Some Test Presentation (Attribution in Images)

Welcome to Rogue Force, Commander!

Completed so far:

(Rogue Force Version 0.2 Alpha)

Terran Missions 01 - 06 Completed.

Mission 06 just added.

PROGRESS UPDATE:

Did a huge amount of work on the AI system which features in the latest mission along with a different kind of "installation" or micro mission. My eventual goal has always been to make it incorporate prompting and fast coding, but the most important part is hopefully the creative unit behaviors and excellent droids. Also I'll try to move the music to a mod file later to save space.

You can see further details I've logged for my progress below, or just download and play.

PROGRESS UPDATE 2:

This preview is a bit noisy, sorry about that. But I'm pretty close to finishing out the last stage of this phase of AI, where it finally becomes self-aware and destroys us all. (It just needs to be debugged. It's hella complicated.)

In any case, made a bunch more great progress, and here's a preview of what's happening so far. There are obnoxious explosions so you might want to mute - my bad. There should be another update within a few weeks, hopefully the big one.

The path-finding will probably look a bit silly, but it's basically demonstrating the unit finding a target without any specific move to that point command, and using a Darwinian carrot/stick echolocation method.

PROGRESS UPDATE 3:

Solved it. AI exists now. Just got to make sure all the data management works, and I can upload a vid of it soon. Woo! ^.^

PROGRESS UPDATE 4:

It was very important that I procrastinate by working on a WarCraft map for 3 months. That's just science, nobody ask me any questions because questions are hard. But I'm back to finish this one next! ^.^ Even bug fixing is brain intensive, man.

(Quick look at a manual documentation I've done a first pass on.)

MISSION FILES:

Infiltration and Accessing Enemy Computer Setting Up Your Base

TERRAN 01:

"THE INFILTRATION"

MISSION FEATURES:

- Some tactical stealth. Squad management. Simple first mission.

TERRAN 02:

"THE LANDING"

MISSION FEATURES:

- This map features an early, baby alpha version of an experimental trigger-based AI. It may be a little simple-minded in some places, but after testing the map, I hope it at least provides 15 mere mortals for the expert player. I may have to keep streamlining the gameplay to make sure it's accessible for all players.

- It's the first RTS mission, showcasing the Terran faction for this campaign.

- Will be updated. I know the terrain is jank, the alarm system is obnoxious, and the faux physics could be annoying too - but I've already relandscaped a good bit of it, so hopefully it'll be improved in the next update. I still want to keep a lot of the trial elements, but I'll try to make it smoother.

TERRAN 03:

TAKE THE HIGH GROUND

I was having trouble with running this level, some kind of overflow leak that I can't identify, so I've reduced a few features in the mean-time, until I understand the problem better. It's still in fate's hands a bit, but I'll try to get it sussed out in the next update.

MISSION FEATURES:

- More customised AI by yours truly, sort of the building blocks for more advanced AI. At the moment, it amounts to fairly basic base-building/management and such.

- Monster AI. Another experiment, giving more advanced AI to unique units, like mini-bosses.

- Was trying to give this level a more campaign feel.

- Had to do some custom work with the bridges - should work.

- Hero squad.

TERRAN 04:

PURIFICATION

Woof. Laid a lot of foundation with this one. Basically just creating the foundation of the ordinary campaign experience - briefings and such. But also in-game puzzle elements, and a customised hero squad more in line with the CO-OP Tychus faction.

It's an installation mission chock full of... things... and man was it a long trip on the Enterprise through a black hole to get there. BUT, now I've done it and I can keep improving. Really just needed to get this one done and off the to-do list.

Implemented Bosses. Boss battle AIs. (I swear the last one isn't featuring a deliberate clone of certain mechanics I've seen despite all evidence to the contrary, I just thought it was cool. :P - Just me playing with AI as usual.)

The level, such as boss fights, has, as always, room for improvement - I will return to it when I have the necessary experience. Hope you enjoy it as a preview of things to come. ^.^

Features:

- Installation mission.

- Mini-bosses.

- Squad control.

- Implemented briefings and such.

- Improved coding libraries as I move forward.

- DODGE AMAZO BEAMS.

Bugs:

I think the music trips out temporarily for no reason at a certain point. The sound editor has been a trip, but I'm sure it's fixable.

TERRAN 05:

PACKAGE DELIVERY

Woo-hoo! Overtime! I finally did it, guys, it's here. I finally cracked my AI system formula I was working on, I'm so chuffed about it. This map runs on 100% custom AI (+ whatever) that I've even tested on a personal text adventure project satisfactorily.

At the moment it's about as dumb as a posse of cowboy piggies invading Bird Island but it's beautiful and seductive and that's what matters. This should significantly improve my workflow and potential speed, since most of my energy was going into trying to crack this dumb fluffin' thing.
It'll improve with each instalment and get smarter and should allow me to implement more interesting things with a process I like. More Terminator friends for our children! And like, stop Megatron and stuff.

Anyway, about this map. It should show further improvement, I'm more familiar with the data editor now. The tech-tree is reworked basic stuff but I think I've settled on it now and learning to make it pretty. The Terran campaign is likely to have a few more levels than I planned.

Also, I can beat this level satisfactorily, but I also made the level, and it still made me jump to do the single win strategy I know which is the perfect balance of Thanos. So treat it like one of those secret encounter challenges on Doom Eternal, it will probably absolutely annihilate you in 0.5 seconds if you're not paying attention. I can only apologise as I continue to grow into the beautiful life-affirming man of tomorrow I know I can be.

You're safe during cinematics, though!

I hope you enjoy! Man I'm so glad to be through that. It was tough, man. Making the AI, not the level. That was just pretty fun. Wooftastic.

Features:

- **** ****** **** loads of enemies. It will actually slow performance down likely probably definitely.

- You don't have napalm, but how about guns?

- Music works, but I know I'll need to keep tuning it.

- I've started work on some cool custom units, so there's a cute bonus on this level I made using the power of friendship.

- Unfortunately this particular world is not made of love and peace. I enjoyed it, though.

Bugs:

- The portrait bug might be my fault - I'll have to check at some point.

- Probably something somewhere.

- KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN

TERRAN 06:

THE SECRET HAND OF ATLAS

And here's Mission 06! I'm very pleased with it. There's a couple of things I still might like to go in and get in the next patch or Xel'Naga life-cycle or whatever (like making the music sequences a little better, boss battles etc), but I love what I did with it. Most importantly, all the work I got done on my AI, really wanted to start show-casing some cool R2-D2 shit.

The AI isn't quite what I'd call smart yet, but I laid down the foundation, and what it is, is now a learning machine AI. Very pumped about it. The units will reacts and respond to you in various ways (allies and enemies), and it should be self-evident, in the words of Mengsk.

The mission style itself is based on a concept I had for a long time, and wanted to explore (*shakes fist at the gods*). I'll have at least one more mission in this Terran campaign in this style.

I did change a few things I liked for gameplay reasons (tapping a button to run for an entire mission, for example).

Only two missions to go for this campaign, I think! Gawrsh.

Features:

- A robust and developed AI system. It's not fully completed, but it's come a long way, and I look forward to making it a maybe-fully or close-to operational battle-station by the end of the next mission. It sort of is already. It's why these maps take so long, have to break in a lot of new things.

- Interesting Unit Behaviours. The units are little learning terminators now.

- Different Micro-Mission Style

- New Units created by terrible science

Bugs: None that I've really noticed and not fixed EXCEPT that a couple of mini-bosses really don't want you to have that achievement. I swear I tried to get them to play ball.

Feel free to let me know if anything dumb happens tho, sometimes that's a thing.

PREVIEW OF MISSION 07

DARK DESCENT (Working Title)

A quick look at some of the design of the next level. I'm actually really proud already of the terrain work, which is pretty hard. I should be uploading a short video of some featuring mechanics as well, when I've done them.

Also want to update the presentation of this page too, when I have some extra time.

Just keeping ya in the loop ~ SuperMudz

Just about got the AI ready for presentation. In the mean-time here's an AMV I did for fun. ^.^

Wish I could have spent more time on the intro, but it's just to break up the day.