow please