Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic (More info?)
Thanks to some fellow authors on UseNet for helping develop these ideas over the years.
I turned off wordwrap, so it might look awkward. Sorry for the inconvenience. Please feel free to copy and paste to your favorite document editor.
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This feature I refer to as "Pro-Strat".
Pro-Strat replaces the nearly useless speed control with a simple, attractive method for unleashing strategy content in real time strategy. All of the mechanics are implemented in Total Annihilation. Proven technologies which can be plugged into most current real time strategy games, served on a silver platter to your favorite computer strategy game maker.
....Nothing is removed from the typical real time strategy game, except the speed control.
....Standard real time strategy resources such as food, lumber, and gold are collected as usual.
....The startup situation is unchanged.
....Energy bars are added, one for each player, which look/act exactly like the energy meters in Total Annihilation.
....During the game. Instead of player built sources (like Total Annihilation solar collectors) filling the energy bars, a pregame setting fills them at the same predetermined rate for all players. At the same time, unit activity (like Total Annihilation Hawks in flight) drains the energy bars.
....The game computes energy flow into each bar minus total energy costs for that player's unit activity, increasing or decreasing the energy level of his (or her) bar.
....When an energy bar bottoms out, that player's units temporarily stop and start with hysteresis like in Total Annihilation.
Various possible energy/activity condition scenarios.
....Certain types of units stop first when your energy bar hits zero.
....Queued orders for stopped units are canceled.
....Units slow to a crawl exponentially as your energy bar reaches zero.
....Unit speed is determined by the ratio of energy inflow versus outflow.
The three pregame energy bar settings are these.
....Rate of energy flow into the bars. Rate of energy flow effects prolonged activity during the game.
....Maximum capacity. Maximum capacity effects changes in activity during the game.
....Start-up energy level. Start-up level is determined by start of game activity, probably beginning at zero since rate of energy flow into the bars can handle start of game activity in most start-up positions.
Also possible is for builder units to use energy when constructing and fighting units to use energy when in combat/firing.
Unlike other attempts to tame the RTS beast, Pro-Strat provides intuitive control of strategy content in real time strategy gaming.
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User Editable Starting Area Terrain:
The featureless starting area where a real time strategy game begins is for building a base. The concept of user editable starting area terrain means allowing a player to edit that featureless starting area terrain. When the game starts, all players who have chosen to use edited starting area terrain have that plonked down immediately in place of the usual featureless starting area terrain. Like custom maps, edited starting area terrain can be shared over the Internet.
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Rallying:
An idle unit assumes the same role as a same type unit within view.
Thanks to some fellow authors on UseNet for helping develop these ideas over the years.
I turned off wordwrap, so it might look awkward. Sorry for the inconvenience. Please feel free to copy and paste to your favorite document editor.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This feature I refer to as "Pro-Strat".
Pro-Strat replaces the nearly useless speed control with a simple, attractive method for unleashing strategy content in real time strategy. All of the mechanics are implemented in Total Annihilation. Proven technologies which can be plugged into most current real time strategy games, served on a silver platter to your favorite computer strategy game maker.
....Nothing is removed from the typical real time strategy game, except the speed control.
....Standard real time strategy resources such as food, lumber, and gold are collected as usual.
....The startup situation is unchanged.
....Energy bars are added, one for each player, which look/act exactly like the energy meters in Total Annihilation.
....During the game. Instead of player built sources (like Total Annihilation solar collectors) filling the energy bars, a pregame setting fills them at the same predetermined rate for all players. At the same time, unit activity (like Total Annihilation Hawks in flight) drains the energy bars.
....The game computes energy flow into each bar minus total energy costs for that player's unit activity, increasing or decreasing the energy level of his (or her) bar.
....When an energy bar bottoms out, that player's units temporarily stop and start with hysteresis like in Total Annihilation.
Various possible energy/activity condition scenarios.
....Certain types of units stop first when your energy bar hits zero.
....Queued orders for stopped units are canceled.
....Units slow to a crawl exponentially as your energy bar reaches zero.
....Unit speed is determined by the ratio of energy inflow versus outflow.
The three pregame energy bar settings are these.
....Rate of energy flow into the bars. Rate of energy flow effects prolonged activity during the game.
....Maximum capacity. Maximum capacity effects changes in activity during the game.
....Start-up energy level. Start-up level is determined by start of game activity, probably beginning at zero since rate of energy flow into the bars can handle start of game activity in most start-up positions.
Also possible is for builder units to use energy when constructing and fighting units to use energy when in combat/firing.
Unlike other attempts to tame the RTS beast, Pro-Strat provides intuitive control of strategy content in real time strategy gaming.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
User Editable Starting Area Terrain:
The featureless starting area where a real time strategy game begins is for building a base. The concept of user editable starting area terrain means allowing a player to edit that featureless starting area terrain. When the game starts, all players who have chosen to use edited starting area terrain have that plonked down immediately in place of the usual featureless starting area terrain. Like custom maps, edited starting area terrain can be shared over the Internet.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rallying:
An idle unit assumes the same role as a same type unit within view.
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