XML Modifications and Variations

[dolomite13]

Don't know if this has been suggested before, however this would have helped me set up the starting drops in a map I am working on so I thought I would suggest it.

Suggestion Idea: Positions/Position Tag Starting Drop Override

Description: Add an "exclude" element for the <positions> tag that allows a mapmaker to ensure that leftover positions assigned by the <position> tag will be set up as a specified number of neutral armies, overriding their start element and not added to the general pool of starting forces drops in games where the number of players doesn't divide evenly.

This can already be done by coding the territories as neutral starts, which get over-ridden by the starting positions.

OK well now I'm really confused now. In a long email thread thenobodies80 explained to me that the leftover starting positions would get added to the general pool of additional starts.

A game start
Game engine "counts" the players (A) and the starting positions (B).

B/A = C (and D)

where C is the number of starting positions for each player and D is a eventually reminder.
Now the game engine will sum the reminder with the other territories (E), then the total number will divided among players again.

D+E / A = F (and G)

F will be the number of territories assigned to a player (with 3 default troops) and G an eventually reminder (3 neutral troops)

In other words the game engine split the territories among the players ALWAYS randomly and give a 3 armies neutral to an eventual reminder.
The starting positions tags will force the game engine to choose this positions as first choice, so they will ever assigned to a player. When there's a reminder the engigne will consider the reminder of the starting position as a normal territory not giving to it a priority. So it could be assigned as a neutral if there's a reminder in the "second" splitting. It's random..

[MrBenn]

There's a long discussion about Starting Positions in this thread: viewtopic.php?f=127&t=68154

If your question isn't made clear by that thread, then feel free to bump it

[cairnswk]

Territories Decay to Neutral

Description:
A starting territory marked as a decay territory in the XML could result in a specified number of troops killed in that territory per turn. After a certain number of rounds, this/these territories would reduce to neutral.

Why It Should Be Considered:It would allow for starting territories to be decayed to neutral to allow these positions to be de-activated from the game. This would be helpful for the battleships in the Gallipoli map.

Lack Label (Mod Use):

[H-man]

Now, for a map I'm developing, how about maybe a +1 bonus of dice rolls, was the most unique thing I could come up with, perhaps we could amend that?

[sailorseal]

Now, for a map I'm developing, how about maybe a +1 bonus of dice rolls, was the most unique thing I could come up with, perhaps we could amend that?

I'll put it in the form for you

Dice Roll Bonus

Description:
Be able to set a map so a bonus on it will give a player extra dice rolls.

Why It Should Be Considered:A new and unique feature that would enhance game play and open up possibilities
for a whole new niche of maps.
Lack Label (Mod Use):

[H-man]

ty, sailorseal

[captainwalrus]

Temporary impassible

Description:
A territory only boarders some other territory severy certain number of turns. For example, territory A and B are devided by an impassible but they can attack eachother every third turn.
Why it should be considered
This would allow for interesting gameplay, and could let things like tides or rock slides or whatever be incorperated into maps.
Lack Label

[Teflon Kris]

Team Starting Positions

Description:
The territories of the team positions are handed-out amongst the team, whether dubs, trips or quads.

Currently, in quads (for example), if there are 8 starting positions - each player would randomly get 1 of the 8, each team would therefore get a random 4 of the 8.

My proposal would mean each team randomly gets 1 of 2 positions.

Why It Should Be Considered:It would make war scenario maps and sports maps much more meaningful - maps could be created where all members of the same team are on the same side in the battle or sports contest.

In short - more creative licence for map-makers and much more fun team games.

Lack Label (Mod Use): [/quote]

[MrBenn]

I've just taken the time to read through all 47 pages of this thread... there are several ideas/suggestions that have been repeated very many times... The time has probably come to lock this thread down, until some of the best ideas get implemented

[YipYipDog]

i am not sure if this is the correct place for this post but i guess i will find out. i can think of a few things i would like the game engine be able to do and some of you have your own ideas and maybe we can all post them here and discuss them.

i would like to see the start position function expanded to be able to have starting postions grouped. right now they are just random. like for example if someone makes a civil war map and have the north vs the south, well territories are randomly given out. why not group them so a player will have all their starting territories in either the north or the south but not both. then more realistic battle maps could be made which i think would be much more fun. and this would make team maps much more fun to play as each teammate would start out in a specific area and have his own
job to worry about. current team mapping has the feel of not having much teamwork involved. my suggestion would make teamwork imperative. with the current start position workings this could be accomplished by have a small number of starting points like 6 or 8 and them making all the other territories neutral, but this just doesnt seem the same.

my other idea is have the <random> function to the game engine. take for example u want to make a map with winning conditions and you want those winning conditions to be random so the players wont know exactly what they need to do to win. this might sound stupid at first, but if you think about it, it could have alot of uses. take for example the board game called CLUE. well the victory conditons are not known at the start of the game except you know that one person committed the crime in one of the rooms and with one of the readily available weapons. well. someone could make a clue type map and the game engine could randomize an array of winning conditions.

i have read other map draft postings and can remember that some people said that what they wanted to do with their gameplay wouldn't work with the current engine, but i cant remember exactly what they were wanting to do.

being that people seem to have to good ideas about gameplay that would add extra fun to the maps, but just won't work using the current engine, i think that an update is in order.

[MrBenn]

There have been plenty of good ideas for XML updates in past months. The best of them have been compiled into a behind-the-scenes wishlist, but as with most site updates it up the will of the turtle that prevails

[dolomite13]

Since the XML Modifications & variations thread is now locked with no new thread I would like to ask for a modification to be considered.

Suggestion Idea: Elimination Zone

Description: This would allow a mapmaker to create a continent and set it as an elimination zone. An elimination zone would be the only territories that count towards eliminating a player. When they were eliminated from this zone the game would be over for them, all of their forces outside of the zone would become an equal number of neutral armies.

Why It Should Be Considered: This would allow maps such as Research & Conquer to create two separate army zones independent of one another. You could create a tech tree that granted bonuses but could not be accessed by military forces.

Lack Label (Mod Use):

Suggestion Idea: Deployment Zone

Description: This would allow a mapmaker to create a continent and set it as a deployment zone. A deployment zone would be the only territories that you could deploy forces to.

Why It Should Be Considered: This would allow mapmakers to limit where bonuses could be deployed but still allow the players a choice. For instance if you has a tech tree you could limit it so no forces except autodeployed ones could be deployed there.

Lack Label (Mod Use):

Anyway that's just my thoughts on a possible new feature.

Love the game =)

==D==