DrawCraft - Jason vs Zilrion (example game)

[Jason Rainville]

In this thread Zilrion and I are going to try out a new game I made, DrawCraft. It's a mix of illustration and real-time strategy, where we make up our own units, draw them out and make them do battle. With any luck it might catch on.

The highrez board is HERE (http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/2007/boardcopy.jpg)

Basic rules:

At the beginning of the game each payer must choose a faction. It can literally be anything; dwarves, sci-fi aliens, possessed household appliances, whatever they might want. Players must then draw up their command building (whatever it might be) and a basic soldier unit and place them on the board. The object of the game is to defeat your enemy by destroying their command building. The spirit of the game however is to defeat your enemy in the most unique way possible.

By default, each soldier can move one space per turn and have one ability (such as attacking or any other special ability) however soldiers can’t move and attack in one turn (to start…) Each soldier has one hp and deals 1 damage (if they can attack at all), so at the beginning must will die in one hit. Buildings start out with 3 hp. Creating new buildings and soldiers means that the player must illustrate them and reveal their abilities. Players can also spend time upgrading buildings or soldiers (and of course drawing the changes)


During their turn, each player can do one of each of the following

- Move or complete an action with one soldier (such as attacking or using a special ability)
- Produce new soldiers from production buildings (each production building will yield one soldier next to it) or upgrade a current design. Soldiers will pop out of their production buildings and be placed in an adjacent square.
- Place a new building on the board (by either copying a current design or drawing a new one) or upgrade a current design. Buildings can only be built next to other buildings.

So if you're upgrading a type of soldier you can't also build one in the same turn, same with buildings. If however you want to make a new type of soldier, you can place it on the map that same turn.

Soldiers do 1 damage and have 1 hp, so unless upgraded they'll die in one hit. Buildings all have 3 hp (unless upgraded) and can have one ability such as production, defense etc. Upgraded soldiers and buildings will have one extra ability, such as extra damage or movement, unique effects etc.

I'm still writing up the more specific rules on upgrading (I want this to be as simple as possible) so this play through is sort of mandatory.


Basic strategy gameplay mechanics should be used;
if you want to make a new type of unit (a vehicle rather than a footsoldier) then a new type of production building should be made. Maybe you build a mage's school to give your soldiers some basic spells, or a shield array that protects soldiers adjacent to it.

Whenever a new unit is made the players have to post a closeup of it along with its abilities.

Players go back and forth altering the board as units are created, destroyed and moved. Any rule however can be bent or broken through the players creating new buildings or soldiers with different effects, every rule except one; no one building or unit is a game winner. No building a nuke, a super-plague or nanites that will wipe out the entire board. Any other tactic is valid; ninjas that can move outside the board, space cruisers that can move over other units without having to go around, zombies that take over other units, special upgrades that bend the rules etc. We want to have (and see!) a fun game with players vying for control, not a compound on either side that’s researching the doomsday device.


EDIT: Name change.

[Jason Rainville]

My faction: ZOMBIES :O


Command building: Zombie Mountain

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Zombie mountain is where the souls of the tormented dead come to rest in the putrid bodies of the damned! Zombie mountain produces basic zombies.


Starting soldier: Basic Zombie

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In his last moments of life he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now wherever he goes will be the wrong place, and always will be the wrong time. Basic zombie can infect other humanoid soldiers turning them into basic zombies.

[ErikStorstein]

My faction: Druids

Command building: The stone circle

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The stone circle is sacred ground for the druids. Children born within it are said to have magical power.

Starting soldier: Basic cloaked druid

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When moving it looks like the the cloaked druids are just floating, as if no legs are present. They have a staff swing attack that's able to hit upto two units at once at connecting squares. (oh yea im imbalancing myself, take that zombies!)

[ErikStorstein]

My placements for the first round

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[Jason Rainville]

My positions;

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[ErikStorstein]

Unit action: Move one unit forward


Unit production:
Upgrade for Cloaked druid:
Thorn Skin. Using the powers of the nature, the druids skin turns into sharp thorns. Any attack done to the druid will result in the loss of 1hp.
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Building production:

Bears Den. Within the Bears Den you'll find hibernating bears. Humanoid friendly units are able, if in connected squares, to wake up a bear to use as mount. Increases movement rate by 1.

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Current positions:

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[Jason Rainville]

Unit action: Move zombie forward

Unit production: Created one basic zombie

Building production: Plague swamp (defensive building)

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A plague swamp is filled with rotting corpses and putrid chemicals. The surrounding area is plagued with acid water, horrible diseases and the grasping hands of half-submerged zombies. Enemies take one damage per turn while in any adjacent square.


Current positions:

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[Jason Rainville]

Zil, I think I might change the rules to allow for us to move 2 units at a time. I can see down the road things getting a bit sluggish when we can build a building and upgrade our guys and only one of them has moved. Either that or we could develop specific game-cheating upgrades to allow more than one soldier to move (I'm thinking a zombie "hivemeind" that coordinates movements) I think the latter would keep in line with the whole "these rules need to be broken" theme.

[ErikStorstein]

Building production: Upgrade Bear Den

Within the Bears Den you'll find hibernating dire bears. Humanoid friendly units are able, if in connected squares, to wake up a bear to use as mount. Increases health by 1 and movement rate by 1.
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Unit action: Wake up Dire Bear

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(I gave him some more claws etc quickly just to make him a dire bear over normal bear I guess oO haha minor difference)


Unit production: Produce one Cloaked druid

Current positions:

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Jason, I think you just made the nerdiest game ever :D

[Nibras]

You guys are so awesome <3 I've not had time to read it all yet but looks amazing. Looking forward to seeing how it goes

[Nyctalgia]

As Nibras said, this is awesome. Will definitively try this out when I'm able. Looks awesomely fun.

[Jason Rainville]

Thanks guys :D I hope peeps will get into this, I always wanted to see what different fictional "factions" would look like in a strategy games (imagine a klingon empire? Cooooool) If you guys want to go ahead and give it a whirl the rules are all up there, but they're meant to be broken as long as you do it in the context of an rts.
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Building Production: Infested Apartment Building

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The zombie plague has spread wide enough to encompass more densely populated areas. The apartment building's many and varied occupants allow more diverse zombies to be made.


Unit Production: Four-arm Zombie

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The basic zombie has mutated and grown an extra set of arms, giving him a total attack rating of 2.

Unit Movements: Zombie go down, raaaar...

(I'm glad it's high on the nerd scale Zil :D)


Current positions:

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[ErikStorstein]

Building Production: Upgrade Stone Circle to Small Stone Henge.
The Stone circle is growing. Building healthpoints increased by 2.

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Unit Production: Upgrade Cloaked Druid, Ability: Lifelink Aura.
Linking their life together, druids located in adjacent squares are able to share their healthpool.
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Unit action: Wake up Dire Bear


Current positions:

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[Jason Rainville]

Building Production: Upgrade to Zombie Hivemind

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Zombie Mountain has underwent a transformation. Now a zombie proto-intelligence lives within it, able to more effectively direct the horde. Allows movement of 2 soldier units per turn.


Unit Production: Heavy Zombie

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His large gut never served him well in life, but it's definitely an asset in death. The heavy zombie is similar to the basic zombie but with 2 HP.


Unit action: 2 four-arm zombies move down


Current positions:

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[legendarybarr]

Holy crap I love this idea. I'm def down to do this sometime. I say this gets it's own Sub-thread so different people can play different games in separate threads and there could be a matchmaking type thread too so people can find who they destroy... Ehem! I mean play against lol. Love the idea guys.

[Jason Rainville]

Just an update on what I'm thinking for the rules; I think that the board should be reduced to 7x7 and that you can move all of your soldiers at once. I think that'd help make the game flow a little more quickly.

Won't apply it now obviously, just thinkin.

[Nyctalgia]

And add numbers/letters on the sides, easier to keep track then.

[ErikStorstein]

Building Production: Build Living Treestub
The living treestub uses it's roots to immobolise any unit that walks into a connected square for 1 turn. Units can not attack while immobolised.
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Unit action: Cloaked druid moves diagonally up and up.

Unit Production: Produce cloaked druid

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[Jason Rainville]

I know it seems like I'm copying your building with this but I had this idea for a while :P


Unit action: 2 zombies go down

Unit Production: Created new heavy Zombie

Building Production: Death Tree

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This huge tree was captured along with its population of birds and mutated by the zombie plague to form the death tree. The death tree produces Zombie Wraiths (to be drawn up next round)

Current positions

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[DrewWalbeck]

I think your game might benefit alot more if you reduced the board to something like 4 tall and 5 across(or maybe smaller) and just made each player start in opposite corners, i.e northwest and southeast.

[ErikStorstein]

ahh having trouble finding time for this, weekend should be easier :) Ill try update once before university tomorrow.

Building Production: Small Stone Henge -> Misty Stonehenge
A dense cold mist surrounds the stone henge. If you're brave enough to approach it you can feel movement in the ground, but no smell or vision is present. (Allows production of stone golems)
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Unit action: Cloaked druid recruits bear.


Unit Production: Produce cloaked druid

Current positions:

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[Jason Rainville]

Unit action: heavy zombie down, 4arm zombie right

Unit Production: Zombie Wraith

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Look, in the sky! It's a bird... it's a plane, No! It's - ARRAAAAAHG IT'S EATING MEEEE!!
Zombie Wraiths have 1 hp and attack, but can move over other units.


Building Production: Zombie Castle

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The zombie castle keeps enemies out while sealing in the zombie-freshness. Adds 2 hp.


Current positions

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[ErikStorstein]

Unit action: Recruit another Dire bear, feel the wrath of the bear army!

Unit Production: Stone Golem
A monstrous creature appears walking out of the misty stonehenge. The stone golem is powerfull but slow. When a stone golem is destroyed a pile of rocks are left behind occupying the square. Has the ability to turn into a pile of rocks at will, but is then not permanent.
Stone Golems have 2hp in Stone Golem form, and 5 in pile of rocks form. Neither can attack.
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Building Production: Misty Stonehenge upgrade, Glyphs of Command.

Glyphs of Command allows upto two units to move at once (I'm sorry for being lame copyer, but I will so get raped if I don't get this soon :D)

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Current positions:
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[ryansumo]

This looks hilarious. Can we join in this game or do we make out own?

[Nyctalgia]

We just make our own Ryan, feel like trying it out?

[Anti-11]

sounds fun I'm game

[Mat Kaminski]

Ahh... I actually have something similiar in the works with a card game though. I'll have to test it out and see if it works just the same!

Kick-ass concept though guys! :D

[Jason Rainville]

If you guys are planning to play, just remember that the "rules" of the game have been changed for future reference (but not for this game for consistency) the board will be smaller (7x7 or 6x6) and all units can be moved simultaneously. Just makes the game quicker and IMO more fun.

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Sorry for the late update, been pretty busy lately;

Unit Action: two 4 arm zombies down

Unit Production: Walking Head

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This huge walking zombie head Can devour his foes. Has 2hp. Each attack does one damage and replenishes 1 of his hitpoints.

Building Production: Death Roost

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The Death tree has mutated and allows special flock control. Up to 3 Zombie wraiths can occupy a square together and attack as one.


Current positions:

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[Darkfallenx]

This is by far the most creative game I have ever saw! The possibilities are only limited by our imaginations and each outcome will always be completely new and original. Great concept guys!! Im down to play if anyone wants to challenge me..Ill make a new thread.

[ErikStorstein]

Unit Action: A four armed zombie appears infront of the cloaked druid, in panic the druid strikes it, swinging its staff. 1 damage, zombie dies.

Stone Golem turns into pile of rocks.

Unit Production: Stone Golem

Building Production: Living Treestub -> Catapult Roots
If pile of rocks are located nearby the Catapult Roots, rocks can be thrown upto 3squares. Normal Stone Golem as ammunition causes 2 damage. Consumes 1hp from Pile of Rocks and a unit action.
Catapult roots still have the abilities of Living Treestub.

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Current positions:

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[Jason Rainville]

Unit movement; 4 arm zombie left, wraith down

Unit Production: Swooping Wraith

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The Wraith has grown an extra pair of wings, increasing its speed to 2.




Building Production: Apartment Complex

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The zombie tenants of the apartment building liked their home, but it was time for a change. The apartment complex is only ten minutes to downtown, 20 minutes to super fun land and includes all the amenities that zombies ask for.... more brains.

The apartment complex produces 2 zombies instead of 1.



Current positions;

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[alti]

i want to play!
althought i might overlay the chess board onto a battle map of some kind.

[Jason Rainville]

i want to play!
althought i might overlay the chess board onto a battle map of some kind.

I kind of hope that people will take the default board and make it their own somehow, Zil was also expressing his desire to illustrate a scene where his druid is kicking my zombie's rotting ass. Lots of possibilities for fun drawz :)

[Anti-11]

it will be a while til I do this my art skills still need a lot of work so far I'm sketching out ideas for my units but so far I have my money on the druid units lol

[REGNIRUTH]

this is awesome! perhaps this could have a section of it's own and each thread is an individual match? definitely a good way to strengthen our creativity. i'm interested in playing a round sometime. :teeth:

[acb]

wow , this game looks cool , both fun and a nice creativity workout :D
would like to play too sometime ^_^

[Vix]

Wow! this is a really inspiring idea. Isn't it difficult after a while to keep track of all the properties of the units and buildings? Or maybe it just seems that way to someone who isnt in the game.