{"author_name":"mtthwcmpbll","cat":"LD #23","comments":[],"epoch":1335012120,"likes":0,"metadata":{"p_key":"57857","p_author":"mtthwcmpbll","p_authorkey":"3178","p_urlkey":"93606","p_title":"Jam Idea: Mothership!","p_cat":"LD #23","p_event":"LD23","p_time":"1335012120","p_likes":"0","p_comments":"0","p_status":"UPD5","us_key":"3178","us_name":"mtthwcmpbll","us_username":"mtthwcmpbll","event_start":"1334880000","event_key":"10","event_name":"LD23"},"text":"<p>Ok &#8211; after spending an hour or two last night mulling over my various ideas, I had settled on my strongest idea. \u00a0The problem is that it was (in my head) set in space, which feels the complete opposite of the &#8220;Tiny World&#8221; theme. \u00a0I decided to switch up the scale and use the same core game mechanics except with viruses and bacteria, but after working up some mockups and then sleeping on it, I think I&#8217;m going to take it back out to a space game. \u00a0To fit the theme, I&#8217;m going to emphasize the self-contained nature of the giant motherships the player controls &#8211; now, they&#8217;re carrying the last chunk of their dead home planet in a self-contained eco-bubble as a spaceship. \u00a0Talk about raising the stakes for survival (hey, there&#8217;s another theme runner up that would have fit my original idea *cough*).<\/p>\n <p>The basic outline for the game, with a mockup:<\/p>\n <p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ludumdare.com\/compo\/2012\/04\/21\/jam-idea-mothership\/ld48_23_mockup\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-123921\"><img class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-123921\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ludumdare.com\/compo\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/LD48_23_mockup-550x412.jpg\" alt=\"Mothership! Mockup\" width=\"550\" height=\"412\" srcset=\"http:\/\/ludumdare.com\/compo\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/LD48_23_mockup-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/ludumdare.com\/compo\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/LD48_23_mockup-550x412.jpg 550w, http:\/\/ludumdare.com\/compo\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/LD48_23_mockup.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n <ul>\n <li>The player controls a single large spacecraft through the environment<\/li>\n <li>The player has direct control over the mothership, being able to maneuver (slowly) through space<\/li>\n <li>The player can produce small computer-controlled minions (fighters, bombers, etc.). These minions swarm and automatically attack enemy minions and motherships, and by default gather around the mothership. \u00a0The player can direct the &#8220;drone cloud&#8221; to go somewhere within a certain radius of the mothership, sort of a waypoint system. \u00a0If the mothership moves too far away, all minions will return to the mothership.<\/li>\n <li>(Maybe?) Destroyed minions and motherships leave behind salvageable wreckage, which can be gathered by gatherer drones. \u00a0This limited resource would make the game a closed system (rather than an infinitely-growing collection of minions).<\/li>\n <li>(Maybe?) Mothership special powers to provide a more direct combat activity for the player. \u00a0I still want to stay away from &#8220;giant laser blast&#8221; and do more with control skills that can disable parts of an enemy minion cloud, other mothership skills, etc.<\/li>\n <li>(Maybe?) Mothership upgrade system that can upgrade minion control radius, special powers, hull strength, reduce resource costs, etc.<\/li>\n <\/ul>\n <p>I&#8217;m going for a light strategy game that mixes a little bit Defense of the Ancients with Pikmin style direct\/indirect hybrid minion control. \u00a0Also, I&#8217;ve never played and DotA game so I&#8217;m just making that up based on by perception of the genre from the outside <img src=\"http:\/\/ludumdare.com\/compo\/wp-includes\/images\/smilies\/simple-smile.png\" alt=\":)\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em; max-height: 1em;\" \/> \u00a0Ok &#8211; off to work, now.<\/p>\n \n <p>Tags: <a href=\"http:\/\/ludumdare.com\/compo\/tag\/gamejams\/\" rel=\"tag\">gamejams<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/ludumdare.com\/compo\/tag\/ld23\/\" rel=\"tag\">ld23<\/a><\/p>","time":"April 21st, 2012 7:42 am","title":"Jam Idea: Mothership!"}