Project Announcement & One-Page Design Doc ver_0.1

Hello Everyone,

I am Huijie from CMU ETC, I am taking an independent study about strategy games, which is one of my favorite genres!

I will explore, design, and make a strategy game here!

Progress so far:

After I collected & organize different strategy games that I had played, I would like to show the current One-Page Design Doc of the game in my mind. StoneWorld will be a Strategy Game with Tower-Defense,  Deck-Building, and Roguelite Elements. 

What this post is about:

• Announcement of this in-development project
• Record the first version of my One-Page-Design-Doc at the beginning of this post.

Things to do next:

• Start coding the prototype of basic Tile System, Enemy System, Basic UI, and Tower System. 
• Then Fill & Update the One-Page Design Doc.

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Reference of strategy games I like: (For those who may be interested)

FrankenStorm TD: Prologue: TD + Mazing + Roguelite

[Tower Defense]                                                  

[Mazing] (Patrol-Points for enemies)

[Roguelite]: Replayability:

• Randomness 
  • Different add-ons(buff combined with debuff) each round 
    • Buff & debuff relations may be changed depending on the build
  • Number Randomness: +xx% attack -xx% speed
• ‘Lite’ & Positive Progress: Add-ons can be purchased after the battle, so they can be taken to the future battle permanently(limited slots)

[Type of enemies & towers]: Only 1 type of tower and 1 type of enemy at the beginning. This can be changed via add-ons.

• Tower
  • Extra Projectile/Range/Explosion Radius/Damage/Speed, some debuff
  • Do Area Damage, some debuff
  • Ultimate Range, enemies will ignore the maze
• Enemy
  • +Health, -Speed
  • +Speed, -Health
  • -Health, - Speed, Ignore Maze

Gems TD & a lot of similar TD in war3: TD + Maze + randomness

Towers can be upgraded by merging. The tower you get each round is randomly generated

Loop Heroes: Roguelite+ Deck Build

[Roguelite]: Replayability

• Randomness
  • Different enemies/buildings → both extra benefits & danger
• Lite & Positive Progress: Extra power-ups can be purchased via the gathered resource.
• Choose when to leave: 30% resource if die in battle, 100% if leave at camp. The resource can be taken out of the battle for permanent power-ups.

Warriors of the Nile: Turn-Based Tactics + Roguelite

RPG Elements (3 people team: warrior + mage + ranger with different builds)

Into the Breach: Turn-Based Tactics + Roguelike

• Pre-Customized Build (Squad) with in-game power-ups
• Known Enemy action for the problem-solving & chess experience
• Simple Number for each status (Compared to RPG)
• Terrian Mechanic(damage, special effect, blocking enemies from spawning)

Faster Than Light: Strategy + Roguelike

Survival(Resource Management) + RTS(Unit Management) + Customized Spaceship

Disgaea: Turn-Based Tactics + RPG

Role-Playing Progression

Bad North: RTS + Tile-Based

Using Tile is easier in the development compared to SC2, War3. etc

Starcraft 2: RTS

Different Modes: COOP, Campaign, PvP

Circle Empires: RTS

Different Modes: COOP, PvP, Conquer, Boss Hunt, Defending, etc

Experience System: Get Experience by “Attack” Behavior

Using Circles instead of a big map

Dungeon 3: RTS + TD + Mazing

• Ground & Underground, 2 different levels on the same map
• Randomness
  • The excitement when exploring a mystery area of underground
    • Finding Resource(Mines location is random compared to SC2?)
    • Possible Enemies & Nests

Dungeon Warfare: Progression + TD + Physics

Towers can be upgraded before the battle

Award After each battle

Orcs Must Die: TPS ARPG + TD + Physics

3D version of Dungeon Warfare

TPS & Build with heroes, equipment, units, traps

Dwerve: Top-Down ARPG + Adventure + TD

The character can build Tower during the battle with limited resource

Art of War Red Tides: RTS/TD + PvP(1v1 - 3v3)

Build buildings that will produce units automatically, destroy the opponent’s tower

This is common in War3, Sc2, Dota 2’s Customized maps

SC2 Battlegrounds: RTS + Auto-Chess

Merge cards, the card is a combination of different units and be able to produce more units in the game according to its functionality, RTS-Control all of your units and fight with the opponent.

Clash Royale: TD + Deck Build

Castle Cardians: RTS + TD + Deck Build

Side-Scrolling, Resource Management, Two-ways of enemies, Defending Waives, 

Deck Build of Building + Units + Magic

Age of Darkness: Final Stand: RTS + TD

Mindustry: Resource Management + TD + Building Pipeline

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Things to think about

Roguelike:

Replayability, Randomness, Different Builds, Player Skills & Learning Curve,

Roguelite:

Extra Replayability and naive-friendly by permanent power-ups.

Problems about randomness & build:

Ex: SC2 COOP

Random Mutations VS Weekly Fixed Mutations

Uncertainty(lead to an all-rounder build) VS prepared build & commander collaboration 

How to provide players a satisfying experience(instead of upset them with the ‘bad’ randomness? → uncertainty vs strategy planning)

Ex: Can not make the build “complete”

Pseudorandomness？

Ex: Explore mystery items VS So many Wiki nowadays

Should there be a built-in index? Are they public to the player at the beginning or need to be unlocked during the gameplay?

Progression & Replability

Can tower/items able to be upgraded? In a way of Resource Management?

Will the level or power-ups be generated randomly?

Will there be different builds to solve one problem?

Will the player’s skill matter? How?

Does replayability matter?