I feel normal again, after yesterday’s hangover, crumbs, and guilt. As soon as I got up, I started reading the document that describes the game we will be making.
At the beginning of the game, the player enters a lobby screen, where they can choose one of the active servers. Up to six players can play on a server. Each player has their own command center that they need to protect, and the goal is to destroy the command centers of other players. Players can form alliances, so it’s possible to play three vs three, or three teams of two players. The command centers are located on the map, and there will also be fifty or sixty mines. At the start of the game, the player creates workers from the command center and sends them to occupy the mines and adapt them for exploitation. Each mine generates a certain amount of money for the player’s bank every minute. With that money, the player can create power plants, camps, training centers, vehicle factories, and towers. Training centers can produce soldiers over time, while factories produce armored vehicles and tanks. The player must pay for each soldier and vehicle from the bank. The player can also pay to create towers that shoot at the enemy when they approach. This way, the player can protect their command center and other buildings. Workers are responsible for building towers, camps, and factories. More workers can also be bought from the command center. Soldiers and vehicles can destroy the enemy’s mines, towers, camps, factories, soldiers, vehicles, and the command center. When encountering the enemy, it’s important to have more troops and vehicles. Also, some unit types cause more damage to other units, and this will be specially developed. This means that sometimes a player can win the encounter even if they have fewer troops.
The map also features obstacles, so the units cannot move in a straight line to every point on the map.
At the end of the document, a hospital and medics were added, as well as engineers. The hospital is where all units regain health lost in battle, while medics can go with units and repair their health along the way, so units don’t have to reach the hospital if it’s far away.
Of course, it’s crucial to have as many mines as possible, a strong economy, so you can build a larger military force and destroy the opponent’s command center. On the other hand, focusing too much on building the economy without creating an army can result in the enemy destroying an unprotected economy. Balance and a lot of thinking are required. Scouting is also important. If the opponent is building tanks, it’s better to create rocketeer-type soldiers that destroy tanks. If the opponent is making regular soldiers, it’s better to create tanks. If alliances appear, things get even more complicated, and the game becomes more interesting.
Once I read everything, the challenge drove away my doubts. I thought it would be great to have a game like this.
I called Ian. We talked about the part that the two of us are working on. We agreed that this will likely be finished in less than three months. Essentially, we need to enable factory creation. Factories produce various soldiers or vehicles, which have health. Then, if they get too close, health starts decreasing from soldiers, vehicles, towers, and eventually the command center. It doesn’t seem too complicated.
Aliki got in touch. She found a boyfriend. It’s Michalis, my friend and a hotel worker in Volos, where I stayed both times. He once helped me move an old plate from Aliki’s olive grove. She said she had to tell me, or else she’d feel bad. I wrote back that I completely understand and that our lives must go on, though I didn’t mention that I thought it might have been better if they’d waited another month or so before continuing.
