EPTZero-K: Free Open Source RTS Game - Page 2
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Ruscour
5233 Posts
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Beamer
United States242 Posts
On March 23 2012 07:10 Chocolate wrote: I created a chat lobby for this game. On the chat screen, enter chat/channel/teamliquid at the top to open the channel. Hopefully we can congregate here and operate some IH as well as help those of us that are very new to the game and need help (like me  )I like this idea. I'll be sure to join that chat channel whenever I'm on. Hopefully, it will slowly populate with time. Also, I'm going to try to start streaming myself playing this game to give people an idea of what its gameplay is like. Hope to see you guys in-game! | ||
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lauri0
Estonia4 Posts
I guess the main problem right now for Zero-K is the semi-absence of a 1v1 scene - teamgames are being run all the time but 1v1 lobbies only fill during the peak hours. | ||
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FlorisXIV
Netherlands15 Posts
Maybe one of it's strongest points is its fully customizable interface and a thing called "custom formations". And it's worst must be it's looks and it's currently small player base. To elaborate: Custom formations is a feature that allows the player to set up formations like the in starcraft much talked about "concave" with the mouse. The player selects a group of units and drags a line with the right mouse button pressed. The selection will then line up on the drawn line. This might sound very simple and trivial, but once you have grown used to this feature all other RTS games feel like they are missing something. (Including Starcraft :S ) The amount of control you get over groups of units was really an eyeopener for me. I am still wondering why other RTS'es haven't picked up on it yet. So, purely for this feature I would suggest to check out this game ;-) (If i am on line there you can ask me to give you a small introduction since there is not much of a single player campaign atm) Oh, and hi lauri0 didn't expect to see you here ^^ | ||
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Beamer
United States242 Posts
The latest update utilizes the newest version of the Spring engine, 96.0. This is pretty exciting because the game has been using version 91.0 for a very long time, and it is nice to see the devs upgrade the game to use the most recent engine release. Also, this Saturday (Jan 11), the community is holding a 1v1 tournament and many of the top Zero-K players will be participating. The tournament will start at around 1:00 PM EST. If you are interested in watching some high-level play, you can either join the games as a spectator and watch, or you can watch the stream with commentary here. Also, the tournament has no skill requirement to join, so if you are feeling up for a challenge, you can sign up as well. More information can be found in the forum thread. | ||
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PoP
France15446 Posts
I wish indie RTS projects would just try something other than trying to be the new TA though... like, bring something really new and different for once, both in terms of background/universe and gameplay. | ||
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-Archangel-
Croatia7457 Posts
On January 10 2014 16:59 PoP wrote: I need to try this out. I wish indie RTS projects would just try something other than trying to be the new TA though... like, bring something really new and different for once, both in terms of background/universe and gameplay. It is hard for them. Proper RTS games take much more skill and experience and money to do. There is a reason why Starcraft has nothing similar to it (except Warcraft made by same company) and why it is considered best RTS by most people. | ||
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ScoutWBF
Germany628 Posts
On January 10 2014 20:46 -Archangel- wrote: It is hard for them. Proper RTS games take much more skill and experience and money to do. There is a reason why Starcraft has nothing similar to it (except Warcraft made by same company) and why it is considered best RTS by most people. Wish I could advertise an RTS that some guys and I are creating for quite some time now, but because we are so unorganized and we work on it on and off, it's not even near being advertiseable.  It's going to be based on "Machines: Wired for War" and current name is "Open Machines", but it's not really in a playable state at the moment. :/ Gonna take a look at the Zero-K tournament as I haven't seen tournament matches before. | ||
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rANDY
United Kingdom748 Posts
On March 22 2012 08:15 decemberscalm wrote: Like a lot of old rts's, TA was micro hell to play to the best of your ability. Zero K changes this by having units auto micro. I know this sounds terrible from an SC perspective, but believe me, its such a breathe of fresh air for TA. The focus is on strategy and tactics as opposed to apm. You will still need really high apm to play at the best of your ability and keep everything in motion, but its no longer hell like it was in BA (balanced annihilation). Have to disagree on this, I feel TA was very macro intensive, with micro playing a much smaller role in the game behind macro and strategy. BA was a lot more micro intensive than TA and didn't have the same scaling feel to it. Haven't tried Zero K so can't comment on that, but the idea of auto micro? Sounds hideous to me, if I want to do something with a unit that the auto micro doesn't think optimal, will it turn it around (e.g. sacrificing a unit to scout something)? I feel if you're a kind of player that prefers not microing, it would be better to turn to a turn based strategy game where there is no need for macro/micro/apm, as removing some of these facets appears to remove from the true meaning and purity of RTS. | ||
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TaShadan
Germany1978 Posts
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Beamer
United States242 Posts
On January 11 2014 00:21 rANDY wrote: if I want to do something with a unit that the auto micro doesn't think optimal, will it turn it around (e.g. sacrificing a unit to scout something)? The Smart Unit AI only applies when you give a unit a "Fight" order (similar to an Attack-Move order in Starcraft). Therefore, giving a unit a Move order, Attack order, or Hold Position order should behave exactly how you want. Also, you can disable the Smart Unit AI by clicking a button on the UI. On January 11 2014 00:21 rANDY wrote: I feel if you're a kind of player that prefers not microing, it would be better to turn to a turn based strategy game where there is no need for macro/micro/apm, as removing some of these facets appears to remove from the true meaning and purity of RTS. I don't agree. RTS games generally share common traits, such as fast-paced or intense gameplay, quick thinking, 15-60 minute games, good multiplayer experience, large number of units, etc. People play RTS games looking for these qualities, and games can have these qualities even if they focus on different mechanics. It is also healthy for the RTS genre to have games with a varied array of playstyles, such as games that focus on micro over macro (Warcraft 3) or macro over micro (Supreme Commander). The fact that Zero-K tries to take some of the micro burden off of the player should not discredit is a valid and enjoyable RTS game. | ||
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Dessard
4 Posts
There seem to be a lot of misconceptions about the reduction of micro. The goal of the developers, which they have done fairly well at, is to remove the more 'busywork' micromanagement - think forming defensive formations or making larva injects - and putting the focus on 'meaningful' micromanagement, of controlling units across the map, managing production/economy, and actual tactics in battle. Since maps tend to be bigger, relative to move speeds, in ZK than in Starcraft, and income is directly tied to territorial control (you build resource buildings on "metal spots" spread across the map - the main investment is protecting them, not building them up), there tends to be a lot more action spread everywhere at the same time. Raids will be going on across the entire front, and armies tend to be posturing close to each other and skirmishing more than in SC when one or more teams can sit in base and succeed. While features like the fight-command automicro and better buildqueues do exist, they don't reduce what is going on, only allow more scope for the player's attention. I used to be quite good at 1v1, in the top 30, and while the micro was less intense than in Starcraft most of the time, there was certainly no lack of things to do. The better interface made it easier to do things, but in 1v1 at least that just allows a higher scope for the play to take place in. | ||
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TaShadan
Germany1978 Posts
Raids will be going on across the entire front, and armies tend to be posturing close to each other and skirmishing more than in SC when one or more teams can sit in base and succeed. Sounds like you only play sc2. In scbw in most cases you cant just sit in your base. | ||
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gostunv
Japan1178 Posts
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lauri0
Estonia4 Posts
is the game too similar to TA and SC that this cant be released on steam as a f2p? That isn't really a problem. It's more of a community size problem - there just aren't enough people who know about the game, so chances are it wouldn't get through Greenlight. For anybody who is interested, don't forget to come and spectate the tournament. Like mentioned by Beamer, it is scheduled on January 11 6PM GMT. You can spectate either ingame by downloading the game lobby from the zero-k website or by tuning into one of the streams. Chances are there will be a caster(there may be more than one), probably Shadowfury 333. His twitch is http://www.twitch.tv/shadowfury333/ Meanwhile, for those who want to familiarise themselves with the game before tuning in to the tournament, here are some nice casted replays (both casted by Shadowfury 333, who has a lot of casted ZK replays on his youtube channel): Spiderbots vs Cloakybots on a hilly map, players are Saktoth and Godde: link Light Vehicles vs Hovercraft on a very flat map, players are again Saktoth and Godde: link | ||
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Dessard
4 Posts
On January 11 2014 09:04 gostunv wrote: is the game too similar to TA and SC that this cant be released on steam as a f2p? It isn't that similar to either, the main similarity to TA is the flow economy and a few unit-names; I am not really sure how Steam does it, but ZK and the engine it runs on are open-source/GPL; that would probably interfere with any contract with Steam. And yeah, played BW once or twice with friends but never much. | ||
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Chocolate
United States2350 Posts
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Dessard
4 Posts
Emblis' blog isn't updated anymore, but has articles that are mostly still relevant and are very good in both tips and theory. Gameplay Guide tries to be an overall 1v1 guide - isn't totally complete but is pretty useful. Strategy Treatise is good for trying to make strategies and understand the game, but has little specific advice. As spiders specifically, I would emphasize how weak you are to agression, especially fast raids, until you have both enough Venoms (fast stunning AoE unit) to split off to stop them, and the firepower to kill whatever they stun, without compromising yourself against other attacks. You need to use Fleas to keep great map vision and keep your opponent on the back foot until this happens, and don't expand naked - put at least a laser tower in the main raiding paths whenever possible. Once you have a good deathball up, then it gets easier, but you need to be sure to use very good positioning and skirmishing or the more tanky factories will still be able to smash you in a straight fight. Remember that your units are both expensive and fragile. Really, spiders aren't viable as a primary factory in 1v1 except on the most hilly, choky maps - though in teams, or as a backup 1v1 factory, they can be quite good. | ||
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Beamer
United States242 Posts
On January 11 2014 09:28 Dessard wrote: I am not really sure how Steam does it, but ZK and the engine it runs on are open-source/GPL; that would probably interfere with any contract with Steam. I don't think that is a problem since Evolution RTS is on Steam Greenlight and it uses the Spring engine. On January 11 2014 10:07 Chocolate wrote: If anyone has a good guide or resource for getting started in this game, that would be helpful. You may notice that I posted quite a while ago in this thread, but I am still very much a noob. I'm still trying to hammer out playing spider (very fun btw, lots of crowd control, hill walking, missiles are cool). If anyone wants to help out a noob, I'd be grateful. Like Dessard said, the spider factory can be a tricky starting factory, especially for someone new to the game. It is generally recommended that new players learn the Cloaky Bots factory first, although Shield Bots are also a great starting factory, as well as Light Vehicles for flat maps. Any of those 3 are standard 1v1 starting factories. | ||
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gostunv
Japan1178 Posts
If its free and its modeled after TA it should have enough backing to get it through. Would help bring a lot of players into camp. More people means more trolls however.... | ||
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