Tribal War - Ancient Israel v15.0 [2013-04-03] pg15

[Seamus76]

CURRENT UPDATE INFO - 2012-12-05:
- Added the scroll to the bottom right corner, and skewed the text a bit so it looked more part of the paper.
-Went through and tried to touch up some of the river borders.

Going to start with the small map since the text is going to be a killer to redo. The gameplay stamp should be imminent, so please let me know what graphics updates need to be made. Thanks everyone for all of the feedback. This should be a really fun team game, or an epic 1v1.

CURRENT MAP VERSION:
v10.1 - Large (840x800)

Click image to enlarge.

[cairnswk]

Seamus76, good job on what you've done the rivers...
can you slightly tweak the river mouths at the Med Sea so they fade into that cream background, either that or add the sea marking on the coastline...
and the river in the legend still has the light blue around it, but should show black edges.
apart from that. nothing else from me, well done!

[Seamus76]

CURRENT UPDATE INFO - 2012-12-06:
Thanks for the feedback cairns.
- Added the border around the river in the legend.
- Also, reversed the flow of the rivers on the Med Sea side so the mouths blend in more.

Going to start with the small map since the text is going to be a killer to redo.

CURRENT MAP VERSION:
v10.2 - Large (840x800)

Click image to enlarge.

[cairnswk]

CURRENT UPDATE INFO - 2012-12-06:
Thanks for the feedback cairns.
- Added the border around the river in the legend.
- Also, reversed the flow of the rivers on the Med Sea side so the mouths blend in more.
...

Nice!

[nolefan5311]

Ok Seamus, I think there is only one issue holding you up. After doing a little bit more research into this, the only real issue I have remains the capital bonus.

From what I can see, 5 of the 12 capitals will start neutral. This leaves 7 capitals as droppable; Beer-Sheba, Shiloh, Samariah, Adamah, Edreh, Mahanaim, and Arder. With only 4 required for the bonus, that leaves a 16% chance that a bonus will be dropped in 2 and 3 player games, which is just too high.

You have a couple of options here though. The simplest is to code 3 of the above as starting neutrals, leaving 4 to be deployed at the drop. This drops the percentage to 1% in 2 and 3 player games. The other option is to code those remaining 7 as starting positions in the XML, giving a maximum of 3. It's up to you, but this will have to be changed before the stamp can be issued.

[nolefan5311]

BTW, the spreadsheet I use to calculate this can be found here:

viewtopic.php?f=648&t=84998

[Seamus76]

Ok Seamus, I think there is only one issue holding you up. After doing a little bit more research into this, the only real issue I have remains the capital bonus.

From what I can see, 5 of the 12 capitals will start neutral. This leaves 7 capitals as droppable; Beer-Sheba, Shiloh, Samariah, Adamah, Edreh, Mahanaim, and Arder. With only 4 required for the bonus, that leaves a 16% chance that a bonus will be dropped in 2 and 3 player games, which is just too high.

You have a couple of options here though. The simplest is to code 3 of the above as starting neutrals, leaving 4 to be deployed at the drop. This drops the percentage to 1% in 2 and 3 player games. The other option is to code those remaining 7 as starting positions in the XML, giving a maximum of 3. It's up to you, but this will have to be changed before the stamp can be issued.

That makes sense. 16% is WAY too high. I hate games where there are bonuses on the drop. I really like the idea of coding the remaining 7 as starting positions in the xml, with a max of 3. This makes the chances of a capital bonus on the drop 0%, and keeps them very much in play if someone does happen to drop 2-3 of them. Plus, it also then becomes V.J.'s problem since he'll be doing the xml. Thanks Nole. So with that being said, does it solve the one issue holding us up?

[nolefan5311]

Ok Seamus, I think there is only one issue holding you up. After doing a little bit more research into this, the only real issue I have remains the capital bonus.

From what I can see, 5 of the 12 capitals will start neutral. This leaves 7 capitals as droppable; Beer-Sheba, Shiloh, Samariah, Adamah, Edreh, Mahanaim, and Arder. With only 4 required for the bonus, that leaves a 16% chance that a bonus will be dropped in 2 and 3 player games, which is just too high.

You have a couple of options here though. The simplest is to code 3 of the above as starting neutrals, leaving 4 to be deployed at the drop. This drops the percentage to 1% in 2 and 3 player games. The other option is to code those remaining 7 as starting positions in the XML, giving a maximum of 3. It's up to you, but this will have to be changed before the stamp can be issued.

That makes sense. 16% is WAY too high. I hate games where there are bonuses on the drop. I really like the idea of coding the remaining 7 as starting positions in the xml, with a max of 3. This makes the chances of a capital bonus on the drop 0%, and keeps them very much in play if someone does happen to drop 2-3 of them. Plus, it also then becomes V.J.'s problem since he'll be doing the xml. Thanks Nole. So with that being said, does it solve the one issue holding us up?

For the most part. Just waiting to hear from one person before moving it up to graphics

[iancanton]

if 7 capitals are start positions with a maximum of 3 each in 2-player games, then the 7th capital is put into the random pot for distribution to player 1, player 2 or the neutral player. there is therefore a one-third chance of player 1 receiving a +2 bonus for holding 4 capitals.

if u deal with this by coding 7 capitals as underlying-neutral start positions, then 8-player games will start with 7 neutral capitals, which isn't ideal.

while keeping the 7 capitals as start positions, how about changing the capital bonus to +5 for every 5 capitals? there is no chance of receiving this bonus from the start and it's big enough to encourage players to position themselves for or against it.

let the levite cities start as n2 rather than n3. they're likely to remain untouched in many games if players have to kill 3 neutral troops for only a +1 auto-deploy. a further possibility is to have shechem and ramoth-gilead start as n1, to force some action in the war zones, though this has some minus points in unlimited-forts games.

the name of the river: isn't it supposed to be river jordan, rather than jordan river?

http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/t ... k-asv.html

mark 1:5 And there went out unto him all the country of Judaea, and all they of Jerusalem; And they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

http://aum.edu.jo/en/student-life/location/79.html

Officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Jordan is on the East Bank of the River Jordan.

ian.

[Seamus76]

if 7 capitals are start positions with a maximum of 3 each in 2-player games, then the 7th capital is put into the random pot for distribution to player 1, player 2 or the neutral player. there is therefore a one-third chance of player 1 receiving a +2 bonus for holding 4 capitals.

if u deal with this by coding 7 capitals as underlying-neutral start positions, then 8-player games will start with 7 neutral capitals, which isn't ideal.

while keeping the 7 capitals as start positions, how about changing the capital bonus to +5 for every 5 capitals? there is no chance of receiving this bonus from the start and it's big enough to encourage players to position themselves for or against it.

let the levite cities start as n2 rather than n3. they're likely to remain untouched in many games if players have to kill 3 neutral troops for only a +1 auto-deploy. a further possibility is to have shechem and ramoth-gilead start as n1, to force some action in the war zones, though this has some minus points in unlimited-forts games.

the name of the river: isn't it supposed to be river jordan, rather than jordan river?

Thanks Ian. I think +5 for 5 capitals is a good solution. I'll update that for the next version. I also really like the 6 Levite Cities starting at n2 rather than n3. I don't think we need to force action in the war zones with some n1's, that should happen naturally, but could be something we rework during Beta as we see the games play out.

As for the Jordan, I've seen it both ways actually, in even earlier passages than the ones you posted. I don't mind either way, maybe BluU can crack an egg of knowledge all over us.

[puppydog85]

according to wikipedia:

The Jordan River (American English) or River Jordan (British English)

[x-raider]

Either one is just a translation/interpretation of the original text. Jordan River (Modern American) - River Jordan (Antiquated British).
I think this map is going for the old feel.

[koontz1973]

Two options more for you. Remove the names as they are not territs or go completely biblical and call it Yarden.

[nolefan5311]

Once you've posted that update Seamus, we can stamp this for you.

[Seamus76]

CURRENT UPDATE INFO - 2012-12-10:
- Updated the Capitals bonus from +2 for 4 to +5 for 5.
- Updated the Levite Cities of Refuge from n3 to n2, but left Hebron as n3 since it is also a Capital, and as such much be taken to give a player the Capital bonus and a +1 auto-deploy, so it's more valuable then a regular Levite City.

Working on the small map.

CURRENT MAP VERSION:
v10.3 - Large (840x800)

Click image to enlarge.