NEW Section - Invasions

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Grummz

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Ember Dev
Jul 25, 2016
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(pls help proof for typos, grammar, confusing sections or inconsistency. TY!!!!)

Invasions

Em-8ER is an action game, an open world shooter set where players must colonize and terraform a harsh alien world as their last hope for survival. Standing in their way is an ancient and evil alien race called the Tsi-Hu, who were imprisoned on Em-8ER eons ago. As the players attempt to push open pockets of terraformed zones on the planet, the ancient Tsi-Hu begin to stir from their time-loop prison, as human activity starts to form cracks in time. These cracks become wide enough to allow the Tsi-Hu through in larger and larger numbers, and war rages across the planet as the Tsi-Hu attack and attempt to reclaim the world from the humans.

These attacks come in the form of invasions. In some cases, the zone will be under Tsi-Hu control, and the humans must push them back and clear the zone in order to terraform it. In other cases, the Tsi-Hu will be invading human zones and trying to do the same.


War as a Simulation

The Tsi-Hu are NPCs controlled by the server AI. They wage war not by script, but by AI and simulation like in an RTS. The Tsi-Hu are driven by goals to capture territory and destroy human bases and disrupt human mining activity. They choose targets based on threat and strategic value. The more bases they destroy, the stronger they get as they use them as staging areas for more attacks.

When Tsi-Hu destroy a base, they start to build their own structures. These serve as additional spawn points for the Tsi-Hu and, as they build up, gives them the ability to open a time breach large enough to spawn bigger and bigger Kaiju.

If the Tsi-Hu manage to take over an entire zone, they will become very entrenched and hard to displace. This is the initial starting state of the game, as players will have to clear out Tsi-Hu from existing zones before they can move in and start terraforming.


Bases

Bases are the focus of attacks in invasions. Players must build up fortifications and building that let them grow stronger and take over more territory. The Tsi-Hu also build bases, and can do so very rapidly, as they merely have to phase in buildings from their own time. Human bases are built up over days, and need protection as they do so.

The more bases and building the Tsi-Hu build, the bigger and better their weapons and the Kaiju they can summon to fight for them.


Duration and Frequency

Invasions are always occurring as long as there are sufficient players online with only short breaks between. This split player activity between fighting in invasions, or going to zones not under attack to mine for resources to fuel the war effort. A zone under invasion cannot be mined, as all available THMRPs are pressed into battle.

The more players are online, the more zones will be simultaneously under attack. This spreads out the player base to help with load. Since the Tsi-Hu become stronger the more bases they take over, players cannot afford to ignore other zones under attack and must split their forces.

Invasions occur in waves lasting 45 minutes to over and hour of sustained attack. Players have a chance to regroup and rebuild and push back between waves.

Losing Battles

Losing bases and entire zones has a direct impact on all players. Losing bases slows down research times, base building times, and terraforming rates. Losing an entire zone will revert it’s terraforming to a prior state as the Tsi-Hu work to bring it back to their own native conditions.

Losing too many bases or zones results in a drop in world tier. World tier is the current maximum tier of technology and crafting available to all players. Crafting is arranged in tiers, with higher tiers offering more options and a slight increase in power. At the start of the game, world tier must be advanced by all players working together to take over and fully terraform zones and build bases. As they succeed, the world tier rises and new research and crafting templates are unlocked.

If the world tier falls, players will not be able to craft new items in the lost tiers, nor repair items in that tier. In this way, the entire player base is motivated to work together to fight the Tsi-Hu, terraform, and build up bases.
 
Last edited:

ForsakenSymbiont

Archon
Base Commander
Jan 24, 2017
10
14
3
Germany, Berlin
#5
"These cracks become wide enough to allow the Tsi-Hu [to pass] through in larger and larger numbers,(...)"
"(...) as they build up, gives them the ability (...)"
"Players must build up fortifications and buildings that let(...)"
"(...) with only short breaks between [them]."
"This splits player activity(...)"

so far all that i found. (im not a native speaker but i hope i can help :D)
 

Terricon4

Base Commander
Base Commander
#6
"Em-8ER is an action game, an open world shooter set where players must colonize and terraform a harsh alien world as their last hope for survival."

Reads a bit choppy with set. Perhaps something like...

Em-8ER is an action game, an open world shooter with a setting where players must colonize and terraform a harsh alien world as their last hope for survival.

-----

"As the players attempt to push open pockets of terraformed zones on the planet, the ancient Tsi-Hu begin to stir from their time-loop prison, as human activity starts to form cracks in time."

Push open pockets of terraformed zones both reads a bit odd and doesn't quite fit with pockets and zone both being used. Try to pick one. Then that second comma is a bit iffy. Perhaps something like...

As the players attempt to set up and expand the terraformed pockets on the planet, the ancient Tsi-Hu begin to stir from their time-loop prison as human activity starts to form cracks in it.

-----

"The more bases they destroy, the stronger they get as they use them as staging areas for more attacks."

Comma not needed in that forward position, though could be used more later. Perhaps something like...

The more bases they destroy the stronger they get, as they can use those locations as staging areas for future attacks.

-----
EDIT: Because my edits needed some serious editing after I looked back after waking up some more.
 
Last edited:

Sayan

Firstclaimer
Nov 18, 2016
17
28
13
#7
World tier is the current maximum tier of technology and crafting available to all players
"world tier" looks like a poor choice of words to me, because it does not reflect connection to technology or crafting levels, and it sounds like it might affect Tsi-Hu or other things beyond players. Even if it's just working title, I would suggest smth like "Tech level"/"Tech tier", "Planet tech level/tier" or "Infrastructure level/tier"?. But maybe it's just me.
 
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Torgue_Joey

Kaiju Slayer
KAIJU 'SPLODER
Jul 27, 2016
1,123
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Germany
#8
"world tier" looks like a poor choice of words to me, because it does not reflect connection to technology or crafting levels, and it sounds like it might affect Tsi-Hu or other things beyond players. Even if it's just working title, I would suggest smth like "Tech level"/"Tech tier", "Planet tech level/tier" or "Infrastructure level/tier"?. But maybe it's just me.
World class technology tier?
 
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Grummz

$6k package
Community Manager
Ember Dev
Jul 25, 2016
808
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93
#9
EDITS CLOSED, GONE TO LAYOUT.

Thank you for all your help! BTW, I decided to keep "World Tier" as I want the focus on it being a world player goal and I didn't find any of the substitutes to be much better at conveying all of the meaning. Can look at changing it in future.
 
Jul 26, 2016
1,461
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#10
EDITS CLOSED, GONE TO LAYOUT.

Thank you for all your help! BTW, I decided to keep "World Tier" as I want the focus on it being a world player goal and I didn't find any of the substitutes to be much better at conveying all of the meaning. Can look at changing it in future.
That's a good plan.
Just need to make that more clear to people via gameplay if not description.

because...

In Firefall, in the Amazon zone update unless there was a large group working to complete the zone goals, people had trouble achieving their individual goals. People had trouble working together mainly because prior to coming to that zone a player could play nearly entirely by themselves without much trouble. Your playstyle had to change after playing to near max level solo to gain access to the Amazon. That bit caused some difficulties.
 
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