gameplay.md

Gameplay Guide

Movement:

  Crosshair is centered in the screen
  Org spawns on the crosshair (in center screen)
  Org is attracted to the crosshair:
  Rate of growth increases as cells approach target
     (Rate of growth decreases further from target)
  Rate of death decreases as cells approach target
     (Rate of death increases further from target)

Abilities:

  Each player has four abilities:
     At spawn, the player chooses three abilities with two options for each.
        Each of these three abilities has an offensive and a defensive option.
        The two options for an ability are more-or-less inverses of each other.
        The pairs of abilities are listed here with the defensive option first
           Extend       --  Compress
           Immortality  --  Freeze
           Neutralize   --  Toxin
     Every player can use the fourth ability (Spore) regardless of the abilities he chooses at spawn.
  Details for each ability are listed below
     The game modes which support an ability are listed next to the ability name

Extend (FFA, SKM, SRV)

  Increases the organism's equilibrium radius
  Increases the number of cells in an organism
     Harder to be killed
     Increases the number of cells jettisoned by Spore
  Default key binding: x

Compress (FFA, SKM, SRV)

  Decreases the organism's equilibrium radius
  Decreases the number of cells in an organism
     Easier to kill a Compressed enemy
  The effect is delivered to an enemy be shooting a border cell toward the player's cursor
     'Pop' the ejected spore by reactivating the ability (re-press the key)
  Default key binding: x

Immmortality (FFA, SKM, SRV)

  Halts the organism's cell's natural death
     Cells may still die from secretions from spores
  Leaves trail of cells behind
     Allows for clever Spore usage
     Blocks movement of opponents through trail
  Default key binding: c

Freeze (FFA, SKM, SRV)

  Halts all natural processes (both birth and death) of an enemy cell
  In effect, this ability freezes the affected organism, halting all movement
  The effect is delivered to an enemy be shooting a border cell toward the player's cursor
     'Pop' the ejected spore by reactivating the ability (re-press the key)
  Default key binding: c

Neutralize (FFA, SKM, SRV)

  Neutralize all acid in a circular area surrounding the organism
     In reality, this would occur by secreting a base
  Immortalizes cells within the alkaline radius from acidic secretions
  The neutral area is a circle around the center of mass of the organism
     In the future, several smaller circles may be created around each cell in the organism
  Default key binding: v

Toxin (FFA, SKM, SRV)

  Kill all enemy cells in a circular area surrounding the organism
     In reality, this is analagous to the organism secreting an acid
  Immortalizes cells within the alkaline radius from acidic secretions
  The neutral area is a circle around the center of mass of the organism
     In the future, several smaller circles may be created around each cell in the organism
  Default key binding: v

Spore (FFA, SKM, SRV)

  All exposed (membranal) cells jettison from org away from the center of org
  All ejected spores secrete acid into the surrounding region
     'Pop' spores by reactivating the ability (re-press the key)
  Default key binding: [Spacebar]

Game Modes:

Free For All (FFA)

  Boast the most kills and the least deaths
  Leaderboard tracks kills, deaths, and k:d

Skirmish (SKM)

  Players are sorted into teams
     Players cannot harm teammates
  Leaderboard tracks team kills, team deaths, team k:d

Survival (SRV)

  Last man standing wins
  World border slowly creeps in
  What's done is done: Cannot respawn until game is completed
  Leaderboard tracks wins, kills

Capture the Flag (CTF) (Unreleased - This is a rough outline)

  Players are sorted into teams
     Players cannot harm teammates
  Spawn in random positions
  Each team has a colored base at corner of map
     Players capture single flag and return to base for capture
        Pick up flag by making contact with flag on body
     Flag returns to center of map after capture
     Flag drops at location of flag bearer on death
  Uses standard ability set
  X Tag ability (2-Flag CTF)
     X Shoot single spore and pop on enemy
     X If spore is on friendly side, send to jail
     X Safe zone around flag protects carrier
     X If holding the flag, throws the flag
  Leaderboard tracks captures (score) and round wins

Infection (INF) (Unreleased - This is a rough outline)

  Players sorted into infected and healthy
     One infected per eight healthy, round up
  Infected players are red, Healthy players are green
  Tag ability for infected
     Shoots single spore to pop on enemy
     On hit, healthy org dies, new infected org spawns
  Stimulate ability for healthy
     Increases birth/death rate
     Increases movement speed
  Infected players are zoomed in, so have less visibility to equalize power of tag
  Last man standing wins
  Leaderboard tracks wins

King of the Hill (KTH) (Unreleased - This is a rough outline)

  Players spawn on outsides of map
  Region in center of the map
     Region is same shape as map
  When player enters empty region, player becomes king
     Region stroke becomes very wide to idicate capture
     If player leaves region, he loses kingship
        Closest player to center becomes new king
     Score is 1 : 3 seconds as king
  Leaderboard tracks score and round wins