We Call it Tactics by the31

[raw]
made by the31 for LD26 (COMPO)
================================================================================


You command a small number of troops on a small island. Do as much damage to the enemy as you can. Some may call this a pointless conflict. We call it tactics.


================================================================================
====CONTROLS

This game requires a mouse. I also suggest a scroll wheel.
(It has been reported that We Call it Tactics works on touch devices with Flash Player, but I have not tried it myself.)

--SPECIFICS

Click/drag with the mouse to scroll the map.
Use the scroll wheel to zoom the map.
Click on a squad to select it.

When you have a squad selected:
- (Quickly) click again on the same squad: select half of the units in the squad.
- (After a delay) click again on the same squad: deselect the unit.
- Click elsewhere on the map to tell the squad to move there directly.
- Click on another squad to merge the current squad into the other one.

--SPLITTING
This might be confusing, so I'll explain further:
You can split squads by double/triple/quadruple/etc.-clicking on them, then ordering them to move. This commands part of them to "separate" from the squad, hence creating a new squad.
The number of clicks is associated to number of units selected as follows:
1 click: 100% of squad
2 clicks: 50% of squad
3 clicks: 25% of squad
etc.

--MERGING
This orders the selected units to become part of the targeted squad. Note that you can use the repeated-click "partial selection" feature in combination with merging. So, for example, you can send 25% of one squad to merge wth another by triple-clicking the first and then clicking on the second.

================================================================================
====THE HIGH GROUND

While there obviously isn't any elevation in We Call it Tactics, there are a large number of bonus/malus scenarios, although they should be intuitive for the most part. I'll list them below--if you want to figure them out yourself, don't read this part!

--AIM MODIFIERS
Units are harder to hit when "dug in," represented by shrinking. This happens when they stay stationary.
Units are harder to hit when they are in a forest, regardless of where shooters are located.
Units are easy to hit when swimming.
Swimming units cannot fire.
Flanked units (units moving perpendicular to the direction in which they are being fired upon) are easy to hit.
Units can aim slightly more accurately when standing still.

--OTHER MODIFIERS
Units can reload faster when stationary.
Units move slowly while under fire.

================================================================================
====RE: THEME

I took the theme into consideration in a few places. The most intentional was in the control scheme: everything's done using the mouse through gestures everyone's familiar with due to services like google maps. The art style is also very basic, and units on opposite teams don't even have distinguishing features. It's all about the tactics.

Ratings

Coolness 65% 3
Overall 3.49 251
Audio 2.26 806
Fun 3.46 187
Graphics 2.84 706
Humor 1.96 756
Innovation 3.38 359
Mood 2.81 611
Theme 3.67 416

Feedback

Crazi456
29. Apr 2013 · 07:14 UTC
Was Fun! Fit theme well.
martijn
29. Apr 2013 · 13:51 UTC
Awesome, got a 2:1 kill ratio
YSelf Tool
29. Apr 2013 · 13:52 UTC
Music would be great. A method to get new units would be great. That said: fun game! There are too few RTS at LD.
Hyaku
29. Apr 2013 · 13:54 UTC
Its really cool, but need more levels or some kind of goal.

At this point you can just move your units to the spawning point an see how the enemies dies.
AndyBumpkin
29. Apr 2013 · 13:57 UTC
I liked it - I was rubbish at it! But could see where the tactics came into it.

Felt a bit unfair that the enemy kept spawning loads of new chaps in.

Would have been good to play some missions with this control system (but where there were fixed numbers of enemies!)
Follett
29. Apr 2013 · 14:59 UTC
This needs to be a full blown game with big battles. I loved this. All I could ask for is a way to buy more troops.
Griffablanc
29. Apr 2013 · 16:09 UTC
It's a very sweet play mechanics :)
AaronYip
01. May 2013 · 02:53 UTC
This was fantastic. :D Not sure whether my soldiers crouching did anything, but I can definitely see myself playing this way too much, with just a few more systems to mix things up.
robc
01. May 2013 · 06:03 UTC
Nice little RTS.

Agree with the need to be able to get more units. Would also be nice (in an expanded version) to have an objective to attack or something.

Certainly has a lot of potential for a larger scale game :)
Jod
01. May 2013 · 12:50 UTC
I killed 2 soldiers for every one of mine. Viva la Revolution! The island shall be free!

Cool to see someone use a tactics idea in their game. Want more like this.
CherryNukaCola
01. May 2013 · 12:56 UTC
Very existential. Love the title, too!
Uhfgood
02. May 2013 · 17:11 UTC
Pretty interesting way to do it. Added complexity while still attempting to keep it minimalist.
finefin
12. May 2013 · 20:01 UTC
killed 239 enemies by camping in one corner of the map. awesome minimalistic RTS game! one of my favourites!
sP0CkEr2
16. May 2013 · 03:24 UTC
this was alot of fun -- i wanted more levels and the ability to buy more type of blips -- cool game