X Jewel_Poker_Def.v1.0.scx

Latest version: 1.0 Amethyst
It's recommended to read this text completely if you've run into it after all. Most importantly, you will be able to assist new players to deal with the regular ...

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Latest version: 1.0 Amethyst
It's recommended to read this text completely if you've run into it after all. Most importantly, you will be able to assist new players to deal with the regular difficulties.

Contents:

• Basic Information
  
• Differences & Features
  
• FAQ
  
• Hints & Notes
  

Basic Information

Jewel Poker Defense is the result of my independent view on the popular map series, known as the New Poker Defense, originally produced by liveingrace. While the initial, first-standing version of that map held the distinctive image of singularity, all further expansions could be now described only as a pointless and blind extension of project without clear understanding of purposes and means. While the obvious glitches and unneeded features exist from the beginning till today, the initial charm and passion of the game is completely lost.

The idea of the project is to recover, optimize and decorate the original Poker Defense system and advance it to the other gameplay styles in the future, following by the SC2-map release. Regardless of the grim history of the NPD series, i give the full credit and respect to the liveingrace. I've never seen the triggers of his maps. The maps and all systems are completely made from a scratch.

***

Gameplay follows the same pattern most of community remember by the NPD. Players individually defend their home base ( Jewel Ring ) from "creeps" of different type. In order to do so, each round, they have to try to gain the [wiki]Poker Hands[/wiki] by managing five cards initially dealt. Cards represented by unit with rank from 7 to Ace, each having the suit as either Red, Green or Blue color. There are 10 Hands total, 9 classic poker Hands followed by Gauntlet, available only in Poker Defense and Wild-Card Poker game variations.

Each Poker hand give player the corresponding unit(s) of standard value. Making the Ace-Top Hand grant the additional support unit of the same Tier. Player also gain the minerals, that can be used for upgrading the Tier. Amount of mineral gained depend either on Rarity (for Odd hands, starting from Top-Card) or on Ranking (for Even hands, starting from One-Pair). The harder it to pick the Hand, the greater minimum and maximum minerals can be received.

Finally, each Poker Hand have the one arrangement, or 'prize combo', that also give the Prize unit. Several Prize units can be combined in the Combo Boxes to receive certain benefits, beginning from few minerals gain up to the exclusive "specials". Besides, several combination's in contrast will cause troubles, varied from losing one of the Prize Units used and up to the instant unconditional defeat. The more "expensive" Prize units are used, the more considerable bounty or penalty will be met.

Differences & Features

• Manually built tile-terrain. Hope you'll like it.
  
• Cards are represented by other units. They are mostly defined by size in conjunction with unit SC tier. At beginning it can be troublesome to navigate them manually, but after several games you will find them easy and fast to distinguish.
  
• Card changers are presented by Reavers, rather than Siege Tanks. That provide minimal time loss on Poker phase in priority to leave that time for the Defense Phase. Also, Reavers can be stopped from change by mistake, while Tanks cannot be.
  
• Hand Units are following completely different pattern. They're placed in a mirror-plane sequence. That makes all Upgrades same-valued. Upgrading low-grade units also make effect on high-grade units of the same Tier. Middle Hands, the Straight and Flush are "singular", they have no tied units, but in return have their own benefits and particularly stronger than tied ones.
  
• Hand units do not generally differ by brute force, but much, much more differ in functional behavior and good in their own field. Any unit Tier can become prime if upgraded in time. There's no useless units, but units that inadequate in one way and helpful in another. Game challenge is to gather units set with full coverage and keep it big and powerful enough in the face of advancing creeps.
  
• Upgrades are more expensive and a lot more important. While player usually need several rounds beaten to achieve summ required, each upgrade makes affected units much stronger (40% more damage avg.). Smart, reasonable, no more click epilepsy.
  
• Creeps are divided by the Type. Each Type have their own strong sides, so different units and abilities required for efficient opposition. All parameters are mathematically-made. They purposely settled for creeps not to be spawn-slayed.
  
• Size classes and Damage types are fully considered.
  
• Hand Info terminal available (currently unfinished).

  FAQ

  Q: OMG, it's so hard!
  A: Keep thinking. Keep Trying. Ask for advice.

  Q: OMG, it's so easy!
  A: Glad for ya, pal.

  Q: I'm playing P2 and some creeps are running strange. Why no fix?
  A: That is a well known issue, some sort of AI glitch. I've tried to figure that out, but that currently have no stable resolve and no valid reason to exist. If that is troublesome, relocate your units to another place where they run correctly. I hope i can fix it in further versions somehow.

  Q: Shielded creeps are very hard! I barely can kill the first Shielded wave! What the hell?
  A: Shielded creeps have 255 shields. There are three ways to surpass it. First, it's to gather units tight, so they hit same units at one time more often. Second, use Stimpacks to hold them low or/and Storm to disable them while other units will cut the HP down. Third, get units with high damage and upgrade them enough to get 256+ damage per hit to pierce the shield. Also, spells like Ensnare and Maelstrom make great help!

  Q: I've made the Prize Combo, but it goes bad and made terrible, terrible whatever-it-is! Why?
  A: Negative combos are made for risk aspect and make game experience more valuable. Knowing all negative combos will negate such possibility, while knowing positive combos will grant you an ability to get Prize units on purpose and win very easily!

  Hints & Notes
  - Make a full usage of units range. Random spreading of units around the Ring border usually make units down to half as efficient as if they were placed in conjunction with each-other and respectively to their fire coverage.
  - Do not run units around the Ring aimlessly. Stable units fire more often and make more damage to single target. Micro units only if there are timer deadline and you can finish off severely damaged creeps.
  - Do not mind to save minerals for further upgrade the prime Tier. Upgrading everything at once may be cool in the beginning, but in the end it may lead you to the miserable defeat.

  ***

  Notes for future releases:

  • Normal Briefing and Dialogs will be written. Just too tired from triggerworks to fix them now, sorry.
    
  • Flush Sentry will become +[A]+ unit with appropriate stat change. Their place will be taken by Vulture hero.
    
  • Rangers/CTakers can be swapped with Hunters/Assassins. Barely possible though.
    
  • Creeps will be shifted and swapped dramatically. I hope to free as much playable units and heroes as possible.
    
  • Minerals system will be reverted from 5-based to 1-based. In example, upgrades will worth 30+9, rather than 150+45.
    
  • Mineral gain will be completely rewritten in order to balance it around the whole Hand range. All Tiers will be tuned to the equal average mineral worth.
    
  • Next release landscape will be transformed to Snow tileset and greatly displaced. All currently available systems should be optimized by that time. Also, there will be combat hatches available on the Jewel Rings for melee units to be applicable.
    
  • Third release will (confidential)
    
  • Fourth release will (confidential)
    
  • Finally, Final release will (confidential)
    
  • ?????
    
  • PROFIT!

    - Suggestions, Bug Reports and Constructive (yup, and only that one) Criticism