Ever wanted to race like in Tron, but were afraid to get stuck in the virtual reality? Dont worry Photon Cycles provides you with an opportunity to enjoy the thrill of the ride, destroy your friends and be always just a click away from leaving. All of the credits go to the mapmaker that made this a reality...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNO0lQaBGhw
This is not my map, all of the credits go to its original map maker. I found this on sc2mapster.com and just wanted to share, because the map is amazing.
Photon Cycles, a luminous light bikes game, is all about driving around your ridiculous looking vehicle, while excreting lethal hazards from your rear, with the intention to cause your enemies to wreck into shit.
I decided to make the map because I am a fan of this micro-genre or whatever it is; it is fun and competitive, has simple mechanics, and is intellectually stimulating in the nuanced and clever tactics and strategy players can employ. The entelechy of the game is what makes it interesting, in the same way lego blocks and cellular automata and DNA are interesting. I figured I could make something small and neat, like TronCraft Rebirth, only this version won't give people hand cramps from right clicking so damn much.
Special thanks to Sixen and Motive for their feedback, Mexa for publishing in the EU region for me and those brave few who helped test it on Battlenet.
It is uploaded on US servers under Photon Cycles, but not many people are playing it, even tho its amazingly fun. Peace US - confirmed, EU - confirmed
the effort that must have gone into make this mod blows my mind. even the simplest of actions and triggers and actors in the editor are beyond me. I have no Idea how this extremely awesome-looking map was made, and I seriously need that guy to teach me!
More effort is going into this next update than went into the map before it was released, I must admit. It took 2 weeks to develop the map to a playable state, while it took a week alone to create the textures for option cards. This week I'm refactoring old code to prepare it for the victory conditions overhaul, replacing it with an in-game option selection menu like the one shown above, and a handful of new features.
One of the most popular places for SC2 modders is sc2mapster, which offers a wealth of information on SC2 modding; I don't post much, but I'm always on thier irc channel. =D
Thanks. I often play for hours, too, when my internet connection isn't awful.
The tiles are all doodads, just simple actors using models which reference the ShapeCube model asset, with actor events for tinting. Eventually, I may go about creating them dynamically, perhaps with different level layouts.
I love how flashy and bright it is, so that probably won't change soon.
zerglingsfolife is the best damn Photon Cycles player I've seen. Not even kidding; his ability to pull off precise sharp turns is intimidating. Beware!
If I get enough time, the update should be ready in about a week. Keep those fingers crossed for me.
I played a Custom Map very similar to this months ago, except it was all top-down i believe. Was this also made by you? I don't think it was called Photon Cycles :< Either way it's the same concept and that was great fun playing with friends. We had games lasting 40+ rounds with all kinds o shenanigans so i'm looking forward to playing this one ^^.
On May 09 2011 18:57 Wiidy wrote: I played a Custom Map very similar to this months ago, except it was all top-down i believe. Was this also made by you? I don't think it was called Photon Cycles :< Either way it's the same concept and that was great fun playing with friends. We had games lasting 40+ rounds with all kinds o shenanigans so i'm looking forward to playing this one ^^.
No extra boosts from saving em; it has more tactical depth if you can't store them up, I think. Ghoststriker expressed it well in one game, that it's all about "risk vs reward".
With regards to loose controls, the next update will add a mouse sensitivity option.
Dead spectators will have improved view options in the next update, including unlocked mouse and camera and zoom.
Player vision will not be changed, radar will not be implemented. I think the limited vision, the ignorance of your surroundings is an essential part of the experience, the same way the relationship between vision and fog in melee increase the tactical complexity of the game.
For what is the banner intended? It's a bit too 90's punk; the map's aesthetic is all about digital simulation.
The option selection screen in this update will be visible to all players, but options will be selected by the host within a ~minute window. Eventually, I will implement option voting.
Photon Cycles is 4 times more popular in the EU than in NA. =D
If you're interested, it would be cool to do some casts of the more interesting matches you play, maybe put some videos on youtube. I'd love to get a look at the scene and the best players in EU through replay-cast commentary.
My favorite is between 6 and 8 players; I've never been in a full house match before. I expect it must be easier to get a full lobby in the EU.
I'll add teams eventually, but not in this update.
Random start locations will be included in this update. I understand how unstimulating / frustrating it can be to start beside the same people each round.
Remove Barriers (on death) option must be enabled manually, except for the Slayer score condition, where it is enabled and locked (along with Barrier Decay option), which will make Slayer more like classic snake. =D
If there isn't a Photon Cycles chat channel maintained in the EU, feel free to start one, spread the word. I'll encourage people to join the channel from the loading screen in the update.
On May 10 2011 02:38 JademusSreg wrote: Thanks for the support.
No extra boosts from saving em; it has more tactical depth if you can't store them up, I think. Ghoststriker expressed it well in one game, that it's all about "risk vs reward".
With regards to loose controls, the next update will add a mouse sensitivity option.
Dead spectators will have improved view options in the next update, including unlocked mouse and camera and zoom.
Player vision will not be changed, radar will not be implemented. I think the limited vision, the ignorance of your surroundings is an essential part of the experience, the same way the relationship between vision and fog in melee increase the tactical complexity of the game.
Absolutely right. I heard people say that should be implemented, but I told them the game was better without it. Having to turn around, and loop to see your opponents creates an interesting factor.
Thanks for the support. I wish I could be out there playing the map with you folks instead of laboring on this update.
Coding on the update is coming along smoothly. Sorry voting won't been enabled for this update; for now it will be "host select", though it will at least be visible to all players.
Any idea about a release date of the patch? What do you think about implanting team games? 2v2, 3v3, 4v4, 5v5, 6v6, 2v2v2v2, 3v3v3 etc... Every team would have its own color.
I plan to release the update next week. Teams will eventually be implemented, but not in this update. Shared team color is a must, so you don't kill your team mates by accident, yes.
EDIT: I've never seen the map played on anything less than maxed graphic settings. Those tiles look crazy, adso.
I played this game. Its on page 4 of bnet and its soooo fun. I only wish that there was a second power-meter that you could use to make solid lines for a short time, instead of the dotted ones.
On May 22 2011 13:31 JademusSreg wrote: No Gaps will be an option in the next update, an update which is taking longer than I expected.
Awesome Just read through some of the options coming up next update... blown away. This game should be on the first page and I sure hope it gets there. Keep up the solid work man.
Great game, but it really peaks in entertainment value at 6-ish players, I think. Honestly, I have a lot more fun just playing this inhouse with friends than anything, as well.
The first time I played I thought the gaps made it less fun, but after a few games they are the sole reason I'm still playing this so often. Amazing stuff.
played troncraft quite a lot with friends right in the weeks after sc2 was releasd...we had sooo much fun! and recently i just stumbled upon this fps version here and...well...it's fun too definitely gonna get some friends together again and have some fun
Thanks for this. We're helping it grow on US servers too. Had a TON of fun the other day with a couple friends. I think it's most fun with three people, just my opinion though.
so i finally looked for this on tl and found the thread:
first: thanx jademus for this awesome mod. if you really make the update reality, i will be blown away even more. i loooove to play this mod. should be interesting to see with option win conditions. ;D
Update is still in the works. I've been preoccupied lately, but am still actively working on the update. On the bright side, the delays have given my modeler ample time to produce some nice custom models.
After a few rounds it's really hard on the eyes. I'm always actively trying to spot people at a distance to track down, and when the map has a thousand very bright squares it can be very straining. Maybe if after a a set time squares became more diffuse and a little desaturated, that way you could even pick up fresh trails of players that are left.
I think aggressive play should be rewarded in the default gametype. Battleling it out with good opponents is really thrilling but passive and defensive play will win more rounds.
I'm not sure if boosting should have larger gaps. It's easy enough already to do a sharp 170degree turn to avoid an opponent in tight spots. If you are really without options you can turn into and through their tail for low risk of actually dying. It is kind of cool to see someone just by chance pass through a trail 2 or 3 times in a row when both are boosting but I don't like the random element to it.
The map board is receiving a significant overhaul to accommodate players with epilepsy; the wildly flashing board walls will be replaced, and new floor tiles are being implemented as well. Not only will this help epileptics and ease the eye strain for other players, but rest assured it will also make trails and players more distinct, as will be demonstrated in a few preview screenshots of the new custom vehicle models soon.
I've only ever seen passive and defensive players die, haha; the players that wall themselves off are precisely the type who think walls are by themselves an effective defense, only to be surprised by the opponents who cut through 15 layers just to hunt them down. Higher level play is all about aggression, which makes it all the more fun. Additionally, with the new update comes an overhauled option selection system, which includes a rebalanced Slayer; by default it will enable timed barrier decay and remove barriers on owner death, and it will be the most aggressive game mode by far.
The larger boost gap is an intentional part of the gameplay, though this next update is making the gaps more consistent by slightly increasing the spawn period. Which is to say there will be no more "big one, little one, I'll take the big one" opportunities, as they will all be little. It's worth noting no randomness is involved, so much as it seems like luck because you'd need an incredible sense of timing and coordination to nail it skillfully. For those who like a bit more certainty (and who seem to think partitioning is fun), there will be the No Gaps option.
EDIT: If you'd like to play with me and some of the other higher-level players on NA, like Original, Ququ, and fredre, you can find us on the Photon Cycles channel.
This map is a blast especially with a group of 6 or 7 people. Having spent several hours sometimes all in a row, there are somethings that could be explored. Just a couple of ffeback suggestions.
-Needs music! -Needs an autowin function if a players gets enough points that no one can catch. Its annoying and pointless to continue playing when you've won 10 of 20 rounds and have to play the need 10 to finish. -A rear view mirror of sorts. Just with the colors and distance its sometimes hard to tell were everyone is, especially if they're right behind you and you have an opportunity to cut them off. Even something like an overhead floating marker showing there everyone is that maybe disappears when you get in range clear enough to see someone. -Would be neat to have an opposite effect to boost, where for a short time you can slow right down to maneauver tricky spots that maybe leaves a full (not dashed) barricade behind.
Music: Yes, given that the map size limit was doubled recently, I will try and fit some music into the map, provided my uploads don't time out. Look forward to it in the coming update.
Autowin: I do intend to implement a Best Of mechanic for Round eventually. Perhaps not in this update though, as the workload on it is already pretty big.
Rearview: rearview, alternate view options, and the like will never be implemented. The relationship between ignorance and knowledge is a fundamental part of the gameplay; good players makes turns that give them more information about their environment.
Opposite effect to boost: Neat idea. I will consider it for a future update.
Had another idea for the creation for a game mode since i've seen so many games where people are just avoiding each other (not that its a bad things -just a play style). It would be interesting to have a mode that encourage taking out othe people; something that had players auto respawn in a safe area like the corner or center. Then maybe have a smaller tail blocker coming from each players that turns into a general blocker so that the first person to kill a set number of opponents wins.
On another notes the lobby despritely needs a lower total of players.
In the next update, Slayer score mode will require players to kill one another to score, and will turn on barrier decay and remove barrier on death options by default. So that mode will play more like Snake and will be very aggressive.
What do you think about a game mode where when one cycler dies all the other bikes increase in speed a little bit until you just have two people zooming around (cruisin' for a bruisin')? Or one where one cycler has a bomb and you have to hit other players to pass it off before it explodes (hot potato)?
You have a lot of talent jade. Any chance you will work on a gta style mod soon? I have like 2 plots written already :D if u do. Using the Hitscan function should work for most guns while modding the seeker missile should work for the rocket launcher.
BuGGeaD, stop by the Photon Cycles channel sometime and we can play. =D
divinesage, yes, I have plans for that. I need to find a reliable contact in SEA.
Dragom, I have no plans for a GTA-like map, though I did have plans for a map with GTA-like gameplay mechanics. It's unlikely I will release that project, given its heavy dependence on custom art assets which are lacking, necessary to make weapon swapping look right.
Hello, I have been training in 1v1 Photon Cycles for a few weeks with Sterling, the featured streamer and my bro. I will challenge anyone to a 1v1 match. I have already beaten a few people claiming they were almost as good as so called "Jade". I would like to play this "Jade" in a 1v1 match of Photon Cycles to see who is the better. If someone could message me or tell me here what his code is that would be greatly appreciated. My code is Khavok.921 I <3 Photon Cycles
On August 24 2011 16:26 Khavok1 wrote: Hello, I have been training in 1v1 Photon Cycles for a few weeks with Sterling, the featured streamer and my bro. I will challenge anyone to a 1v1 match. I have already beaten a few people claiming they were almost as good as so called "Jade". I would like to play this "Jade" in a 1v1 match of Photon Cycles to see who is the better. If someone could message me or tell me here what his code is that would be greatly appreciated. My code is Khavok.921 I <3 Photon Cycles
Played this for as long as it has been advertised .. and it is still the best mod to come out of sc2.. ty jade for all the work, ty Pal for taking over post 1.5 ...
Do try it, it is so easy to pick up and have fun that you will surprise yourself having played hours without even noticing it.
It is highly competitive so when you start out do observe the realm of possibilities from other players' tactics, and therefore please be careful since it is highly addictive to those who persist and try out the limits (the mod's limits but mostly your own).
Do ask questions about the mod in game (as typing live is one of the many fun perks of this mod) to gain time while discovering it, many regular players are obliging and will save you time to get to the fun part.
glhf (I'm confident that Hots will have to "watch the curve" when it comes out)
ps: Pal should have reset the "default" setting to "5 points for a win", since it is really conductive to lots of joiners and re joiners' action, if you do meet her/him online .. do try to convince her/him.
This is one of my favorite arcade maps. Pretty much the only arcade I play besides playing 1v1s. It involves lots of skill while still being fun and easy to learn and a very nice game to play an environment of friends. No matter if you play it for fun or skill, it'll still be awesome both on your 1st game and your 100th game. I don't know about the other servers, but here on eu, it's getting more and more popular and I think this map really deserves to have more people playing it.
yes i still host this awesome rts after 10 years of playing still haven't got my fill.. purest rts out there if you have not tried it .. please do (thank me later )
This game was so much freaking fun with friends. It brought out all the most toxic trash talking among my friends when we were in college. I didn't know my boy James could be so ruthless!!! It was great to have a discord channel running while playing
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