What is Orbital Defender? Orbital Defender is a custom game for the SC2 Arcade that is designed to help players improve essential Starcraft mechanics. Over the Christmas break I played about 400 games of Heart of the Swarm 1v1 on ladder. As I started analyzing my play while laddering I really identified my mechanics as an area that I could improve quite a bit. This gave me an idea: Why not create a SC2 custom game that is fun to play and also directly improves my Starcraft skills?
Here is a link to the Project Workplace thread with more game information: Link
I'm currently looking for any and all feedback about the game. Specifically, feedback regarding the difficulty level would be good. Also, feedback concerning the tutorial and learning curve would be great too. How long did it take you to understand the game mechanics? Was the tutorial helpful?
Hey everyone! I’d like to take a moment to announce a little training game I just released on the arcade!
What is Orbital Defender?
Orbital Defender is a custom game for the SC2 Arcade that is designed to help players improve essential Starcraft mechanics. Over the Christmas break I played about 400 games of Heart of the Swarm 1v1 on ladder. As I started analyzing my play while laddering I really identified my mechanics as an area that I could improve quite a bit. This gave me an idea: Why not create a SC2 custom game that is fun to play and also directly improves my Starcraft skills?
How does it work?
In Orbital Defender your job is to protect 3 Orbital Command Centers, each in a different location and being attacked by a unique set of enemy units. In order to effectively protect each base, you need to use hotkeys to quickly cycle between bases while watching the minimap to see where the attacks are coming from. You defend your command centers by killing enemy units with the correct hotkey. Using Standard hotkeys each enemy unit hotkey is set to the first letter of the unit name: (Z)ealot, (S)talker, (B)attlecruiser, etc. This is designed to allow new the ability to easily identify/remember the correct hotkey, letting them focus more on multitasking. For advanced users, the game supports custom grid profiles that allow a user to work whichever hotkeys they like.
In addition to defending your Command Centers, you also have an SCV worker located on a different part of the map. Periodically an icon will appear in the top right corner of the screen where your resources are in Starcraft. The icon will show a building that needs to be built by the scv within a short duration. If it is not built, additional waves of units will attack your command centers, forcing you to APM harder.
The Goal
The goal of the game is to build essential hotkey mechanics as well as important habits like frequently checking the top right corner of the screen for resource information, and the bottom left of the screen for minimap information. For new players I hope this game will help them learn to play fast, constantly staying busy. For experienced players I hope that the game can be useful for refining already strong hotkey mechanics, and also as a warmup exercise to get your hands/eyes warmed up and alert for a ladder match.
Is there anything else?
Yes, actually. There is a silly machinima intro with terrible voice acting by yours truly that introduces some backstory and ridiculous characters. Why? Well, why not I guess lol.
You can find Orbital Defender APM in the Survival section of the SC2 Arcade. (Currently NA only)
For more of my mods for SC2 and other games you can visit my site:
www.Kurtsparkuhl.com
-edit- I've uploaded a video of the Game Story as well as a Introduction to Gameplay video. Enjoy!
First of all, thanks for taking so much time to give detailed feedback on Station Control. This is exactly the type of constructive feedback that every designer loves. If you are interested in seeing more of the game in action, as well as design videos, I have a number of videos on my website talking about UI, Class Design, Game System Design, etc. As for your comments, I'll try to respond to each of them below:
1. I really like the idea of the zerg swarm attacking control points and it's something that I considered while designing the game. However at launch, I chose to have the zerg interrupt the respawn area. I'm still looking at adjusting this as I watch how the meta game for station control evolves. The reason I was hesitant to throw zerg swarms at control points, is that I feared imbalance if one team controls both control points that are being attacked. This could possibly create an uneven burden on one of the teams. The way it is right now seems very accentuated when you play with 1v1, 2v2, etc. In a full 5v5 match, the zerg units are usually eliminated pretty quickly which removes that buildup at the spawn area that you noticed in a single player game. Your feedback here is excellent though and it is something I'll keep an eye on!
2. I'd like to implement a buff timer as well, it just didn't make it into launch. It's definitely on my list of features to implement.
3. The attack command is coming! I underestimated how many people wanted this, so it's high on my list of features to put in.
4. A replay button would be very useful for groups who don't want to put another game together. However, it's not an easy feature to implement the way that the game is set up with triggers, timers, etc. It's the type of feature that I'll have to sit down and brainstorm on for quite some time. There are also potential problems if some players stay and other players leave, it could potentially create uneven teams. I really want to add this, or a similar feature, but I believe it's going to be fairly complicated.
5. The Assassin is the most difficult class to play effectively, but currently it is very powerful. Rapid Strike is best used with Severing Slice which slows the opponents run speed. This allows, in most situations, the Assassin to land rapid strikes while the opponent is slowed. All of that said, I still want to keep an eye on balance for the Assassin and one of the ideas I'm looking at is increasing the range of the Assassin's melee attacks ever so slightly to help land more rapid strikes on the move.
Thanks again for all of your comments and for playing the game. Taking the time to come to the forum and talk about your experiences really helps me gain the perspective and feedback I need to better support the game and the community!
I’m proud to announce that I’ve just launched Station Control, a brand new battle arena game for the Starcraft 2 Arcade. In Station Control it’s all about the action and each game is fast, frantic, and fun. Choose your hero class, capture and defend control points, gather power ups for your team, and hold off the Zerg as you battle for victory! Grab some friends, jump into SC2 and head to the Arcade, you’ll have a blast!
Features:
• Easy to learn!
• 5v5 MOBA combat!
• Capture and Control gameplay!
• Team PowerUps!
• Contend with Zerg forces, as well as the opposing team in 3-way battles!
• No hour long battles, games last about 10 minutes! Play, Win, and Play some more!
For the past few months, I've been working on a 5v5 MOBA game for the Arcade. After lots of hard work I'm ready to release it this week.
My goal with this game was to create a MOBA that is easy to learn for new players and strategically satisfying for experts. I did away with things like items, shops, and XP and created something closer to what you'd find at a video arcade...if video arcades had MOBA games. Instead of a ridiculous amount of heroes and archetypes, I wanted to start this game with a handful of well-designed classes that feel valuable and unique. Instead of trying to destroy enemy towers, your goal is to capture them like you would in games like Arathi Basin, TF2, and Battlefield; the longer you control a tower, the more points you gain.
Don't let the simplicity fool you though, there's a lot of strategy to this game. In addition to the capture and control gameplay, there are also powerful Team Buffs that randomly spawn during the game. The power up locations are located away from the control points, but if a player grabs a power up, it will buff their entire team. This often creates a risk vs reward scenario: Do I leave my team to grab a powerup that will help us later, or do I stay with them now to help attack or defend? In addition, nydus worms frequently spawn around the map spewing out zerg units. If a team is not careful, they can be overwhelmed by the amount of units swarming the map. This creates a chaotic environment that requires excellent teamwork and decision making to succeed.
Station Control games also differ with most other MOBA titles in yet another way: The games last between 10-15 minutes. You can fit in a couple games during your lunch break, or play for hours on the weekend. Leavers are less of a problem because they don't have to wait for 30 minutes to start a new game. I also decided to make the game score only visible at the end of the match, so if players are tempted to leave but want to see how many kills, deaths, or captures they had; they need to wait a few minutes until the match is officially over.
I hope that you all give the game a chance and that you enjoy it. Personally, I think it's got a lot to offer.
I'm making a map where teams can control specific points of the map and gain points based on how long they are able to control it. Unfortunately, there seems to be a problem with the way that my trigger is assigning ownership to a team, and then assigning point values based on ownership.
0
What is Orbital Defender? Orbital Defender is a custom game for the SC2 Arcade that is designed to help players improve essential Starcraft mechanics. Over the Christmas break I played about 400 games of Heart of the Swarm 1v1 on ladder. As I started analyzing my play while laddering I really identified my mechanics as an area that I could improve quite a bit. This gave me an idea: Why not create a SC2 custom game that is fun to play and also directly improves my Starcraft skills?
Here is a link to the Project Workplace thread with more game information: Link
I'm currently looking for any and all feedback about the game. Specifically, feedback regarding the difficulty level would be good. Also, feedback concerning the tutorial and learning curve would be great too. How long did it take you to understand the game mechanics? Was the tutorial helpful?
Thanks in advance!
0
Hey everyone! I’d like to take a moment to announce a little training game I just released on the arcade!
What is Orbital Defender? Orbital Defender is a custom game for the SC2 Arcade that is designed to help players improve essential Starcraft mechanics. Over the Christmas break I played about 400 games of Heart of the Swarm 1v1 on ladder. As I started analyzing my play while laddering I really identified my mechanics as an area that I could improve quite a bit. This gave me an idea: Why not create a SC2 custom game that is fun to play and also directly improves my Starcraft skills?
How does it work? In Orbital Defender your job is to protect 3 Orbital Command Centers, each in a different location and being attacked by a unique set of enemy units. In order to effectively protect each base, you need to use hotkeys to quickly cycle between bases while watching the minimap to see where the attacks are coming from. You defend your command centers by killing enemy units with the correct hotkey. Using Standard hotkeys each enemy unit hotkey is set to the first letter of the unit name: (Z)ealot, (S)talker, (B)attlecruiser, etc. This is designed to allow new the ability to easily identify/remember the correct hotkey, letting them focus more on multitasking. For advanced users, the game supports custom grid profiles that allow a user to work whichever hotkeys they like.
In addition to defending your Command Centers, you also have an SCV worker located on a different part of the map. Periodically an icon will appear in the top right corner of the screen where your resources are in Starcraft. The icon will show a building that needs to be built by the scv within a short duration. If it is not built, additional waves of units will attack your command centers, forcing you to APM harder.
The Goal The goal of the game is to build essential hotkey mechanics as well as important habits like frequently checking the top right corner of the screen for resource information, and the bottom left of the screen for minimap information. For new players I hope this game will help them learn to play fast, constantly staying busy. For experienced players I hope that the game can be useful for refining already strong hotkey mechanics, and also as a warmup exercise to get your hands/eyes warmed up and alert for a ladder match.
Is there anything else? Yes, actually. There is a silly machinima intro with terrible voice acting by yours truly that introduces some backstory and ridiculous characters. Why? Well, why not I guess lol.
You can find Orbital Defender APM in the Survival section of the SC2 Arcade. (Currently NA only)
For more of my mods for SC2 and other games you can visit my site: www.Kurtsparkuhl.com
-edit- I've uploaded a video of the Game Story as well as a Introduction to Gameplay video. Enjoy!
0
@michaelknives: Go
I agree!
0
@haoujuheon: Go
First of all, thanks for taking so much time to give detailed feedback on Station Control. This is exactly the type of constructive feedback that every designer loves. If you are interested in seeing more of the game in action, as well as design videos, I have a number of videos on my website talking about UI, Class Design, Game System Design, etc. As for your comments, I'll try to respond to each of them below:
1. I really like the idea of the zerg swarm attacking control points and it's something that I considered while designing the game. However at launch, I chose to have the zerg interrupt the respawn area. I'm still looking at adjusting this as I watch how the meta game for station control evolves. The reason I was hesitant to throw zerg swarms at control points, is that I feared imbalance if one team controls both control points that are being attacked. This could possibly create an uneven burden on one of the teams. The way it is right now seems very accentuated when you play with 1v1, 2v2, etc. In a full 5v5 match, the zerg units are usually eliminated pretty quickly which removes that buildup at the spawn area that you noticed in a single player game. Your feedback here is excellent though and it is something I'll keep an eye on!
2. I'd like to implement a buff timer as well, it just didn't make it into launch. It's definitely on my list of features to implement.
3. The attack command is coming! I underestimated how many people wanted this, so it's high on my list of features to put in.
4. A replay button would be very useful for groups who don't want to put another game together. However, it's not an easy feature to implement the way that the game is set up with triggers, timers, etc. It's the type of feature that I'll have to sit down and brainstorm on for quite some time. There are also potential problems if some players stay and other players leave, it could potentially create uneven teams. I really want to add this, or a similar feature, but I believe it's going to be fairly complicated.
5. The Assassin is the most difficult class to play effectively, but currently it is very powerful. Rapid Strike is best used with Severing Slice which slows the opponents run speed. This allows, in most situations, the Assassin to land rapid strikes while the opponent is slowed. All of that said, I still want to keep an eye on balance for the Assassin and one of the ideas I'm looking at is increasing the range of the Assassin's melee attacks ever so slightly to help land more rapid strikes on the move.
Thanks again for all of your comments and for playing the game. Taking the time to come to the forum and talk about your experiences really helps me gain the perspective and feedback I need to better support the game and the community!
@haoujuheon: Go
0
I’m proud to announce that I’ve just launched Station Control, a brand new battle arena game for the Starcraft 2 Arcade. In Station Control it’s all about the action and each game is fast, frantic, and fun. Choose your hero class, capture and defend control points, gather power ups for your team, and hold off the Zerg as you battle for victory! Grab some friends, jump into SC2 and head to the Arcade, you’ll have a blast!
Features:
• Easy to learn!
• 5v5 MOBA combat!
• Capture and Control gameplay!
• Team PowerUps!
• Contend with Zerg forces, as well as the opposing team in 3-way battles!
• No hour long battles, games last about 10 minutes! Play, Win, and Play some more!
Gameplay Footage:
Live on US! Coming soon to EU!
0
Greetings everyone!
For the past few months, I've been working on a 5v5 MOBA game for the Arcade. After lots of hard work I'm ready to release it this week.
My goal with this game was to create a MOBA that is easy to learn for new players and strategically satisfying for experts. I did away with things like items, shops, and XP and created something closer to what you'd find at a video arcade...if video arcades had MOBA games. Instead of a ridiculous amount of heroes and archetypes, I wanted to start this game with a handful of well-designed classes that feel valuable and unique. Instead of trying to destroy enemy towers, your goal is to capture them like you would in games like Arathi Basin, TF2, and Battlefield; the longer you control a tower, the more points you gain.
Don't let the simplicity fool you though, there's a lot of strategy to this game. In addition to the capture and control gameplay, there are also powerful Team Buffs that randomly spawn during the game. The power up locations are located away from the control points, but if a player grabs a power up, it will buff their entire team. This often creates a risk vs reward scenario: Do I leave my team to grab a powerup that will help us later, or do I stay with them now to help attack or defend? In addition, nydus worms frequently spawn around the map spewing out zerg units. If a team is not careful, they can be overwhelmed by the amount of units swarming the map. This creates a chaotic environment that requires excellent teamwork and decision making to succeed.
Station Control games also differ with most other MOBA titles in yet another way: The games last between 10-15 minutes. You can fit in a couple games during your lunch break, or play for hours on the weekend. Leavers are less of a problem because they don't have to wait for 30 minutes to start a new game. I also decided to make the game score only visible at the end of the match, so if players are tempted to leave but want to see how many kills, deaths, or captures they had; they need to wait a few minutes until the match is officially over.
I hope that you all give the game a chance and that you enjoy it. Personally, I think it's got a lot to offer.
0
I'm making a map where teams can control specific points of the map and gain points based on how long they are able to control it. Unfortunately, there seems to be a problem with the way that my trigger is assigning ownership to a team, and then assigning point values based on ownership.
<solved>
Thanks!