Philadelphia: BETA - image/xml updates - 4/17

[RedBaron0]

The NJ tolls will be easier to see when I finally get the update up there. I promise tonight I get an update up, plus some number crunching. I still need to check the drop analysis, and look at the affect the underdog bonus has on a few things, mainly on team games. I gotta get something up though, I know I'm going on 3 weeks with little to no movement....

[Victor Sullivan]

The NJ tolls will be easier to see when I finally get the update up there. I promise tonight I get an update up, plus some number crunching. I still need to check the drop analysis, and look at the affect the underdog bonus has on a few things, mainly on team games. I gotta get something up though, I know I'm going on 3 weeks with little to no movement....

The clock ticks... And tocks. But it hurts the clock to tock, so it mostly ticks. Anyways, it's 9pm and you sah, have no map...

**Sully waits in antici.........






























........pation**

[RedBaron0]

Click image to enlarge.

Click image to enlarge.

NOTE: Northern Liberties actually works out to be about 4.6. The number of continent neighbors is 3, not 6.

Click image to enlarge.

Here's some numbers and odds of dropping bonuses at the start. The thing that concerns me the most is the 3 territory bonus of South Philly being about a 1 in 10 chance of starting with that bonus. I might think of putting a starting neutral in there, or adding a 4th territory for that bonus. I'm also kinda thinking that I might code all the bridges as starting positions to prevent that bonus from coming up on the start as well.

I've adjusted the bonus values as it came out on the bonus calculator, more or less.

Gameplay changes:
University City connects to Rittenhouse Square, and is a larger territory that connect also to Fairmount Park.
Juniata is now a part of Northern Liberties to give a better chance at protecting that bonus.
I know I still have to explain in the legend about the underdog bonus, but I'm liking these numbers, not too high to be abused, and enough to possibly give you a shot if it is getting bad. Team games are going to be the main draw here, especially quads games. I could even see teams pushing a teammate down below 2 or 3 territories for the extra armies, and then protecting that player's last couple, or 1 territory.

Right now I know the sign for the NJ tolls is much flashier than the title, but I have plans for the title, it's graphical so I'm not overly worried about it right now.

[carlpgoodrich]

Cool! But what happened to the the NJ territory with a -1 bonus as a replacement to the tolls? What this shot down and I missed it?

[RedBaron0]

I must have missed that. Hmmm, it's an interesting concept, but the bridges leading to Jersey really lend themselves to having a "toll." Which I feel is best represented by a killer neutral. Having New Jersey be a negative bonus or a decay type territory is worth discussing, and does somewhat fit, I mean it's New Jersey... For now though I'm definitely leaning towards how this is at the moment.

[Victor Sullivan]

Looks fine to me. I prefer the killer neutral to the auto-decay, myself.

[carlpgoodrich]

Looks fine to me. I prefer the killer neutral to the auto-decay, myself.

The suggestion wasn't for an autodecay, it was for a negative bonus. The idea being that if you use NJ to get the bridge bonus, then it won't be worth as much. Also, if you want to use NJ as an easy mode of transportation (why else would anyone go to NJ?) you will pay a price.

[RedBaron0]

Looks fine to me. I prefer the killer neutral to the auto-decay, myself.

The suggestion wasn't for an autodecay, it was for a negative bonus. The idea being that if you use NJ to get the bridge bonus, then it won't be worth as much. Also, if you want to use NJ as an easy mode of transportation (why else would anyone go to NJ?) you will pay a price.

And it is there with a killer neutral. You goto Jersey to visit, not to stay. It might be getting a little over complicated if I do something like, -1, -2, -3, -4 for each bridge owned plus the toll. Which would negate the bridge bonus completely. I really think this works as a killer neutral best. It's a path you HAVE to go though, you can't just stay and build up. It's a short cut for sure, from Tacony to Penn's Landing it's 5 territories instead of the 8 or 9 you'd have to go though going around through gigantic chunks of board space. If you get stuck in Jersey, poof, bye-bye armies.

[isaiah40]

If you get stuck in Jersey, poof, bye-bye wallet.

Okay this is fixed! But seriously, having the NJ toll is a great idea and should not be scraped.

[RedBaron0]

If you get stuck in Jersey, poof, bye-bye wallet.

Okay this is fixed! But seriously, having the NJ toll is a great idea and should not be scraped.

That'd be true if I was working on a Atlantic City map.

The idea will be staying, its just exactly how it might be represented on the map that is up for debate ATM. (killer neutral, decay, negative bonus) Where right now the killer neutral is my preference.

[carlpgoodrich]

I am fine with the toll as it is. I have a personal affection to gameplay with negative bonuses because they are so interesting and are so rarely used. I also think the comedic aspect of losing troops just for being in NJ is funny . But you might be right, the toll does work well in this map and unless someone else brings it up again I shall rest my case.

[Z-Rambo]

An idea to help with the South Philly start out bonus....How about taking the southern part of Penn's Landing and turning it into Society Hill and trim part of the Naval Yard and turn it into the Sports Complex? It gives a couple more territories and lowers the percentages. Also, in SW Philly take part of the Airport and create Pennrose and/or Hog Island.

[RedBaron0]

I could add 2 territories, which would give South Philly 5 territories and a total of 44, I don't want to get to 45 total that are distributed which is bad for 1v1 games which would give 15 territories to each player, which gives an unfair advantage to the starting player.

[RedBaron0]

Click image to enlarge.

45 territories - 44 + 1 killer neutral
Added 2 territories to South Philly, Gray's Ferry and the Sport's Complex.
I did keep Society Hill in mind, and replaced Washington Square. Society Hill is definitely more Center City than South Philly anyways.
Added Underdog bonus explanation.
Moved my signature down into the corner next to the date. Mostly to possibly use that space for something graphical later on.
Bonus values adjusted accordingly, South Philly up to 4, the bonus stats are almost exactly the same as Northern Liberties.

I'm open to your suggestions!

I've been toying with the idea of added 2 more territories (47 total - 46 + 1 killer neutral) and starting the bridges as neutrals. Figure say 2, maybe 3 neutral armies, just to give a little more starting security to bonuses at the start of the game from someone who lands on any of the bridges with the initial drop. I think 1 in SW Philly between the airport and Elmwood that shouldn't affect the bonus value, and another territory built from part of Strawberry Mansion, and that would bump Northern Liberties up to a bonus of 5.

[isaiah40]

I've been toying with the idea of added 2 more territories (47 total - 46 + 1 killer neutral) and starting the bridges as neutrals. Figure say 2, maybe 3 neutral armies, just to give a little more starting security to bonuses at the start of the game from someone who lands on any of the bridges with the initial drop. I think 1 in SW Philly between the airport and Elmwood that shouldn't affect the bonus value, and another territory built from part of Strawberry Mansion, and that would bump Northern Liberties up to a bonus of 5.

I say do it as long as there is room which I'm sure there is plenty of. I would like to see 3 neutrals on those bridge IMHO. Other than that this is really looking good!