Storyline?

[Shock]

I always thought that would be cool for armagetron...
Is there going to be one, or are you guys going to stick with multiplayer only?

[Tank Program]

We've considered it now and then, but no one has come up with a good storyline yet.

We're (at least I'm certainly not) the story-writing type(s).

[sinewav]

I always thought that would be cool for armagetron...

Why don't you write up some ideas and post them? That would be neat.

[taco343]

I remember someone telling me a long time ago that .3.0 would have a full blown out story line.

Yeah...

[Shock]

I'm not very creative
you could make a story team to work on it tank?

[Tank Program]

That would entirely depend on community volunteers. We haven't done it yet because no one has felt the creative urge to do so. I'd say we're (or at least I'm) not creative in that respect.

[sinewav]

The problem I see with trying to create a storyline is current story based gaming involves immersion into a massive single-player environment with complex level design and cut scenes to help move the story along.

The only thing I can think of would be to create a "single-player mode" where the player can go through a series of maps (levels) requiring them to do certain things (race, shoot, conquer) to continue the story, whatever that may be. But then you run into the problem of AI, which is not tailored for that type of thing.

But if you are thinking of just a simple back story to the game like...

"you are an escaped prisoner on planet wherever and you have stolen a secret 'cycle' weapon to defeat the evil army and save the whatever..."

Really, does that add anything to the game? Because I can write something like that easily. I could even do an illustration or two.

Coincidentally, my "Adventures of TRON" server was an attempt to mimic a single player adventure in first person (incam). That's why the map is so huge (you can really get lost). Maybe in the future the server can be based around a storyline and have several game modes.

[epsy]

or some kind of huge tournament involving different gameplays against our lame bots

[Tank Program]

If we could get maps that represented logic puzzles we could sidestep the AI problems. Go through the zones in a certain order or something...

[Jonathan]

There are actually "logic mazes" or "puzzle mazes" or whatever they were called. At first sight they look like a typical maze, but there are dynamic elements that change the state of the maze (typically reversibly), like blocking certain paths or opening them. The trick is still to reach some spot as usual, but by exploiting those elements in the right way (really not unlike a normal maze if you're a maziac). But not sure if that's great for tron.

[Shock]

yes, the AI bot thing is a problem
moving death zones might be of use..
if the storyline is a bunch of mazes, then you don't really... capture the greatest elements of armagetron... in my opinion

[sinewav]

if the storyline is a bunch of mazes...

Worked for Tomb Raider. Hugely successful ...and incredibly boring. Walk around for 20 minutes, shoot something, walk some more.

What do you think the greatest elements of Armagetron are? That might help narrow down what types of storylines could be attributed to the game. In my opinion, Armagetron's greatest asset is the online multi-player feature. But, I generally associate stoyline based games around single-player campaigns, which require some kind of level design.

The idea of logic mazes could be just one element of larger level design. Think of "solve puzzle A to reach area 1, fight enemies then 'race' to area 2 and complete puzzle 2, escape maze to final area, conquer zone to complete level." I think something interesting could be made with minimal scripting, and there are plenty of elements to choose from (zombie|flag|death|fortress). I could see something like "flag=key" and "fortress=door."

I think having single-player (or multi-player) levels would make it easy to develop a storyline based around what type of action takes place in them. But then again, when the game play is as good as Arma, who needs a story? Asteroids and Space Invaders didn't storylines!

[Lucifer]

er, Asteroids and Space Invaders had storylines. In one, you're a miner, and in the other, you're protecting against invaders from space! From space, Turtle, space!

Anyway, I think you're right that arma's best feature is the multiplayer online stuff. If that wasn't there, this game would probably not be very much fun. Of course, you could argue that without it z-man would have spent more time working on smarter AIs, but that's not an argument worth having.

We should have a satirical storyline. If we take a satirical storyline, all potential problems with other light cycle like properties will magically go away.

[Monkey]

IMO Armagetron's beauty is its simplicity and pure, multiplayer gameplay. Storyline is for movies and for crap games that are based upon movies.

[Shock]

Storyline is for movies and for crap games that are based upon movies.

umm.. am I wrong or is armagetron based on the movie, Tron?
sine you asked what I think is the greatest elements of this game, I would have to say the whole... mix of gametypes. I love how I can play dogfight, then go to sumo, capture the flag, fortress, etc. I love how there are so many options.
I do not believe armagetron has to be restricted to only multiplayer, however fun multi is.
*If you don't want a storyline... you don't have to play it..