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Greetings
It is my great pleasure to introduce to you, one of the three Mods that qualified for the final round of the mod competition!
This mod is being developed by:
-Fabian „musashi“ Fleischer
-Rainer „plucked“ Heynke
-Fabian „FaQ“ Quosdorf
-André „anchelito“ Selmanagic
-Henning „Joe“ Müller
Paradise Glossed
It is my great pleasure to introduce to you, one of the three Mods that qualified for the final round of the mod competition!
This mod is being developed by:
-Fabian „musashi“ Fleischer
-Rainer „plucked“ Heynke
-Fabian „FaQ“ Quosdorf
-André „anchelito“ Selmanagic
-Henning „Joe“ Müller
Paradise Glossed
1.) Plot 2.) Introduction 3.) Detailed Concept 4.) Areas 5.) Raw Material System and Buildings 6.) Units 7.) Playing the Game 8.) Facts and General InformationAll text herein is the original work of the authors and represents their own vision and description of the Mod they are currently working on.
Plot
In a very close future...
The motivation, although fully under paid, to kill an unknown person in the name of another unknown person is sinking more and more. The profession of the soldier has never had such a bad reputation and nobody feels like war anymore.
Patriotism is a value from the far past and the modern media make it possible for each individual to select the path to his utopia himself. But even if old weapons are silenced, the fight on another battlefield continues.
The directors of the large environmental and animal protection associations, the masterminds of the peace movement and the idols of the alternative sub-cultures are finally successful in unifying their energies. With the common plan of changing our oppressed home planet into a paradise for humans and animals they ally themselves in the group of the "Keepers of the Earth". Their top goal is to tear the apathetic masses away from their high resolution televisions and to enthuse them for their great idea. Contrary to all expectations, they are extremely successful.
The managers of the large fast food chains are the first ones to recognize the change in public opinion in their monthly reports. There's panic at the meetings of the boards of directors in the whole world. The unimaginable has occurred – for the first time idealists are acting upon their words! But you can't remain inactive...
The chairmen of the large companies, the masterminds of conservative politics and the idols of the sub-cultures, which have mutated to become sects, are finally successful in unifying their energies. With the common plan of changing our home planet, which is abounding in resources, into a paradise for those who are productive and conform, they ally themselves in the group of the "Global Conglomerate".
Their top goal is to pull the inactive masses from the forests and parks and to enthuse them for their great idea. As suspected, they are extremely successful.
For several years, the two ideological blocks have opposed each other and bitterly fight for every follower. They do not fight with rifles or grenades, but with the most modern propaganda techniques. The warriors on this new battlefield are eloquent hippies on the side of the "Keepers of Earth" or marketing professionals on the salary lists of the "Global Conglomerate".
Maybe no blood flows, but nobody remains unscathed...
In a very close future...
The motivation, although fully under paid, to kill an unknown person in the name of another unknown person is sinking more and more. The profession of the soldier has never had such a bad reputation and nobody feels like war anymore.
Patriotism is a value from the far past and the modern media make it possible for each individual to select the path to his utopia himself. But even if old weapons are silenced, the fight on another battlefield continues.
The directors of the large environmental and animal protection associations, the masterminds of the peace movement and the idols of the alternative sub-cultures are finally successful in unifying their energies. With the common plan of changing our oppressed home planet into a paradise for humans and animals they ally themselves in the group of the "Keepers of the Earth". Their top goal is to tear the apathetic masses away from their high resolution televisions and to enthuse them for their great idea. Contrary to all expectations, they are extremely successful.
The managers of the large fast food chains are the first ones to recognize the change in public opinion in their monthly reports. There's panic at the meetings of the boards of directors in the whole world. The unimaginable has occurred – for the first time idealists are acting upon their words! But you can't remain inactive...
The chairmen of the large companies, the masterminds of conservative politics and the idols of the sub-cultures, which have mutated to become sects, are finally successful in unifying their energies. With the common plan of changing our home planet, which is abounding in resources, into a paradise for those who are productive and conform, they ally themselves in the group of the "Global Conglomerate".
Their top goal is to pull the inactive masses from the forests and parks and to enthuse them for their great idea. As suspected, they are extremely successful.
For several years, the two ideological blocks have opposed each other and bitterly fight for every follower. They do not fight with rifles or grenades, but with the most modern propaganda techniques. The warriors on this new battlefield are eloquent hippies on the side of the "Keepers of Earth" or marketing professionals on the salary lists of the "Global Conglomerate".
Maybe no blood flows, but nobody remains unscathed...
Introduction
"Paradise Glossed" is a real time strategy game and chooses as a central theme – in a satirical manner – the conflict between two ideologies.
On the one side there are the "Keepers of the Earth", uncompromisingly liberal, green, continuously disappointed by humanity and the core of the dismal society.
On the other side there is the "Global Conglomerate", uncompromisingly conservative, calculating, continuously looking for profits and the seducer of the masses. Of course we are dealing with exaggerated stereotypes, but the inclined player will not find it hard to recognize the parallels to reality. There should be neither the image of a "good" and an "evil" side, and we do not have the intention of polarizing people or even insulting them.
It is and remains satire.
In a round of the game, the fractions fight for the ideological dominance in a piece of land which is not further defined. One player will become the coordinator of one of the two fractions for the duration of the round and determines how his followers should act: either attempt or convince the undecided population, prefer to convert the followers of the opponent fraction or counteract the continuously disappearing conviction on their own rows. As a further strategic component, the player must also decide how the natural resources in the conquered regions should be used – the "Keepers of the Earth" use wind
energy facilities, whereas the "Global Conglomerate" of course use atomic energy.
The game is free from violence towards life forms, which however does not mean that the conflicts work completely without the demonstration of aggression. That the followers of the two fractions can't stand each other is the core of the action and naturally also decisive for the fun of the game.
"Paradise Glossed" is a real time strategy game and chooses as a central theme – in a satirical manner – the conflict between two ideologies.
On the one side there are the "Keepers of the Earth", uncompromisingly liberal, green, continuously disappointed by humanity and the core of the dismal society.
On the other side there is the "Global Conglomerate", uncompromisingly conservative, calculating, continuously looking for profits and the seducer of the masses. Of course we are dealing with exaggerated stereotypes, but the inclined player will not find it hard to recognize the parallels to reality. There should be neither the image of a "good" and an "evil" side, and we do not have the intention of polarizing people or even insulting them.
It is and remains satire.
In a round of the game, the fractions fight for the ideological dominance in a piece of land which is not further defined. One player will become the coordinator of one of the two fractions for the duration of the round and determines how his followers should act: either attempt or convince the undecided population, prefer to convert the followers of the opponent fraction or counteract the continuously disappearing conviction on their own rows. As a further strategic component, the player must also decide how the natural resources in the conquered regions should be used – the "Keepers of the Earth" use wind
energy facilities, whereas the "Global Conglomerate" of course use atomic energy.
The game is free from violence towards life forms, which however does not mean that the conflicts work completely without the demonstration of aggression. That the followers of the two fractions can't stand each other is the core of the action and naturally also decisive for the fun of the game.
Detailed Concept
To come to the point, the goal of the two parties is to reach a superior position over the given map. This is divided into sectors (areas) which can be captured by the parties. In order to capture an area, the people there, at first neutral (or later captured by the opponent) must be "convinced".
The concept is divided into two focal points:
1. Gaining area through convincing
2. Development strategy
The focus is in the conviction part. In this, value is placed on the speed. The game is
intended to create excitement through an appropriately fast speed.
To come to the point, the goal of the two parties is to reach a superior position over the given map. This is divided into sectors (areas) which can be captured by the parties. In order to capture an area, the people there, at first neutral (or later captured by the opponent) must be "convinced".
The concept is divided into two focal points:
1. Gaining area through convincing
2. Development strategy
The focus is in the conviction part. In this, value is placed on the speed. The game is
intended to create excitement through an appropriately fast speed.
Areas
The capturing of areas has several reasons. First of all it is as said necessary for winning the game to occupy most of the areas for the majority of the time.
Furthermore for the conquering of an area you receive so-called unit points with which you can produce units, as well as raw material points which are necessary for constructing buildings. If an area is lost to the opponent, these points are transferred to the opponent, which of course is connected with consequences for the player.
The capturing of areas has several reasons. First of all it is as said necessary for winning the game to occupy most of the areas for the majority of the time.
Furthermore for the conquering of an area you receive so-called unit points with which you can produce units, as well as raw material points which are necessary for constructing buildings. If an area is lost to the opponent, these points are transferred to the opponent, which of course is connected with consequences for the player.
Raw Material System and Buildings
Raw materials are subdivided into basic raw materials which are distributed on the map and expanded raw materials which first must be produced. The basic raw materials are water, wood and metal. The expanded raw material of the "Keepers of the Earth" is wind energy. The "Global Conglomerate" has atomic energy. Since the focus is not on the development strategy, the raw material system is very simple. If you take over an area, you receive the raw material points of this area. With a specific number of raw material points of various raw materials (e.g. 2 wood + 1 metal) you can then buy a building. Thus raw material points are considered to be a currency for purchasing a building.
In contrast to other RTS titles, there is no real basis which is built upon step by step. Instead for each area there is a building limitation so that you must build distributed buildings. Since it is not a battle game, you cannot destroy buildings with a unit. If you lose an area, you automatically lose the building (it is torn down). However you then receive the raw material points which were used for this building back. Since the building will inevitably be torn down, you should consider strategically well where you build buildings and how to protect them.
For both parties there are the same building types:
Keepers of the Earth / Global Conglomerate
- Public University / Private University - Creates Units
- Pirate Radio station / Propaganda Tower - Protects an Area from Conviction by the Opponent
- Ivory tower / Experimental Laboratory - Researches Upgrades for the Units
- Windmill-Powered Plant / Nuclear Power Plant - Produces X Raw Material Points of the expanded raw material (wind energy / atomic energy)
- Special-Forces-Center - A Type of "Super Attack" Building With the Help of Which You Can Use "Super Attacks" (e.g. a Woodstock festival)
Raw materials are subdivided into basic raw materials which are distributed on the map and expanded raw materials which first must be produced. The basic raw materials are water, wood and metal. The expanded raw material of the "Keepers of the Earth" is wind energy. The "Global Conglomerate" has atomic energy. Since the focus is not on the development strategy, the raw material system is very simple. If you take over an area, you receive the raw material points of this area. With a specific number of raw material points of various raw materials (e.g. 2 wood + 1 metal) you can then buy a building. Thus raw material points are considered to be a currency for purchasing a building.
In contrast to other RTS titles, there is no real basis which is built upon step by step. Instead for each area there is a building limitation so that you must build distributed buildings. Since it is not a battle game, you cannot destroy buildings with a unit. If you lose an area, you automatically lose the building (it is torn down). However you then receive the raw material points which were used for this building back. Since the building will inevitably be torn down, you should consider strategically well where you build buildings and how to protect them.
For both parties there are the same building types:
Keepers of the Earth / Global Conglomerate
- Public University / Private University - Creates Units
- Pirate Radio station / Propaganda Tower - Protects an Area from Conviction by the Opponent
- Ivory tower / Experimental Laboratory - Researches Upgrades for the Units
- Windmill-Powered Plant / Nuclear Power Plant - Produces X Raw Material Points of the expanded raw material (wind energy / atomic energy)
- Special-Forces-Center - A Type of "Super Attack" Building With the Help of Which You Can Use "Super Attacks" (e.g. a Woodstock festival)
Units
You produce units within a university. They are "financed" by the unit points which you
have acquired when winning an area. Units have differing characteristics which qualify
them depending on the mix for various tasks. Roughly they can be classified as follows:
1. Units which convince areas / populations, that means to capture areas
2. Units which convince the oppositional units and cause them to become neutral (analogue to a unit battle)
3. Support units (transport, boost the values of friendly units, etc.)
There are of course also mixed forms.
As you can see, the violence of a battle between units is abstracted and described with the metaphor of "conviction". Opposing units are so to speak convinced that their philosophy is wrong and change to the neutral population. They are neutralized in the truest sense of the word.
With the many different characteristics of units which we don't want to list here some have been re-coined from normal RTS games:
- Integrity is analogous to life energy
- Conviction is analogous to shield
- Influence is analogous to strength or attack value (it is divided into influence over
areas and influence over opposing units)
Here is a list of the different units:
Keepers of Earth / Global Conglomerate
- Demonstrators / Parade of Patriots
- Mobile Activist / Camera Crew
- Hippies / Ad writer
- Eco Terrorist / G-Man
- Punk Rock Band / Market Researcher
- Love Bus / Black Van ("G-Van")
You produce units within a university. They are "financed" by the unit points which you
have acquired when winning an area. Units have differing characteristics which qualify
them depending on the mix for various tasks. Roughly they can be classified as follows:
1. Units which convince areas / populations, that means to capture areas
2. Units which convince the oppositional units and cause them to become neutral (analogue to a unit battle)
3. Support units (transport, boost the values of friendly units, etc.)
There are of course also mixed forms.
As you can see, the violence of a battle between units is abstracted and described with the metaphor of "conviction". Opposing units are so to speak convinced that their philosophy is wrong and change to the neutral population. They are neutralized in the truest sense of the word.
With the many different characteristics of units which we don't want to list here some have been re-coined from normal RTS games:
- Integrity is analogous to life energy
- Conviction is analogous to shield
- Influence is analogous to strength or attack value (it is divided into influence over
areas and influence over opposing units)
Here is a list of the different units:
Keepers of Earth / Global Conglomerate
- Demonstrators / Parade of Patriots
- Mobile Activist / Camera Crew
- Hippies / Ad writer
- Eco Terrorist / G-Man
- Punk Rock Band / Market Researcher
- Love Bus / Black Van ("G-Van")
Playing the Game
Start of the Game
The players (in the beginning exactly two, possible later the game can be played in teams) agree as accustomed to a map and then select the fraction which they would like to play. Both fractions must be represented in a game.
As soon as the game runs with the selected map on the server, each fraction has one area under control in which each a public and private university is built. The university makes it possible for each fraction to create new units and the controlled ("convinced") area supplies the needed unit points.
Let us simply imagine a game between "Alice" and "Bob"...
The First Minutes
Alice plays the "Keepers of Earth" and would like to convince many areas as quickly as possible with her strategy. Their defense completely doesn't matter to her in the first minutes of the game. Alice produces in her public university the unit "demonstrators" (still young and full of ideals...) until she no longer has any unit points. Whereas the last demonstrators are still waiting in the line, she sends the first ones in the classic RTS manner to the bordering areas. Then she selects the area markers which belong to the area and instructs her demonstrators to do conviction work there. Within a few seconds (depending on the "influence" value of the convincing unit) the neutral population in the area is convinced and is now available to Alice, represented by new unit points.
Bob selects a completely different strategy. He selects the areas to be convinced with care and only wants to secure certain raw materials, but then wants to keep them. He only builds two "patriotic parade" units and saves the rest of his unit points in order to be able to react correctly to the unit mix of Alice. His two units are now instructed to convince two areas which offer the necessary resources for "propaganda towers". As soon as the areas are convinced, he immediately builds one tower in each in order to support the defense. (Propaganda towers are enormous loud speaker facilities which play a mix of advertising and chart music. This immunizes the population against external stimuli...)
The First Encounter
Alice continues to follow the strategy of "mass instead of class" and quickly advances with many cheap units and convinces further areas randomly. The advance of convinced populations are credited to her each second as points, which brings her closer to victory.
Bob is however not impressed. Thanks to his clear sighted selection of areas, he quickly has the resources together in order to build an "experimental laboratory" – a building in which the unit upgrades can be researched. With the help of this he could equip his "camera crews" with telescope lenses. Alice's demonstrators will not leave behind a good impression on the regional population with their high resolution close ups...
A few seconds later, the two fractions in the form of Alice's demonstrators and Bob's camera crews clash. The demonstrators wildly curse at the reporters whereas the reporters collect concentrated material for their slanderous reporting.
Bob's plan bears fruit. His camera crews are especially effective against demonstrators (have a high "influence" value). They loose all of their "integrity" due to shame (analogue to hitpoints) and are neutralized. This means that they will soon be available to Alice again as unit points, but currently she is missing important units.
Final
After the first encounter, Bob has been able to convert many of Alice's unprotected areas and quickly also gains points. He decides to build a further private university. This is quite costly and occupies the building slot of the area, but it makes it possible for him to produce new units directly on the "front".
It becomes clear to Alice that she has to end the game as long as she is in the lead. She uses her last resources in order to prepare her "super attack" and to produce a couple of "eco-terrorists". With her "super attack" she starts a benefit concert ("Woodstock Reborn") in the area of the opponent. All defended units around the concert loose their "conviction" (analogue to shields) because with these deep song texts people begin to ponder.
These advantages are used by Alice's eco-terrorists and they forge a gap in Bob's smallminded
front...
Start of the Game
The players (in the beginning exactly two, possible later the game can be played in teams) agree as accustomed to a map and then select the fraction which they would like to play. Both fractions must be represented in a game.
As soon as the game runs with the selected map on the server, each fraction has one area under control in which each a public and private university is built. The university makes it possible for each fraction to create new units and the controlled ("convinced") area supplies the needed unit points.
Let us simply imagine a game between "Alice" and "Bob"...
The First Minutes
Alice plays the "Keepers of Earth" and would like to convince many areas as quickly as possible with her strategy. Their defense completely doesn't matter to her in the first minutes of the game. Alice produces in her public university the unit "demonstrators" (still young and full of ideals...) until she no longer has any unit points. Whereas the last demonstrators are still waiting in the line, she sends the first ones in the classic RTS manner to the bordering areas. Then she selects the area markers which belong to the area and instructs her demonstrators to do conviction work there. Within a few seconds (depending on the "influence" value of the convincing unit) the neutral population in the area is convinced and is now available to Alice, represented by new unit points.
Bob selects a completely different strategy. He selects the areas to be convinced with care and only wants to secure certain raw materials, but then wants to keep them. He only builds two "patriotic parade" units and saves the rest of his unit points in order to be able to react correctly to the unit mix of Alice. His two units are now instructed to convince two areas which offer the necessary resources for "propaganda towers". As soon as the areas are convinced, he immediately builds one tower in each in order to support the defense. (Propaganda towers are enormous loud speaker facilities which play a mix of advertising and chart music. This immunizes the population against external stimuli...)
The First Encounter
Alice continues to follow the strategy of "mass instead of class" and quickly advances with many cheap units and convinces further areas randomly. The advance of convinced populations are credited to her each second as points, which brings her closer to victory.
Bob is however not impressed. Thanks to his clear sighted selection of areas, he quickly has the resources together in order to build an "experimental laboratory" – a building in which the unit upgrades can be researched. With the help of this he could equip his "camera crews" with telescope lenses. Alice's demonstrators will not leave behind a good impression on the regional population with their high resolution close ups...
A few seconds later, the two fractions in the form of Alice's demonstrators and Bob's camera crews clash. The demonstrators wildly curse at the reporters whereas the reporters collect concentrated material for their slanderous reporting.
Bob's plan bears fruit. His camera crews are especially effective against demonstrators (have a high "influence" value). They loose all of their "integrity" due to shame (analogue to hitpoints) and are neutralized. This means that they will soon be available to Alice again as unit points, but currently she is missing important units.
Final
After the first encounter, Bob has been able to convert many of Alice's unprotected areas and quickly also gains points. He decides to build a further private university. This is quite costly and occupies the building slot of the area, but it makes it possible for him to produce new units directly on the "front".
It becomes clear to Alice that she has to end the game as long as she is in the lead. She uses her last resources in order to prepare her "super attack" and to produce a couple of "eco-terrorists". With her "super attack" she starts a benefit concert ("Woodstock Reborn") in the area of the opponent. All defended units around the concert loose their "conviction" (analogue to shields) because with these deep song texts people begin to ponder.
These advantages are used by Alice's eco-terrorists and they forge a gap in Bob's smallminded
front...
Facts and General Information
- Satirical
- Free from violence
Technical aspects
- Introduction of development strategy (player buildings)
- Portrayal of a "battle" without violence
- Visualization of own areas
Other
- Authors of the "Insane Buzzstards" WiC modding tutorials and tools which can be continuously expanded: [url=http://wiki.massgte.net/Category:Tutorials#Insane Buzzstards Tutorials]Insane Buzztards Tutorials[/url]
- Satirical
- Free from violence
Technical aspects
- Introduction of development strategy (player buildings)
- Portrayal of a "battle" without violence
- Visualization of own areas
Other
- Authors of the "Insane Buzzstards" WiC modding tutorials and tools which can be continuously expanded: [url=http://wiki.massgte.net/Category:Tutorials#Insane Buzzstards Tutorials]Insane Buzztards Tutorials[/url]
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