Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
In Age of Empires , the player must obtain food, wood, stone, and gold, each from its
source, worked by units designated for the purpose and brought back to a central
storage area. The player spends resources to construct factories, and the factories in
turn produce units (which also consumes resources). The factories effectively form
the player's headquarters and must be defended, adding a new conflict challenge.
Player Actions
In a strategy game, the player's role is that of a commander or manager, so most
actions consist of giving orders to units. Each unit responds to commands accord-
ing to the AI programming for that unit or type of unit. Giving an order is usually
a two-step process: First, the player selects the unit or units that will receive the
order, generally by clicking on it with the mouse. Then the player issues the order,
either by clicking somewhere in the landscape, on an enemy unit, or on a button or
menu item. Here's a short list of actions and orders commonly occurring in strategy
games (different games will use different names for them):
Move to a given location in the terrain, optionally via a series of waypoints
marked along the way. The unit uses pathfinding AI to find its way there, taking the
quickest route while avoiding obstructions.
Attack an enemy unit, which includes advancing until the enemy unit is in
range, then opening fire, and pursuing if the enemy retreats.
Stop moving; this order countermands both attack and movement orders.
Because the AI for attacking usually pursues an enemy unit to the ends of the earth
(including right into an ambush), the player frequently needs to issue the stop
order.
Hold a particular position, meaning attack any enemy that comes into range,
but do not pursue it if it retreats. The unit's AI may include an automatic tendency
to attack certain enemies preferentially, or the player may have to manage this
directly.
Establish a formation that is tactically advantageous. Loose infantry formations
give some protection against archery because a lot of arrows fall into empty space;
tight formations are best against other infantry. Warships with guns along their
sides can concentrate their firepower if several sail in a straight line, head to stern.
Tanks with g uns at the front can do the same if their formation is abreast. You may
want to include a formation editor in your game that lets the player design forma-
tions that he likes.
Produce new units by consuming resources. This can be a command that the
player gives by choosing a menu item or clicking a button on an overlay, but more
often, the player gives the command to a specific factory whose function is to cre-
ate mobile units.
Search WWH ::




Custom Search