Spellshore Tactics

[Greg]

well, the terrain in game is only supposed to be a few hundred feet across so we're not really thinking in those terms of scale.

and 'void' is a concept i used originally in the fictional world the game is based in. the original 'disciplines' of magic were:
Biomancy (control of biological systems, healing, poison, etc)
Mechamancy (control of physical objects)
Skry (like divination, the ability to extend perception)
Scionics (self-hypnosis and telepathy)
Radiance (putting out energy, explosions etc)
Void (removing energy, freezing, slowing etc)

so yeah, basically Void is just everything cold, dark or still. radiance roughly correspods to Fire, and obviously biomancy to Life. mechamanacy sort of deals with the physical properies of things, (Rock and Water) and animating them (Wind).

[Nathan]

I see for the flash game you've made the bold choice to not use any dangerously large or obscure words.
Good choice.

[Greg]

in a story it adds atmosphere, in a game it confuses and enrages people. i did however make the mistake of referring to the units hitpoints as 'integrity' rather than 'health', on the basis that some units aren't alive, but i may have to rectify that.

[Firekraker51]

I think I like the original names and concepts much better than the mundane elements you're forced to deal with when making a game for dumbarses. You should keep them. It makes the concept more compelling, if it has slightly more original magic.

Just so long as you actually know that Psionics and Scry are spelled wrong up there.

[Greg]

of course. spelling things wrong is a primary tenet of the fantasy genre.

[Nathan]

I was always impressed out how spelling magic 'magick' suddenly made it noir and adult.

[Josh]

The k makes it REAL.

[Nathan]

If you want to really freak them out spell it majick.

[Loituma Girl]

majics

[Greg]

but then i'd have to wear lipgloss and call myself nightshade darkwing or something, and tell people about how trees have feelings.

[Loituma Girl]

*puts on some eyeliner* dude, they do!

[Sean]

Obviously.

I hope you get this.

[Josh]

Oh yeah, they totally have feelings.  But given I choice I would steer towards Franz Mesmer's pseudo-scientific animal magnetism concept. The goth look would never work for me.  But historical pseudo-science?  I mean, that's almost steampunk right there.

[Greg]

anyway, getting back on topic, i'm removing the slightly annoying sidebar in favour of a contextual help that pops up when you hold a key down (probably ctrl). that way people can get the information if they need it but it doesn't mutter to itself distractedly at the side of the screen. this also frees up space for a bigger board, which is nice.

i also made a system of masked layers that should make terrains more interesting by making areas of terrain instead of individual tiles.
the problem is that now i either have to make textures for all of them, or (better) generate dynamic textures with perlin noise.

the problem is converting standard perlin noise into a gradient between two colours.

[Sean]

Oh yeah, they totally have feelings.  But given I choice I would steer towards Franz Mesmer's pseudo-scientific animal magnetism concept. The goth look would never work for me.  But historical pseudo-science?  I mean, that's almost steampunk right there.

You didn't get it.