Omnimaga
Calculator Community => Discontinued => Major Community Projects => S.A.D. (Seek and Destroy) => Topic started by: Hot_Dog on July 05, 2010, 05:35:50 pm
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Although the Tosonians are completely spiritual, they have the abilitiy to take on solid form. With the start of the Tosonian War, they were forced to build solid ships and buildings in order to combat the Humans/Ptaloids.
The spiritual characteristics of Tosonians are expressed in their technology. First and foremost, they have the ability to change their one unit on-the-fly, without requiring the use of structures. Tosonians cannot teleport, but with the aid of upgraded "Operation Centers", their unit can become "like the wind" and travel from one end to the other. In this form, the Tosonian unit is invulnerable to all but defense, yet is therefore unable to attack anything. In addition, the unit requires time to travel, unlike teleportation (which is instant).
With the exception of the Degruser (being a Tosonian invention), all Tosonian ships are air vessels. Incidentally, a Tosonian unit cannot become a Degruser "on the fly."
Many Tosonian buidings reside in the air, and for an unknown reason are accompanied by a muddy ground beneath them. These buildings have high HP, and can only be attack by air weapons, but their armor is vulnerable to Argos.
Tosonian Buildings and ships make extensive use of oxygen (though buildings are not organic), and thus Tosonians require a second resource. Not only is oxygen required as part of the flat price of a building or ship, but buildings require a constant supply of oxygen. Resource buildings for oxygen can be built anywhere on the map. In addition, the huge price means powerful units, and thus the Tosonians are the "Protoss" of S.A.D.
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wow nice idea I like it :)
About the oxygen, will the buildings energy drop gradually when oxygen is low?
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About the oxygen, will the buildings energy drop gradually when oxygen is low?
Either that (for instance, a building with less oxygen might take longer to do something, such as fire) or at the first sign of low energy the building requiring the least oxygen will shut down, providing full oxygen to the rest of the buildings
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aaaah ok I see ^^
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Tosonians can change their unit type on-the-fly, meaning without the aid of an Operation Center or Transformation Gateway. This gives them an advantage in that they can change their strategy quickly without having to retreat to one of their bases. However, there are a some rules if the Tosonian player changes on the fly:
1. A Tosonians cannot add or subtract units from his group when the player exchanges this way. Each and every unit must be changed into the new unit the player wants. If the player does not have enough units "on hold" to do this, he must buy them.
2. Transformation on-the-fly requires 5 seconds as opposed to the normal 2.5 seconds with the help of other buildings. This may change for better or for worse after balance testing.
3. On-the-fly transformation can only occur with air units. The Tosonians have 7-8 air units and 2 ground units, so a Tosonian group of air units cannot become a group of ground units on-the-fly, and vice-versa.
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Basically, you need the exact same amount of units of a kind as the currently used one, right?
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Basically, you need the exact same amount of units of a kind as the currently used one, right?
Exactly. If you have 10 Tosonian units of one kind, and you want to transform away from certain buildings, you can't get 0-9 or 11-25 of the new unit you want. It has to be 10.
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Ok cool, thanks for the info :)
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PURIFIER
Tosonians require pure oxygen for their ships and structures as much as they do Belthium Crystals, so a purifier "mines" oxygen from the air. Purifiers can be built anywhere that a normal structure can be built. In addition, they mine oxygen faster than refineries mine crystals, and can have additional processing nodes constructed for them (just like refineries).
Tosonian structures, except for "Operation Centers/Transformation Gateways," other purifiers and refineries require a constant supply of oxygen. All buildings consume oxygen at the same rate. If there is not enough oxygen to run every building, a building chosen (starting from least important) will be shut down.
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I like the concept, it makes things more realistic and I like how some races got different ressources
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CYCLONE
The cyclone is the Tosonian engineer. Like most Tosonian units, the Cyclone flies, giving the Tosonians a slight advantage for island resources. However, cyclones cannot cloak, nor can they research cloak. Also, cyclones start out moving slow, requiring an upgrade for speed. However, they can construct buildings from longer distances.
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SAGH'VAH
The Sagh'vah is part of the reason that I allowed air units to be built so early in the game for the humans, and why I allowed Galbonians to attack air units...the Sagh'vah is the Tosonian gunship, essientially its version of the "Raptor" and the "Protar"
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Nice again :D
Will upgrading the cyclone also increase the speed at which they build structures?
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No, upgrading the cyclone will not increase that particular speed. A cyclone always builds at the same rate that a Scouter and Creeper do.
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Aaah ok, thanks for the info :)
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HAWK / STAR TANK
I will upload images later.
The Hawk / Star Tank is like the Viking in Starcraft II, even though I didn't intend it. The Hawk is the Tosonian's air superiority unit, and the Star Tank is the Tosonian ground-to-ground unit. Both can be detectors (when researched), both can switch from one to the other (when researched), and the Star Tank can hold plasma torpedoes (when researched).
Also, the Hawk can be transformed to another unit on-the-fly. The Star Tank can only be recieved either at an "Operation Center/Transformation Gateway," or by changing Hawks to Star Tanks. Star Tanks cannot transform on-the-fly.
DEGRUSER
Since the Degruser was invented by the Tosonians, they have this unit available to them. Degrusers cannot transform on-the-fly.
Tosonian Degrusers do not have photon torpedoes or mines. They do, however, have the deflector shield that the Human Raptor owns. Tosonian Degrusers also have an electron shield that bounces ANY shot (including the Degruser's own fire power) in the opposite direction it was fired. The shot will lose half its power (rounded down) when bounced back. The deflector shield is a deterioating upgrade and requires sephrane gas (and the enemy won't know it's in use). The the electron shield will last until destroyed and is a refillable upgrade.
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EXCAVATOR
The Excavator is the Tosonian Refinery.
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VASHORIN WORMHOLE
This is one of the unique Tosonian buildings. A Tosonian player can, for a price, use this building to open a wormhole to any acceptable, explored area on the map. The wormhole takes time to power up (for right now, 10 seconds), and a warning will sound similar to "Nuclear Launch Detected." Something like "Wormhole Detected." The Tosonian player reaches his destination by going to the building and teleporting.
This leaves the enemy a choice...either destroy the wormhole end to keep the Tosonian player from getting through, or use it himself to reach the Tosonian player (since it's a two-way wormhole). However, the Tosonian player can shut the wormhole off as soon as he wants, so if he is able to get his forces through the wormhole and turn it off before the enemy reaches it, the Tosonian player gains the advantage.
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RCASIS AND CHASLER
The Tosonian Operation Center and Transformation Gateway. The Rcasis can only be destroyed with Plasma Torpedoes.
You will probably notice that this "transformation gateway" is smaller than other races. Actually, I'm cutting down the size of several sprites (including the Human Transformation Gateway) to avoid cramped space, as well as save some calculator memory
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POINT DEFENSE / ANTI-AIR DEFENSE
The Anti-Air Defense of the Tosonians can detect units.
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VASHORIN WORMHOLE
This is one of the unique Tosonian buildings. A Tosonian player can, for a price, use this building to open a wormhole to any acceptable, explored area on the map. The wormhole takes time to power up (for right now, 10 seconds), and a warning will sound similar to "Nuclear Launch Detected." Something like "Wormhole Detected." The Tosonian player reaches his destination by going to the building and teleporting.
This leaves the enemy a choice...either destroy the wormhole end to keep the Tosonian player from getting through, or use it himself to reach the Tosonian player (since it's a two-way wormhole). However, the Tosonian player can shut the wormhole off as soon as he wants, so if he is able to get his forces through the wormhole and turn it off before the enemy reaches it, the Tosonian player gains the advantage.
Nice, it's like the Nydus Canals, except the enemy can use it.
As for the others, pretty nice too. I see you worked a lot on buildings and units lately. Glad to see this project is still going strong.
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FIRESTONE
This is a building unique to Tosonians, and is one of the few Tosonian buildings that is not a "hovering/flying" building.
The firestone is similar to the Degruser's mines. However, it can always, always be seen, it deals much more damage and has more HP, and the only way it can be detonated is if people manually fly into it. (The pathfinder for automatic movement will avoid these mines) Thus, it's not meant to be a surprise trap as much as to keep your enemy on his toes, because once your enemy switches to manual movement and firing (which if you don't use in S.A.D., you'll lose), he's vulnerable to the mines.
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FOG MACHINE
Except for having the same amount of high HP and sitting on the ground, the Fog Machine is the exact opposite of the Human Watchtower. Instead of uncovering fog, it creates permanent, uncoverable fog, making it perfect for hiding buildings. In addition, a Tosonian player can pay a price in crystals and place a small area of fog anywhere, including inside a player's base! (Like the Watchtower's line-of-sight ability, this fog remains until the player pays crystals to move the fog to another area) All fog generated by the machine disappears when the building is destroyed, except for fog already on the map in the first place.
EDIT: The fog machine will also be covered up inside of the fog that it creates
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Interesting. Will there be a way to get rid of the fog with detectors and the like? I like the idea actually. In SC I loved to play tricks on the enemy player. In SC2 case, my favorite is to send a bunch of infestors in his base, which can move while burrowed, then shoot plenty of eggs to spawn infested terrans. ANother cheaper trick is with roaches, but it doesn't work too well with Terran, since roaches can't attack in the air and terran can lift most of their buildings.
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Interesting. Will there be a way to get rid of the fog with detectors and the like?
Probably not. Remember that most Tosonian Buildings reside in the air (and I forgot that when I worked on some of the graphics), so detector uncovery gives Reclaudas and Hawks an unfair advantage (since they can attack Tosonian Air Buidings). Right now, the way to get rid of the fog is to destroy the fog machine. Even though it is not visible, one can figure out where the fog machine is by looking for the "center" of the fog.
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Aaah ok I see now. Thanks for the info :)
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Wow, I missed this topic. :(
Looks great! I like the idea of the Fog Machine especially. Nice job! ;D
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Wow, I missed this topic. :(
Looks great! I like the idea of the Fog Machine especially. Nice job! ;D
Thanks! Anyways, you didn't miss much. The Ptaloids and (especially) the Tosonians still have a ways to go.
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BORCE
The Borce is the Tosonian Artillery Unit. It can be upgraded with extended range. Also, it can switch to a mode that allows it to attack with a greater radius and more fire power (letting it kill more ships or buildings at once). However, like Starcraft Siege Tanks, this "siege mode" is slower and has a minimum range, and Borces take time to switch between modes. Borces CAN move in the "siege mode," though they are slower when they use it.
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TOSONIANS
No, we are not talking about the Tosonian Faction in this case. We are talking about actual Tosonians. That is, the spiritual beings themselves.
Tosonians, when used as an S.A.D. unit, are quite unique. They have no attack of their own, but are rather used as "finders of opportunity." They are "cloaked," since they are spiritual beings, but they can be attacked and detected.
The Tosonians warriors have 4 abilities they can use, two of which must be researched. When it is time to use the ability, every single Tosonian in your group is lost, with one exception. Furthermore, even though the abilities are worth it, Tosonian warriors are somewhat expensive and have low HP. Thus you must be certain to find the right opportunity to use them rather than spamming and wasting them--and careful micro is needed.
Be aware that the more Tosonians you have grouped together, the better chance you have of reaching your goal. After all, if even ONE Tosonian makes it safely to an opportune spot, you can at least morph it.
Plant Spy: A player can place ONE tosonian at a time on an unoccupied tile, which will uncover a small (probably 4 tiles) area of fog of war. A spy can be attacked, but cannot be detected. This ability must be researched.
Capture Units: This ability must also be researched. Tosonians can take over units in an enemy group of units, one enemy unit for each Tosonian. Any leftover Tosonians are destroyed. Furthermore, this ability cannot be used on Capital ships. A Tosonian can use any abilities available to the captured units, whether the enemy researched the abilities or not.
Morph into Talec Yes, just like "Zerg" morph. Tosonians can morph into a single Talec, which resides underground and attacks anything in its radius. Once the Talec goes into the ground, it becomes part of the tilemap (and is, essentially, a "building") and cannot be moved. Like the Tosonian Spies, Talecs can be attacked, but not detected. In addition, the moment the Talec is underground, the Tosonian player is free to use other units. This ability does not need to be researched.
Morph into Malec Tosonians can choose to morph into a single Malec, which resides underground and attacks any Operation Centers (or equivalent) in its radius, without the need for Plasma Torpedoes. (Since the radius is huge, it probably will not be uncommon for a Tosonian player to snipe two or more Operation Centers using this method.) Once the Malec goes into the ground, it becomes part of the tilemap (and is, essentially, a "building") and cannot be moved. Like the Tosonian Spies and Talecs, Malecs can be attacked, but not detected. In addition, the moment the Malec is underground, the Tosonian player is free to use other units. This ability does not need to be researched.
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Interesting. Is the Talec kinda like the Zerg lurkers?
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Interesting. Is the Talec kinda like the Zerg lurkers?
Exactly, except that it can't move to a different location and it can't be detected. The Talec was certainly inspired by the lurkers, and I almost drew "spines" 8)
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Aaah ok and yeah :D
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COMMAND SHIP
It's probably very appropriate that the last of "my" ships (with Matthias working on the Xoas) is the most powerful unit in S.A.D.--The Tosonian Command ship. Since the Tosonians have expensive, powerful units, the Command Ship is the most powerful of the capital ships.
The Command Ship does not have the ability to fire Plasma Torpedoes. However, it can be upgraded to have a deflector shield and will have some sort of "Yamato Cannon" refillable upgrade.
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YAY Battlecruisers! :D
Try to make them not easy to obtain, so people won't just rush with 9 of them for every type of game.
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Try to make them not easy to obtain, so people won't just rush with 9 of them for every type of game.
They're certainly hard to obtain, especially with a heavy cost, including in oxygen. Besides, if your enemy has Hawks, Nautiluses, or Reclaudas in numbers (for about the same total cost as these command ships), the command ships are absolutely toast. It's like wraiths against battlecruisers, scouts against carriers, etc.
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Good :)
In SC2, they're doing balancing now to make the BCs slightly more expensive because they could be obtained too early.
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I'm holding on coding until college starts next week, but I didn't want that to stop me from making progress. (DJ, I am NOT quitting the project, so please don't say something like "I hope you don't quit." :) )
LUNA PLATFORM
The Luna Platform, an air building, allows construction of Sagh'vahs, Borces and Hawks. It will also research +1 attack and +1 armor for Sagh'vahs, Hawks, and Borces.
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Nah I know, don't worry. I was just worried when you initially left because in the past some ppl left the same way and did not hold their promises x.x. I thought you already started college like most ppl in late August, though? O.o
Also I like how you got air buildings :D
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Here's the sprites, respectively, for the Hawk and the Startank.
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Looks great!
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I forgot to list Tosonian buildings as "Air buildings" and "Ground buildings," so here's what I have so far:
Air Buildings
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Rcasis
Chasler
Point Defense (Now called Dalt)
Fog Machine
Luna Platform
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Cool! Does this means you are working on this again, by the way? I noticed there wasn't as much progress in the last few weeks but you were working on Correlation. :)
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Cool! Does this means you are working on this again, by the way? I noticed there wasn't as much progress in the last few weeks but you were working on Correlation. :)
I'm doing small stuff. Like I said, I need time when I can just sit down and work out the ship's fog of war, since the computations are not straight-forward
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Ah ok that's good to hear. Good luck with fog of war. :)
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MALGRENOL
Named after yours truly, the Malgrenol produces Startanks and Degrusers. On that note, due to "one kind of unit at a time" issues, Startanks and hawks can no longer switch back and forth between each other. To compensate, Startanks will be hovering units, allowing Tosonians to transform into them "on the fly."
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Interesting, so it's not possible to have more than one copy of the unit at a time, unlike the others?
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Interesting, so it's not possible to have more than one copy of the unit at a time, unlike the others?
You can have, for example, 10 Startanks at once or 6 Hawks at once. (The Cythid Race is the only race to have units which can only be used one copy at a time)
The reason for having to take away the viking-like switching from startanks to hawks is hard for me to explain :(
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Oh ok so you just can't switch between units when you want to use those?
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Oh ok so you just can't switch between units when you want to use those?
Startanks and Hawks used to be like Starcraft II vikings: They could switch from air mode (Hawk) to ground mode (Startank).
Just like other S.A.D. units, you can switch from Hawks/Startanks to other units--even to each other--if you need to, via Tosonian versions of Operation Centers or Transformation Gateways. But the "Viking transformation" ability is gone.
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Oh right, I see now. Those units are kinda cool in SC2 when used properly. ;D