[AoS Theorycraft] Terrain Based?

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pandamanar
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[AoS Theorycraft] Terrain Based?

Post by pandamanar » Tue Oct 20, 2009 6:18 pm

I was sitting in my Ethics class doodling on my notebook and I was reminded of a Hero I made for an old map whose skills interacted with the type of terrain that he was standing on or targeting. It then struck me that I could base an entire AoS off of this idea, to an extent.
Here's some of my ideas...
Terrain Based AoS!
The tileset is Ashenvale (because I love forests for AoS's, since trees are the best tools for juking ever!) and has 4 lanes (which can be narrowed down through special mode selections for 3, 2 or 1 lane gameplay) and has a series of Heroes that every player may choose from at the beginning of the game. What makes this idea for an AoS stand apart from the copy-pasted Dota clones is the terrain system that many if not all of the heroes will interact with. Each terrain type will cause a certain effect that is unique to that terrain to the units standing upon them. The 7 different terrain types are as follows:
  • Grass = 4 health regeneration per second
    Moss = 4 mana regeneration per second
    Snow = -50% movement speed
    Plains Grass = +50% movement speed
    Dirt = -5 armor
    Stone = +5 armor
    Lava = 15 damage per second
    Blight = 15 mana exhausted per second
Some examples of well known skills that could be changed to fit this template nicely would be...
  • Tranquility - Channel No Target
    While channeled, changes terrain of the ground X radius around this Caster and increases the healing effects of all spells and effects within the same radius by X%.
  • Blizzard - Area of Effect Target
    Changes the terrain under the AoE to Snow and deals X magical damage to all foes within the AoE every seconds.
  • Blink - Target Point
    Teleports to the target point at X mana cost per X units of range. This spell costs half of its normal mana cost if the land under the point is the same as the land under the caster.
  • Frost Nova - Unit Target
    Deals X magical damage to all units within X radius this unit, deals X magical damage to the targeted unit and changes the terrain within X radius of this unit to snow.
  • Flame Strike - Area of Effect Target
    After 1.33 seconds of delay, deals X magic damage to all enemies in the area of effect and changes the terrain of the land under the radius to lava.
I also have some ideas for unique skills that fit this template pretty well, such as...
  • Searing Wake - No Target
    Changes the terrain under this Hero to lava every second for X seconds.
  • Plains Walker - No Target
    Changes the terrain under this Hero to plains grass every second for X seconds.
  • Frozen Wake - Point Target
    Changes the terrain of the land between the targeted point and this Hero's position to snow and encases all enemies cause in the snow in a thick layer of ice, holding them still for X seconds while dealing X damage per second.
  • Meditation - No Target Channel
    Changes all the terrain within X radius of this Hero to Moss and heals all allies within the radius for X% of their current mana pool.
  • Dirty Fighting - Unit Target
    Throws dirt at the targets eyes, changes the terrain within X radius of that target to Dirt and causes them and any enemies within the radius to miss X% of their attacks.
  • Foundation - Structure Target
    Molds the foundation of the structure with the earth, changing the terrain within X radius of the tower to Stone. This effect bounces to X nearby buildings if they are within X radius.
  • Wildfire - Area of Effect Target
    Changes the terrain within the area of effect to Lava. Any enemy units that step through this radius obtain a buff that changes the terrain under them to Lava for the next X seconds.
  • Purity of Nature - No Target (btw, I don't know if this is possible to code... but its still an idea)
    Changes the terrain within X radius of this Hero to Grass. Each enemy within the radius takes X physical damage for each block of terrain that was changed by this spell (Grass changed to Grass does not count).
  • Mulch - Tree Target
    Kills the target tree, changing the terrain within X radius to Grass and stunning all foes within the radius for X seconds.
  • Savannah - Area of Effect Target
    Changes the terrain within the AoE to Plains Grass, reveals the area of effect to its caster's vision and causes any ally that attacks an enemy within the radius to gain X% attack speed for Y seconds.
  • Grave Digger - Area of Effect Target
    Summons an abomination at the center of the AoE that has (X times the number of corpses in the AoE) health and damage and changes the terrain under it's feet to Dirt every second.
  • Volcano - Area of Effect Target
    Summons a volcano from the ground that spits chunks of molten rocks into the air that come crashing down, dealing X physical damage to enemies in the small radius and changing the terrain under the same radius to lava.
  • Land Slide - Area of Effect Target
    Changes all the terrain within the AoE to Dirt and deals X magical damage to all foes within X radius of a moving unit every second.
Of course, having all of the ability change terrain types would be both boring and limiting... >_> There would of course be other abilities that simply interact with the terrain type, instead of changing it directly, such as...
  • Invoke - No Target
    Creates a unique effect at the caster's position or to the caster depending on the terrain that he is standing on..
    • Grass = Causes every attack to heal this caster for X health
      Moss = Causes each attack to replenish X mana for this caster
      Lava = Gives this Hero a buff that deals X magical damage to all enemies in X radius of him
      Snow = Causes all enemies within X radius to take X% more damage from magic sources
      Plains = Causes all enemies within X radius to take X% more damage from physical sources
      Dirt = Causes all enemies within X radius to miss X% of their attacks for X seconds
      Stone = Stuns all enemies within X radius for X seconds
  • Natural Resistance - Aura
    All allies within X radius take X% less damage from all sources if their assailants are on the same type of terrain that they are standing on.
  • Rapid Growth - No Target
    Changes all the terrain within X radius to the terrain directly under this Hero
  • Barrel Roll - Point Target
    Rolls up into a ball and propels itself toward the target point, knocking foes away and dealing X physical damage to them. This Hero rolls double as fast and deals double damage when it is rolling across Snow.
  • Entangling Roots - Point Target
    Sends X roots out in at random angles within a certain arc that grow for X chains (pieces of root) and deal X physical damage and entangles enemies who walk through it. If a root chain is on top of Grass, it branches off into two chains and continues growing for X chains.
  • Putrid Flesh - Unit Target Buff
    This unit is healed for every health point of damage that it takes and damaged for each health point it is healed and the same goes for mana. This lasts X seconds, but lasts Y (double) seconds when cast on Undead units.
I can see some obvious faults in this idea... Namely that the terrain will look like crap. I appreciate any comments, suggestions or ideas on this subject but just please remember that this is only an idea and I have no concrete plans to pursue this project past the theory-crafting stage.
Last edited by pandamanar on Tue Oct 20, 2009 9:36 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: [AoS Theorycraft] Terrain Based?

Post by Deschain » Tue Oct 20, 2009 6:39 pm

Well this is awesome but impractical territory.

IIRC wc3 has no way of determining type of terrain meaning that tiniest part of terrain would have to be in a region (plus what spells change over time). Maybe if effect is temporary you could use ubersplat or something.
And secondly it would look like crap after a while when terrain is changed in a way you didn't anticipate.

BTW what kind of map has all the types of terrain you mentioned? Seriously snow, lava, dirt and plain grass? That seems more like a map of a world than a single AoS arena.
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Re: [AoS Theorycraft] Terrain Based?

Post by pandamanar » Tue Oct 20, 2009 6:46 pm

I'm pretty much, almost absolutely sure that you can check the type of terrain under a point within Warcraft, since I have done it myself... but I doubt that my Purity of Nature spell could be coded. Also, I was planning on having the terrain be that of a forest which is then twisted and altered by magic almost literally.

Code: Select all

 If - Conditions (Terrain type at (Position of (Picked unit))) Equal to Ashenvale - Grassy Dirt Then - Actions Unit - Kill (Picked Unit) 
Also, another random idea popped into my head...
  • Persistent Affliction - Unit Target Buff
    All effects due to terrain have their durations extended for X seconds after this unit has stepped off of that type of terrain.
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Re: [AoS Theorycraft] Terrain Based?

Post by Rising_Dusk » Tue Oct 20, 2009 7:28 pm

Yeap, you can check the tile of a given point no problem. It is a neat idea, but I think visually it may be a bit overwhelming. The terrain is usually a constant, but if every hero and their brother can change it, it can get kinda convoluted rather quick. (Also it kinda kills the use of doodads, since the tiles can change) Other than that, cool stuff.
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Re: [AoS Theorycraft] Terrain Based?

Post by 2-P » Tue Oct 20, 2009 7:38 pm

Sounds fun.

But it would look horrible, horrible. >:
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Re: [AoS Theorycraft] Terrain Based?

Post by pandamanar » Tue Oct 20, 2009 9:05 pm

Ugliness is an issue... Perhaps the game could have a pushing mechanic that acts like an etch-a-sketch? How about this...
  • When a faction accomplishes a goal, whether it is killing or rebuilding a tower or capturing a control point or some objective, that lane's terrain (up to the point where the goal was accomplished) is reset to a random mixture of Grass and Moss, allowing for his team to continue pushing with a health or mana boost, while also keeping the lane from looking like a Jackson Pollack painting.
OR the terrain changing effects could have a duration, after which they are changed to a random mix of moss and grass.

OR, if its possible, we could record a coordinates map of the pre-set terrain and reset it to that after a short duration of the skill's effect.

And if we really wanted to go overboard, we could change the trees to the appropriate tileset of the terrain underneath them. Horray for frost covered pines in a sea of prairie grass!

Also, another random idea for a skill:
  • Plague - Point Target
    Takes into account the terrain under the targeted point and spreads the terrain's effect to all units within X radius for Y seconds.
[UPDATED ORIGINAL POST] I wanted an opposite for Lava, since most of the effects are opposites, but I couldn't think of another plausible terrain type and my friend suggested Blight. It was RIGHT under my nose ffs... Well now there are 8 terrain types and Blight exhausts 15 mana per second.
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Re: [AoS Theorycraft] Terrain Based?

Post by TheDeathstalker » Tue Oct 20, 2009 10:13 pm

You know, while it would be work intensive, and artist dependent, you could always have the terrain be the determining factor, but use specialized terrain such that it doesn't look ugly as sin. My best thought thus far is to go for a Tron-esque style to the game, and just go with simple, smooth colors all over, and hope that everything ends up looking right....
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Re: [AoS Theorycraft] Terrain Based?

Post by pandamanar » Wed Oct 21, 2009 7:21 am

I wonder what a Hero would look like for this idea?...
Charon - Strength Melee
Deathknight model

Putrid Flesh - Unit Target
  • All damaging, healing, mana replenishing or exhausting effects are reversed on this unit. This lasts X seconds, but lasts Y (double) seconds when cast on Undead units.
Grave Digger - Area of Effect Target
  • Summons X horrific cadavers that have their health and damage increased by how many corpses are within the Area of Effect. Once they are summoned, they leave a trail of Dirt behind them and they last X seconds.
Penny for the Ferryman - Passive
  • Each attack dealt by Charon siphons X mana from his target, if the target does not have enough mana to siphon then the mana siphoned is dealt in damage instead.
Crawling Blight - Area of Effect Targeted
  • Changes the terrain under this AoE to Blight, dealing X magical damage to enemy foes within its radius. If an Undead unit is standing in the radius, another area of effect of Blight is created under that unit and all foes within that smaller AoE take X magical damage.
Obviously needs a LOT of work, but its a start... I think.
Slaeniarius - Intelligence Ranged
Ice Troll

Cold Snap - Unit Target
  • Saps this unit of all of its warmth, dealing X magical damage and creating snow under this unit every second for X seconds.
Snowblind - Area of Effect
  • Creates a blizzard that pummels enemies within the area of effect with snow (no terrain change) that isolates their vision to X line of sight and disables shared vision with allies for X seconds while also dealing X magical damage every second for a few seconds after casting.
Cold Blooded - Unit Target
  • This unit takes X magical damage over X seconds and all movement speed altering effects are reversed for Y seconds.
Avalanche - Area of Effect Target
  • Summons an avalanche that spreads snow out in a thick line towards the area of effect and dealing X magical damage and stunning enemies in the AoE.
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Re: [AoS Theorycraft] Terrain Based?

Post by vesuvan » Wed Oct 21, 2009 1:20 pm

Try ditching the tile modification idea.

Every hero has a "capture" spell that places a ward on the terrain that is now considered that hero's domain. The domain spell can be used to destroy targeted domains at an increased cost (mana, life, etc.). A hero can have a default maximum of three domains.

From this basis, there are a few basic archetypes we can build.

Charon - Strength Melee
Deathknight model

putrid flesh - unit target
Target unit takes X DPS. Duration is increased by Y for every dirt domain controlled. Lasts Z seconds.

Grave Digger - Area of Effect Target
Summons X horrific cadavers, where X is the number of blight domains controlled.

Crawling Blight - Area of Effect Targeted
Inflicts blight on target terrain. The caster and Enemies with domain within the area are considered to have domain over blight instead of the terrain. Lasts X seconds.


Notice how I effectively created a terrain modification ability without ugly tile changes by effecting domains instead of the terrain itself. This hero is of the "shifter" archetype, that can choose to focus on controlling one of two domains.

Geddon - agility melee
blademaster model

Seeker - no target
Caster moves at an increased speed of X. Attacking ends the effect and deals a backstab damage of Y for each unique domain you control. Lasts Z seconds.

Slayer's insight - target unit
The target is revealed on the map and has its armor reduced. Lasts Y seconds.

Overwhelming presence - passive
The cost of placing a domain within X distance of an enemy domain is reduced (Cost undecided).

This hero works completely differently, and is encouraged to move from various corners of the map to maintain his range of domains.

It's easy to make a hero that wants to have three different domains, a hero who's abilities change based on his domain, a hero that uses domains as traps, or a hero that is dedicated to specific terrain types.
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