Suggestions for 0 A.D.

[Zeeky_Bombard]

DOUBLE POST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, here are some editor ideas:

Custom Civs

You can have a "civ editor", that pops up a techtree window. You can then select units, buildings, and techs avaliable to the civilization. Also, you type in your own name for the civ, and paint a flag in a paint like application.

You can also have an "include" folder in the game registry. Say, you make a scenario called "qqq". Make a folder called "include qqq" in your 0ad/scenario folder that can contain custom building models and maybe a flag you previously made. So, if you enabled "Guard Tower" for your civ, you can make a file called "Guard Tower.whatever extension you are using" that is used is the model for the building, as well as a texture file with a similar name.

The "include" folder may cause some security issues, but I'd bet you guys can do something about it.

I'll maybe think of more later.

[Aeros]

You can also have an "include" folder in the game registry. Say, you make a scenario called "qqq". Make a folder called "include qqq" in your 0ad/scenario folder that can contain custom building models and maybe a flag you previously made. So, if you enabled "Guard Tower" for your civ, you can make a file called "Guard Tower.whatever extension you are using" that is used is the model for the building, as well as a texture file with a similar name.

We've already thought of this and infact will have a much more efficient system to allow true power to customize (without having to make modding hacks through the game). I won't get into details since its a little lengthy to explain, but basically the same system that handles modded content can also double up to handle modded content within scenarios.

Effectively, any content you have added to your scenario will be contained and managed in your scenario data files. This means you can add in new units or whatever you want and they will become part of your scenario, you won't need to make other people replace any files in the game or install mods in order to get your scenario to play.

Note that this is one among many features we have planned for the scenario editor and for modding. Almost no work has gone into putting those features in, so as insurrance I must say these are plans and we definately will try to have them in, but I can't forsee any possible problems that may arrise.

Do you know if nvdia gforce 6800 supports the OpenGL thing, cause I never heard of it before?

Yup, infact Nvidia is better at rendering OpenGL than Radeon cards.

BTW CheeZy, your AOM stuff owns

Hehehe, good to be remembered but that was years ago. Oscar is much better than me, hahaha. This is what I do now

Edited May 10, 2006 by CheeZy

[Mythos_Ruler]

This is what I do now

[Radagast]

The Romans were supposed to be the greatest engineers in history, so why not add someting to the game to show this? Assuming terrain plays a significant role in 0AD, Roman legionaires should be able to actually alter the land and make earth walls, trenches, and all the other useful little things that they put around their camps to make them so impregnable. The Roman armies, particularly under Julius Ceasar, used this to their advantage: remeber the siegeworks at Avaricum? Ceasar blocking underwater rivers to cause the wells to dry up at numerous Gaullic towns? I'm not saying that the Romans should start out with these abilities, just have the possibility of getting them. After all, how can you replicate the seige of Carthage without the earthworks.

[Matei]

Do you know if nvdia gforce 6800 supports the OpenGL thing, cause I never heard of it before?

OpenGL is an open standard that's been around for a long time and both Nvidia and ATI have been contributing to it heavily. Many games use OpenGL, such as Doom 3 and all games for Mac or Linux (since it's the main graphics library available there). The only reason you don't hear about it is that it's implemented by the graphics drivers, it's not a separate library like DirectX, so as long as you have the latest graphics drivers you don't need to install anything else to run the game.

[mista_maggoo]

So far your game looks great and I hope the graphics only get better . But,im conserned about other things like ai and if the game is actualy fun.there have been many game that look good but lack in other places such as ai or gameplay that just ruins the game. I hope you spend as much time making your ai soldiers smart as you did on the graphics.Also i know your game is going to be based strictly on reality but could this hurt gameplay? is it going to be slow paced or movie style intense battles that are realy fast paced.can you explane to me exactly how this is going to be fun ? and what will destinguish it from other rts titles? have you ever considered getting your game in a magazine?

[pyrolink]

Don't worry, we're working hard on gameplay too . As the game approaches playability, AI will become more developed and balanced to suit the needs and expectations of the player (and modder). Also, we have had many discussions on what needs to be done to make 0 A.D. historically accurate while keeping it fun. It won't be too long before the game is playable, and the focus can be turned to unique features that will make it definitely worth your while.

Edited June 7, 2006 by pyrolink

[mista_maggoo]

thats good, anything yall are particulerly proud of ai or gameplay wise to show us somehow?also is the game actualy playable yet?and what kind of play stiles will work?like rushing booming,raiding?the more the better.

[Yamato Take]

I have a question about Carthage's army. Are the Sacred Band the only units actually from African Carthage?

Edited July 4, 2006 by Yamato Take

[Mythos_Ruler]

Of course we want all play-syles and strategies to be viable! Each civ will have a particular feel to them, but we don't want to hogtie the player into one strategy.

About Carthage, we do have the Iš Ĥanít Arukáh Meguyás... which is Liby-Phoenician something or other.

[Paal_101]

Indeed, the Carthaginians get the actual, from Carthage Liby-Phoenician phalangite, war elephant, and Sacred Band of either Tanit or Baal, haven't trully figured out if the boy is infantry or cav. It keeps changing The rest of the land units are mercs.

[Mythos_Ruler]

http://0ad.wildfiregames.com/~gamedesign/C...ns/image004.jpg

[Yamato Take]

All right, thanks for clearing that up.

[Jasper]

Hi there

This is my first post (and i've been around since 0ad was announced as a mod for aok...). I just want to share some thoughts on the food resource and some other ideas...

Hunting: the player should be able to hunt boars, bears, birds (with a bow, i always wanted to hunt those animals in aoe/aok!), deer, etc. All animals should replenish over time, so there'll be an infinite resource. Hunting won't give enough food for the later stages of the game. If everyone still hunted/gathered here in holland, there's a maximum capacity for 2000 people, instead of 17+ million.

Gathering: picking fruit trees and bushes, etc. Those should also regenerate over time.

Farming: Farming should be very important. When researching crops, irrigation systems, crop rotation, farming tools, etc should be improved. These changes should be visable in the game. For example, if you discover better irrigation techniques, irrigation canals can be seen on the farms. (sorry i do an agricultural bachelor )

Fruit farms: Fruit farms are another way to get food. Villagers plant trees and after some time the trees are ready to be picked. Fruit will regenerate. After some time the tree will die (and be cut for wood, and replanted).

Herding animals: Animals should be another possible way to get food. Keeping pigs, cows, sheep, etc. Tecnologies include better breeding techniques (faster gaining young animals), better food for the animals (fatter animals, more milk on cows), etc.

Fishing: fishing whales, cockels/mussels, fish, etc with spears, fishing boats, nets, etc.

I personally think it's a good idea if trees can be replanted, so there's a finite resource less.

Maybe another way of getting resources is raiding villages of enemies. Also another idea I have is gathering ore from fallen enemies (with armor) and gathering ore/wood from fallen siege units.

Well i think that's it for now. I hope you like some ideas . I would like to say that i'm VERY impressed by the things i see of your project. You're really doing a good job ! Keep up the good work!

Greetings,

Jasper

[Aeros]

Fruit farms: Fruit farms are another way to get food. Villagers plant trees and after some time the trees are ready to be picked. Fruit will regenerate. After some time the tree will die (and be cut for wood, and replanted).

I had this idea long ago...that certain objects you could collect more than one resource from them. I was thinking of orchards...I'm not sure if this will be in direct gameplay but I still definately would like to have fruit trees and other multiple resource objects in the game. You can expect to see these in the campaign...definately a nice detail that I think people will enjoy to discover

[Acumen]

The trouble with that is that we'd have to maintain and represent multiple resources for an object, and also presents problems with the interface. (Normally you can just right-click a tree and the unit will harvest the wood; now you need a means to choose one resource over another.)

What might work, though, is to do it in two stages ... Have a fruit tree and a wood tree. When the fruit tree is exhausted of Food, the entity is "killed" and the equivalent wood tree referenced by the fruit tree entity is spawned in its place.

Obviously that creates a little more work on both sides of the artistic and programming fence. But there's nothing stopping you from having stand-alone fruit trees right now ... They'd just need fruit-bearing actors, fruit-picking animation (since they'd have to stand and reach to pick fruit -- which would also have an effect on the reasonable height of such a tree), and a special type of tree with Food content.

Edited July 7, 2006 by Acumen

[Belisarivs]

Well, personally, I like idea to have detailed economy. But I think, that players won't bother with it that much.

Though, I think that it would be great to somehow eliminate style used in AoK MP with it.

I read many articles about how are players playing AoK in MP.

It looks like:

At the begining send 2 villagers to build house another two chop trees, when tose two ffinish building, send them to forage berries ....

I mean that style is like timed orders. Like it were engines, not people playing game.

I'd like to eliminate that feel by randomeness in resource gathering and by implemetation of tactics. As this style is intended to mass biggest number of troops as soon as possible.

In AoK also is simply stated, that some unit will never win against another. Not just because it its counter but because of it stats. And player can calculate quite exactly result of such battle.

I understand, that villager cannot kill knight who was trained since childhood and is equipped by best weapons and armour, but In MTW could lesser soldiers surprise and destroy those knights and it happened so in history, too.

That is what I am pointing out. It looks like AoK MP is built on calculations.

That you don't have to be great tactician, but must be able to mass armies instead.

That is exactly what I want to change. Hannibal won at Cannae. Not because he had more numerous army, not because he fought weak soldiers, but despite it.

And that Is what I'd like to have in 0AD. Show shining skills of exellelnt tactician, not robotic skill in training of large army.

[Belisarivs]

I couldn't miss repeating mistake in your screenshots with well.

Water level is too high there. It usually is at least 2 or 3 meters below surface.

If water level was so high, than it would be artesian spring (which is highly improbable) or whole ground around there would be swampy.

So it would be correct to not to show water level at wells at all.

[Lord Zorinthrox]

What might work, though, is to do it in two stages ... Have a fruit tree and a wood tree. When the fruit tree is exhausted of Food, the entity is "killed" and the equivalent wood tree referenced by the fruit tree entity is spawned in its place.

Obviously that creates a little more work on both sides of the artistic and programming fence. But there's nothing stopping you from having stand-alone fruit trees right now ... They'd just need fruit-bearing actors, fruit-picking animation (since they'd have to stand and reach to pick fruit -- which would also have an effect on the reasonable height of such a tree), and a special type of tree with Food content.

Just a thought: that effect would be so easy to do in AoM; just the "death unit" tag or some stuff. But you are right; figuring out how to have resource gathers pick fruit from trees would be harrowing...but so awesome. Like all game, its the details that make it imersive and addcitive.

Speaking of details, I agree with Belisarius: it makes no sense for the water to be visable in-game; otherwise, the water table would be sufficiently high to create a swamp out of your base. Is there a way to texture the bottom so it doesn't shade? (Aom solved that by having anything that was 0,0,0 black non-shadable, I beleive).

As far as tactics, you can go either way; since these are not real men we are commanding, it can be a game of numbers, or a game of craft. That is true of any RTS. However, numbers can win out, almost predictably, against craft, unless you can introduce an organic element of reaction. Units may be deployed in formation, but how do script an enemy foce breaking up that formation? That is a technically daunting task. Until such real life occurances can be modeled sastisfactorially, RTS will stay more a game of numbers.

Edited July 26, 2006 by Lord Zorinthrox

[madmax]

1.please release the source code be released ? For us beginners it would be a big help in coding 3D RTSs

2.How about a text to speech(TTS) engine for converting written text automatically into dialog ?You could have different voices for different personalities withnot too much overhead ? I will help .

3.Is there day & night in 0AD ?

[FirePowa8]

How will the units sound? I mean, can we expect the Hellenes to speak a Classical Greek sentence, and Romans to speak Latin when we click on them (similar to AOE games), or will they just speak English like in Empire Earth and RaF? I guess it depends on how well known the old languages are, but I was expecting the Celts to speak Manx, since some of their units are Manx Gaelic words. I have no idea about Carthage and Iberia.

[Paal_101]

They use the original languages. The Carthaginians use Phoenician (organized by Aviv aka Jeru, who is now serving with the Israeli Army) and the Iberians are slated to use Basque, since this is the closest relation to the original Iberian language

[FirePowa8]

Good to hear it. I was worried about seeing so much authenticity into the buildings and units, but then hearing the units themselves speak modern English and kind of bringing the history down.

[Lorian]

Earlier while I was firing up Age of Mythology I walked away, came back and the intro videos were playing, so I had to hit escape and sit around waiting for the game to load. Then I had an idea, how about making it so stuff loads while the intro videos are playing (kind of like the way files download in Firefox while you are chosing a location to save it to)?

Of course this would only be if there are gonna be intro videos in 0 A.D., but I don't know if there are.

[Mythos_Ruler]

No intro videos planned at this time. Think about it - the game is going to be downloaded; an intro video would be a huge addition to the download for something that everyone will skip anyways! Might as well leave videos and such as standalone promotional materials in the media downloads section of the website.