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[mrfredman]

I had a long drive this morning and I was zoning out and letting my mind wander. I was thinking about dinosaurs (because of the latest interview on the indiegames blog) and then about extinction, and inevitably I got to human extinction. What would happen to the world if all of humanity up and died? Life would go on of course, but who would take the place as the supreme species?
Sure, there are other contenders, but I think that the top three species would probably be dogs, cats, and rats. Due to their massive global populations, their penchant for adaptation, and their all around successfullness in the modern world I think that they would have a leg up over most other species.

Then, I thought damn, that would make a good RTS.

While I have no idea if I will ever actually be able to make it, I got to brainstorming, and I have some pretty awesome ideas for a well balanced 3 species RTS featuring cats, dogs, and rats all battling for supremacy in a post-human world!

So lets start with the rats. I was thinking rats would be the species with plenty of cheap weak units, ripe for swarming. With rats you build up a horde and overwhelm your enemies with numbers and speed. You could have bigger sewer rats or something too that could deal some hefty damage and maybe take a hit or two. But for the most part it should take 3-5 rats to take down any 1 dog or cat.

Onto cats. Cats are pretty straightforward, they are fast, silent, and independent hunters. They don't work particularly well together, and each cat is strong and meant to act reasonably alone. Maybe they have cloaking abilities or something too, and you could also have big fat cats that are ridiculously slow but strong enough to take out a medium sized dog.

Dogs: I think dogs would be the most bad-ass because I came up with an awesome way to do them. So you always get dogs one at a time, and different breeds have different strengths and weaknesses etc. But with dogs you can group them together into a pack, which becomes a unit by itself which gives all of the dogs added bonuses, but because there are many species there is this whole higher level of gameplay about mixing and matching abilities to make the most efficient pack.

I haven't quite figured out the dynamics of it, but you could also do something similar with rats in a swarm, but I'm not sure, that isn't a decision I need to make now.


Please don't steal my ideas or I'll be terribly upset, but if you want to help me make this game, lets wait until the bootleg demake competition is over and we'll get to work!

[policedanceclub]

miau?

[Melly]

If you don't want your ideas stolen the best is not discussing them. But I wouldn't worry too much. For now, at least.

[Valter]

  rip off

Or Starcraft rip off. Same dif.

[Akhel]

Sounds interesting, but right now it's a bit shallow. What would make it different from all the RTSs out there?

Also, as Melly said, beware of the squidi effect. :D

[mrfredman]

What would make it unique? Thats a good question, I'm not quite there yet...

And I've decided that I don't mind if someone steals my idea, as long as they do a really good job making the game. Or a really bad job, I wouldn't mind a bad job because then it would be easier to show them up when making my version. But nothing mediocre! You hear me, this stolen game had better be all the way on way on one side of the quality spectrum or there will be hell to pay! *shakes fist*

Thats all... if I have more epiphanies about this game, I'm sure I'll be back to share them.

[Valter]

I can see what would make it different. It would include three wildly different factions. That's what made Starcraft so fresh: the totally-separate-yet-completely-balanced feel to it. Most RTS games just have extremely similar factions with tiny strategy differences. I think this would be fresh.

[Cymon]

Okay, if you really want some unique gameplay you need to branch out. It wouldn't just be Dog's vs Cats vs Rats unless you wanted to go with some Tom and Jerry antics. If you wanted something cooler go with:

Rats vs Bees vs Dophins.

Rats are your basic gameplay. They scavenge resources and build.

Bees got your hive mentality. Their soldiers are their weapons.

Dolphins rose up out of the ocean through water based technologies that they've been developing for years but remained undetected by us because... well, they're technology is built out of water, and kept in the water. Your basic high technology where units are expensive but difficult to destroy.

And before you say it, total starcraft rip off; Rats=humans, bees=zerg, Dolphins=protoss. Quite frankly after starcraft there was nothing left to do. Tho this can take a different twist, which is the key.

[Alevice]

Quite frankly after starcraft there was nothing left to do.

Well, there was this little side project of mine that consisted of four diffrenet races (based on wc3, since I am modding such engine for that). Humans are incredibly weak, but their bases and machinery are though as shit, and are quite good expanding. Undead are quite resistant (rigor mortis makes up for a good natural armor ) and can be deployed on any place where corpses are found (meaning the warzone itself is also the "training grounds" for them) but are horribly slow, and their buidlings are horribly fragile. Beastmasters and their pets are brutal and sadistic, each of their attacks can open severe wounds, which can cause the victim to die of dramatic blood loss, however, if their pets are not kept in check, they can turn back against their masters and everything on its way. And last and my favorite, the gardener and the tree siblings, which consist of a rather small group (up to just five, currently) of insanely strong walking trees commandered by a single commander unit called the "father gardener", whom inspires them to battle (were he to be slain in battle, they become the largest pansies on earth); they also can root to become stationary buildings, which makes them at the same time both the only units and the only buildings their race have.

Honestly, drawing certain concepts from another genres helps brainstorming.

[battlerager]

Rats could have a "panic" gauge or something.

Like, when the panic rises, new units are spawned faster, they run & attack faster and stuff...

... but the higher the panic, the more likely it gets that you temporarily lose control over them... or they start losing health (which cant kill them though) or something like that...

Rats also should be able to access certain narrow places.
... this could either allow them to use "shortcuts" that are avaible on each map...

...or it could be a Zerg-Style tunnel system.



(Most of the cats) should be able to climb trees and the likes (and attack from there!)
Cats should also have some sort of "hide & strike" system. They can conceal themselves, and when they break their concealment, they will do serious damage on their clueless prey.


Cats should be able to run very fast, but their stamina is considerably lower than most of the dog units' stamina.

So cats = short sprints (mostly for closing the gap to the target or escaping to the next tree)

Dogs = relentless, enduring runners


Dogs should indeed work in "packs", with one alpha-dog as the leader. If the leader dies, the pack gets a huge "debuff" and a new leader has to be established.

The packs are strict Hierarchys. Each pack has a "loyalty" meter and each alpha-dog has a "leadership" attribute that rises as the pack wins battles (RPG elements anyone?)

You can also purchase different abilities for the leaders, and there are various upgrades for them. (Yeah, they are sorta hero-ish).

... man I could go on all day.

Fresh idea is fresh.

[Alevice]

Contributing to the actual topic:

Rats should be master sneakers, capable of hiding out on nearly every corner. The other tow races couldtry to find them out using their improved sense, which would turn them vulnerable to the rats, who could jump out to the faces of their opponents. Rats can both work in groups and spread out (protoss interceptor style) to swarm the opponents.

Cats should be able to move across the whole map with quite easy maneuverability, since they could jump cliffs and stuff quite easy. cats should have abailites that can negatively affect other cat friends, which leads the player to maneuver each cat individually for the better.

Dogs could be far more territorial, and be able to mark it (ie, take a piss on the ground), which would alter the senses of their opponents, confusing them. Dogs should only fight effectively in packs with formations. Most of the abialites of each unit type should sinergize with other types, so mixing and matching is you best bet. Chihuahuas can inflitrate with players controlling rats

[MekanikDestructiwKommando]

If it wasn't said already, cat stealth attack :3
I misread this with another topic as "Your dog vs cat".. now *that* would be a cool game

[battlerager]

If it wasn't said already, cat stealth attack :3

Cats should also have some sort of "hide & strike" system. They can conceal themselves, and when they break their concealment, they will do serious damage on their clueless prey.