Ashes unit differentiation discussion

Published on Monday, September 7, 2015 By Brad Wardell In Ashes of the Singularity Founders

Greetings!

 

Below is a partial list of units from various games. It is, by no means, complete (No Brawler?! in TA? No Raven in Starcraft?).  The idea here though is to look at how different games approached making different units feel unique and what Ashes can do to make sure its units have very clear, distinct purposes.


Ashes of the Singularity

Starcraft

Company of Heroes

Total Annihilation

Engineer

  • Armor: No

  • Cost: Cheap

  • Damage: None

  • Speed: Normal

SCV

  • Armor: No

  • Cost: Cheap

  • Damage: None

  • Speed: Normal

Engineer (T1)

  • Armor: No

  • Cost: Cheap

  • Weapon Penetration: Low

  • Damage: Light

  • Speed: Normal

  • Range: Normal

Constructor

  • Armor: No

  • Cost: Cheap

  • Damage: None

  • Speed: Normal

Brute (T1)

  • Armor: Light (4)

  • Cost: Normal

  • Weapon Penetration: Low

  • Damage: Normal

  • Rate of Fire: Fast

  • Speed: Normal

  • Range: Short

Marine (T1)

  • Armor: No

  • Cost: Cheap

  • Damage: Normal

  • Rate of Fire: Fast

  • Speed: Normal

  • Range: Short

Riflemen (T1)

  • Armor: No

  • Cost: Normal

  • Weapon Penetration: Low

  • Damage: Normal

  • Rate of Fire: Normal

  • Speed: Normal

  • Range: Normal

Flash (T1)

  • Cost: Normal

  • Damage: Normal

  • Rate of Fire: Fast

  • Speed: Normal

  • Range: Short

 
 
 

Archer (T1)

  • Armor: No

  • Cost: Normal

  • Weapon Penetration: Low

  • Damage: Normal

  • Rate of Fire: Slow

  • Speed: Normal

  • Range: Medium

Marauder (T1)

  • Armor: Yes

  • Cost: Normal

  • Damage: Normal, 2X vs. Armored

  • Rate of Fire: Slow

  • Speed: Normal

  • Range: Medium

 
 

Samson (T1)

  • Cost: Normal

  • Damage: Normal

  • Rate of Fire: Slow

  • Speed: Normal

  • Range: Medium

 
 

Hermes (T1)

  • Armor: No (0)

  • Cost: Normal

  • Weapon Penetration: Low

  • Damage: Low

  • Rate of Fire: Slow

  • Speed: Fast

  • Range: Short

Reaper (T1)

  • Armor: No

  • Cost: Normal

  • Damage: Normal

  • Rate of Fire: Slow

  • Speed: Fast

  • Range: Short

 

Jeep (T1)

  • Armor: Light

  • Cost: Normal

  • Weapon Penetration: Low

  • Damage: Normal

  • Rate of Fire: Slow

  • Speed: Fast

  • Range: Normal

Jiffy(T1)

  • Cost: Cheap

  • Damage: Low

  • Rate of Fire: Slow

  • Speed: Fast

  • Range: Short

 
 
 

Zeus (T2)

  • Armor: Heavy (12)

  • Cost: High

  • Weapon Penetration: Low

  • Damage: High, AOE

  • Rate of Fire: Slow

  • Speed: Normal

  • Range: Short

Tank (T2)

  • Armor: Yes

  • Cost: High

  • Damage: High, AOE

  • Rate of Fire: Slow

  • Speed: Slow

  • Range: Long

 
 

Machine Gun Team (T2)

  • Armor: No

  • Cost: High

  • Weapon Penetration: Low

  • Damage: Normal

  • Rate of Fire: Very Fast

  • Speed: Slow

  • Range: Normal

Merl (T2)

  • Cost: High

  • Damage: High, AOE

  • Rate of Fire: Very Slow

  • Speed: Normal

  • Range: Very Far

 
 

Artemis (T2)

  • Armor: Light (4)

  • Cost: High

  • Weapon Penetration: High

  • Damage: High, AOE

  • Rate of Fire: Slow

  • Speed: Normal

  • Range: Very Long

Hellbat (T2)

  • Armor: No

  • Cost: Normal

  • Damage: Normal, 2X vs. Unarmored

  • Rate of Fire: Normal

  • Speed: Normal

  • Range: Short

Mortar Team (T2)

  • Armor: No

  • Cost: High

  • Weapon Penetration: Medium

  • Damage: Normal, AOE

  • Rate of Fire:Slow

  • Speed: Slow

  • Range: Normal

Luger (T2)

  • Cost: High

  • Damage: Normal, AOE

  • Rate of Fire: Slow

  • Speed: Normal

  • Range: Far

Energizer (T2)

  • Healing / Recharging

Medvac (T2)

  • Healing Unit

 

Jammer (T2)

  • Jams Radar

Nemesis (T2)

  • Armor: No

  • Cost: High

  • Weapon Penetration: Total

  • Damage: Very High (Ignores armor)

  • Rate of Fire: Very Slow

  • Speed: Normal

  • Range: Long

 

Sniper (T2)

  • Armor: No

  • Cost: Very High

  • Weapon Penetration: Low

  • Damage: Very High

  • Rate of Fire: Very Slow

  • Speed: Normal

  • Range: Normal

Penerator (T2)

  • Cost: High

  • Damage: Very High

  • Rate of Fire: Very Slow

  • Speed: Slow

  • Range: Far

Apollo (T2)

  • Armor: Light (4)

  • Cost: Normal

  • Weapon Penetration: Low

  • Damage: High

  • Rate of Fire: Normal

  • Speed: Normal

  • Range: Air only

 

Howitzer (T2)

  • Armor: Light

  • Cost: High

  • Weapon Penetration: High

  • Rate of Fire: Slow

  • Speed: Slow

  • Range: Very Far

Phalanx (T2)

  • Cost: Medium

  • Damage: Very High

  • Rate of Fire: Normal

  • Speed: Normall

  • Range: Air Only

Centaur (T3)

  • Armor: Light (4)

  • Cost: Very High

  • Primary: Anti-Building, Long-Range, High Penetration

  • Secondary: Drone AOE, Medium range, Low Penetration

  • Speed: Slow

Battle Cruiser (T3)

  • Armor: Yes

  • Cost: Very High

  • Primary: Anti-Building

  • Secondary: 2X vs. unarmored

  • Range: Medium

Armored Car (T3)

  • Armor: Light

  • Cost: Very High

  • Weapon Penetration: Low

  • Rate of Fire: High

  • Speed: Fast

  • Range: Normal

 

Hercules (T3)

  • Armor: Heavy (12)

  • Cost: Very High

  • Primary: Normal damage, High rate of fire, low penetration

  • Secondary:

  • Speed: Slow

Thor (T3)

  • Armor: Yes

  • Cost: Very High

  • Primary: High Damage, Slow rate of fire

  • Secondary: Normal Damage, AOE

  • Speed: Normal

  • Range: Medium

Sherman (T3)

  • Armor: Heavy

  • Cost: Very High

  • Weapon Penetration: High

  • Rate of Fire: Normal,

  • Speed: Normal

  • Range: Far

 

Prometheus (T3)

  • Armor: Heavy (12)

  • Cost: Very High

  • Primary: High Penetration:

  • Secondary: Drone AOE, Medium range, Low Penetration

  • Speed: Slow

 

Tank Destroyer (T3)

  • Armor: Light

  • Cost: High

  • Weapon Penetration: High

  • Rate of Fire: Normal,

  • Speed: Normal

  • Range: Far

 
 
 

Variables we currently have to work with:

  1. Rate of Fire

  2. Weapon Range

  3. Area of Effect

    1. spread/accuracy (i.e. ballistics)

  4. Armor Penetration

  5. Movement Speed

  6. Targeting Priority

  7. Special Abilities

  8. Econ

    1. Build Time

    2. Cost

    3. Supply

 

Your input is greatly appreciated!