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[SpaceMammoth]

Mammoth Gravity Battles

Mammoth gravity battles is a turn based strategy/artillery game for multiple platforms being developed using Unity. As with the classic Gravity Wars, you aim the shots choosing the direction and power of the projectile. The difficulty and fun comes from the chaotic gravity of the stars, planets, asteroids, moons and black holes in each sector. Uniquely Mammoth Gravity Battles fires all projectiles simultaneously, so you can shoot down other bullets with yours!

Currently being developed, for release in 2013 on Android, iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, Windows Phone 8, Windows PC, Windows 8 RT, Ouya, Mac and Linux.

Key Features

• Four Player Battles
• 16 different weapons - Pistols, Rockets, Frag Grenades, Tripple Cannon ...
• Single player campaign with varied missions
• Destructible planets

Gameplay video: http://youtu.be/XIbKvThTjyw

Try an early demo on the website: www.mammothgravitybattles.com
Or visit our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MammothGravityBattles
Or on IndieDB http://www.indiedb.com/games/mammoth-gravity-battles

[SpaceMammoth]

So this week I am working on the layout engine. For the most part sectors have been placing planets and ships completely at random, but I want to include more structure than that. I also need to control placing of the various campaign levels very tightly. If I get this right, the layouts will always be playable and fun, but remain varied. I'll post more specific details in a future update.

[SpaceMammoth]

Layout engine

Until now, the levels of Mammoth Gravity Battles have been laid out fairly simplistically, usually placing planets at random and maybe a star or gas giant at the center. I want the capability to layout with more control and structure, especially for the various campaign levels where I want each location to feel different and present a new challenge to the player. That's the plan anyway. So the new layout engine is shaping up; it can generate the shapes and structures and importantly set-up realistic gravitational motion. Using this, I can populate levels with interesting shapes such as asteroid belts or planetary rings and set them orbiting. I've been pushing the many body gravitational simulation to its limits – its likely some of these more complex scenarios with hundreds of asteroids won't be achievable on mobile, but if my little laptop can manage them, most PCs should be fine. I've got some plans to make the many body gravitational simulation less demanding on the processor, so I might be able to achieve more in the future.



An example of the more advanced layout: A star surrounded by an asteroid belt makes for an interesting battleground. The asteroids orbit under the gravity of the star.

[psheff]

This looks great! Love the overall atmosphere 

[SpaceMammoth]

psheff - thanks, I'm pleased with how it's looking. Now I'm working on the campaign, I should soon be able to show some of the campaign ships and structures...

[SpaceMammoth]

Campaign

I'm working hard on the single player campaign/story mode, which is fun. The story mode guides the player through all the games exciting features one at a time, trying not to bore or overwhelm. Its a balancing act. Each of the 50+ levels is a new challenge, introducing a new kind of battle, target, weapon or environment. Levels at the start will be very easy to complete and unlock the next one, but achieving the full three star rating will be more of a challenge and will require multiple attempts.



Starting in a quiet backwater, war soon threatens the Mammoths:
The first sector of 12 levels will be as part of the Mammoth Deep Space Mining Corp, a rough bunch of mammoths who spend their time in the planar asteroid fields on the edge of the galaxy. These missions will gently introduce the most important aspects of the game, although they are not training missions, there is a separate mammoth school sector for the tutorial. All the mining missions will be on 2D maps and feature one mammoth ship to control and simpler weapons. The first couple of missions are tag and crack work; tag selected asteroids with markers and crack them with mining explosives. After not long bandit mammoths present a problem that needs resolving and a more sinister plot is discovered, war is likely to result.

When war does break out, things get tricky fast:
The war missions are more demanding, with multiple ships to a squad, tactics become more important and the introduction of fully 3D levels adds another dimension to the game-play (obviously). Further types of environment keep things changing, as do escort and convoy attack missions and rocket turrets and bases. Its here we first meet the deadly cruisers, large armoured ships that can fire two shots per turn.

The war extends to other nations:
With blue and yellow mammoths dragged into the conflict, the missions become highly tactical affairs as three or four teams fight together. The war will only be won if suitable alliances can be formed and then one by one the enemy nations defeated. Ending in a suitable boss-style battle, this should feel like a significant achievement.

Mammoth Games:
Following the wars the nations of mammoth decided to hold gladiatorial games to resolve disputes, preventing further conflict. These games are an excuse for pure dual style battles, played over multiple rounds with scoring within the story mode. Expect each level to be harder than the last and the final battles to be extremely tough just to win, let alone score a top rating.