Conflict 3049 - free RTS game (built with C# and raylib)

[Matty]

Naughty Alien, I'll think about it.

A short video for you all:

Game Link: https://matty77.itch.io/conflict-3049

[Baggey]

I remember KKND on the PS1. That's were i started playing these type of games.

If there's anything i can do to help. 

Kind Regards Baggey

[Tom]

I agree with Naughty Alien. Make it a StarCraft-ish product. You should also consider to bring it over to steam and selling it, and not sharing the source. Very few people is curious of the source, less who does anything about it. Just make it a finished product.

[Matty]

I am not all that willing to expand the game's objective beyond a set of last stand scenarios because I believe my level design skills aren't sufficient to do justice to a more detailed and involved game. I would end up diluting the final experience too much. Better to focus on what I can do well, and spend time making that better and better - a single style of scenario that I'm suited to creating that is not outside the scope of an individual developer.

[Baggey]

I am not all that willing to expand the game's objective beyond a set of last stand scenarios because I believe my level design skills aren't sufficient to do justice to a more detailed and involved game. I would end up diluting the final experience too much. Better to focus on what I can do well, and spend time making that better and better - a single style of scenario that I'm suited to creating that is not outside the scope of an individual developer.

Matty you seriously under estimate yourself! 

Wish i could come up with something like Conflict 3049 

[Tom]

The only real problem I see with the game at the moment is that the characters are prone to stuck in between object where from they can't shoot, the bullets stop at the line of the objects. Is Raylib using stencil shadows?

You have scenarios that's good...maybe bump them up a bit, like double the numbers and then you can absolutely get away with not doing a long ass story based something. In the option menu you could put a lightly colored rectangle behind all (the option buttons) just like the "Time Kills" window has so you can see everything better. Same with the scenarios. Maybe the characters should be a tad smaller, or the buildings, vehicles are bigger?

Otherwise I'm really enjoying this game!   

[Matty]

Thanks Tom,

I'll keep adding some more scenarios.

I'm not using any sort of real shadows - just alpha blended flat/stretched meshes laid against the ground plane - it's a cheating method that looks like shadows but isn't really.

Re: the units getting stuck, probably the easiest solution would be to decrease the collision radius/size for the infantry and vehicles. The tanks I know get stuck way too easily, I can fix that easily enough - if I make them a bit smaller and their collision radius smaller.

Thanks, glad you're enjoying the game.

I will keep updating it as I go.

[Tom]

"I'm not using any sort of real shadows - just alpha blended flat/stretched meshes laid against the ground plane"

Wow! Clever!  Looked like stencil shadows... Awesome!

[Tom]

It needs an extra view where you see your whole map.

[Matty]

I've made some enhancements:
1. Snow falls when there's snow on the map.
2. There's additional ground decoration in the form of rocky outcrops with grasses in them. (Decorative only)
3. Tanks possess smoke canisters which fire when they're targeted with armour piercing rounds - this will let your tanks be more survivable especially when they often end up being targeted by enemy tanks the moment they appear from the vehicle factory.
4. There's a 'performance' and 'quality' setting in the options menu that globally changes a few settings at once in case you have a slower machine.
5. There's two new scenarios in the scenarios menu.
6. Better alpha sorting of the smoke, still not perfect, but much better.
7. Grasses are scaled up twice as big.

I think that's about it, from memory. Uploaded at the library just now.
Link: https://matty77.itch.io/conflict-3049

[Tom]

I don't know if this is the case now, because I can't survive for more than fifteen-ish minutes. Probably did not figure out all I could do. Anyway! One very important thing. If you make it a "one scene" game than try to stretch it as long as logical/possible.

Make waves! Starts relaxed, with relaxed music, than battle music with first wave. Relaxed music, give some time to the player to regain power, soldiers, tanks etc. Then second wave, then relax, then third wave and so on. Have a build up with stronger and stronger waves. Give the player time to breathe, as it makes the game so much more enjoyable.

[Matty]

My survival rate is very inconsistent, but in the most recent change that you've got access to I lasted for 54 minutes before having my final building destroyed.  That's not typical, but in the more recent changes, I'm lasting longer than I was before. In the scenarios I often can survive the 10 minutes required for victory, but in the standard main menu battle option I last anywhere from 8 minutes to 10 minutes usually, though recently have been lasting longer.

My method is usually very similar:
Beginnining:
Set everything to build, except the space port - only build fighters and bombers because the cruisers take a while to die.
Research 'build rate' first followed by the middle row of research entries.
Build riflemen.
Only upgrade 2 medics per 12 infantry, and 1-2 engineers per 12 infantry. The engineers can repair the buildings and keep your tanks and walkers alive. Medics and engineers have repair ability at the cost of losing their damage value considerably.
Most of the time I don't upgrade to sergeants or heavy support although sometimes it's useful.
Keep calling in reinforcements by air as often as possible.
Only use air strikes at certain times, if at all, because they use up your space fleet fighters and bombers to do it - if you lose your fleet you'll be bombarded from space.
Build sentry guns first, usually all in one location, or near a location. Then build tank traps in a wall around the entire base, a little way from it, and then fill the rest of the space with as much razor wire as you can.
Let the armed units move around as they choose, but respond to attacks as best you can.
If a building starts getting damaged put some engineers near it as soon as you can either by upgrading some riflemen or just moving them to it.
Use your tanks to take out enemy tanks when you can - they'll one shot them with their armour piercing round sometimes.
Mob enemy vehicles with your walkers, they're usually pretty good at taking down enemy armour.
Let the infantry hide in the trees - it gives them cover. Try not to move around too much when you're under fire, units make use of whatever cover is available (craters for example) and if you move them they lose that bonus while they move through the open.
Keep hovering over units that run out of ammo and replenishing their ammunition - units without ammo do a tonne less damage.
Melee infantry is extremely high damage, and mobile, so you can make them into medics and engineers and the damage loss from upgrading to non combat units isn't so bad.

That's typically what I do - if you can block the lines of advance of the enemy units to your base with tank traps you'll last longer usually.

[Matty]

Opinion: Would you be more likely to play this game if it were on itch.io (free/pay what you want) or on steam (free/$1/$2/$5/$10)?

Game is currently on itch.io at: https://matty77.itch.io/conflict-3049

Video below:

[Baggey]

Id never play it. If it was on steam. Don't like signing up for things! and Licenses SUCK!

[Tom]

I think you should move it onto steam and provide a demo on itch.

See how it's doing and decide your next move depending on the result. Personally I like the easy accessibility of itch but I know steam would be more beneficial for you.