Well I've had a lot of ideas for maps, but this would be one I'd love to see. If anyone is familiar with the Sid Meier's Civilizations series, then you should have an idea of what I'm talking about. A turn-based strategy game where your goal is to conquer the world. You'd pick a civilization (Americans, Aztecs, etc.), leader, build cities, armies, improvements (city improvements, wonders, farms, etc.), advance in technology through the ages, etc. I had wanted to work on a Starcraft mod for Civilizations IV years ago, but there was little interest from the Civ community. With the robustness of the Starcraft 2 Editor, I could see such a map being done well.
Anyways, the Starcraft universe, Civilization-style, would have to be done a bit differently.
The Map: The Civilization games only really deal with conquering a single world, and the Starcraft series takes place in the whole Korulu Sector. Would this map just focus on a single planet? Or perhaps the whole Koprulu Sector and be done similarly to the Final Frontier mod, a mod that came with the Civilization 4: Beyond the Sword expansion pack. The former would have more of a focus on ground warfare, the latter a focus on space warfare. A good hybrid of the two would really be good. How cities would work would be directly influenced on whichever map-type is decided on.
Civilizations: I could see this done in one of two ways. Have Terran, Zerg, and Protoss as the civilizations, or go in a far-less broad manner: Terran Confederacy, Kel-Morian Combine, Umojan Protectorate, Sons of Korhal/Terran Dominion, Raynor's Raiders, United Earth Directorate, Zerg Swarm, Khalai Protoss, and Dark Templar. I'd suggest the latter. Being able to pick leaders would also be really fun, but working in traits for the leaders would be very important to add, and maybe unique units (although there would need to be 3 different tech-style trees for the 3 races), if such a map is to keep to the spirit of the Civilization games.
Technology / Eras: The only really fleshed-out eras are the Guild War Era, Great War Era (Starcraft 1), Brood War Era, and Starcraft 2 Era (obviously would need a better name). And even then, how would playing the Zerg work in the Guild War Era? Maybe just start with the Great War era. Or perhaps do technologies in a completely different way.
Anyways, what is everyone else's thoughts here? I hope there are some Civilization fans here in the SC2Mapster community! I'd love to see such a map come into being some day :)
I'm working on a map that includes many of the features you mention. It is intended to be smaller scale however, as you only manage one city.
Resources are not mined like in starcraft, but gained through agriculture(growing plants and animals) and industry (refining products) and selling items produced to vendors or other players. Each city will be able to build some of the refineries, but to encourage trading directly related refineries are mutually exclusive. (If you build a ore processor you can't build a metalworks, If you build a milk packager you cant build a cheese factory.) This does not hinder players from making money, but encourages those who do trade by the ability to make more valuable goods.
Other than factors needed to encourage diplomacy and technology unlocked in the labyrinth, technology is not much of a factor. Everything is unlocked and only requires you get the resources to research and build it.
There are two additional resources, knowledge and metal. A point of knowledge is required for every research done, and the method of gaining knowledge points hasn't been decided on. Metal can be converted from ore using an ore processor. Vespene gas is not harvested in the normal means, instead it is processed out of wood that can be harvested from dead trees in the forests. Minerals act as the basic currency.
The map is in two different regions; inside the labyrinth and outside the labyrinth. Outside the labyrinth is a healthy north american esque landscape, boxed in a mountain valley with a pronged river flowing through it. Players are able to build wherever they want and in whatever shape they want, aside from destroying the forests (perhaps this will be reworked later on to allow for environmental destruction?) 8 towns are reccomended, but all technology can be acquired by 2 towns, so full maps aren't required to experience the game. Inside the labyrinth is a dungeon filled with respawning monsters of progressive difficulty and ore that is required for higher tech buildings.
This map also has a RPG hero element (your rancher and farm dogs) who level up and equip different items acquired through technology, shopping, and exploration of the labyrinth. In order to fully explore the labyrinth you will need to build up a strong enough economy to hire at least a handful of mercenaries or raise a standing army depending on your aesthetic/playstyle preference. The labyrinth will be explorable without additional units if multiple players will cooperate.
There are no locked teams, and resource trading is essential. Diplomacy becomes important when faced with the annoyances of a nearby town encroaching on your farm plots or blocking off your trade routes. Over the course of the game you may be friends with a player, and later he decides he doesnt want to play so he decides to attack your town. You must rely on your own defenses and the other players to protect you. (Your hero will stand quite a good chance against hired mercenaries due to damage reduction mechanics which discourage early elimination of unprepared players.)
As it stands I am nearly done with the agricultural systems and am working on new resource harvesting systems and refining mechanics.
Edit: Does that sound kind of like what you're looking for? Perhaps you could help me brainstorm or work some of the things out. This is my first starcraft 2 map, so i'm not very experienced with the editor and have been frantically tring to figure out how it works as i go. xD
Hi there everybody.
Well I've had a lot of ideas for maps, but this would be one I'd love to see. If anyone is familiar with the Sid Meier's Civilizations series, then you should have an idea of what I'm talking about. A turn-based strategy game where your goal is to conquer the world. You'd pick a civilization (Americans, Aztecs, etc.), leader, build cities, armies, improvements (city improvements, wonders, farms, etc.), advance in technology through the ages, etc. I had wanted to work on a Starcraft mod for Civilizations IV years ago, but there was little interest from the Civ community. With the robustness of the Starcraft 2 Editor, I could see such a map being done well.
Anyways, the Starcraft universe, Civilization-style, would have to be done a bit differently.
The Map: The Civilization games only really deal with conquering a single world, and the Starcraft series takes place in the whole Korulu Sector. Would this map just focus on a single planet? Or perhaps the whole Koprulu Sector and be done similarly to the Final Frontier mod, a mod that came with the Civilization 4: Beyond the Sword expansion pack. The former would have more of a focus on ground warfare, the latter a focus on space warfare. A good hybrid of the two would really be good. How cities would work would be directly influenced on whichever map-type is decided on.
Civilizations: I could see this done in one of two ways. Have Terran, Zerg, and Protoss as the civilizations, or go in a far-less broad manner: Terran Confederacy, Kel-Morian Combine, Umojan Protectorate, Sons of Korhal/Terran Dominion, Raynor's Raiders, United Earth Directorate, Zerg Swarm, Khalai Protoss, and Dark Templar. I'd suggest the latter. Being able to pick leaders would also be really fun, but working in traits for the leaders would be very important to add, and maybe unique units (although there would need to be 3 different tech-style trees for the 3 races), if such a map is to keep to the spirit of the Civilization games.
Technology / Eras: The only really fleshed-out eras are the Guild War Era, Great War Era (Starcraft 1), Brood War Era, and Starcraft 2 Era (obviously would need a better name). And even then, how would playing the Zerg work in the Guild War Era? Maybe just start with the Great War era. Or perhaps do technologies in a completely different way.
Anyways, what is everyone else's thoughts here? I hope there are some Civilization fans here in the SC2Mapster community! I'd love to see such a map come into being some day :)
I'm working on a map that includes many of the features you mention. It is intended to be smaller scale however, as you only manage one city.
Resources are not mined like in starcraft, but gained through agriculture(growing plants and animals) and industry (refining products) and selling items produced to vendors or other players. Each city will be able to build some of the refineries, but to encourage trading directly related refineries are mutually exclusive. (If you build a ore processor you can't build a metalworks, If you build a milk packager you cant build a cheese factory.) This does not hinder players from making money, but encourages those who do trade by the ability to make more valuable goods.
Other than factors needed to encourage diplomacy and technology unlocked in the labyrinth, technology is not much of a factor. Everything is unlocked and only requires you get the resources to research and build it.
There are two additional resources, knowledge and metal. A point of knowledge is required for every research done, and the method of gaining knowledge points hasn't been decided on. Metal can be converted from ore using an ore processor. Vespene gas is not harvested in the normal means, instead it is processed out of wood that can be harvested from dead trees in the forests. Minerals act as the basic currency.
The map is in two different regions; inside the labyrinth and outside the labyrinth. Outside the labyrinth is a healthy north american esque landscape, boxed in a mountain valley with a pronged river flowing through it. Players are able to build wherever they want and in whatever shape they want, aside from destroying the forests (perhaps this will be reworked later on to allow for environmental destruction?) 8 towns are reccomended, but all technology can be acquired by 2 towns, so full maps aren't required to experience the game. Inside the labyrinth is a dungeon filled with respawning monsters of progressive difficulty and ore that is required for higher tech buildings.
This map also has a RPG hero element (your rancher and farm dogs) who level up and equip different items acquired through technology, shopping, and exploration of the labyrinth. In order to fully explore the labyrinth you will need to build up a strong enough economy to hire at least a handful of mercenaries or raise a standing army depending on your aesthetic/playstyle preference. The labyrinth will be explorable without additional units if multiple players will cooperate.
There are no locked teams, and resource trading is essential. Diplomacy becomes important when faced with the annoyances of a nearby town encroaching on your farm plots or blocking off your trade routes. Over the course of the game you may be friends with a player, and later he decides he doesnt want to play so he decides to attack your town. You must rely on your own defenses and the other players to protect you. (Your hero will stand quite a good chance against hired mercenaries due to damage reduction mechanics which discourage early elimination of unprepared players.)
As it stands I am nearly done with the agricultural systems and am working on new resource harvesting systems and refining mechanics.
Edit: Does that sound kind of like what you're looking for? Perhaps you could help me brainstorm or work some of the things out. This is my first starcraft 2 map, so i'm not very experienced with the editor and have been frantically tring to figure out how it works as i go. xD
someone is making a map similar to this its called something like Galactic Civilazation
@NamesAreUseless: Go
I was fan of Civilzation 2. From then on, it just lost its novelty and fun for me.
It will also be extremely tough to make such a map NOT boring.