Merge pull request #334 from TheJJ/ideas

doc: gameplay ideas restructured and extended

doc/ideas/gameplay.md

@@ -1,48 +1,47 @@
-This file contains ideas to "enhance" the original Age of Kings gameplay. Don't worry, vanilla mode will always be available.
+Gameplay improvement ideas
+==========================
 
-Weather
--------
+This file contains ideas to "enhance" the original Age of Kings gameplay.
+Don't worry, vanilla mode will always be available.
+
+
+Environment
+-----------
+
+### Weather
 
  - Change view distance (Line of sight / Fog of War)
  - Fog, rain, winter, summer
  - Unit slowdowns (depending on terrain)
  - Can be predicted by tech
  - Can be modified globally or locally (by voodoo priests)
 
-Fire
-----
+### Fire
 
-Buildings made out of wood and other flammable material can be lit.
-Fire departments in the city can extinguish those fires (Stronghold anybody?).
+ - Buildings made out of wood and other flammable material can be lit.
+ - Fire departments in the city can extinguish those fires (Stronghold anybody?).
+ - Sneaky spies could burn your city down
 
-Day/night cycle
----------------
+### Day/night cycle
 
-At night: View distance reduced, everything darker.
-Villagers need sleep, otherwise they die at work.
-
-
-3D terrain
-----------
+ - At night: View distance reduced, everything darker.
+ - Villagers need sleep, otherwise they die at work.
+ - Chemistry industry: Coffeine, Peniciline, ...?
 
-Villagers can dig down, can discover natural resources.
-Dirt, stone, etc are new resources, can be placed elsewhere
-(add any minecraft/terraria-like stuff here)
 
+Map extensions
+--------------
 
-Infinite maps
--------------
+### 3D terrain
 
-Maps with infinite size! (Your PC is the limit!)
-Spherical/Toroidal/Cylindrical surfaces would be possible, too.
+ - Villagers can dig down, can discover natural resources.
+ - Dirt, stone, etc are new resources, can be placed elsewhere
+ - (add any minecraft/terraria-like stuff here)
 
+### Infinite maps
 
-MMO games
----------
-
-Play on one single map with 9001 players.
-
-Massively slow down the game speed, and you get a "browser game"-like experience.
+ - Maps with infinite size! (Your PC is the limit!)
+ - Spherical/Toroidal/Cylindrical surfaces would be possible, too.
 
 
 Research
@@ -54,8 +53,11 @@ Research
  - Research should be placed in creating order, like in WarCraft. It's too annoying
    to click on building again after each research
 
-Zombie Survival Mode
---------------------
+
+Game modes
+----------
+
+### Zombie Survival Mode
 
 The map has a bunch of zombie spawners; after an initial build-up phase,
 they start producing waves zombie hordes, fast zombies, tanks, petard zombies;
@@ -65,96 +67,115 @@ but the closer or the more powerful you get, the more zombies will spawn.
 To win, survive for a specified period of time, build a wonder,
 or destroy the spawners (or something...).
 
+### Conquer the castle
+
+Similar to "Murder the King", but with a building.
+Players have some time to fortify their castle.
+A player loses if the castle falls.
 
-Better movement
----------------
+
+Unit handling
+-------------
+
+### Improved grouping
+
+ - Manually coloring units (e.g. for teammates)
+ - "Mobile ping": designated unit pings its position periodically
+ - Implicite group definitions/reselections (double-click?)
+
+### Better movement
 
  - Move groups as group, or each unit with its own movement speed
  - Auto-resolution of blocking situations
  - Individual path searching cost for tiles
   - Allow user to mark parts of the map as more expensive
   - Auto-set a higher path cost for tiles in the firing range of an enemy castle
  - Allow setting any number of waypoints (basically an extension of the 'patrol' mechanic)
+ - Formations:
+  - Attack/defense bonuses for some unit formations.
+  - Dependent on minimum amount of units in this formation.
+  - New marching formation with speed bonus but defense malus.
+  - Cavalry flanking
 
+### More intelligent units
 
-Lobby settings
---------------
+ - Restrictions for action areas (don't do anything here)
+   - Wood chopping
+   - Castle rampages
+   - Avoid hazardous areas during pathfinding (via a cost modifier)
+     - Automatically for stationary hazards (castles, towers, ...)
+     - Manually "painted" areas
+ - Emergency evacuation points
+ - Formations and movement when attacking
+ - Dynamic hardlocking on target units when attacking
+   - Don't lock on unreachable current target
+   - Attack the blocking units first
+
+### Better attack stances
+
+ - Aggressive stance for monks (auto-convert)
+ - Auto-flee stance (especially for monks): Auto-task "flee" action as soon as an enemy unit comes near
+ - Non-coward stance for villagers
+ - Allow selecting the default stance
+
+
+Multiplayer
+-----------
+
+### Lobby settings
 
  - Most of the above should be available as lobby settings
  - Boosts/handicaps such as resource multipliers for players
  - Forced no-rush (timelimit or score limit until attacks are possible)
 
-
-Matchmaking and competitive mode
---------------------------------
+### Matchmaking and competitive mode
 
  - Some kind of "official" account on servers for everybody
  - Automatic skill groups to create balanced matches
  - We can show the world that competitive games can be free open source!
 
-
-Bridges
--------
-
- - Ability to build bridges in water
- - Blocks ships, allows land units to walk
- - Forgotten Empires might already have wooden bridge textures
- - Destructible, repairable, ...
- - Long build time
-
-
-Team interaction
-----------------
+### Team interaction
 
  - Better team interaction
  - Work/resource sharing
  - Unit sharing (transport boats)
+ - Color markings
+ - Create signs
+ - Paint on map
+ - Create arrows
 
+### MMO games
 
-Unit grouping
--------------
+Play on one single map with 9001 players. Dynamically extend the map.
 
- - Manually coloring units (e.g. for teammates)
- - "Mobile ping": designated unit pings its position periodically
- - Implicite group definitions/reselections
+Massively slow down the game speed, and you get a "browser game"-like experience.
 
 
-Color marking / signs on map
-----------------------------
+New Buildings
+-------------
 
- - For better team coordination:
-   - Create signs
-   - Paint on map
-   - Create arrows
+### Bridges
+
+ - Ability to build bridges in water
+ - Blocks ships, allows land units to walk
+ - Forgotten Empires might already have wooden bridge textures
+ - Destructible, repairable, ...
+ - Long build time
 
 
-More intelligent units
-----------------------
+Resources
+---------
 
- - Restrictions for action areas (don't do anything here)
-   - Wood chopping
-   - Castle rampages
-   - Avoid hazardous areas during pathfinding (via a cost modifier)
-     - Automatically for stationary hazards (castles, towers, ...)
-     - Manually "painted" areas
- - Emergency evacuation points
- - Formations and movement when attacking
- - Dynamic hardlocking on target units when attacking
-   - Don't lock on unreachable current target
-   - Attack the blocking units first
+### Infinite regeneration
 
-Infinite Resources
--------------------
+ - Forest regeneration or seeding
+ - Mills can produce sheep, cows, turkeys, etc.
 
- - Forest regeneration
+### Stone balancing
 
-Better attack stances
----------------------
+Stone cost for all buildings, rebalce stone amount per pile.
+Maybe new deep stone mines for later ages.
 
- - Aggressive stance for monks (auto-convert)
- - Auto-flee stance (especially for monks): Auto-task "flee" action as soon as an enemy unit comes near
- - Non-coward stance for villagers
- - Allow selecting the default stance
 
 For the lulz
 ------------