Survival Mode Feedback Thread

[Gruntlord6]

A new gametype in development for Dune 2000, Survival Mode pits players against all the other houses. Set in a storyline where the players house has lost the battle for arrakis, the player must make a last stand at the houses main base and hold out as long as possible.
Features:
-Never ending gameplay, there is truly no way to win
-Original code, written from the ground up as a new gametype
-Play as any of the Houses, with different maps to choose from
-Tiered Gameplay, the game gets progressively harder as more houses join the battle, with more troops in each wave
-Competitive Gameplay, post screenshots of your highscore on the forums and try to beat other players
-Create your own maps to be featured in the  gametype
-Enjoy steep difficulty curve

 

Currently, survival mode is in beta, alongside Rise of the Mercenaries in Dune 2000: Gruntmods Edition 1.6.1.3, but it will be released for the original game following its completion.

 

I would like anyone who has played the gametype to post any feedback in this thread, so I can see what people like/dislike about the mode.

 

Screenshots from the Ordos version of the map featured in the beta (Mercenaries are the only playable house in the public beta):

[THE AQIB]

How does the survival mode work??

[Gruntlord6]

How does the survival mode work??

You start the game with a prebuilt base, which you have 30 minutes to fortify where you only face light resistance from enemy troops. Afterword, you will start facing waves of troops which get more intense and powerful as time goes on. In the beta, the only house available for play are the Mercenaries, on a custom map I designed for the gametype.

You can access the Survival Mode through the mission select menu, where a button will be placed in the top right hand side.

[THE AQIB]

You start the game with a prebuilt base, which you have 30 minutes to fortify where you only face light resistance from enemy troops. Afterword, you will start facing waves of troops which get more intense and powerful as time goes on. In the beta, the only house available for play are the Mercenaries, on a custom map I designed for the gametype.

You can access the Survival Mode through the mission select menu, where a button will be placed in the top right hand side.

Cool.. I love survival mode already..

I have played this kind of game in warcraft 3 in player created maps..

But that was TD..

Why don't you create a TD also..

[Feda]

I did play it on medium, i see no way it would ever end for me because i kept getting shitloads of units. I had 4-5 groups of numerous units outside the base + non-stop production with like 12 refs, a shitload of harvs and carryalls. Ill try it on hard as well but I think it needs some really huge attacks after a while. Also players can camp the locations where enemy units get dropped and kill them easy, but idk how u could prevent that.

Other than these the map was fun, good job :d

[Nuclear_harvester]

well  we cant  force units to be dropped at ..... random locations? so camping the icoming units would be  harder?

[shai]

Finally, how long have you been working on it? 

[Feda]

well  we cant  force units to be dropped at ..... random locations? so camping the icoming units would be  harder?

no

[THE AQIB]

make multiple delivery codes and keep them coming at different but fixed times..

[Gruntlord6]

make multiple delivery codes and keep them coming at different but fixed times..

It's not really something you can reliably script as a recurring event.

 

I did play it on medium, i see no way it would ever end for me because i kept getting shitloads of units. I had 4-5 groups of numerous units outside the base + non-stop production with like 12 refs, a shitload of harvs and carryalls. Ill try it on hard as well but I think it needs some really huge attacks after a while. Also players can camp the locations where enemy units get dropped and kill them easy, but idk how u could prevent that.

Other than these the map was fun, good job :D

Well right now the last addition is the extra smuggler units, but I can add more waves easily enough. I just wanted to see if it was working properly before I continued adding to it. As for camping, its totally a valid strategy if you can keep up, but as you could tell from the last few drops, it would get pretty difficult to keep up with after a while.

[Gruntlord6]

Finally, how long have you been working on it? 

I had the concept idea for a long time, work didn't start seriously until the mis editor was created, and even then I had to sit down and work on it for several hours to get the scripting working properly. The hardest part of mod development is motivation. I had the mod out for over a week with no feedback, so I decided to make this thread to collect some.

[arkon]

How do you start survival mode.? i just updated to 1.6.1.3.

[Gruntlord6]

 

How do you start survival mode.? i just updated to 1.6.1.3..

 

You can access the Survival Mode through the mission select menu, where a button will be placed in the top right hand side.

[THE AQIB]

I had the concept idea for a long time, work didn't start seriously until the mis editor was created, and even then I had to sit down and work on it for several hours to get the scripting working properly. The hardest part of mod development is motivation. I had the mod out for over a week with no feedback, so I decided to make this thread to collect some.

How did you actually make the survival mpde?? Through mission editor or binary editing??

Because as per your posts I felt so..

And fedaykin's description was good but I won't be able to try it for sometime due to exams..

Wishing to see it soon..

[Gruntlord6]

How did you actually make the survival mpde?? Through mission editor or binary editing??

Because as per your posts I felt so..

And fedaykin's description was good but I won't be able to try it for sometime due to exams..

Wishing to see it soon..

Sandworm helped me do the alpha with a hex editor, but I scrapped that and did it fresh with the mis editor when that was released

[arkon]

Weird it's not showing up for me in the mission select menu, even with the Combined Update 1.6.1.3 but the Rise of the Mercenaries does show. Something must be messed up with my install

[arkon]

So i reinstalled everything and it all works now.. i think the hires patch option messed something up

[Gruntlord6]

So i reinstalled everything and it all works now.. i think the hires patch option messed something up

That's weird, I tested it with that option, but I am glad you have it working now.

[Gruntlord6]

Why don't you create a TD also..

A tower defense game would require a lot of work to be functional under the current game engine. Although it's possible to do, it's not really worth the effort in my eyes, and with 3 other projects on my plate it would be foolish for me to pursue. If anyone else wants to give it a go, more power to them.

I added screenshots from the Ordos version of the map playable in the public beta. The idea is that each map will be playable for each of the main houses, but in the spirit of Rise of the Mercenaries I released the mercenaries as the 1st playable house in the public beta.

[Gruntlord6]

Update 1.6.1.4 has been released. As per user feedback, difficulty has increased significantly. From the patch notes:

-Map has less resources for player base, forcing players to work harder to 

fortify their base

-Additional wave added at 90 minute mark

-Wave at 80 minutes now includes even more troops for Harkonnen and 

Emperor factions

-Harvester and Carryall replacements are cutoff at 80 minutes

-Ordos resources have been enhanced significantly

-Enhanced AI have been implemented for house Ordos, significantly 

increasing the rate of troop production (AI provided courtesy of Luminar)

[NaturePower]

Are u still working on Maps?

Just playin on one is quite now boring

[Gruntlord6]

Are u still working on Maps?

Just playin on one is quite now boring

Working on releasing the Rise Of The Mercenaries campaign first, also tweaking balance on the existing map. I know theres also a demand for survival, so thats still planned to be fleshed out later on.

[NaturePower]

Ok, So What Actually % Progression on Mission 3? about 49%?

[Gruntlord6]

Ok, So What Actually % Progression on Mission 3? about 49%?

Closer to 60%. I've gotten the majority of the mission designed, I just need to tweak and polish a lot of the events. I also need to wrap up the writing and menus design so I can publish the entire campagin for testing.

[Luminar]

I am happy that my AI file isn't useless :)