Trash
Trash is the primary resource and is used to make things. For
the most part, the same amount of Trash exists in the game world
at all times. If something you built from trash is destroyed, then
it becomes trash. If you launch a failing attack in your opponent's
base, then not only do you lose all your units, but you give your
enemy extra resources. Similarly, taking out a player not only
removes one of your enemies, but it also potentially gives you
more resources.
Pipe
Pipe is used to transfer resources between structures. In most
RTS games, resources magically are transferred between buildings.
In Trash, you must connect buildings with pipe before this transfer
can happen. The three primary resources, Trash, People, and Gas,
are automatically moved via pipe as needed. Electricity and research
are also transferred through pipe. Pipe gives you something else
to think about when designing your base, as well as when you are
trying to destroy your opponent. Use the /trash /people
or /gas command in chat to give resources to
pipe-connected teammates.
Tech Production
When you make an upgrade building, like Kinetic Damage, it starts
producing technology. To be realistic, you have to have enough
technology made at buildings in order to upgrade your units.
If you have none, you can't upgrade. Technology is produced with time.
Teammates will only use your technology if you have enough produced.
Metal Sites
Metal Sites are special in that they must be discovered. Metal rich
land is sometimes goes overlooked for long periods of time until
a Metal-site-detecting unit finds it. Certain structures, like the
Human Kinetic Damage structure, must be built over a Metal Site.
Electricity
Electricity is produced at power plants. It is transferred to
buildings via pipe, and most buildings require power to operate. Buildings
without power suffer double damage from attacks. Excess power
is automatically shared with teammates as long as your pipe network
reaches their pipe network. The human firetruck unit can use an
"Emp" to disable the power on selected buildings.
Booming
Some newer RTS games try to minimize mass production (aka booming).
The purpose of this is to encourage the player to spend more time
managing battles rather than economy, and to allow strategies
other than booming to be more viable strategies. War Craft 3 uses
their Upkeep system for this. In Trash, we didn't want to implement a
seperate system for discourage booming. Instead, we designed game mechanics
around this. We limit the availability crucial army building resources
(gas sites and huts). We made building workers and unloading facilities
be somewhat expensive in Trash. In some cases you can only use an unload dock,
one worker at a time. The idea is that if you invest in many unloading
docks in one area, they will be of limited use once all the nearby
resources are harvested. In Trash, you still can still boom,
but it may slow down enough so that it ends up backfiring.
High Ground
Some weapons, especially long ranged weapons, are not perfectly
accurate. These weapons are particularly inaccurate when attacking
targets at the end of their range. Launching an assault from higher
ground improves the accuracy of your attacks. Conversely if you
opponent has higher ground, your accuracy will suffer. Line-of-fire
is realistically modeled in trash. You cannot shoot through terrain
or walls. Lobbing weapons can easily bypass walls, but straight
firing weapons, like gatling fire, are stopped by walls, unless
you have higher ground. High ground is also important for improved
line-of-sight.
Line-Of-Sight
Trash features a realistic line-of-sight system. Vision can be
obstructed by terrain or by tall objects. For example, you cannot
see into an enemy base that is walled-off, unless you have higher
ground. The resource trash also obstructs vision, so it's a good
place to hide.
Retroactive Upgrades
Unlike most RTS games, Trash does not have automatic retroactive
upgrades. When you research new technology, your existing units
do not magically gain the new technology. Your newly built units
will have the new technology. For your existing units you will
need to upgrade them using either the Mechanic unit or
the Fountain structure, or the Engineering Research Building.
These upgraders will automatically upgrade nearby units as needed.
The idea of having no retroactive upgrades was intended for
improved realism, and we noticed it presents some interesting
new choices for players.
Sometimes you have to decide betweeen upgrading units or
participating in a battle. Do spend the time to move my
units to my friend's base and get upgraded, or do attack now?
Sharing Technology
You can connect your teammates' bases with pipe so that technology will
automatically be shared with them. Sometimes laying pipe
is too expensive, or maybe you don't control the land between
you are your teammates' bases. In these situations, you can
share tech using Mechanics, Fountains, or Engineering
Research Buildings. Mechanics actually carry tech with them.
Whereas Upgrade Buildings use whatever tech is available on the
pipe network to transfer tech to nearby units as appropriate.
Road
Humans can build roads. Roads allow vehicles to travel up to
three times faster than on normal terrain. Units will automatically
use roads in order to decrease transit time.
Warp Gates
Mutants can setup warp gates. Warp gates teleport units from
one point on the map to another. Warp gates are integrated into
the pathing system, so your units will automatically use them
if they provide a shorter path. Once a gate is setup, it cannot
be destroyed. Furthermore, it can be used by everyone in the game,
including your opponents. Be careful were you set them up as they
can backfire if your enemy uses them.
