PyreAI

[MatthewQualls]

Inspiration: https://www.supergiantgames.com/games/pyre/

Story

Lead your band of exiles to freedom by winning battles of this ancient sport!

TLDR:

Turn based party strategy game. Destroy the enemy's Pyre to win. Damage the enemy's Pyre by running the ball into the enemy's pyre Each AI controls a party of three characters (see Units),

• Can act with one character in a round A defeated party member is temporarily unusable; respawns next to their own Pyre
• one or two turns
• immediately if no other units available? A party member who successfully runs the orb into the enemy's pyre is temporarily banished
• five turns or another goal

Arena/Gameboard

Arena is a typical rectangular shape

• The magical orb originates and respawns in the center of the arena
• Pyres originate at either end of the arena
• Obstacles could be randomly generated in the arena for more challenging gameplay

Magical Orb (Ball)

• Spawns in center of the arena
• Respawns after being moved into a Pyre
• Automatically picked up by a unit if their aura touches it
• Is thrown in some direction away from units if the holder is banished

Turn-Based

A player has a movement point and an action point they can use every round. These Points needn't be spent on the same unit.

Movement

• A movement point can be used to move one movement to somewhere in their movement range.
  • A unit can jump for up to half of the distance they move.
  • Spend action point to jump?
  • Movement can be broken up into different directions and Actions can be used in the middle of movement

    Actions

• An action point can be used to conduct an action with one of their units.
  • Throw Aura
  • Pass Orb
  • Jump
• A Units automatically picks up the ball if their Aura touches it.

Units

Rukey Greentail

• Smallest: Size - [1x1 Units]
• Fastest: Movement Range - [10 units]
• Small orb throw range: Orb Range - [5 units]
• Static Aura Range - [1 units]

  Hedwyn

• Medium Size: Size - [3x3 units]
• Average Speed: Movement Range - [7 units]
• Medium orb Throw Range: Throw Range - [7 or 8 units]
• Static Aura Range - [1 Units]

  Jodariel

• Large size: Size - [5x5 Units]
• Slowest: Movement Range - [5 units]
• Large orb Throw Range: Orb Range - [10 units]
• Static Aura Range - [1 units]

Unit Actions

• Move a number of tiles up to their movement speed
• Are Banished if they touch an enemy's aura
• Pick up the Orb
  • Units lose aura while holding ball, regained on pass
• Throw the Orb to a teammate within their pass range
  • Automatically intercepted by an enemy if an enemy unit is between the thrower and target
• Throw their Aura in a line
  • Lose Aura for 1-2 turns after throwing aura -Aura beam has a width of [2 units] and length of [6 units]
• Run into the enemy pyre
  • unit is temporarily Ascended [2-5 turns?]
• Banished Units Respawn
  • [1-2 turns] on Enemy unit banishment
  • [3-5 turns] on Enemy Pyre ascension
• Jump a range equal to half their movement
  • [1-2 turn] cool down
  • While they are in the air, they are unaffected by
  • Die if they in enemy aura when they land, unless they end in the enemy pyre; then they Ascend.

Notes

Ascension and Banishment are mechanically identical except for duration; Units are unusable for a longer amount of time if they ascend vs when they are banished.

Analysis

Pyre is an unreleased game made by Supergiant Games (creators of games Bastion and Transistor). The design of the game is great for player vs AI, but not so much for AI vs AI. By changing elements of the game, such as making it turn and grid based, we can create a easier game for AI play.

Gameplay videos highlighting the first twenty or so minutes of play exist.

[JacobFischer]

I think you could add a cool mechanic here.

So there's a lot with these Auras, I think it would be cool to turn this into a circle collision game, where we represent players by a point and radius. We did this in MMAI 9: Space, and it was well received.

[russleyshaw]

Theme: Plants

[JeffreyStrahm]

What happens when two units not holding a ball run into each other? Do they both just die? Also, I feel like if that is the case, we can safely do simultaneous turns. Also maybe as a theme, you could do a game of wisps or something to work off of the aura.

[MatthewQualls]

I like the wisp idea! One idea I had is that we could have some of the units have different aura sizes corresponding to the unit size. Also, I think I forgot to mention that when a unit hold a ball they lose their aura