Just joined and I've been reading through various RTS concepts and idea blogs and it has re-surged some old design concepts I still have written down from years ago. I love diving into the world of Game Design but to keep this topic concise I want to discuss Unique Resource Ideas and Mechanics for an RTS game. The ideas are not pertaining to a certain genre/timeline for a specific game but rather let us just explore what Resource Ideas come up.
With that open genre in mind, lets see what you can add comment to below resources. I want to think of unique resources besides from the typical Gold and Wood resource. While these resource types are purely cosmetic we can then also discuss new Resource Mechanics, something different from the conventional way of harvesting resources with a worker type unit.
Ok Lets start!
Resource Types Ideas
Energy - Energy harvested from Lightning Storms or something similar that is emitting energy > 'Unstable Energy' from the Earths core > Energy from the Earth's Electromagnetic force harvested by building types of Energy Beacons in (remote) locations *Think of the Bermuda Triangle
Bio-Luminescence - Provided by certain animals/plants/creatures
Crystals / Gems - Similar to that of 'Gold' resource but something a bit more diverse from a design point of view
Runes
Lava
Souls / Bones
Gas / Chemical Compound
Myrrh (because Jesus)
Resource Mechanic Ideas
Fossil Fuel (Finite Amount) Used to build powerful units
Pertaining to the Energy Resource above - Having multiple Beacons and Further apart from each other generates resource at a higher rate (Not Dissimilar from Trading Post generating more trade the further they are away from each other)
Pertaining to the Energy Resource above - Energy can be harvested in various ways > eg: an 'energy geyser' which is more of a fixed location but with the added random occurrence of a Storm Cloud (randomly appears on a map for a short period) you can harvest the Energy Resource added a bonus rate.
Capturing/Holding Territory Points (seen in Company of Heroes) - promotes map expansion
Generating a resource type by killing enemies - the more you attack the more you generate of this resource (Lets call this "Blood Lust" to give it a name for now)
Roaming Resource / Non Static - Animals and Fish roam the Lands and Oceans, never staying in one place at a time, your 'harvesting'of this food resource becomes somewhat different to harvesting a static gold mine and building a depot next to the gold mine. It can lure your workers away from where you might want them to be and adds a dynamic of having to guard your roaming workers (high risk resource) - promotes attacking parties to try cut off unguarded roaming workers
Building a 'resource generating building' that generates a continuous income stream - seen in a few games already
Time as a Resource - Not my idea but I read this in another article somewhere and it was a really interesting concept. Can't remember it exactly and will try find it before incorrectly quoting it.
Give opinions and expand on above!
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