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[skrjablin]

Battle in a Box will be a two player turn based tactics/strategy game in which you can change the terrain during the course of the game. The code is currently written in Java, but I might port it to Flash/Actionscript later. [Update: it will be written in Javascript/HTML5.]

The game gives you quite an aerial view of the game board, so that both terrain levels and troop positions are visible at the same time without any need to switch any perspectives. This feature should be explained by the screenshot. There are 6 (0...5) different possible height levels per square, but due to all walls leaning slightly inwards in a "pyramidal" fashion no content of any square will ever overshadow the contents of the square behind it. Thus the game will have different height levels without that feature making the game problematic to navigate.

Code:

        _   _
       |5|_| |
       |_____|
       /  4  \
      /_______\
     /    3    \
    /___________\
    \\_   2   _// 
     \ \_____/ /  
      \   1   /   
       \_____/ 
          0

Each turn, the players will get build points which they can use to move elements (like sand, rock, soil, stone, brick, or wood) around in their territory, and also there will be the transitions soil to brick and forest to wood when building. If the players have the unit Mason in their army then there will be another allowed transition rock to stone. [Update: I will not use any masons, and simply make rock a rare element in the levels.]

It will also be possible to set wood, forests, grass and villages on fire.

Otherwise, game play will be similar to Advance Wars. There will be around 13 different unit types (mace guy, archer, crossbow archer, pikesman, swordsman, musketeer, mason, battering ram guy, grenadier, cannon guy, torcher, flame projector tube guy, fire defence), but these will be customizable to the extent that any unit can be given three different grades of armour (none, light or heavy armour), and be put on top of different means of transportation (horse, boat, amphibious siege tower, elephant, chariot).

Transportation units will be able to die or survive separately from their riders, so they might be conquered by the enemy, and a unit will be able to leave its means of transportation to go to squares otherwise unreachable (like, leaving the siege tower to go to the top of a wall).

The game will come with a very easy-to-use board editor which will allow not only customization of the terrain, but also the customizing of the producable sets of units for each team, to provide for the setup of assymetric game situations or the simulation of different time periods, like ancient, medieval and early modern periods.

Focus will be on human-to-human play (two player multiplayer), with only some simple AI being done for some tutorial levels.

Progress so far: the game is playable in "both players on the same computer" mode, i.e. no networking done yet. A public demo will be up soon. The board editor is basically completed.

[skrjablin]

Today:
* implemented health indicators.
* implemented territory indicators.
* All unit type tiles drawn
* Better save/open dialogs

Found a free splash screen for the game:

[skrjablin]

Today:
* Slow progress on the board editor.

* Got some idea for a tutorial campaign against the AI (beware of ugly drawing below):



Basically you would start out in Primitivistan with only torchers and mace guys as your technology. When you conquer countries, you unlock new technologies, like this:

Primitivistan (mace guy, torcher)    
Russia (WOOD-FORTIFICATED VILLAGE (possible to burn down with your torchers), swordsman, fire defence)      
Ur (BRICK VILLAGE, swordsman, archer)
Mesopotamia (swordsman, archer, chariot, light armour)
Babylonia (ZIGGURAT (learn to build ramps here), mace, swordsman, archer, sling shooter)
Egypt (mace, swordsman, archer, javelinist)
India (swordsman, archer, elephant, light armour)
China (GREAT WALL, grenadier, mace guy, swordsman, light armour, )
Macedonia (pikesman, sling shooter, archer, horse)
Phoenicia (FORTIFICATION, boat, ...)
Rome (javelinist, shortsword, light armour, siege tower, horse)
Holy Roman Empire (CASTLES, crossbow, swordsman, mace guy, pikesman, heavy armour, siege tower, horse)
Japan (heavy armour, horse, swordsman, archer)
Spain (cannon guy, ...)
Great Britain (Cannon guy, musketeer, horse, swordsman, grenadier)

Basically this would add a theme and a purpose to the single player tutorial, even if multiplayer still would be the main attraction.

Now I am aware that this is all hand-waving until I have finished any well-functioning AI.

[skrjablin]

After almost a year of sleep, I have restarted this project. It will be a HTML5 game. I have rewritten the code in Javascript up to the point that the game map now appears correctly and is scrollable.

I have decided that I will not code any AI for the game, so it will be strictly 2 player.

What is left is then the game logic, which is mostly planned, and writing a game server.

The part with showing the game map was uncommonly complicated since I had this original idea of a 2 1/2-dimensional environment which should be easily editable during the game.

There is still a board editor for the game, written in Java, which I might sell as an add-on, if this game takes off.

[skrjablin]

Oops, a bug prevented unit armours from showing in the previous screenshot. So here is a new one:

[skrjablin]

Now you can build in the terrain. Or rather you can't really do it yet, but at least the computer shows your choices when you click a square. To be continued tomorrow...

[skrjablin]

Rereading old design documents and just wanted to share some early ASCII art planning what would become the units of the game:

Code:

                          
                                       \_/^\_/
                                        /___\
                                        |o o|
                                     ___\ ~ /___
                                    /           \ 
                                    | |       | |
                                    | |       | |
                                    | |       | |
                                    | |_______| |
                                    |||       |||
                                      |   |   |
                                      |   |   |   
                                 ____   ____   ____                                 ____   __
                                 |   |_|    |_|    |                               |    |_|
                   __V           |                 |                               |
                  /.  \________  |_________________|                          _____|
                  \_||_________\__\               /                         _/ 
                     |          \\ \  chariot    /                        _/
                     |    ___    || \    ___    /                       _/ 
                     | | |   | | ||  \__/\|/\__/                      _/
                     | | |   | | |      \/|\/                        /
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              _//\\_                                             _//\\_ 
            _/ /  \ \_                   2.                    _/ /  \ \_
          _/  /    \  \_                                     _/  /    \  \_ 
        _/   /      \   \_                                 _/   /      \   \_
       /_ _ /________\ _ _\_______________________________/_ _ /________\ _ _\________________
           /          \                                       /          \                    
          /            \                                     /            \ 
         /              \                                   /              \
        /                \               1.                /                \
       /                  \                               /                  \
      /                    \                             /                    \
     /                      \                           /                      \             
    /                        \                         /                        \
   /                          \                       /                          \
  /                            \                     /                            \
 /                              \                   /                              \
/________________________________\_________________/________________________________\_________


Carrying capacity: 150 - 250 - 350
                  Small surface, medium surface, big surface


                                       \_/^\_/
                                        /___\
                                        |o o|
                                     ___\ ~ /___
                                    /           \ 
                                    | |       | |
                                    | |       | |
                                    | |       | |
                         ___!!      | |_______| |
                        / o   \     |||       |||
                       /  _    \      |   |   |
                      (__/ |    \_____|___|   | ______
                           |              |   |       \                             ____   __
                           |   extra      |   |  horse \                           |    |_|
                           |              |   |         \                          |
                           |_ _ _ _ _ _ _ |____\ _ _ _ _|\_                   _____|
                           |                            | |                 _/ 
                           ||\  ____________________ |\ | |               _/
                           || ||                    || || |             _/ 
                           || ||                    || ||             _/
                           || ||                    || ||            /
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              _//\\_                                             _//\\_ 
            _/ /  \ \_                   2.                    _/ /  \ \_
          _/  /    \  \_                                     _/  /    \  \_ 
        _/   /      \   \_                                 _/   /      \   \_
       /_ _ /________\ _ _\_______________________________/_ _ /________\ _ _\________________
           /          \                                       /          \                    
          /            \                                     /            \ 
         /              \                                   /              \
        /                \               1.                /                \
       /                  \                               /                  \
      /                    \                             /                    \
     /                      \                           /                      \             
    /                        \                         /                        \
   /                          \                       /                          \
  /                            \                     /                            \
 /                              \                   /                              \
/________________________________\_________________/________________________________\_________








                          
                                       \_/^\_/
                                        /___\
                                        |o o|
                                     ___\ ~ /___
                                    /           \ 
                                    | |       | |
                                    | |       | |
                                    | |       | |
                                    | |_______| |                                    gubben
                                    |||       |||                                   kan inte
                                      |   |   |                                 gå över hit.
                                      |   |   |                                Ingen brygga.
                                 ____   ____   ____                                  ____   __
                                 |   |_|    |_|    |                                |    |_|
                                 |                 |                                |
                                 |_________________|                                |_________
                                 /                 \                                /
                                /                   \                              /
                               /                     \                            /
                              /                       \________                  /
                             /                                 \                /            
                            /                                   \              /
                           /                                 o  |             /
                           |                                 _  |            /
                          /|          elefant               / \ |           /
                          ||                               /  | |          /
       brygga             ||                              |    \_\        /        
___________________________|                              |              /_ _ ________________
           \               |   |   |\____________/|   |   |             /   _/
            \              |   |   |              |   |   |            /  _/
             \             |   |   |              |   |   |           / _/ 
              \            |   |   |              |   |   |          /_/
               \           |   |   |              |   |   |         //
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              _//\\_                                             _//\\_ 
            _/ /on\ \_                   2.                    _/ /  \ \_
          _/  / ko \  \_                                     _/  /    \  \_ 
        _/   /<-SeS>\   \_                                 _/   /      \   \_
       /_ _ /________\ _ _\_______________________________/_ _ /________\ _ _\________________
           /          \                                       /          \                    
          /            \                                     /            \ 
         /om någon      \                                   /              \
        / kant ej tom    \               1.                /                \
       /<-SAMMA material  \                               /                  \
      /   el.              \                             /                    \
     /   SAMMA material->   \                           /                      \             
    /    annars TOM          \                         /                        \
   /                          \                       /                          \
  /                            \                     /                            \
 /                              \                   /                              \
/________________________________\_________________/________________________________\_________

                             




                                       \_/^\_/
                                        /___\
                                        |o o|
                                     ___\ ~ /___
                                    /           \ 
                                    | |       | |
                                    | |       | |
                                    | |       | |
                                    | |_______| |                                    gubben
                                    |||       |||                                    kan gå
                                      |   |   |                                     över hit.
                                      |   |   |                                  
                                 ____   ____   ____                                  ____   __
                                 |   |_|    |_|    |                                |    |_|
                                 |       IV        |                                |  IV 
                                 |_________________|                                |_________
                                 |                 |                                /
                                 |                 |                               /
                                 |                 |                              /
                                 |                 |                             /
                                 |     III         |                            /            
                                 |                 |                           /
                                 |   siege tower   |                          /
                                /                  |                         /
                               /                   |                        /
                              /                    |                       /        III
              brygga till II /                     |     brygga till III. /        
___________________________ /                      |_____________________/_ _ ________________
           \               |.                      |         }{_        /   _/
            \              | .         I           |  ______/ o_|      /II_/
             \             |II.__   ___       ___  |_|        /       / _/ 
              \            |_/\_/\_/\_/\_____/\_/\_| | _____ |       /_/            I
               \             \/_\/ \/_\/     \/_\/   |_|   |_|      //
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              _//\\_                                             _//\\_ 
            _/ /on\ \_                   2.                    _/ /  \ \_
          _/  / ko \  \_                                     _/  /    \  \_ 
        _/   /<-SeS>\   \_                                 _/   /      \   \_
       /_ _ /________\ _ _\_______________________________/_ _ /________\ _ _\________________
           /          \                                       /          \                    
          /            \                                     /            \ 
         /om någon      \                                   /              \
        / kant ej tom    \               1.                /                \
       /<-SAMMA material  \                               /                  \
      /   el.              \                             /                    \
     /   SAMMA material->   \                           /                      \             
    /    annars TOM          \                         /                        \
   /                          \                       /                          \
  /                            \                     /                            \
 /                              \                   /                              \
/________________________________\_________________/________________________________\_________

[Paul Jeffries]

This seems like a really interesting idea.  What sort of effect does the terrain changing have on the actual battle?  Will the water flow 'realistically' down into lower tiles?

The mix of graphical styles in that screenshot make it a bit busy to look at and hard to tell what is going on.  I guess that doesn't matter too much in a turn based game, but I think it would look better if you got rid of the photographic textures and kept it with some cleaner block colours and simple icons.

[skrjablin]

This seems like a really interesting idea.  What sort of effect does the terrain changing have on the actual battle?  Will the water flow 'realistically' down into lower tiles?

The mix of graphical styles in that screenshot make it a bit busy to look at and hard to tell what is going on.  I guess that doesn't matter too much in a turn based game, but I think it would look better if you got rid of the photographic textures and kept it with some cleaner block colours and simple icons.

Thank you for your interest! Terrain changing during the game is a thing which will have to be  play-tested a lot, but the idea is that you should be able to build protective walls around a loosing camp, or towers to give your ranged units longer range, or hills on which you can stand in order to get an advantage in battle. Or moats around your walls. I have designed one unit and one transport for the sake of getting through or over the walls and moats which the enemy builds: the battering ram guy and the "amphibious siege tower." But I will have to see how these things work out in practice.

The water that I have right now is a kind of "subsoil water," i.e. all squares that are below a certain height will become water-filled. The water level can change from 0 to 2 between different boards. My original plans for this were grander.

If you mean the screenshots with the randomly generated board, then I understand that it looks a bit busy, but I hope that is partly because they are randomly generated, which makes them contain a little bit of everything. If you mean the first screenshot then I'm in a bigger trouble. The "forest" pattern at least is planned to be exchanged to something better. But since this is a game created with simple 2D techniques, all tiles exist in many versions for for example the connections, in various directions, between squares, so it takes a while to change a texture. So I don't know how much of it will be improved until version 1.0. Of course, if I find a graphics artist to cooperate with... Right now all art is "programmer art" by me.

[skrjablin]

Today I implemented the buying of new units and their means of transportation. The menu system is dead simple, and I use no images of the units to be bought, but it works for now. At least I used a funny medieval font to spice things up a little.

[skrjablin]

Today I drew and implemented four new units: sling shooter, javelinist, spear guy and axe warrior. They are not pixel perfect, but will do for now...



Then I finally completed the board editor so that you can add units and their means of transportation. This was easier than I had thought and should have been done a long time ago. Tomorrow is board design day!

[skrjablin]

[skrjablin]

Now you can finally choose a board when the game starts. A small but important improvement!

[skrjablin]

* So far done today: fixed so that scrolling with the mouse wheel works.


I'm thinking about changing the name to "Buildable Battle Box" or "Warfare in a Box" or something like that, in order to make it even more googleable. What do you think?

[Udderdude]

I think "Battle in a box" is a more memorable name.  Although googling "Battle in a box" does come up with a result for some random Transformers toy.

Anyway, it looks like a cool concept for a turn based game.  Are you planning on getting better art for it?

[skrjablin]

I think "Battle in a box" is a more memorable name.  Although googling "Battle in a box" does come up with a result for some random Transformers toy.

Anyway, it looks like a cool concept for a turn based game.  Are you planning on getting better art for it?

Yes, it's the Transformers toy that I'm worried about. But google (for me, at least) turns up this thread as the first search result, so maybe it's not that bad.

Well, I'm aware of the need for better art, but I won't be able to do that much improvements personally, but will need the help of someone more knowledgeable in artistry.

Maybe a problem for finding a willing artist is that the game engine has kind of locked the UI perspective, and that the units should be combinable independently with armours and means of transportations, unless someone wants to create a huge number of tiles. Which kind of limits artistical freedom.
 
The only graphics improvements that are planned so far (to be done by myself before version 1.0) are getting a better forest surface, and making the guys sit on the horses instead of standing balancing on them (even my old father complained about this).

[skrjablin]

I changed the "forest" pattern. It looks less hallucinogenic now.

[skrjablin]

Today I've written a detailed instructions document (in HTML format) for the game. Which reads like legalese rather than fun. And I've started to work on the movement function.

[skrjablin]

Still working on the movement function.

[skrjablin]

Still working on the combined attack and move function. This will take a little bit longer than I thought.