A Sonic Strategy Game - Ideas? Issues?

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

Personaly, I think something after the style of Universe at war earth assualt, or star wars empire at war. What you need is 3 main factions: Eggman, GUN, nad you could have say the battle beak armada. Then you can have rotating heroes depending on the story, and possible exchange method for the skirmish or multiplayer mode.

[Tani Coyote]

I'm definitely seeing a game from Eggman's perspective going the most smoothly. Like the CnC games however, there must naturally come a point where his story is no longer canon. That or we end up with some kind of "It was all a dream" twist, snatching his absolute victory right from his hands.

 

As for actually using the characters themselves - I suppose it could be done, with some proper structuring. There are missions in strategy games where you just have one strong unit with maybe a few helping units, and I suspect that would be the way to implement any hero-centric gameplay. The main problem arises from how strategy tends to emphasise controlling the entire faction over just a few specific characters in that faction. For example, if Sonic meets Metal on the battlefield, it'll quickly become a mess due to health bars.

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

unless they set up a 'hero' battle mode, where the heroes have to focus on each other, and cannot attack the general enemy(except for with area attacks) until the other heroe is distroyed

[Tani Coyote]

unless they set up a 'hero' battle mode, where the heroes have to focus on each other, and cannot attack the general enemy(except for with area attacks) until the other heroe is distroyed

 

Sounds like we might be combining platforming and strategy genres there though.

 

Of course, I'm confident it can be done somehow! We've had extremely varied gameplay models before... problem is making them mesh well. A character-centric strategy game like Fire Emblem really might be best. We can keep the appeal of the characters yet move things towards strategy...

[Jolt_TH]

For hero battles it could change to real time perhaps?

So if Sonic met Metal on the field the gameplay would switch to an average Sonic type boss fight with that character?

Sorta like Starfox command, you use strategy to intercept the units, then a small, real time section to shoot them down. Then you could have normal sonic gameplay involved too. Of course if a hero met a grunt then it would be your average strategy game battle.

In fact with the hero battle system I mentioned you could even have boost system, if not 3D platforming involved, say if Metal or Eggman started retreating you have to "chase" them, sorta like chronicles but as 3D modern gameplay mixed with the emerald races of Heroes, and you have to catch up to them before they escape.

Could be counted as genre roulette, but there wouldn't be THAT much "sonic" gameplay but enough to warrant calling it a sonic game but still be a strategy game, could also work in multiplayer, getting to go one on one, and if you decided to retreat you had to outrun the other player.

Just an idea though

Edited March 10, 2013 by Jolt_TH

[Tani Coyote]

For hero battles it could change to real time perhaps?

So if Sonic met Metal on the field the gameplay would switch to an average Sonic type boss fight with that character?

Sorta like Starfox command, you use strategy to intercept the units, then a small, real time section to shoot them down. Then you could have normal sonic gameplay involved too. Of course if a hero met a grunt then it would be your average strategy game battle.

 

Didn't Command not go over well?

 

If such a speculative game was made, we'd have to try something that would sell well.

 

I suppose the principle in and of itself works, but those are two very different genres being mixed is the issue.

 

In fact with the hero battle system I mentioned you could even have boost system, if not 3D platforming involved, say if Metal or Eggman started retreating you have to "chase" them, sorta like chronicles but as 3D modern gameplay mixed with the emerald races of Heroes, and you have to catch up to them before they escape.

 

While this is something I'd have no issue playing, it's combining platforming and RTS, where I think issues could come up with marketability.

 

Overall though the idea sounds nice, I'm just concerned about its ability to sell. A large concern of mine in this topic since this is basically "If a strategy game was made, what would it be like?"

[Jolt_TH]

Didn't Command not go over well?

If such a speculative game was made, we'd have to try something that would sell well.

I suppose the principle in and of itself works, but those are two very different genres being mixed is the issue.

While this is something I'd have no issue playing, it's combining platforming and RTS, where I think issues could come up with marketability.

Overall though the idea sounds nice, I'm just concerned about its ability to sell. A large concern of mine in this topic since this is basically "If a strategy game was made, what would it be like?"

I only mentioned command because that's the only game I know that does it, probably for good measure.

I know it probably wouldn't work, just a thought, as obviously there would only be at max 2 or 3 hero units per level and usually only one per side. And thought it could solve the "mash of health bars problem" with hero units?

Just to confirm, the real time would only be for hero unit vs hero unit, not hero unit vs grunt or grunt vs grunt

Yeah like I said in my edited post it's pretty much genre roulette! ( le gasp!) but I thought it might make the critics not criticise too badly for "not having sonic gameplay" in a sonic game.

I often have silly ideas!

Edited March 10, 2013 by Jolt_TH

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

Star Wars empire at war worked decently with heroes, and it had jedi, trick was that each had special abilities that regenerated, and if the hero died you would have to wait till the world map and for a certian amount of time for it to regenerate with some exceptions, some had to be bought

[Tani Coyote]

I often have silly ideas!

 

We're discussing a strategy game with cartoon hedgehogs I think this is the right place.

 

Total War has a large game map, but has up close battles that can be fought as the individual armies. If we're going for this mixture of real time and turn based, we could possibly make something work there. The real problem comes up is purely controls; strategy's generally played with a keyboard but actual battles would be better with a gamepad of sorts.

 

This is causing me to be more inclined towards something like Fire Emblem as has been mentioned. There's some overarching strategy and tactics, but it's character-focused, catching people's interest and also not disregarding the heroes the series is so famous for.

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

Ok, since I already took the time, decided to bring it over here

 

well, if you want to get the mobians out the way, you take the C&C approach and a bit of SWEAW approach. First you have 3 main factions, Eggman Empire, and GUN as the main two, then perhaps the BattleBeak Armada as an infringing third one. each of these has 3 main heroes and commanders(Eggman command walker, metal sonic, Nack?[hirable gun]; Gun supreme commander, Omega(?), Shadow(?); Supremebattlebeak, The scientest, Speedy; so you end up with (commander), (special/tacital assualt commander), (infiltration/spec ops)).

now of these, ony the 2 commander types can be used in standard battle, and the supreme commander also has a build bonus. the infilitration/spec-ops have a special infilitration mode, and can not be used in standard assualts, and either have to be bought or have a longer recharge time, and have a special gameplay style, yet does not interefere with the over-all RTS style of the game.

You could easily have the 3-way split campaign. Now what about sonic you ask? well we could just leave him out, but since there would be complaints, you would have a fourth group for a special gameplay mode, which is of course the heroes, which has Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and proably Amy. they would have a special campaign mode, where you mainly play in the infiltration style gameplay, which you have to acheive certian goals, that are different from standard RTS goals. This storyline would play parrelell to the main 3, and would have to be unlocked, however it will overlap and be seen in certian missions in the main storylines.

When it comes to skirmish and multiplayer however, this team hero would have a special type of gameplay mode, and would be somewhat weaker than there campaign counterparts, and would proably be something similar to a take out/defend the structure type gameplay, however would not be the main mode, and one of several more standard RTS modes.

So you see there, its possible to set up 3 factions, and even include the heroes relevant to the main factions, and even include sonic in the side mode, without making him over powering, or even a hinderence to the main gameplay(heck if you were doing online, the main factions would proably work together and suceed at taking out the seperate heroes due to their size alone).

 

 

Hmm if I was still modding RTS stuff I would have to give this stuff a try myself, but I dont so NM

Edited March 21, 2013 by Mandobardanjusik