Riddler - new map concept

DiM · Post by **DiM** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 12:55 pm

i've been pondering for a while about this idea i had some time ago.
bare with me for a moment i know it may sound strange or stupid but read until the end.

so we have a map any map it really doesn't matter, it can be a fun house, a graveyard, an abstract dream/nightmare like thing, or even a pirate map. the theme will be decided later.

the gimmick is that you get no explanation no legend no bonuses nothing at all. you're in the dark and you have no idea what's happening.

each terit will contain a riddle, a clue a hint, something that will guide you towards the objective. also the terits will have strange features, some may bombard some may have decay, others will have bonuses while others will simply give you negative bonuses or do nothing at all.
i'm thinking of maybe 100 terits and each player gets just 1 to start with, the rest being neutral.

of course once you play the map a few times and find out where the objective terit is you'll think the map loses it's appeal BUT here comes the most fun part. THE BORDERS CHANGE!!!
the map will have several xmls 10-20-50 i don't know yet. and each time a game is started the xml will be different. i'm also willing to go even further and make more than 1 map so let's say i make 50 maps with 50 xmls and each time you select the map and start a new game a different map is picked with a different xml. this will alow for even more things to change. the riddles and clues would be different, the objective would be different.
so if you figured the way to the objective in 1 game it doesn't mean it will be the same in another game.

at the moment it is impossible but who knows what the future may bring? so i want to bring the idea up for discussion to see what people think.

dominationnation · Post by **dominationnation** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 1:05 pm

I dont think its possible. You cant have multiple xml's. So youll need an update for it. Also if you change what happens then you have to change the riddle, meaning youll need multiple images. if you have different images then people could become obseased enough to write down all territorys for all map images. then feast off n00bs and people that dont know each territory. I dont think it will ever work.

Tisha · Post by **Tisha** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 1:15 pm

i wouldn't think that is would have to have different images to place a different xml with the map.. just the bonuses would be switched around every game i thought..

DiM · Post by **DiM** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 1:15 pm

dominationnation wrote:I dont think its possible. You cant have multiple xml's. So youll need an update for it. Also if you change what happens then you have to change the riddle, meaning youll need multiple images. if you have different images then people could become obseased enough to write down all territorys for all map images. then feast off n00bs and people that dont know each territory. I dont think it will ever work.

i already said you should read the whole post.

i know it's impossible and if you look carefully you'll notice i also said i'm willing to make more xmls and more images.

as for the people that are obsessed and write things down, i doubt it will be worth the trouble.

let's say 10 images with 10 riddles and 10 objectives.
and each image has 10 xmls for border changes.

that would mean he has to write 100 maps to know what to do and feast on noobs. would you do that just to get 5-10 measly points from a new recruit?

DiM · Post by **DiM** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 1:17 pm

Tisha wrote:i wouldn't think that is would have to have different images to place a different xml with the map.. just the bonuses would be switched around every game i thought..

if it's the same image then the riddle and the objective stays the same only bonuses and borders change.

if there are multiple images then i can also change the riddle and the objective which makes it even more fun.

Tisha · Post by **Tisha** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 1:27 pm

i just don't see how each map with different riddles could be mixed with all the 10 different xmls.. each xml being different...lol. i'm really confused

give me an example of a riddle?

rebelman · Post by **rebelman** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 1:30 pm

love the concept, but as this would be such a huge undertaking I think it would be a waste of both your obvious skills and time

DiM · Post by **DiM** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 1:32 pm

Tisha wrote:i just don't see how each map with different riddles could be mixed with all the 10 different xmls.. each xml being different...lol. i'm really confused

ok so we have 10 images, each with it's own riddle that leads to an objective.
for this we need 1 xml for each map to correspond to the riddle and objective. then each of the 10 xmls will have border variations represented by 9 other xmls, for a total of 10 images and 100xmls.

for example. i have image A with riddle A and objective A. when this map is selected then 1 of the 10 xmls for this map is chosen randomly xmlA1, xmlA2....xmlA10.

if map B is chosen then the story repeats and 1 xml is chosen but this time from the 10 xmls that are linked to the B map. xmlB1....xmlB10.

Tisha wrote:give me an example of a riddle?

i haven't thought of the riddles yet.

DiM · Post by **DiM** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 1:34 pm

rebelman wrote:love the concept, but as this would be such a huge undertaking I think it would be a waste of both your obvious skills and time

at the moment it is impossible so i haven't wasted any time (except for creating this thread), but when it will be possible, if it ever will, i'll manage to find some time or if i don't i'll try to gather some other people to help me. i don't think it will be hard.

amazzony · Post by **amazzony** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 1:41 pm

Possible or not, I like this idea a lot. Brings something new and interesting to the map world (not that there aren't 50 something great maps). Something new with a totally new concept is definitely welcome IMHO

dominationnation · Post by **dominationnation** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 2:03 pm

regardless of the amount of time you are willing to spend you would still need an update on the xml to allow for multiple xml or border changes or anything else that this map uses.

DiM · Post by **DiM** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 3:40 pm

dominationnation wrote:regardless of the amount of time you are willing to spend you would still need an update on the xml to allow for multiple xml or border changes or anything else that this map uses.

actually i don't need a xml update. i just need lack to code something to select random xmls

yeti_c · Post by **yeti_c** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 3:43 pm

DiM wrote:
dominationnation wrote:regardless of the amount of time you are willing to spend you would still need an update on the xml to allow for multiple xml or border changes or anything else that this map uses.
actually i don't need a xml update. i just need lack to code something to select random xmls

You're learning Dimmy...

You could do it a different way...

Code: Select all

<XML>
  <map>
     ...
  </map
  <map>
    ...
  </map>
  <map>
    ...
  </map>

Then the game engine selects one of the map variants upon load...

Of course - BOB would ruin all of your hard work by making the map obvious!!

C.

gimil · Post by **gimil** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 3:45 pm

yeti_c wrote:
DiM wrote:
dominationnation wrote:regardless of the amount of time you are willing to spend you would still need an update on the xml to allow for multiple xml or border changes or anything else that this map uses.
actually i don't need a xml update. i just need lack to code something to select random xmls
You're learning Dimmy...

You could do it a different way...
Code: Select all
<XML>
  <map>
     ...
  </map
  <map>
    ...
  </map>
  <map>
    ...
  </map>
Then the game engine selects one of the map variants upon load...

Of course - BOB would ruin all of your hard work by making the map obvious!!

C.

or ruin yours by making you do bob all over again:)

yeti_c · Post by **yeti_c** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 3:47 pm

gimil wrote:
yeti_c wrote:
DiM wrote:
dominationnation wrote:regardless of the amount of time you are willing to spend you would still need an update on the xml to allow for multiple xml or border changes or anything else that this map uses.
actually i don't need a xml update. i just need lack to code something to select random xmls
You're learning Dimmy...

You could do it a different way...
Code: Select all
<XML>
  <map>
     ...
  </map
  <map>
    ...
  </map>
  <map>
    ...
  </map>
Then the game engine selects one of the map variants upon load...

Of course - BOB would ruin all of your hard work by making the map obvious!!

C.
or ruin yours by making you do bob all over again:)

Pfffft...

Would be childs play.

C.

BaldAdonis · Post by **BaldAdonis** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 3:49 pm

At the moment, anyone can access the xml to any maps, through http://www.conquerclub.com/maps I'm fairly certain that a set of 50 maps will have to have distinct names, even if they are all to be accessed by calling on the Riddler map, so anyone who knows this can call up the xml for the map he's playing on, and figure out the objective.

DiM · Post by **DiM** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 3:54 pm

yeti_c wrote:
DiM wrote:
dominationnation wrote:regardless of the amount of time you are willing to spend you would still need an update on the xml to allow for multiple xml or border changes or anything else that this map uses.
actually i don't need a xml update. i just need lack to code something to select random xmls
You're learning Dimmy...

You could do it a different way...
Code: Select all
<XML>
  <map>
     ...
  </map
  <map>
    ...
  </map>
  <map>
    ...
  </map>
Then the game engine selects one of the map variants upon load...

Of course - BOB would ruin all of your hard work by making the map obvious!!

C.

nice

it would be really easy if selecting multiple xmls would work like that.
the hard part would be selecting a different map each time a games starts.

as for bob ruining it, i don't think so. i could ask lack to code the map and restrict it only for fog of war. then bob would be much less usefull.

yeti_c · Post by **yeti_c** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 3:55 pm

DiM wrote:
yeti_c wrote:
DiM wrote:
dominationnation wrote:regardless of the amount of time you are willing to spend you would still need an update on the xml to allow for multiple xml or border changes or anything else that this map uses.
actually i don't need a xml update. i just need lack to code something to select random xmls
You're learning Dimmy...

You could do it a different way...
Code: Select all
<XML>
  <map>
     ...
  </map
  <map>
    ...
  </map>
  <map>
    ...
  </map>
Then the game engine selects one of the map variants upon load...

Of course - BOB would ruin all of your hard work by making the map obvious!!

C.
nice
it would be really easy if selecting multiple xmls would work like that.
the hard part would be selecting a different map each time a games starts.

as for bob ruining it, i don't think so. i could ask lack to code the map and restrict it only for fog of war. then bob would be much less usefull.

That would work...

C.

benny profane · Post by **benny profane** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 3:59 pm

this idea is incredibly fascinating. but it does sound like it would require a monstrous amount of work. you may need a whole team of people.
even if you dropped the riddle/clue aspect, it would be a totally unique map.
sounds like an infinite (well...not really) labyrinth! ever read borges?
i'm not sure if i'm getting this right, but it sounds like at the start, you would only see the terit that you begin on?...
would the rest of the map be blacked out?

whitestazn88 · Post by **whitestazn88** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 4:34 pm

the idea of writing that much xml scares me, but if it ever is possible, and you want to, that would be an amazing game to play.

Kaplowitz · Post by **Kaplowitz** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 9:09 pm

i dont think the theme should be random, maybe like a maze, or isnt there some bad guy from a super hero cartoon that would fit for this? i cant think of the name....

edit: nvm....

DiM · Post by **DiM** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 9:18 pm

Kaplowitz wrote:i dont think the theme should be random, maybe like a maze, or isnt there some bad guy from a super hero cartoon that would fit for this? i cant think of the name....

the theme will not be random. but it can be many things as i said in the first post.

what i want at this moment is to establish if such a map would be accepted and enjoyed and most of all if it is possible. it will have to wait until the age of realms trilogy is finished before i start it.

Risktaker17 · Post by **Risktaker17** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 9:31 pm

AWESOME IDEA! Go for it Dim. Can there be an Adam West and Burt Ward reference please!!!!

unriggable · Post by **unriggable** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 9:39 pm

Couldn't you just learn all the little secrets after a few games?

DiM · Post by **DiM** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 9:43 pm

unriggable wrote:Couldn't you just learn all the little secrets after a few games?

not really? it would mean you have to memorize 100 different xmls. not an easy task, plus i can talk to lack and if he agrees the map can be available only for fog games.