SteamWorks

[ender516]

... (i'm not sure what happens to the game if someone happens to end up with -1 armies to deploy tho). ...

There is a failsafe in the code such that regardless of calculated bonuses, you always have at least one troop to deploy on each round.

[Victor Sullivan]

First, I must say your map is simply stunning! Second, I must say that I do see some problems gameplay-wise:

• The continent names need to be more prominent; I don't even see one for the blue island.
• The island bonuses definitely need adjustment:
  
  • Blue: +1 (4 territories, 1 border)
  • Orange: +1 (5 territories, 1 border)
  • Red: +2 (6 territories, 2 borders)
  • Yellow: +2 or +3 (7 territories, 2 borders)
  • Magenta: +2 or +3 (7 territories, 2 borders)
  • Brown: +1 (5 territories, 1 border)
  • Green: +1 (5 territories, 1 border)
  • (Remember each will receive an additional +1 for holding the engine and steam)
• That being said, I think movement overall has been stifled on this map. No island should have only one border, and I'd even argue 2 is a little small. I suggest that each island should have one port and one balloon and Oxford should be able to bombard the whole map. I realize this may be a bit extreme, but I think these adjustments will improve the gameplay fourfold. Oxford would be a little more involved, as it wouldn't just be a piece of the objective, it could be used strategically as a way to break bonuses (and you could really screw someone over by bombarding someone's engine and overloading their other with steam, if they had 2 and 2) and it would be a great tool for fog games. Since Oxford doesn't assault anything, I think it balances out the power.
• If each island were to have one port and one balloon, I'd make the bonus changes as follows:
  
  • Blue: +2 (4 territories, 2 borders)
  • Orange: +2 (5 territories, 2 borders)
  • Red: +2 or +3 (6 territories, 2 borders)
  • Yellow: +3 (7 territories, 2 borders)
  • Magenta: +3 (7 territories, 2 borders)
  • Brown: +2 (5 territories, 2 borders)
  • Green: +2 (5 territories, 2 borders)
• If Oxford's bombardment power were implemented, too:
  
  • Blue: +2 (4 territories, 2 borders, 4 bombardments)
  • Orange: +3 (5 territories, 2 borders, 5 bombardments)
  • Red: +4 (6 territories, 2 borders, 6 bombardments)
  • Yellow: +5 (7 territories, 2 borders, 7 bombardments)
  • Magenta: +5 (7 territories, 2 borders, 7 bombardments)
  • Brown: +3 (5 territories, 2 borders, 5 bombardments)
  • Green: +3 (5 territories, 2 borders, 5 bombardments)
• I imagine engines, steam and Oxford will start neutral? That's 24 deployable, so that's decent. I'd suggest neutral 2's on the steam and engines, or 1 on steam and 2 on engines, to promote using those bonuses instead of early eliminations in 7-8 player games. And maybe 5 neutral on Oxford?

This is great work, DiM, I am very excited about this map

-Sully

[zimmah]

First, I must say your map is simply stunning! Second, I must say that I do see some problems gameplay-wise:

• The continent names need to be more prominent; I don't even see one for the blue island.
• The island bonuses definitely need adjustment:
  
  • Blue: +1 (4 territories, 1 border)
  • Orange: +1 (5 territories, 1 border)
  • Red: +2 (6 territories, 2 borders)
  • Yellow: +2 or +3 (7 territories, 2 borders)
  • Magenta: +2 or +3 (7 territories, 2 borders)
  • Brown: +1 (5 territories, 1 border)
  • Green: +1 (5 territories, 1 border)
  • (Remember each will receive an additional +1 for holding the engine and steam)

wouldn't 1-border islands become slightly more rewarding if you also count the steam+engine then? because a +2 bonus on 1 border sounds much more interestng then a +3 bonus on 2 borders to me, or am i seeing this wrong?


/// nvm i should learn to read the complete post before replying,

i very much lke the ideas of extra borders and oxfort being able to bombard the whole map. (why didn't i think of that?)

[DiM]

great input. many thanks.
will get right on it and post an updated version later today.

[DiM]

V5:

DONE:
*steam icons are more visible
*removed continent names
*better blended the continent colours
*changed bonuses
*oxford can bombard any territory
*added ports and balloons to each continent
*each engine and steam will start with 2 neutral
*oxford starts with 5 neutral

Click image to enlarge.

[Victor Sullivan]

I love it! ...though you no longer have names for your bonus areas! Maybe you misunderstood me, but I meant make the continent name text more readable and add one for the blue island. Also, you should adjust the colors on the mini map as well.

-Sully

[DiM]

I love it! ...though you no longer have names for your bonus areas! Maybe you misunderstood me, but I meant make the continent name text more readable and add one for the blue island. Also, you should adjust the colors on the mini map as well.

-Sully

i decided to remove the continent names because they were not essential. continents can be easily identified via the colours and now the map is less cluttered. as for the legend i didn't adjust the colours because they become to hard to see. or at least i start having difficulties seeing them if other people want it i could easily change those colours too.


PS: what do i have to do to get this moved to the next step?

[Victor Sullivan]

I imagine you'll be moving soon Industrial Helix is working a double shift in Graphics and the Drafting Room for nobodies and Ben, so I think he might be a little overworked. Give it time

-Sully

[DiM]

I imagine you'll be moving soon Industrial Helix is working a double shift in Graphics and the Drafting Room for nobodies and Ben, so I think he might be a little overworked. Give it time

-Sully

ah that's great. i don't know what conditions have to be met in order to get moved and that's why i was asking

[Victor Sullivan]

It's not entirely set-in-stone. It's basically once the cartos feel you have a well laid out map with the core concepts and gameplay elements mostly hammered out and they feel you have the means necessary to complete the project.

-Sully

[DiM]

It's not entirely set-in-stone. It's basically once the cartos feel you have a well laid out map with the core concepts and gameplay elements mostly hammered out and they feel you have the means necessary to complete the project.

-Sully

thanks for the clarification. i was afraid it might be something like spend X days in drafting room, get at least Y posts from Z users and that kind of stuff

[Victor Sullivan]

Not that I'm aware of. I know natty_dread's Yugoslavia was moved pretty quick.

-Sully

[natty dread]

I think you're going to need some kind of names for the continents... people need to know what continent is refered to in the game log.

[Industrial Helix]

In your case, I'm just looking to see that everything is labeled.

I mean, i look for other stuff, like concept, ect. But you've got that by the bucket.

So put some continent names on there and we'll move it, in the meantime, lets sticky this.

And why did you choose areas of England for the territory names? It seems awkward.

[DiM]

So put some continent names on there and we'll move it, in the meantime, lets sticky this.

will do

And why did you choose areas of England for the territory names? It seems awkward.

i was sure i explained this. steampunk is usually set in a fantasy steam-powered victorian era Britain. naturally i chose england and the story is that evil Dr. DiM split apart England with the use of a terrible machine found in his lab at Oxford. now all he needs is to gather enough power from at least 3 engines to complete his malefic plan of destroying England.