Telepath Tactics - opinions

[SmartyPants]

When are we going to see the sprites for the units?

[CraigStern]

The artist is currently finishing up the tiles to be used in creating the levels, which will allow me to design battlefields for the game. Next on the agenda are graphics for walls and other destructible objects, followed by the units themselves. You can see the work that one of the prior artists did in the game's screenshots.

[SmartyPants]

Will ice become destructible?  It would be cool to make someone fall through the ice.

[CraigStern]

Funny you should mention it, I've been strongly considering making it so pyrokineticists can melt ice and cryokineticists can freeze water. Once TT development resumes, I'll see if I can figure out a way to implement that relatively painlessly.

[SmartyPants]

Please do it!  I read somewhere that your friends enjoyed pushing one another into lava and water, so I imagine that people would enjoy making the ice collapse under their enemies' feet with a explosive charge or a Pyro attack.

I am a little curious about the water freezing technicals:
*What will happen to the unit who is in the water when the water is frozen by a cryokineticist?  Will the unit end up frozen or will the unit end up standing on top of the ice unhampered?
*Do you think the cryokineticist's water freezing could replace the engineer's bridge building?  Will the bridge be better then the ice, because it is less vulnerable to damage and can be built over more then just water?  Will freezing water be done in less turns then building bridges?  Will the PsP cost make bridge building more preferable to water freezing?
*Will frost spriggats be able to freeze water, while red spriggats be able to melt ice?
*Can ice be damaged by physical, shadow, or light damage?  Will damaged ice be repaired by ice attacks?

Will any units be able to swim?  If a unit wants to cross a one tile wide river, will that unit be able to jump in the water by itself and then climb out on the other side?  I understand that heavly armored units like swordsmen, calverly, and golems wouldn't be able to swim, but shouldn't lightly armored units like psy fighters, psy healers, and assassins be able to swim?  If a unit does swim, will the unit be able to swim at the same speed that they walk on land?

Will any units be able to use Elemental Shields?  If there are elemental shields, will they work differently from TSoG?

Will the Energy Golems in TT be like Dorgon?  How fast will they be able to move or do they not move at all?  Will they be able to use melee or burst shot like Dorgon?  Will laser blast have an infinite range?  Like in TSoG, will laser blast be able to go through every wall, boulder, tree, and unit?

[CraigStern]

That's a lot of questions! As of right now, the answer to most of them is "I don't know yet." One thing I can say, though, is that I have decided not to feature Energy Golems in Telepath Tactics for balance reasons.

[bugfartboy]

One thing I can say, though, is that I have decided not to feature Energy Golems in Telepath Tactics for balance reasons.

My name is Bugfartboy and I approve this message! :)

[SmartyPants]

One thing I can say, though, is that I have decided not to feature Energy Golems in Telepath Tactics for balance reasons.

I was curious how you were going to have a unit that has infinite range on a massive map.  I just assumed that you would change the mechanics of laser blast such as stopping the laser after the first thing it strikes.  I am relieved that I don't have to try to hide all my units behind walls and trees just to avoid an enemy on the opposite side of the map.  Facing stationary Energy Golems might be fun in a campaign setting, but it just seems annoying in PvP.

That's a lot of questions! As of right now, the answer to most of them is "I don't know yet."

I expected that.  My post was more about bouncing ideas off you, then expecting you to have an answer.

[SmartyPants]

Will Tigs be one of the destructible obstacles?

[CraigStern]

Most likely not. They might appear in a future single player game using the engine, however.

[Gath]

Ok, time for me to pop in with a suggestion: Multiple types of shadowlings. The basic shadowling is an assassin, but I'd love to see shadowling healers or shadowling guardians make an appearance as well. Another suggestion-make sure you can play single player mode! A lot of competitive online games just don't have enough players to consistently find a match, and you shouldn't be limited. If it has a map editor, and if its possible to allow users to upload maps, (which can then be downloaded by anyone else with the game) it can conceivably have a huge amount of content.

[CraigStern]

Those aren't totally out of the question, but I'm currently erring on the side of fewer flying units in order to make balancing easier.

[Chocobo_Fan]

Hm. Interesting. I like many of the planned features...but I have to say I'm less than thrilled about the possibility of an evasion stat. I hate, hate, hate "miss" messages in RPGs. It's really unfair to completely negate a turn just out of a whim of the random number god. As I can personally attest to from my experience playing the horrible monstrosity that is Battle For Wesnoth, adding such game-changing randomization to a game that's supposed to be about strategy goes bad places fast. I have faith that you'll be able to work something out, though...I shall see.

I am rather intrigued by the new classes, though. Playing as an engineer or a mentalist sounds fun. Will psy healers be able to cure status effects,  though?

[bugfartboy]

I am rather intrigued by the new classes, though. Playing as an engineer or a mentalist sounds fun. Will psy healers be able to cure status effects,  though?

Hmm... If one can use a mind shield to convince one's body that it isn't hurt, perhaps they can at least reduce the effects of poison to a degree, by convincing a body that it isn't poisoned, giving it a will to live.

-Edit-
Or burned, frozen, paralyzed, etc.

[Chocobo_Fan]

Wait, is that how mind shields work? I thought it was just strengthening the target's natural mind shield...