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Games MechCorp, coming soon to steam

Discussion in 'Works In Progress - Archive' started by Song_Tan, Feb 14, 2014.

  1. Song_Tan

    Song_Tan

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    MechCorp is my one man passion project trying to make a turn-based tactic game with a strategic layer and rogue-like element. Imagine it as a mixed of F.T.L. and X-Com, with mechs.

    In MechCorp, you are a commander of a galactic mercenary outfit, working for cold hard credits. You will be given control of squadron of battle mechs and a ship with crew. You will make the decision on every aspect of the squad including squad setup, research and production, crew management and of course what to do in all the event. It's your job to make sure that the squad are in shape to handle all the challenge coming your way and more importantly, take on various paying contracts.

    Key Features:
    • Manage your own mercenary squad and engage in turn-based mech combat.
    • Explore and encounter random event in randomized world, each play-through is different
    • 18 type of mechs from 3 base classes with unique class abilities.
    • Customize the mechs with different weapon and item to suite your tactical need.
    • Research techs and build your mechs and equipment to survive your adventure.
    • Manage your crew to maximize the effectiveness of your squad.
    • No second chance, each decision is permanent, destroyed unit are permanently lost.




    MechCorp_Battle_Meadow.png

    MechCorp_MechView.png

    MechCorp_Starmap.png

    MechCorp_Crew.png



    EDIT: The original post has been replaced to show the more up to date information.
     
    Last edited: Jul 18, 2018
    itos and CrazieSiberian like this.
  2. jmatthews

    jmatthews

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    I'm stuck at work so I can't check your game out but it looks very interesting.(and ambitious). I especially like your color scheme for your GUI layout. I can't check it out this evening because of Valentine's day but as soon as I have some leisure time you're on the list! :) Best of luck with it.
     
  3. Gnatty

    Gnatty

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    I'm at work too, but I'll check it out. :)
    But I assume the >> MechCorp Prototype (WebPlayer) << should be a link?
     
  4. Song_Tan

    Song_Tan

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    @Jmatthews, thanks! It's not overly ambitious I hope. If FTL can be done by 2 guys, surely this is doable.

    @Gnatty, dang I forgot to put in the link! Thanks for pointing that out. :)
     
  5. Lostlogic

    Lostlogic

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    Nice concept.. I have been working on a very similar concept for interactive missions in my game Xenovoid.
     
  6. Song_Tan

    Song_Tan

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    Thanks. Xenovoid is looking interesting!
     
  7. Song_Tan

    Song_Tan

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    Been spending the past whole week working on the mechs. These are the results:





    I've also update the images in the first post to reflect the changes and tweak I made over the past two weeks
     
    Last edited: Oct 5, 2015
  8. Ashment

    Ashment

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    Looks pretty cool, keep up the good work. Never played much of FTL, but I do love XCOM. Really like the simple yet still awesome design of the Mechs. Awesome job to you, and best of luck!
     
    Last edited: Mar 9, 2014
  9. Dottim

    Dottim

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    looks like it could be a really fun game, good luck and have fun working on it ;)
     
  10. Song_Tan

    Song_Tan

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    Thanks guys!
     
  11. Gatto_matto

    Gatto_matto

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    I love mechs, and I think your mechs really rock!
     
  12. Song_Tan

    Song_Tan

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    Woot! New mechs and weapons...



    Edit: Unfortunately these won't make it to the final build
     
    Last edited: Oct 5, 2015
  13. Song_Tan

    Song_Tan

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    It's been a while since my last post but I havent stop working really. Trying to make things more presentable until I shed more light on this. Anyway, I've got some shinny new update that I'm very proud to show!

    In short, the UI has been overhaul completely. All the place holder has been replaced by a more permenant placeholder, if not the almost finalized asset. The gameplay, especially the battle and the mech configuration has been tweaked a great deal and I think it's pretty much what I'll have for the final product (subject to maybe a few change). It's actually looks and works like a game now. Everything you see in the screen shots bellow are functional and taken in game during runtime.

    Still no playable demo atm unfortunately. Certain elements of the game are still unpolished. Pilot perks and tech upgrade are unfinished. They show ups alright on screen but is actually an empty shell with no bearing on the game. There's barely any content to the exploration bit since I haven't make any.

    Edit: Remove obsolete screen shot
     
    Last edited: Oct 5, 2015
  14. Song_Tan

    Song_Tan

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    A glimpse of current asset line up. More to come.

     
  15. Song_Tan

    Song_Tan

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    Right, think I'm ready to show the world my little game. It's still far from complete but it's playable to some extent. I like to gather some feedback about it before I proceed further. So here's an early alpha of the game, your comments are much apreciated!

    >>obsolete build has been removed<<​

    *Please note that the webplayer's resolution is set to 1366x768.
     
    Last edited: Oct 5, 2015
  16. Song_Tan

    Song_Tan

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    I've just done porting the project to Unity4.6 to utilise the new UI. In the process, I've make lot of changes to the game. Well, most the stuff has been rebuilt and some major gameplay element has been redesigned. In short, many aspect of the game has been significantly improved and the game is a lot more polished compared to the last update. In term of gameplay, the game is pretty closed to how it's intended in the final version. So I'll be working on content building from here on.

    I'm looking forward to gather feedback to any willing player. So I'll be very grateful if anyone can give it a go and let me know what they think. The game is intended to be a standalone so you like a standalone build, please let me know. I'll be happy to send you a copy. For for everyone else, here's the link to webplayer. (it's a 30MB webplayer with resolution set to 1366x768)

    Anyhow, here's a short gameplay video:

     
  17. Song_Tan

    Song_Tan

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    Update 11 March 2015

    - color customization for the mech.



    - enchanced battle grid

     
  18. CrazieSiberian

    CrazieSiberian

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    This game looks amazing. I will certainly be following this.
     
  19. Song_Tan

    Song_Tan

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    Thank you!
     
  20. Song_Tan

    Song_Tan

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    Update: new UI and new Assets!

    I've added a lot of units (mech, drones, defensive structures) to the game since the last update. The battle mechanic is almost all set. Along with the mech's modification and pilot leveling system. Now the next thing to do is adding narrative to give context to the game. And probably some additional stuff in between the battle so make the game more engaging. And of course, polish. Lots of polish.

    Edit: Screen shot has been removed since they are obsolete.
     
    Last edited: Oct 9, 2015
  21. Song_Tan

    Song_Tan

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    I said in the last post that the combat mechanic is set. Well guess what, changes are made. Not for the first time though.

    So I've added flanking system to the combat. Units now have facing. They can only attack targets in front of them. Attacking a unit from the rear will grant bonus to the attack. The AI has been reworked to exploit this. More aggressive and maneuverable AI units will actively try to go around the player squad and attack from the back.



    There are other progress being made. Lots of polish in general to make the game looks and feels better. Still working on the narrative though. Haven't make any significant progress in that regard yet.
     
  22. TheRaider

    TheRaider

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    I agree with all that is looks excellent and I really like the art style.

    The only crit I really have is the colour customisation makes the models look pretty ugly (which they aren't) IMO
     
  23. Martin_H

    Martin_H

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    I'm wondering if you are aware that the Mechwarrior series originates in a boardgame called "Battletech". You could/should take a look at the rules to either draw inspiration from it or set yourself apart from it consciously. I'm guessing you know the game, since things like armor being weaker in the back and firing arcs for weapons located in certain parts of a mech are a big deal in Battletech, but in case you don't know that game I wanted to be sure you don't overlook the opportunity you have here.
     
  24. Song_Tan

    Song_Tan

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    @TheRaider, Thanks for the feedback. Just fyi, the color pairing on the mechs are not fixed. They can be mixed and matched with any combination from a color plate.

    @Martin_H, I'm well aware of the board-game. However I never get to know the rules or how the game is played. So everything in MechCorp is never intend to be like or instinctively different from the board-game. But since you mention that, I probably have a look. Thanks!
     
  25. Song_Tan

    Song_Tan

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    Again, I've made quite a few changes and add some stuffs. A contract system has been added to give the game some objectives. These contract will be the main income source, falling them will set the player in a bad state resource wise. At the same time, the contract has time limit so the player will have to decide if they should rush it at the risk of wearing the squad out or take it slowly and risk running out of resources.

    Also, instead of buying new mech at a cut throat price, player can now build them using parts. Parts can be obtained via random encounter, jobs or direct purchase from the shop. Mech can only be built if the player owns the blue print, which they will only start with 3. And of course, they will obtain more as they play.

    Finally, I've decided to release an alpha build for PC. Feel free to download it and give it a go. Any feedback is much appreciated. Keep in mind that it's alpha so there might be some bugs.


    It's pretty close to beta if I'm honest. I hope to get it on steam greenlight soon.












     
    Last edited: Mar 2, 2017
  26. docssy

    docssy

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    Hi songtan. Nice game idea. However, it is very punishing and I found that it'll push players to put your game down and move on.

    I'm getting SMOKED during any battles. Abilities or not, the enemy is on top of you too fast. The "1-3" damage combined with the "Glancing Hits" are really frustrating. I'm fine 2v1, but when it becomes 2v2 it's a crap shoot. What is left after the battle is certainly not enough to take many maps. Esp the turrets that hit for 10 on a second or third map.....

    Give the player more options. One shot per turn isn't cutting it - esp when it hits for 1. Very limited options are given to the player. Hit and hope, or the endless game of chicken. Consider looking at how the PSP Warhammer 40K Turn-Based game handles their movement and firing as a collective bar of action points shared between movement, abilities and combat. I really missed XCom's reaction fire for the reason that movement into enemy arcs has no penalty.

    Your hex field is a good idea, but these battles should be fought on the background of that planet. Make it 'real'. Make the battlefield moldable by destruction (walls, boulders, etc). Make the battlefield larger and scrollable - make the player feel like they have valid options over a few turns to assault and ambush. Typically if you are attacking any enemy, it is with the element of surprise. They shouldn't already be 'aware' of your position on turn 0 (unless the scenario calls for it).

    I would think it would be cool to have damage related to parts of the mech. Instead of a global health, look to Fallout 3 (or new vegas) VATS to individually target parts, and Mechwarrior 4 to equip mechs with parts for each piece of the mech. ie: De-weaponize a mech. Gimp or Leg a mech. The torso should be the only targetable part that kills a mech. Give the player the option to force their surrender. Tailor the payout of parts and credits to reflect the preference for non-destruction (see MechWarrior 4)

    Also, jump jets. Because everyone understands that mechs have jump jets.

    As it stands right now, it feels too simple, and too overwhelming to have most people play your game past 1-2 hours. But, if you bring a real MW4 / Fallout / Warhammer feel to your game, you'll have the door knocked down for your game.

    Hope it helps.
     
  27. Song_Tan

    Song_Tan

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    Hi docssy,

    Thanks a bunch for your detailed feedback and suggestion. I really appreciate you taking the time not only to try the game, but actually give me some constructive criticism. Please allow me to me apologize for the brutal difficulty. The game is a bit unbalance at the moment, and it is made worse by a bug that spawned over-powered AI force.

    I share your view for the most part, that the combat is a bit too simple. I have been actively trying to find ways to add more depth to it. Got to say all your suggestion has actually cross my mind at some point during the design process. I've tried making the battlefield larger. However I feel like that just drags the battle out. I think the root of the problem is the actual combat (unit to unit interaction) needs to be more engaging. I really like the idea of VATS. Guess I will have to give that a try.

    The reason there isn't a background on the battle grid is simply down to cost. Obviously adding background will require a lot more assets. I simply don't have the resources for that at the moment. You did raise a very good point about being to ambush the enemy. I'll give that some thought. Looks like I still have some way to go in term of the combat.

    Thanks again for your feedback.
     
  28. Pedro-Oliveira

    Pedro-Oliveira

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    Hello Song, I want to say first, that your game is solid in my opinion. You just need to refine it and it
    will be great.

    To me there are 4 main gameplay problems that caught my attention:

    Problem 1 - No tutorial/explanations whatsoever:

    I don't know if is just because it's the alpha version but having no tutorial/explanations is a little
    tough, if you could at least create explanations tooltips would improve the player(and testers)
    comprehension a lot. I mean, the game in general is simple, for people who played other turn based games of course; but sometimes you can get confused with expressions like mech capacity, injury penalty etc.

    Problem 2 - Squad Number upgrade:

    Unless you want the beginning to be harder, I really suggest you help your fellow players giving this
    upgrade by default. Even if this means to lower the starting credits to 50, there isn't no better way to
    spend those 150 credits early on anyway.
    Also, it's confusing to have 3 start mechs and only be able to deploy 2 in the first combat, not to mention
    that fewer mech means longer fights.
    If you really want to go the hard way, make the player only pick 2 mechs and increase the upgrade costs,
    otherwise, remove the noob trap.

    Problem 3 - Mech's abilities balance:

    In general you need to improve the usefulness of abilities, there is a ton of room for improvement in
    this regard so I will just give some rough examples:

    *Consider removing/reworking the shield recharge ability to increase the importance of support mech
    repair.
    *The combat tag should not end the tactical mech's turn. Since it is the best attacker with an already
    fairly high crit chance. The payoff totally doesn't worth it even if you had other 3 tactical mechs in your
    team.Consider reworking it or putting it on support mech.
    *Consider removing/reworking the assault mech speed boost, except for flanking there is nothing to use
    That (overpriced)bonus movement points.

    Problem 4 - There is nothing to desire:

    The game is sandbox style so not fixed objectives, and that's ok. But what's not ok is the fact there
    isn't much to desire.No blueprint search/unlocked mechs list, no federation rank, no achievements, no
    locked sectors/missions, not even high~very to high-cost equipment in the shops to tease the player.
    Show the possibilities, let players be excited about something.

    Also, I may have found some bugs:

    *Attacking with a drone created by the goliath mech makes his attack animation loop forever.
    *Using the goliath mech AoE attack do not did any damage on enemy units.

    That's it, sorry for any spelling grammar mistakes. And good luck!
     
  29. Song_Tan

    Song_Tan

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    Thanks a bunch for your feedback. Really appreciate that. I'm aware that game is lacking tutorial atm. It's still in development. The others are all valid points. I'll try to tweak some design with that in mind. :)
     
  30. Song_Tan

    Song_Tan

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    A lot of progress have been made since I last made any post. I've basically gone back to the drawing board and re-design a lot of the game mechanics.

    A few of the key changes:
    • Pilot has been scrapped in favor of crew. They don't pilot the mech directly but instead take on different role in the task in the squad. Each role provide different bonus and each crew have different skill to offer. It's a system that is to some extent, similar to F.T.L.
    • Directional attack in battle has been dropped. Unit now have two tier of health in the form of hull and shield. Hull cannot be damaged until shield are depleted. Each weapon do different damage to hull and shield. Some are more effective against hull and some are more effective against shield. The combat mechanic now focus more on trying to land attack that do most damage.
    • Navigation in starmap is no longer a static point-to-point hopping. It's now a free roaming mode that allow actual exploring. Various interactive on-map-object like hidden point-of-interest, hostile party, civillian has been added. All make for a more engaging experience.
    • Visual wise, actual background has been added to the battle. They no longer take place in a void. Personally I think they look great.
    Here's the gameplay video of a full battle, and a few screen shot.



    MechCorp_BattleDesert.png

    MechCorp_BattleForest.png

    MechCorp_Crew.png

    MechCorp_Starmap.png
     
  31. Song_Tan

    Song_Tan

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    Fera_KM likes this.
  32. Song_Tan

    Song_Tan

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    I'm a little surprise that it's been such a long time since I last posted.

    Anyway I'm very please to say that I'm almost done. Consider that, This may very well be the last update. Obviously a lot has changed since the last post. The core game loop remains the same as in the gameplay video but I've added a lot of content and polish. The game is almost ready for release, pending some final play testing and bug fixes.

    Speaking of which, I'm currently looking for play-tester to do some beta testing. Here's are some steam key for beta tester, help yourself. I would appreciate any feedback. Either way, please let me know which key you have used so I can remove it from the list.
    • 9APE5-EL5W0-ZNW32
    • 237YN-V9EQB-9YHCL
    • 2X28Y-NBM4V-HDE85
    • GE8FX-X8020-Z38AH
    • RPI2I-B87Q5-89E07
    • 2LMYP-RNEEX-0GMWF
     
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