Achron - real-time strategy with real time travel

245

Posts

  • AxenAxen My avatar is Excalibur. Yes, the sword.Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Will I need roads in this game?

    Axen on
    A Capellan's favorite sheath for any blade is your back.
  • HozHoz Cool Cat Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    What would be cool is a single-player RTS where you have to beat a superior force with limited time travel and all sorts of semi-scripted missions oriented around time-travel. But this right here, it's just confusing and ugly.

    Hoz on
  • thorpethorpe Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Xtarath wrote: »
    When I saw this I had this to say

    40 seconds in the past, the enemy is dropping a bomb on my base

    12 seconds into the future, my army has engaged the enemy's base.

    1 year into the past, I look at the thread and think this is an awesome idea

    60 seconds in the future, I have lost

    Three seconds into the past I am clicking on the Mammoth Tank.

    Two seconds into the future I unselect the tank. I am tired of looking at dead things.

    I am trying to give a name to the programmer that set them in motion.

    Who makes the map?

    thorpe on
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  • Metal Gear Solid 2 DemoMetal Gear Solid 2 Demo Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Olivaw wrote: »
    I repeat, this will never sell

    The concept is far too complex for it's own good

    Most people can't even watch TV shows that have time travel in them without getting confused, fer fuck's sake

    I mean, I'd play it, but I wouldn't do well, and though that wouldn't really be the game's fault, most people would think it was
    Arkan wrote: »
    So, wouldn't a better classifier of this game's genre be "Real time-strategy"?

    This would totally be the best possible tagline for the game though

    I don't exactly think this is a game they're trying to appeal to the mass market. It's obviously an indy experiment, and an awesome one at that

    I would certainly play it

    Metal Gear Solid 2 Demo on
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  • DarmakDarmak RAGE vympyvvhyc vyctyvyRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Hoz wrote: »
    What would be cool is a single-player RTS where you have to beat a superior force with limited time travel and all sorts of semi-scripted missions oriented around time-travel. But this right here, it's just confusing and ugly.

    It's ugly because it won't be released till 2010 and I imagine they're working on the core gameplay mechanics. Besides, even if it is ugly it still sounds like a lot of fun.

    Darmak on
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  • AegeriAegeri Tiny wee bacteriums Plateau of LengRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    This games concept makes my head hurt.

    But if it works, dear God it would be awesome.

    Aegeri on
    The Roleplayer's Guild: My blog for roleplaying games, advice and adventuring.
  • Ninja Snarl PNinja Snarl P My helmet is my burden. Ninja Snarl: Gone, but not forgotten.Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Hot damn this a great concept. Imagine building three different sets of units, sending two sets back to different times, then assaulting so that all three arrive simultaneously. I wonder if gameplay like this would at all negate the common tactic of winning by just building a million of the best units and rushing? You could potentially go back in time to before the rush gets built and destroy the factory so that the units never get built.

    Overall, things seem pretty RTS-standard. The whole time-wave thing and the way damage is indicated on the timeline seems very simple and intuitive, though, which is pretty cool. I couldn't care less if the game itself doesn't look too hot, the time-travel execution alone looks like it could provide for some incredible stuff.

    Who the hell would want to play another boring scripted single-player campaign when they could play against actual opponents in four dimensions? Campaign stuff is just practice for multiplayer anyway.

    Ninja Snarl P on
  • CygnusZCygnusZ Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    I thought this was a thread about Archon :(

    CygnusZ on
  • RoyceSraphimRoyceSraphim Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    So when Bill and Ted thought real hard to remember to do something in the future to help themselves out, they were planning this game?

    I have just come back from the future and I saw so many exploits and griefing, like intentionally causing a paradox. Its like in spring when someone would build an airbase and pick up their commander and nuke your base with it when it was a "game ends when commander dies" type.

    edit: Does this mean we all owe Squidi blowjobs for thinking of a timetravel game?

    RoyceSraphim on
  • ObsObs __BANNED USERS regular
    edited March 2009
    Hmm, so I've been thinking about this a bit more.

    A neat concept would be if a game could record every "effect" a unit has made on the world, such as the units its destroyed or resources it has harvested or buildings its created, and then if that unit were to be killed in the past, each effect that unit created would be either undone, or sometimes given away to another similar unit to preserve the effect.

    Obs on
  • TaramoorTaramoor Storyteller Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    So if you build a bunch of units, then send them back and destroy the building they came from, does the game crash to desktop and uninstall itself?

    Taramoor on
  • DarmakDarmak RAGE vympyvvhyc vyctyvyRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Yes but right before it gets uninstalled the game sends a help signal and a man busts into your house and slaps the shit out of you before you ever made the descision in the first place.

    Darmak on
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  • RoyceSraphimRoyceSraphim Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    This just in, Achron cancelled due to griefing in the future that results in death of loser in home.

    RoyceSraphim on
  • ViscountalphaViscountalpha The pen is mightier than the sword http://youtu.be/G_sBOsh-vyIRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    So when Bill and Ted thought real hard to remember to do something in the future to help themselves out, they were planning this game?

    I have just come back from the future and I saw so many exploits and griefing, like intentionally causing a paradox. Its like in spring when someone would build an airbase and pick up their commander and nuke your base with it when it was a "game ends when commander dies" type.

    edit: Does this mean we all owe Squidi blowjobs for thinking of a timetravel game?

    I would think that paradoxes actually self unravel. They are actually created by stupid people who don't understand anything at all about temporal mechanics.

    Viscountalpha on
  • ObsObs __BANNED USERS regular
    edited March 2009
    Taramoor wrote: »
    So if you build a bunch of units, then send them back and destroy the building they came from, does the game crash to desktop and uninstall itself?

    I think the best thing to do would be to treat it as if none of it ever happened. There was never a factory built, there were never units built, and those units were certainly never sent back in time to change anything.

    So basically, you get whatever time travel resources you used up back into your stash, and none of the actions the time travelling units made in the past count, except for the one that destroyed them. And you don't get your units back either.


    This also means if you send units into the past to make changes, and your enemy doesn't like the changes, he could go in the past and stop your units from ever being created which means all their actions would be wiped out from history if no other unit is able to replace them.

    Obs on
  • ArchonexArchonex No hard feelings, right? Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    This just in, Achron cancelled due to griefing in the future that results in death of loser in home.

    You know, watching a replay of this game's skirmish matches would be absolutely insane, depending on how they set it up.

    Archonex on
  • ViscountalphaViscountalpha The pen is mightier than the sword http://youtu.be/G_sBOsh-vyIRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Essentially, we would need to see a demo of this game to really understand how they worked the time-travel aspect honestly. The footage only goes so far. I love the idea personally, the fact of sending units forward and backward in time and having a limited chronoton power source is awesome.

    if they polish the graphics and actually get some nice artwork and in there, I think they would have something very unique. I highly doubt the average gamer would put up with time travel malarky though. Might be a hard sell for too many people to ever go beyond a nitch game.

    Viscountalpha on
  • ObsObs __BANNED USERS regular
    edited March 2009
    My biggest problem with this game is that beyond the time travel gimmick you basically have what looks like a paper thin RTS.

    I actually don't think time travel alone is a good enough gimmick for an RTS game. It's just another form of movement. You'd really have to rethink how one would wage war across time to make a whole good game out of it.

    Obs on
  • DarmakDarmak RAGE vympyvvhyc vyctyvyRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Why do people keep bringing up the fact that it will probably be a hard sell to the average gamer? Who gives a shit? As long as it is released and is good and you enjoy it, why would you care if John Average buys it or not?

    Darmak on
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  • Ninja Snarl PNinja Snarl P My helmet is my burden. Ninja Snarl: Gone, but not forgotten.Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    For a game like this, the armies can be paper thin for all I care. Most RTS games tend to just be rock-paper-scissors stuff with some tech trees anyway. Rarely is actual strategic and tactical thinking rewarded beyond encouraging people to just build a ton of one unit and overwhelm an enemy.

    With this game concept, you could effectively be fighting several battles at the same time while having to keep track of which outcomes are more important. Actual thinking is required beyond memorizing the best build orders. I could see people not liking this game for no other reason than the counter for massive rushes is as simple as someone scooting back in time and destroying the source of production.

    I mean, what do you really need for an RTS? Infantry units, air units, and armored ground units (tanks, mechs, whatever) cover the majority of what most RTS games use. Personally, I am completely fine with a game skipping over tech trees which require you to research 8 different things before getting anything worthwhile. I'm tired of RTS games where you just spend forever building defenses, researching tech, occasionally harassing your opponent, and then either getting wiped out in a massive onslaught or doing the same to your opponent.

    I can't say this game will be great or anything (duh, I haven't played it or even seen more than a few minutes of playtime video), but this game looks like it will be different in a really, really good way.

    Ninja Snarl P on
  • DarmakDarmak RAGE vympyvvhyc vyctyvyRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Well, I was finally able to watch the videos when I got home last night. Looks pretty cool, I like how they display the time waves and how you can see when your opponent is issuing commands and the like.

    Darmak on
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  • chasehatesbearschasehatesbears Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    I can't keep up with most RTS games as it is. Now I have multiple time waves to keep track of?

    Fuuuuuuck.

    chasehatesbears on
  • SlicerSlicer Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    I hope they come out with a demo for this near release. Really seems like a concept that's easier to see for yourself rather than hearing about it.

    Slicer on
  • WoggleWoggle OheoRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    This looks amazing. And incredibly complicated.

    Could anyone tell how the time waves work? Does each time wave have its own version of reality and when that wave reaches the present all the actions in it take effect, or is it more like whenever any wave hits the present, everything is updated?

    Woggle on
  • ruforufo Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    This feels almost like Primer in video game form. (And with more base-building and units. But otherwise exactly the same.)

    At the absolute least, it sure sounds like great fun to mess around in.

    rufo on
  • DarmakDarmak RAGE vympyvvhyc vyctyvyRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    rufo wrote: »
    This feels almost like Primer in video game form. (And with more base-building and units. But otherwise exactly the same.)

    At the absolute least, it sure sounds like great fun to mess around in.

    I'm sure it will lead to many "what the fuck just happened?" moments due to people not always paying attention or understanding fully how the system works. Hell, it hurts my brain to think about it too hard.

    Darmak on
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  • ViscountalphaViscountalpha The pen is mightier than the sword http://youtu.be/G_sBOsh-vyIRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Darmak wrote: »
    Why do people keep bringing up the fact that it will probably be a hard sell to the average gamer? Who gives a shit? As long as it is released and is good and you enjoy it, why would you care if John Average buys it or not?

    Because, thats how people keep making games. I want this developer to succeed.

    Viscountalpha on
  • Rhesus PositiveRhesus Positive GNU Terry Pratchett Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Darmak wrote: »
    rufo wrote: »
    This feels almost like Primer in video game form. (And with more base-building and units. But otherwise exactly the same.)

    At the absolute least, it sure sounds like great fun to mess around in.

    I'm sure it will lead to many "what the fuck just happened?" moments due to people not always paying attention or understanding fully how the system works. Hell, it hurts my brain to think about it too hard.

    I regularly have those moments in just about every strategy game I've played. So many of my musketmen in Civilisation have had to deal with the sight of planes turning up over the horizon, I think they'd be at home in a time-travelling game.

    Rhesus Positive on
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  • FoefallerFoefaller Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Woggle wrote: »
    This looks amazing. And incredibly complicated.

    Could anyone tell how the time waves work? Does each time wave have its own version of reality and when that wave reaches the present all the actions in it take effect, or is it more like whenever any wave hits the present, everything is updated?

    I'm curious about that as well... If you destroy your opponents base in the past, and he goes back past to change it, and both events have thier own timewave, does your opponent sit with a destroyed base untill the timewave with his "fix" apears, or will his changes take effect?

    Foefaller on
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  • ViscountalphaViscountalpha The pen is mightier than the sword http://youtu.be/G_sBOsh-vyIRegistered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Foefaller wrote: »
    Woggle wrote: »
    This looks amazing. And incredibly complicated.

    Could anyone tell how the time waves work? Does each time wave have its own version of reality and when that wave reaches the present all the actions in it take effect, or is it more like whenever any wave hits the present, everything is updated?

    I'm curious about that as well... If you destroy your opponents base in the past, and he goes back past to change it, and both events have their own timewave, does your opponent sit with a destroyed base until the timewave with his "fix" appears, or will his changes take effect?

    We will have to see the demo to answer these questions. I know they will have to patch some bugs because they are almost guaranteed show up with this much game mechanics involved. Even if they don't fix the graphics, I will have to see how this one unfolds if it "sees the light of day" so to speak.

    Viscountalpha on
  • ZombiemamboZombiemambo Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    rufo wrote: »
    This feels almost like Primer in video game form. (And with more base-building and units. But otherwise exactly the same.)

    At the absolute least, it sure sounds like great fun to mess around in.

    There weren't any time waves in Primer, though. However long you stayed in the machine is how far back you went. And the machine was collapsable, so they could bring the time machine into another time machine and then they start cloning themselves and...

    If you can make heads or tails out of it, you're a fucking genius.

    Zombiemambo on
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  • Uber AbgestopptUber Abgestoppt BEERGICIAN Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Lead developer:
    DocBrownB.6.14.06.jpg

    But ya, seems a bit too complicated for mainstream success.

    Uber Abgestoppt on
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  • ruforufo Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    rufo wrote: »
    This feels almost like Primer in video game form. (And with more base-building and units. But otherwise exactly the same.)

    At the absolute least, it sure sounds like great fun to mess around in.

    There weren't any time waves in Primer, though. However long you stayed in the machine is how far back you went. And the machine was collapsable, so they could bring the time machine into another time machine and then they start cloning themselves and...

    If you can make heads or tails out of it, you're a fucking genius.

    That's what I was referring to, more or less. :P

    Still an awesome movie though, if only because it directly conveys the sense of complete and utter clusterfucktitude that would happen if time travel actually existed.

    rufo on
  • Hotlead JunkieHotlead Junkie Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    I suck at and hate RTS games but love this idea.

    Hotlead Junkie on
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  • SAW776SAW776 Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    I kind of want a turn-based strategy game with this concept. Might make it a little more manageable, and I wouldn't have to worry about my horrid twitch skills. :lol:

    SAW776 on
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  • LJDouglasLJDouglas Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    That seems to be the cool thing about this though, if you're having trouble clicking fast enough, just switch the game to slow motion, I think there's even a pause. Also, watching these videos melted my brain. :D

    LJDouglas on
  • AiranAiran Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    This is way too multi dimensional for my head. The possibility of "fuck that noise!" moments is a bit too much.

    Still, I'd love to see the Korean Starcraft vets take on this, just for laughs :P

    Airan on
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  • TaramoorTaramoor Storyteller Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    Airan wrote: »
    This is way too multi dimensional for my head. The possibility of "fuck that noise!" moments is a bit too much.

    Still, I'd love to see the Korean Starcraft vets take on this, just for laughs :P

    All I know is, if one of us were to play one of them, we'd probably lose before the game started.

    Literally.

    Taramoor on
  • truck-a-saurastruck-a-sauras Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    watching the 3rd video was painful.... chrono-fragging? cool concept, but going to be a pain in the ass to make sure you don't warp into the past on top of a unit.

    like making the jump into hyperspace into an asteroid field.

    truck-a-sauras on
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  • EmperorSethEmperorSeth Registered User regular
    edited March 2009
    I actually know one of the guys involved in this. He's the main programmer, or something of that sort. One reason this might take a while is he also has a real job, so this can only be worked on in his free time. Also he got married just a couple of weeks ago.

    EmperorSeth on
    You know what? Nanowrimo's cancelled on account of the world is stupid.
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