Bloodbath is a card game based on Starcraft 2, with real-time combat phases, and full unit control.

Cards provide you with units to engage in dynamic warfare, rewarding a tactical approach, micro, and multitasking. Battlefields have exciting terrain, with a variety of targets to attack/defend/monitor.

Bloodbath is currently released in a demo state.

This thread is a work in progress. I am excited to share my creation, so I have developed the thread to a point where I believe that it conveys my game concept, but there is still much that will be added in regards to details/specification.

The purpose of this thread is to explain what Bloodbath is, and how to play it. In addition to that, I will be giving context to design decisions, and proposing alternative/future directions.

Contents:

Structure

The overall flow of the game.

Cards

The source of your army, heroes, and spells.

Combat

Where you use your units to achieve victory.

Interface

Interaction with your cards during non-combat phases.

Future

Details about the demo revision (Mid-July), and the full version (Fall/Winter 2014).

Everything Else

Design Goals:

These goals are rooted in what I have always wanted from an SC2 arcade game, and what has frustrated me about card games in the past... My will to meet these goals is what drove me through the threshold of learning how to use the map editor (this is my first creation involving anything beyond terrain modification).

Intricate, dynamic micro and multitasking, without the requirement of concurrently managing economy and production.

Cards establish your army, and economy. Having these macro elements addressed by cards allows users to focus purely on micro, multitasking, and unit control, during combat.

I believe that SC2 is the most developed and beautiful mechanical experience, but I have always longed for a platform to experience the unit control at times when I am exhausted from laddering.





Development and improvement of user's unit control / micro / multitasking directly applies to their Starcraft 2 match making experience.

During combat, the units, controls, camera angle, and interface are those of Starcraft 2.

ie: Playing this game helps you improve at the unit control aspects of Starcraft 2.



Prevent the binary win conditions, and/or stagnation caused by suboptimal draws.

Always be able to use your cards, or progress in your capacity to eventually use them.

Ensure constant access to cards with multiple functions.

Facilitate the suboptimal production of units by non-card methods. (ie: Production Structures)



Ensure that there is something to do on all of your turns.



Avoid lobby downtime.

As the game is 1 vs 1, users are not required to idle in the game lobby waiting for many opponents.





The structure of Bloodbath is simple. It is a turn based game, in which, each turn, there is the option for the user to initiate a real-time combat phase.

The Phases:

Core Mechanics:



Win Condition:



Destruction of your opponent's Main Health structure is your win condition.

There are 5 Health Pillars that, when dealt damage, transfer that damage unto the Main Health.



When the Main Health structure is directly damaged, the damage dealt is doubled.

Cards cannot win you the game alone: To satisfy the win condition, you must attack the opponent.

Graphical Aid

Economy:



Resources control both your capacity to play cards and build/produce-from structures.

Cards cost minerals to play.

An alternative expenditure of minerals is the construction of non-resource-providing structures on your battlefield.



At the beginning of your turn, you recieve 50 minerals for each resource provider (ie: supply depot) that you control on your battlefield.



Whenever you play a resource provider card, you recieve 50 minerals and 1 vespene gas .

During your turn, you may discard any two cards to trigger the same effect on your resources (ie: a suboptimal solution for when you are without resource providers in your hand, and/or a way to accelerate your economy at the expense of your card count).



Spend the vespene on the construction of the resource provider.

Vespene may also be spent on research, upgrades, and 'teching-up'.



Graphical Aid



Cards

Click above to jump directly to the card section.

Combat

Click above to jump directly to the combat section.



Card Layout:

Name:



Simply the title of the card.



Cost:



The amount of minerals required to play the card.

Cards with variable costs will have a "+X" parameter.



Cards with additional non-mineral costs will have such costs specified in their function section.

Examples of such non mineral costs:

Health Points: Suffer damage unto your main health structure.

Discarding Cards.

Embedded Limitation: ie: 'You may only play one resource provider card per turn'.



Variable Cost Card Examples:

http://i.imgur.com/lGrDP88.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/vw6zobB.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/biGBfUq.png



Examples of Cards with Additional Non-Mineral Costs:

http://i.imgur.com/jZ58LIj.png

http://i.imgur.com/KDdyP9O.png

http://i.imgur.com/ksKcoci.png

http://i.imgur.com/fkohtmx.jpg



Type:



A parameter of the card indicative of the nature of its functionality.



Unit:



These cards create forces for combat.

Unit cards are not the only source of units, but the only things that they produce are units.

Examples of utilized parameters:

Turn Count: Production is scaled based on the amount of turns that have occured.

Variable Cost: Production is scaled based on the amount of minerals that you spent casting the card.

External Condition: Production is altered, based on the satisfaction of an external condition (ie: existence of tech structures, or specific cards in hand).

Randomness: The card has embedded odds associated with what it will produce.





General Unit Card Examples:

http://i.imgur.com/vMaYnwm.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/KPCiqx8.png



Turn Count Unit Card Examples:

http://i.imgur.com/wXYuBiU.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/mGxAex9.jpg



Variable Cost Unit Card Examples:

http://i.imgur.com/C0kieYH.png

http://i.imgur.com/qdY5T4A.png



External Condition Unit Card Examples:

http://i.imgur.com/BAn7Ig5.png

http://i.imgur.com/SGmjhFQ.jpg



Embedded Randomness Unit Card Examples:

http://i.imgur.com/oqaKiE6.png

http://i.imgur.com/vw6zobB.jpg



Hero:



These cards create singular, powerful units, with a wide range of abilities and tactical applications.

There are 7-8 different hero cards per deck.



Some heroes gain experience and level up, thus becoming stronger and unlocking more abilities.



The function sections of the hero cards are currently minimally descriptive, look for this aspect of these cards to be redone, such that they clearly convey the abilities possessed and tactical applications.

Full Hero List:



+ Show Spoiler + Superhero of the Computer Rage - Level Up - Marine

Spirit Crusher - Level Up - Warhound

Kafir! - Reaper

For Whom the Bell Tolls - Hellion

Mouth For War - Marine

F(r)iend - Firebat

Face of Melinda - Banshee

The Philosopher - Science Vessel

The Lotus Eater - Raven

Master of Puppets - Marauder

Angel of Death - Ghost

Odin - Odin



Vacuum - Probe

Avenger - Level Up - Zealot

The Meditant - Mothership Core

The Thing That Should Not Be - Oracle

One of Fail - Zealot

Harvester of Sorrow - Stalker

Black Dragon - Void Ray

Live the Storm - High Templar

Demon of the Fall - Colossus



The Wolf is Loose - Zergling

The Trooper - Level Up - Baneling

Scavenger of Human Sorrow - Queen

Creeping Death - Roach

The Patient - Hydralisk

Thorns of Crimson Death - Lurker

Soul Reaper - Mutalisk

Unhallowed - Ultralisk - Level Up - Marine- Level Up - Warhound- Reaper- Hellion- Marine- Firebat- Banshee- Science Vessel- Raven- Marauder- Ghost- Odin- Probe- Level Up - Zealot- Mothership Core- Oracle- Zealot- Stalker- Void Ray- High Templar- Colossus- Zergling- Level Up - Baneling- Queen- Roach- Hydralisk- Lurker- Mutalisk- Ultralisk





Example Hero Descriptions:

Thorough descriptions of each hero are under construction, these are just a sample (there are more than the following described heroes, implemented in the current version of the game)

Name: Spirit Crusher

Race: Terran

Unit Base: Warhound

Cost: 50

Type: Level Up

Image: http://i.imgur.com/2PPe3A1.png

The Warhound has returned, as a hero that begins as a generic warhound, but unlocks more abilities as it levels up. It gains an AOE spell that will buff the attack rate/rage of all units within the target area (great for holding positions with mech compositions). Standard abilities that can be unlocked include: Hunter-Seeker-Missile, Stim, and Blink.



Name: F(r)iend

Race: Terran

Unit Base: Firebat

Cost: 150

Image: http://i.imgur.com/Kvd380r.png

With such abilities as Concussive Flame, Time Warp, and a shortened Abduct, in addition to stim (of course), it is arduous to escape this Firebat's infernal clutches.



Name: Mouth for War

Race: Terran

Unit Base: Marine

Cost: 150

Image: http://i.imgur.com/EKysP9W.png

This marine is permanently stimmed, yet still has the capacity to stim. Better yet, it can create an area of effect, centered at its position, that applies the effects of stim pack to all units within the area (including itself! Yes, this unit can 'triple-stim'. In addition to such fury, Mouth For War's power repel attack creates a devastating pulse, centered at its position, that both damages and stuns nearby enemy units (the ability is inspired by the helm's deep breaching scene where the orc with explosives runs into the drain and explodes)



Name: Harvester of Sorrow

Race: Protoss

Unit Base: Stalker

Cost: 200

Image: http://i.imgur.com/QLM3wKU.jpg

A strong blink stalker that duplicates at the start of your turn (the duplicates also duplicate, on subsequent turns).



Name: Black Dragon

Race: Protoss

Unit Base: Void Ray

Cost: 250

Image: http://i.imgur.com/afZ5IUe.jpg

A void ray that shoots fireballs... missiles... a vortex, and has the medivac speed boost. It looks a lot fancier in game than on the card.



Name: Vacuum

Race: Protoss

Unit Base: Probe

Cost: 50

Image: http://i.imgur.com/aONT1Wt.jpg

A probe inspired by the often-implemented tactic of harassing with the initial scouting probe. This probe, however, has an increased range, with concussive effect. It also has blink, a speed burst, and revelation... all accentuating its capacity to cause frustration, and derive crucial information.



Spell:



These are cards with any singular function that does not pertain to the creation of units or heroes.



Examples:

http://i.imgur.com/ibrOLog.png

http://i.imgur.com/kfp5JA3.png

http://i.imgur.com/dhE2v0l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/eXnCSZL.png



Resource Provider:



Resource provider cards facilitate the production of resource providers, thus they are the foundation of your economy.

At the beginning of your turn, you recieve 50 minerals for each resource provider (ie: supply depot) that you control on your battlefield.



Whenever you play a resource provider card, you recieve 50 minerals and 1 vespene gas .



Examples:

http://i.imgur.com/0W7fZUg.png

http://i.imgur.com/fkohtmx.jpg



Option:



These are cards with multiple functions of which the user specifies one to be executed.

There are many option cards in a deck, as card utility facilitates the constant flow of cards being played



Often one option is more desirable, but suboptimal options exist to avoid redundancy and/or address specific scenarios.

Examples:

http://i.imgur.com/qMAeCXZ.png

http://i.imgur.com/N6Mb9IG.png

http://i.imgur.com/WqMHSHV.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/9QEUMgD.jpg







Function:

Specifies what the card does.

A probe inspired by the often-implemented tactic of harassing with the initial scouting probe. This probe, however, has an increased range, with concussive effect. It also has blink, a speed burst, and revelation... all accentuating its capacity to cause frustration, and derive crucial information.

Deck descriptions/breakdowns are under construction

See all of the Terran cards here:

http://imgur.com/a/10ZVz

See all of the Protoss cards here:

http://imgur.com/a/BFf7h

See of the all Zerg cards here:

http://imgur.com/a/hZkAb

These were typed up on a keyboard with a broken 'p' key, apparently...

Your splash colour determines which types of spells are added to accentuate your deck.

Black:

+ Show Spoiler + Draw Extra Cards

Destroy Opposing Units

Reveal Opponent's Hand

Destroy All Units

Bonus Structure Function: Each Turn - Draw an Extra Card, Gain Vespene



Red:

+ Show Spoiler + Deal Damage to All Units

Deal Damage to Opponent's Units

Increase Your Units' Speed and Attack Rates

Extend Specific Combat Phases

Bonus Structure Function: Discard Resource Providers to Draw Cards, and Increase Unit Speed



Green:

+ Show Spoiler + Additional Vespene

Increase Attack Rate and Defensive Attributes

Additional Base Units

Bonus Structure Function: Discard Cards for Additional Vespense



White:

+ Show Spoiler + Gain Life

Revive Units

Destory All Units

Create Basic Units

Bonus Structure Function: Additional Basic Units Per Turn



Blue:

+ Show Spoiler + Draw Extra Cards

Temporarily Remove Units from the Battlefield

Your Units Gain Energy

Reveal Opponent's Hand

Bonus Structure Function: Draw An Extra Card Each Turn

See a preview of the Splash Colour cards here:

http://imgur.com/a/rtIey

This is a simple preview showing concept, there will be 7-10 cards per colour.

Most of the card types were accidentally mislabel as "Unit".

[big]

Card Phase:

While Hand Closed

Score Panel and Phase Timer:

The Score Panel provides fundamental game data.

Decks Selected (represented by icons).



Player Names.



Remaining Health.



Turn Count.



Current Phase.

The phase timer conveys the remaining time of the current phase. It is present during all phases. If the timer reaches 0:00:00, the current phase automatically ends.

"Quick Card Access":

Interact with the cards in your hand without using the full graphical version of the hand. This feature becomes more efficient as users start to remember the card names.

Game Flow Buttons:

These buttons control the fundamental aspects of turn progression.

End Turn





Start/Skip Combat

To skip your combat phase, press this button while you have no units in any offensive zones.



View Hand

Actuates the following pictured interface.



Draw Card

Card Phase:

While Hand Open

Hand Slot Buttons:

Interact with the cards in your hand during use of the full graphical version (of the hand).

Combat Phase:

During combat, the interface is the exact same as a game of Starcraft 2 (other than the addition of the phase timer).

Win Condition:

Destruction of your opponent's Main Health structure is your win condition.

There are 5 Health Pillars (per player) that, when dealt damage, transfer that damage unto the Main Health.

To negate turtle-style defensive tactics, and promote multiple fronts of engagement, the 5 health pillars are spread around the battlefield.



When the Main Health structure is directly damaged, the damage dealt is doubled.

Because this structure is centralized, access to it is difficult, and is rewarded by the excess damage.





Scouting:

Scout cards from your opponent's hand by manoeuvring your units into beacons on their battlefield.

There are 7 beacons on each player's battlefield, each corresponding to a card slot in that player's hand.



When you play a card, a message is sent to your opponent that indicated a card was played, but the name of the card is not specified, thus scouting is very important (if you don't want to encounter many surprises).



The scouting dynamic accentuates the spread of the pillars to provoke engagements on multiple fronts.



Maps:

There are currently two maps to choose between. If both users don't select the same map, then the used map will be randomly determined.





Symmetrical, open, and intuitive... a great map for beginners, yet facilitates multitasking, and intricate aggressive strategies/tactics.

Full map breakdown under construction.







Labelled Terrain Image (ie: specification of zone locations).





Offensive Zones:

When it is your turn, place the units you wish to attack your opponent with in one or more offensive zones. Starting combat will teleport them to the corresponding zone on your opponent's battlefield. When it is not your turn, these locations are where your opponent's units will appear, when they trigger combat.



Defensive Zone Boundaries:

When it is not your turn, your units remain within these bounds, such that you cannot camp the offensive zones.



Health Pillars:

The main health source is the centralized glowing structure.







Asymmetrical and experimental... aesthetically incomplete, but with no shortage of exciting terrain.

When it is your turn, place the units you wish to attack your opponent with in one or more offensive zones. Starting combat will teleport them to the corresponding zone on your opponent's battlefield. When it is not your turn, these locations are where your opponent's units will appear, when they trigger combat.When it is not your turn, your units remain within these bounds, such that you cannot camp the offensive zones.The main health source is the centralized glowing structure. Full map breakdown under construction.

Labelled Terrain Image (ie: specification of zone locations).

Offensive Zones:

When it is your turn, place the units you wish to attack your opponent with in one or more offensive zones. Starting combat will teleport them to the corresponding zone on your opponent's battlefield. When it is not your turn, these locations are where your opponent's units will appear, when they trigger combat.



Defensive Zone Boundaries:

When it is not your turn, your units remain within these bounds, such that you cannot camp the offensive zones.



Health Pillars:

The main health source is the glowing structure (towards the lower-left corner).

Section under construction.

Press spacebar to toggle between standard sc2 camera and the following view:

Implementation

I intend to specify the implementation, both in regards to logic, and the scripting within the editor. There were many logically simple aspects of the game that were difficult to implement in the editor... identification of the applicable pre-established functions was the most consistently frustrating aspect: Specification of which ones I used, and how, may aid other new editor users in the future. I am also working on outlining how I implemented a card game, and turn-based game structure, in a platform where there is no object-oriented support (to my knowledge), external to the pre-established object types (ie: units, abilities). In other words; there is no data structure for the cards... they are implemented functionally.

Known Issues

+ Show Spoiler +

Interface feedback required for act of discarding a card.

Solution: Simple text message.

The hero "One of Fail" actor is visible through fog of war.

Solution: Change actor to enlarged zealot, or identify parameter of current actor that resolves this undesired attribute.

Auto-turret is repositioned like regular units.

Solution: Add unit type auto-turret to a few already implemented 'if' statements

Space-Bar camera pop flashes to last-constructed structure.

Solution: Unknown

On Decapitation Station, the units can pass through the energy walls (along the back-hallway).

Solution: Replace

I don't know how to make this card without using a resource-based solution:

Interface feedback required for act of discarding a card.The hero "One of Fail" actor is visible through fog of war.Auto-turret is repositioned like regular units.Space-Bar camera pop flashes to last-constructed structure.On Decapitation Station, the units can pass through the energy walls (along the back-hallway).I don't know how to make this card without using a resource-based solution: http://i.imgur.com/kfp5JA3.png

Demo Revision:

Coming mid-late July 2014.

Implement the Zerg decks.



Implement the Splash Colour cards.



Add 5-6 additional Protoss cards.



Revise existing cards/decks based on public sample size.

Address card balance.

Redo hero card images (the 'function' section).

Add more custom abilities to the heroes (to replace current ones).

Increase the capacity for strategic usage of cards (ie: greater decision making).

Add card 'quality', ie: Bronze-GM logo on card image, corresponding to its strength.

Decks implemented as a linked list (decks right now are more like 'a pile of cards that you draw from' (ie: order is not preserved, it is as if the deck is 'shuffled' after each draw).



Revise existing terrain based on public sample size.



Implement 'Observer Mode'

Allows spectators to view both players' cards.



Implement Card Mechanic: Discard Pile

Allows users to view used/discarded cards, and potentially return them to their hand.



Implement Mechanic: Exile

A place where units can be sent, such that they cannot be involved in combat (ie: 'timeout').



Implement In Game Statistics

An extra thing for players to analyse when it is not their turn.





Full Release:

Coming Fall/Winter 2014.

Implement 'Create-Your-Own-Deck'

Allows users to create a custom deck though an online interface, and then accesses in their game sessions.



Implement 'Tournament Mode'

Four players enter, and face-off until only one remains.



Implement 'Draft Tournament Mode'

Also 4-Player

Create a deck on the spot by filtering through cards randomly distributed in packs.



Expand and refine the card set.



Add a 3rd map (Octagon shape, where offensive zones surround a defensive core).



Logo, Card Template, Card Back, and Loading Screen, and Thread Banner Template were created by:

I was very satisfied with both the final product, and the process of interaction... Nate is quite professional in both regards!

Batch image processing utilized the tool: Dr.Brown's Image Processor Pro

Thanks to adobe forums user JJMack, and utility supporter xbytor for solving the issue of alpha channel retention during batch image resizing in which the resulting file format is targa (.tga).

Thank you "Simple Questions / Simple Answers" thread



Also thanks to:

Phil C. / Chris R. / Ian M. / Andrew A. / Blake B. / Deep S. / David T. / Josh S. / Kynnen H. / Calum G. / Phil T.



The best way to support the development and progress of Bloodbath, is to play Bloodbath!

Feedback/Bugs/Thoughts - Please post in this thread, or email me:

In addition to whatever you have to say, I'm also looking for feedback specifically regarding these design decisions:

+ Show Spoiler + Users start with hero/units?

Having a level-up hero, and a few basic units to start will give users more dynamic early-game engagements, but would likely take away from the strategic aspects of early game card usage, and custom deck construction.

Card phases too long/short?

I have made the phases longer than what I think is required, even for beginning users, for this initial release of the game. The first phase of the first turn is especially long. I would like to hear if you feel time constrained.

Combat phases too long/short?

The first 5 turns have short, 30 second combat phases, such that the low-quantity-unit engagements are brief, and scouting is restricted to some degree. After that, all combat phases are 45 seconds. I am considering adding cards to the red splash colour set that give users the option to extend specific combat phases.

Specify played card to opponent?

Currently, the opponent only recieves a general message when their opponent plays any card ("Your opponent played a card."). This decision was made to accentuate the scouting mechanic. I am still considering if/when the name of the played card will be available. When the graveyard feature is implemented, it will allow users to see the cards that their opponent played, one turn after the card was played (which still emphasizes scouting). Regardless of that feature: I can simply distinguish between card types (ie: resource provider vs non-resource provider), and/or implement specification for specific cards (ex: Harvester of Sorrow), as opposed to all.

Was this game confusing to learn?

If so, what is the nature/function of resources that would have allowed you to pickup the game faster?

Vote for Bloodbath in Blizzard's 'Rock the Cabinet' Arcade Contest!

Follow these links for all content and updates related to this project:

youtube.com/SpaceWhalesSC2

twitch.tv/SpaceWhales

This thread is the platform for centralization of all things Bloodbath.

You can directly support the development of Bloodbath by donating via paypal to WhalesFromSpace@gmail.com

Any contributions are greatly appreciated.

Thanks for taking a look at this, I hope you are also excited about the direction that this game can go in, and the expansiveness that this concept/foundation facilitates.

Helpful Images