After a year or so of on-again/off-again work, I have finally finished a preliminary version of a new game mode for Descent3, called \"BreakOut\", and I'm going to be releasing a Beta-test version to the public this Sunday, April 6th!
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\"What is BreakOut?\", you ask?
Well, first, this is not just a new level. It's a new .d3m, a game mode like Anarchy or Entropy or CTF. It's a mode that will work for any level which is built (or modified) to use it. Here's a quick description:
- BreakOut is a two-team game mode for Descent3, where the goal for each team is to score the most points.
\"Sounds like Capture the Flag...\" - Yep, the points do work like CTF or Team Anarchy; the game is played until the specified time or one team reaches the point goal. But the uniqueness of BreakOut is the way points are scored:
- Combat works just like Team Anarchy, one red team and one blue team.
- A team scores a point by \"capturing\" all the members of the other team.
- You \"capture\" players by killing them; killed players will respawn inside a room on the opposing side called the \"jail-room\" (usally closed off by something like a forcefield or locked door or blockade, depending on the level).
Here's the twist:
- Free (uncaptured) players can break their captured teammates out!
In the Alpha-testing, this has made for some really interesting and fun team dynamics:
Imagine this: your team is starting to lose, three of your four pilots have been captured, but you are able to swing momentum back to your side by breaking them out!
Or this: your last free opponent tries to make a run for the switch to free his teammates, but you catch him just beforehand, which scores the point for your team!
It's a whole lot of fun, and I want to make sure it works exactly like it should when it is officially released. So I'm going to host a public Beta-test this coming Sunday for as many people as would like to join. As with any Beta-test, the emphasis is on good feedback and bug reports, so I hope we can get a good crowd.
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Anyway, I'm sure there are a ton of questions, so let me see if I can answer as many as possible:
Q. What exactly is required for a team to score?
A. Every player on the other team must be either dead, dying, or in the jail room. Observers are not counted as active players.
Q. How do players free their teammates?
A. It depends on the level, and it could potentially be anything from a forcefield switch to a fly-though door trigger. [However, I can tell you that all the levels built for BreakOut as of today have switches you have to 'bump' to activate.]
Q. What happens after all the players on one team are captured?
A. The 'capturing' team is awarded one point, everyone hears a team-score sound, and there is a 5-second countdown. After the 5 seconds, every player in the game is set back to 100 shields and 100 energy, and everyone is instantly teleported to an open room on their team's side to start the next 'round'.
Q. What happens to captured players after they respawn in the jail room?
A. Well, they're free to fly around and collect weapons or whatever they want, until they are either:
1. Released, or
2. Teleported out after the round is over
(Note that in both cases, they keep any weapons they've gathered).
There are other options as well:
3. Players can go into observer mode to help their team locate hidden opponents (this is risky, however, as this may cause them to miss the chance to get out when a teammate tries to free them). Coming out of observer mode simply puts them back in jail.
4. Depending on the level design, captured players may be able to shoot out of the jail room, all weapons count as normal.
5. Sometimes, players just goof around with their other captured teammates, lol.
Q. What happens when I first join a game?
A. You will initially show up in a jail room, but the 5-second 'new round' countdown will immediately start and subsequently teleport you into a room on your team's side.
Q. What levels are compatible with BreakOut?
A. So far, the levels which have been built are:
- \"GlassHouse BreakOut\", a modification (with permission) of RoadRunner's classic CTF and Anarchy level. This one has been by far the most popular level in early tests.
- \"HalfPipe BreakOut\", a modification of the original Outrage level, with a forcefield-enclosed jail room at each end.
- \"Jailhouse Kleptomania\", an original level by [RIP]Fusion, featuring a unique switch-and-blockade design for the jailrooms.
- \"WaterDucts BreakOut\" (unfinished), an original level by [RIP]d3jake.
- Other level designers have expressed interest in building or modifying levels for use with BreakOut; I'm happy to send out the detailed design specs for anyone who would like to build a BreakOut level.
Q. \"Can't players escape by just exiting and rejoining or going in and out of observer mode?\"
A. Nope, BreakOut watches for those scenarios; players just return to the jail room.
Q. \"How does it work when there is only one player on a team?\"
A. It essentially becomes Team Anarchy at that point. When that player is captured/killed, it's a score for the other team. BreakOut gets most interesting when there are more players, as the team momentum is able to swing back and forth by players breaking their teammates free.
Q. \"When can we try this?\"
A. I'll be posting a download link on Sunday afternoon, along with setting up some dedicated games for the Beta-testing. The mod and the first three levels listed above (GlassHouse BreakOut, HalfPipe BreakOut, and JailHouse Kleptomania) will be included for the Beta test. As I said above, everyone is welcome to join; just give me some good feedback regarding any problems and/or things you enjoy!
Q. \"Can we get some screenshots?\"
A. I'll try to get a couple of screenshots (to show you the HUD, and feature a couple of the levels) later this week.
Questions/comments? I'm looking forward to this!
