I mean graphically of course it is but what types of objects or extensions would you need to make something like an Advance Wars / Fire Emblem type of game with MMF2? I really like these types of games and would want to try making one someday since I've never tried doing one before. I'm guessing to do the AI would be killer / impossible but what do I know.
What do you think?
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"To be a true ninja you must first pick the most stealthy of our assorted combat suits. Might I suggest the bright neon orange?"
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Surprisingly enough, an AW clone could require a lot of graphics, including map tiles, unit sprites, battle animations, user interface, etc. What's more, the graphics need to be good - there have been several AW clones which have been technically superior, but which are far less enjoyable to play simply because they don't have the presentation (eg. Field Commander on PSP).
The pathfinding is quite straight-forward, using extensions. That's actually true of most aspects of the game.
The problem comes when you try and put all the components together - it gets very complicated, and there are a huge number of variables to keep track of. I've actually made examples of all the basic components in past - movement, fog-of-war, combat, AI, map loading (see my tutorial on "tile based games"), but I never got as far as putting them together in a game. Still, if you want help on this, let me know, as consider myself a bit of an AW expert
The AI can be quite simple or very hard, depending on how you want to go about it.
In AW1, the AI is very stupid, and easily defeated. It always moves it's units in the same order, and does little more than choose a target based on a pre-defined order of preference. It will always go after an APC for example, even if it's empty and there's a far greater threat nearby. Also, the AI cheats, in that it always knows where your units are, even if fog-of-war. This is essential, because it means the AI only has to react to your position - if it genuinely didn't know where your units were, it wouldn't know how to act as it is incapable of actual strategy (that would have taken a lot more programming). This kind of AI is do-able in MMF.
The AI in later AW games (and FamicomWars games) is much better. It doesn't cheat, and it is capable of planning the best order in which to move units - it will destroy one unit in order to clear a path to another, for example. Units won't attack if the AI knows they'd just get killed. This kind of AI would be very difficult to do in MMF, so I wouldn't bother trying.
There are also a few other problem areas though. Getting the AI to use transport units effectively is going to be very difficult, along with capturing/defending cities etc.
Me and a friend started up on an Advance Wars clone for fun some years ago. It's not too difficulty, certainly possible but then again I didn't make the pathfinding segment.
Yeah in AW I used to build APCs specifically to draw the enemy out even though they just destroy the unit. But it's much different in Fire Emblem, where the death of a unit means it's gone forever.
It's something I was just thinking about the other day but it's good to know that something could be done eventually with MMF.
Thanks guys!
--
"Del Duio has received 0 trophies. Click here to see them all."
"To be a true ninja you must first pick the most stealthy of our assorted combat suits. Might I suggest the bright neon orange?"
DXF Games, coming next: Hasslevania 2- This Space for Rent!
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Edited by Sketchy
