ZWEICRAFT 0.60
A Starcraft Conversion SCUM
CHANGES FOR VERSION 0.60
- Actually made the game playable for 2 players (Thanks to Red Dog for pointing out this rather embarrassing oversight)
- Civilians will now be recreated at a cost of 25 ore if you drop below four
OVERVIEW
Zweicraft is a SCUM that modfies several aspects of Starcraft using the flexibile trigger tools included in the Starcraft Campaign Editor. Resource gathering, unit production, and even some unit abilities have been drastically modified from the original rules of the game. Please read this documentation thoroughly. Failure to do so will likely result in swift defeat when playing this SCUM on battle.net.
Zweicraft was inspired by the game Herzog Zwei which was quite popular on the Sega Genesis many years ago. Most people who have played the game, which came out quite a bit before Dune II, consider it to be the true, unheralded father of all real time strategy games to date. In addition, not only was it first, it also allowed two players to play head to head 15415b16p !
Zweicraft is an attempt to recapture some of the feel of Herzog Zwei using the Starcraft Campaign Editor. Of course, not all aspects of the original Genesis game could be duplicated, so several compromises had to be made along the way. Plus, I have added a few of my own ideas that I think enhance the gameplay. As a result, Zweicraft is neither Starcraft or Herzog Zwei, but a unique game in it's own right that blends features of both of them.
Zweicraft is only suitable for multi-player games. The computer AI is incapable of dealing with the changes made to resource gathering and unit production. As a result, any computer player would simply sit still twiddling it's digital thumbs.
Please keep in mind this is a beta release of Zweicraft. While I am reasonably certain that the scenario works as described, having already been through an alpha stage of development, it is certainly possible some bugs have escaped my attention. The purpose of this initial beta release is to find those bugs and to find other gameplay issues, such as unit imbalances and other areas that could be improved. Please report any bugs or suggested improvements to me by e-mail at jeff.kunkel@worldnet.att.net.
(Note: you MUST play this scenario with the setting "USE MAP PROPERTIES" in order for it to work properly. Any other game type will result in a standard Starcraft game using the Zweicraft map.)
BASIC GAMEPLAY
The key concept of Zweicraft, as in Herzog Zwei, is to capture neutral bases, defend your own primary base, and eliminate your opponent's primary base. Destroying your enemy's primary base, achieved by destroying the three key buildings, is the only way to achieve final victory.
Primary Bases
Each player has a primary base which has several features. Each will be described below. Note that none of the structures are able to produce units or do research.
Factory
The factory is one of the three key buildings. As long as it stands it's owner earns 5 ore and 5 gas every second.
Barracks
The barracks is one of the three key buildings. It is nescessary for your SCV's to be able to build bunkers.
Engineering Bay
The engineering bay is one of the three key buildings. It is nescessary for your SCV's to be able to build missile turrets.
Unit Generators
Unit Generators are represented by the solar panel doodads (cross shaped terrain features). When a civilian unit steps onto one, it will instantly create a military unit if the player has enough resources to pay for it. If the player does not have enough resources, the unit will be created as soon as there are enough as long as the civilian is still standing on the generator.The generator also must be free of other units of the same type. For example, a goliath generator cannot have any other goliaths standing on it in order to produce a new unit. This allows the player to control how many units are created at one time. If you want to create a second unit, move the first unit off of the generator while leaving the civilian in place. If you do not, move the civilian off first. Note that units can be created very quickly if a player has a large stockpile of resources.
The type of unit that a generator will produce is designated by a neutral/invincible unit placed in front of it.
(Note: This method of identifying generator types means that no Zweicraft scenario can have more than seven players, as one player slot is needed for the identifiers. I have thus far not been able to think of a reasonable alternative.)
Teleporters
Teleporters allow a player to quickly transport newly created units to any neutral base that the player has seized control of (seizing a neutral based is explained later). This allows players to more easily send extra defenders any neutral bases that are under attack, giving defenders a definite advantage over attackers.
Civilians
While technically units, not a base feature, civilians serve no purpose outside of your main base. Civilians are the "triggers" used on unit generators to create new units. Defend your civilians well! Without them you will be unable to make new units.
Fortunately, the game will not allow you to have fewer than four civilians. If you ever drop below four, a new one will be created for you automatically, but with a small cost of 25 ore. If you do not have at least 25 ore, your civilian will not be replaced until you do.
Neutral Bases
There are neutral bases scattered around the map. These are represented by elevated catwalks. Each neutral base has a resource in the middle of it, and some have two. These tell you which kind of resource this base grants you when captured.
Capturing a Neutral Base
Neutral bases are captured by moving four "men" onto it. "Men" as defined by the Starcraft Campaign Editor include marines, firebats, ghosts, and SCV's. It also includes civilians, but they are far more useful at your main base.
Benefits of Capturing Neutral Bases
The primary benefit of capturing a neutral base is that it grants you more resources. Each base you have control of grants you extra ore, vespene gas, or both every second. In fact, seizing neutral bases is the only method of gaining resources above those granted by your factory. Traditional Starcraft resource gathering does not exist in Zweicraft. In fact, you will note that you do not even have a command center to bring any gathered resources to.
Most neutral bases will only provide one type of resource, ore or vespene gas. There are rare bases, however, that provide both. These bases, of course, are extremely valuable and should be fiercely defended once captured.
This particular map has eight bases. Five bases provide 5 ore per second, two bases provide 5 vespene gas per second, and one base provides 10 ore and 10 vespene gas per second. Which resource a base provides can be determined by simply looking at it.
The second advantage granted by controlling neutral bases is mobility. As mentioned earlier, you can instantly transport newly created units to any neutral base you have control of through the transporters located at your main base. Each transporter is keyed to a specific neutral base. All you need to do is move your units to that transporter and they will be instantly transported to the corresponding base.
The teleporter that will transport your troops to a particular base can be identified by the "doodad" that is standing next to it. You will notice that each platform is surrounded by a certain type of "doodad". The corresponding teleporter at each main base will have the exact same "doodad" positioned right next to it.
(Note: this is the best system I could find to quickly and easily identify different teleporters. I realize it is imperfect, but other systems, such as using the colored beacons, all brought with them problems inherent to the scenario editor. I would welcome other suggestions.)
This not only allows you to easily send fresh defenders to any base under attack, it gives you the ability to send units out to attack more efficiently. Controlling a neutral base near your opponent's main base is a tremendous advantage.
Note, however, that if your opponent manages to place four men on a base that you control, he too will be able to teleport in units to help in the attack. A few seconds is all that is needed for an attacker to take advantage of this if he is well prepared.
Also, if your opponent manages to position his Commander over a neutral base you have control of, it will disrupt your ability to teleport units to it until the enemy Commander is moved or destroyed. Note that your opponent will be able to teleport in units if he manages to move four men onto the neutral base. This makes Commanders a key unit when attacking neutral bases that are under enemy control.
ACHIEVING VICTORY
You achieve total victory when your opponent's factory, barracks and engineering bay are destroyed. While SCV's can repair damaged structures, they cannot rebuild them. Thus, any structure, once lost, is lost permanently, along with any of the benefits it granted. Once your engineering bay is destroyed, for example, you will no longer be able to build missile turrets. Defend your structures well!
UNIT CHANGES
Several units have been modified for Zweicraft. All of the changes are listed here.
UNIT ABILITIES
Marines
All marines begin the game with the U-238 and Stimpack upgrades. Marines may assist in the capture of neutral bases.
Firebats
All firebats begin the game with the Stimpack upgrade. Firebats may assist in the capture of neutral bases.
Ghosts
All ghosts begin the game with the Personnel Cloaking, Occular Implant, Lockdown and Moebius Reactor upgrades. Ghosts may assist in the capture of neutral bases.
Vultures
All vultures begin with the Spider Mine and Ion Thruster upgrades.
Goliaths
Unchanged
Siege Tanks
All siege tanks begin with the Siege Tech upgrade.
Wraiths
All wraiths begin with the Cloaking and Apollo Reactor upgrades.
Battlecruisers
All battlecruisers begin with the Yamato Gun and Colossus Reactor upgrades.
Science Vessels
Players cannot build science vessels. However, the Commander is a slightly modified version of the Magellen (Science Vessel) Hero. Commanders have all of the science vessel abilities (Defensive Matrix, EMP Shockwave, and Irradiate), higher than average health and energy, and they possess the ability to block the use of enemy teleporters. Players may only have one Commander active at any time. Upon being destroyed, a Commander is ressurected at the player's main base 30 seconds later, with half of it's normal health and 10% of it's energy. It must be repaired by an SCV to be restored to full health. It costs a player 100 units of ore and gas to ressurect a Commander. If a player does not have 100 ore and/or vespene gas, the 30 second countdown to the Commander's ressurection will not begin until there are sufficient resources.
SCV's
SCV's may still repair damaged mechanical units and buildings, and build bunkers and missile turrets. They cannot rebuild destroyed buildings or build new buildings of any other type. SCV's may assist in the capture of neutral bases.
Citizens
The health and armor ratings for citizens have been slightly boosted. Citizens can create new units by stepping onto unit generators. Citizens may assist in the capture of neutral bases.
Factories
Factories cannot produce vultures, goliaths or siege tanks, and may not construct the machine shop add on. Each functioning factory provides the player with 5 units of ore and vespene gas every second. Factories are one of the three key buildings that must be destroyed to achieve victory.
Engineering Bay
No research is possible at the engineering bay. Engineering bays are nescessary for the construction of missile turrets. They are one of the three key buildings that must be destroyed to achieve victory.
Barracks
Barracks cannot produce marines, firebats or ghosts. They are nescessary for the construction of bunkers. They are one of the three key buildings that must be destroyed to achieve victory.
UNIT SUPPORT & COST
Unlike Starcraft, there is no need to support units with supply depots. (Which is good, since you can't build them.) A player may build as may units as he wants as long as he has sufficient ore and vespene gas.
Note, however, that the construction costs of all units with the exception of SCV's has been increased. This is to compensate for the loss of unit construction delays. SCV cost was not increased to compensate for the reduced abilities of this unit. Unit costs were determined using the following formula:
Original Cost + (Build Time * 2) [round up to nearest 5]
Original cost is, obviously, the original cost of the unit using standard Starcraft rules.
Build Time is the number listed under "Build Costs:Time" in the "Unit and Hero Settings" menu in the Starcraft Campaign Editor. This value was then divided between ore and gas in the same proportion as the unit's original cost. For example, for marines the extra cost was added entirely to ore since marines do not need vespene gas. The original cost of a Wraith was 200 ore and 100 gas, so the extra cost was apportioned at a 2:1 ratio of ore to gas. Dropships, which cost 100 ore and 100 gas originally, had the extra cost evenly divided between ore and gas.
NEW UNIT COSTS
Unit Ore Vespene Gas Total Resource Increase
Marine 100 - 50
Firebat 80 40 45
Ghost 50 150 100
Vulture 135 - 60
Goliath 155 75 80
Siege Tank 210 140 100
Wraith 280 140 120
Battlecruiser 580 435 315
Drop Ship 150 150 100
SCV 50 - -
The hope is that these increases in resource costs will prevent powerful units that normally take a long time to build, like battlecruisers, from being built out of proportion to less powerful units that are normally built fairly quickly, like marines or vultures. If the initial round of testing shows an imbalance in either direction these costs will be adjusted to help alleviate the situation.
(Note: A limitation in the scenario editor's WAIT action made implementing unit construction delays unfeasable. Using the traditional structures to create units would have required that supply depots be used for unit support, slowed down the pace of the game, and generally detracted from the overall "feel" I was trying to create.)
KNOWN ISSUES AND PROBLEMS
If your opponent's Commander is killed less than 30 seconds before yours, you must wait until his Commander has been resurrected before your own 30 second countdown to resurrection begins. This is an inherent limitation in the scenario editor's WAIT action and there is no apparent way to fix this. However, if your opponent has insufficient resources to resurrect his Commander at the time your own is killed, your 30 second countdown will start first, and he must wait for your Commander to be resurrected before beginning his own countdown. I am considering removing the 30 second resurrection delay for Commanders. Let me know what you think of this.
It is possible for more than one player to control a neutral base simultaneously, allowing all players to gain resources from it and to teleport to it. This is not a bug, I am simply not sure wether or not I should change this. Let me know if you have an opinion.
The positioning of the teleporters on each base is somewhat problematic as it will sometimes get in the way of moving units around. However, I have not been able to come up with a better solution. For now my best suggestion is to use waypoints to prevent units from accidentally stepping onto teleporters. Any ideas on how I could improve the layouts of the main base would be welcome.
FUTURE PLANS FOR ZWEICRAFT SCENARIOS
TEAM PLAY
Future scenarios using the Zweicraft rules will incorporate teams, allowing team mates to combine forces to seize control of neutral bases (using 2 marines from each team, for example), with both teams sharing the benefits of increased resources and mobility. Maps for 2 vs. 2, 3 vs. 3, and 2 vs. 2 vs. 2 will be made available.
OTHER RACES
For reasons of simplicity, the first Zweicraft map only includes Terran units. Future scenarios will eventually include both zerg and protoss units. In the spirit of Starcraft, each race will have unique methods of creating units, and the Commander for each race will have unique abilities. Neither the protoss or zerg Commander, for example, will have the ability to block instant transports to enemy controlled neutral bases. They will each have their own peculiar nasty ability. While each will also have increased unit costs, the formula used may be somewhat different to compensate for the unit production method used by each.
COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS?
The whole purpose of Zweicraft scenarios is to give players an alternative to the standard (but highly entertaining) Starcraft rule system. It has not achieved this purpose if people don't enjoy it. If there is some way you would like to see Zweicraft improved, please send me e-mail with your suggestions or comments.
ZWEICRAFT DISTRIBUTION
I kindly request that this SCUM not be posted on any websites until it has been thoroughly tested as I do not want older and newer versions to be confused. If you run your own Starcraft website and wish post this SCUM, I ask that you follow the following guidelines:
-Zweicraft is clearly described as a beta release in the description
-The current version number (0.50) is clearly noted
-You make an attempt to always have the most current version of Zweicraft posted, and remove all older version.
Your cooperation in this is appreciated.
Jeff K.
jeff.kunkel@worldnet.att.net
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