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Re: RAIL AFRICA [D,Gp,Gr,X] (V18) P16 Submitted for BETA

PostPosted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 7:50 pm
by captainwalrus
Congrats on this and on Jamaica, Carnis!

Re: RAIL AFRICA [D,Gp,Gr,X] (V18) P16 Submitted for BETA

PostPosted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 1:27 pm
by AndrewB
Hey, sweet, great job, cairns!

Re: RAIL AFRICA [D,Gp,Gr,X] (V18) P16 Submitted for BETA

PostPosted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 11:26 pm
by dolomite13
a few spots open in this game come playtest with us =)

http://www.conquerclub.com/player.php?s ... gn=6184673

=D=

Re: RAIL AFRICA [D,Gp,Gr,X] (V18) P16 Submitted for BETA

PostPosted: Thu Dec 31, 2009 8:47 am
by hzogpsk
The map looks great and eager to play.

One thing I noticed in my first game on the board is that there were 5 neutrals to start in a 4 person game.
http://www.conquerclub.com/game.php?game=6192502

Re: RAIL AFRICA [D,Gp,Gr,X] (V18) P16 Submitted for BETA

PostPosted: Thu Dec 31, 2009 8:58 am
by hzogpsk
hzogpsk wrote:The map looks great and eager to play.

One thing I noticed in my first game on the board is that there were 5 neutrals to start in a 4 person game.
http://www.conquerclub.com/game.php?game=6192502



I checked another game that just got started. Three of the same regions are neutral: ATV-O, TUN-E and CAI-C. I've checked a few other games and it seems to be the same case with those three defaulted to neutral at the start. Is that supposed to be the case?

Re: RAIL AFRICA [D,Gp,Gr,X] (V18) P16 Submitted for BETA

PostPosted: Thu Dec 31, 2009 9:36 am
by cairnswk
hzogpsk wrote:
hzogpsk wrote:The map looks great and eager to play.

One thing I noticed in my first game on the board is that there were 5 neutrals to start in a 4 person game.
http://www.conquerclub.com/game.php?game=6192502



I checked another game that just got started. Three of the same regions are neutral: ATV-O, TUN-E and CAI-C. I've checked a few other games and it seems to be the same case with those three defaulted to neutral at the start. Is that supposed to be the case?


Yes, it is to balance the drop so no-one gets the upper hand in the first round/s on small bonus lines.
Thanks for asking....and Happy New year. :)

Re: RAIL AFRICA [D,Gp,Gr,X] (V18) P16 Submitted for BETA

PostPosted: Fri Jan 01, 2010 12:45 pm
by ender516
Well, I'm enjoying my first game on this map: Game 6196012. Of course, dropping all 5 Cape Town stations has been a tremendous boost! One of the other players was also muttering about 4 of my troops withstanding 11 attackers, so I guess I'm holding my horseshoes just right today. I don't want to jinx it, but if I can go on and take this from two lieutenants, it will make me smile.

Re: RAIL AFRICA [BETA]

PostPosted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 2:56 pm
by natty dread
Sorry if this has been mentioned already... but has anyone noticed that 5 player games start with 15 territories each? This makes it a bit unfair: the first two or so players will almost inevitably start with more troops, if they both conquer a territory from one of the last three guys.

Although, this is just a minor glitch, and if there is no convenient way to correct it, then just let it be. But I just thought I'd mention it.

Again, I'm terribly sorry if this is irrelevant, or has already been mentioned. I just wanted to help. Don't hold it against me... please.

Re: RAIL AFRICA [D] (V14)P12

PostPosted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 3:23 pm
by cairnswk
iancanton wrote:
cairnswk wrote:does the Ivory Coast Express bonus increase from 3 to 4 or stay the same?

with consecutive non-border stations, this will be the only bonus that resembles the archetypal rail usa bonus. +3 is perfectly good, though i'm happy with +4 too if u prefer that.

cairnswk wrote:Towards starting positions....answer these for me please....assuming there is a drop where nobody benefits from bonuses
1. If you have 26 stations for 2/3 players, how many does the first player get?
2. If you have 19 stations for 4 players, how many does the first player get?
3. If you have 15 stations for 5 players, doesn't someone lose out as soon as they loose a territory?

26 stations gives 8 to deploy, 19 gives 6 and 15 gives 5. 15 stations each isn't a good number, but 5-player is one of the least popular formats, whereas 6-player, for example, is the only number possible for someone who wants to gain a triples medal. i've just checked the similar-sized forbidden city, which has 85 finished 5-player games compared with 281 4-player and 167 6-player games; neither of the latter formats is well-served by having only 74 non-neutral stations.

cairnswk wrote:If ian and nobodies want start positions, where do you want them placed, because to my way of thinking they have to be very strategic in order to stop any first players losing bonuses as a result of the first round assaults.

if we have ATV-O neutral (because la madagascan is the easiest bonus to hold) plus 78 starting stations, then how about LYN-E with CAI-C for start position 1 and TUN-E with PSN-C for start position 2? i don't like TUN-E with CAI-C so much because that combination becomes strong if BGZ happens to drop in this player's favour. in 1v1, it's not easy to conquer 3 of ur opponent's stations on turn 1. in 3v3, conquering 2 stations on turn 1 is also against the odds. in 2v2, player 1 has maybe a 60% chance of being able to conquer 2 stations to reduce player 2's deployment to 5 troops while rolling sensibly, but there's not much we can do about this unless we have 80 non-neutral stations (and we're already pressed for room in the most likely locations).

is there a different abbreviation that u can use for khartoum, perhaps KRT? i always find myself thinking kathmandu when i see KTM, but maybe that's just me!

ian. :)



natty_dread wrote:Sorry if this has been mentioned already... but has anyone noticed that 5 player games start with 15 territories each? This makes it a bit unfair: the first two or so players will almost inevitably start with more troops, if they both conquer a territory from one of the last three guys.

Although, this is just a minor glitch, and if there is no convenient way to correct it, then just let it be. But I just thought I'd mention it.

Again, I'm terribly sorry if this is irrelevant, or has already been mentioned. I just wanted to help. Don't hold it against me... please.


please refer to the discussion above between myself anf iancanton.

Re: RAIL AFRICA [BETA]

PostPosted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 6:29 am
by grunion
New to this thread. Looks like a great map, looking forward to playing it. I think the text "ABA-O connects only with DSM-M" is confusing - doesn't it connect with ATV-O? If you mean to explicitly state no connection to DSM-K then I think it should be stated that way. If there is indeed no ABA=O to ATV-O connection (?!) then erase the rail line between them.

Thanks for the work on this, I like the rail series and this looks like the best one yet.

Re: RAIL AFRICA [BETA]

PostPosted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 8:05 am
by cairnswk
grunion wrote:New to this thread. Looks like a great map, looking forward to playing it. I think the text "ABA-O connects only with DSM-M" is confusing - doesn't it connect with ATV-O? If you mean to explicitly state no connection to DSM-K then I think it should be stated that way. If there is indeed no ABA=O to ATV-O connection (?!) then erase the rail line between them.

Thanks for the work on this, I like the rail series and this looks like the best one yet.


grunion...thanks for your feedback.
that text was placed there because there are two stations on DSM, and it was felt by the foundry at the time of production that it would be beneficial so that players didn't get confused and misinterpreted the sea route. That's why it says "only".
The connection to ATV-O is from either ABA-O or TLR-O :)

Re: RAIL AFRICA [BETA]

PostPosted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 9:11 am
by vodean
sorry to say this so late... but in rl, Addis only connects to Djibouti. This line was built by the french in the late 19th century/early 20th century. It is currently out of service from Addis to Dire Dawa, and is under renovation by an EU funded company. dont know how that would fit into this map though...

Re: RAIL AFRICA [D,Gp,Gr] (V18)

PostPosted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 2:59 pm
by cairnswk
Current Version 18
PNG Files
Click image to enlarge.
image


vodean wrote:sorry to say this so late... but in rl, Addis only connects to Djibouti. This line was built by the french in the late 19th century/early 20th century. It is currently out of service from Addis to Dire Dawa, and is under renovation by an EU funded company. dont know how that would fit into this map though...


vodean...thanks for your input. Yes i understand that might be the case.
There are many lines in existance throughout Africa that i had to exclude to make the gameplay.
That's why the ticket is dated 2019, you know, futuristic version.... :)

Re: RAIL AFRICA [BETA]

PostPosted: Sat Jan 09, 2010 8:24 am
by onbekende
again a train map, I love you :D

won my first already >_>, first try, direct victory, that hardly happens :o

btw, isn't it "Zuid Afrikaanse" as the N railway, thats the correct dutch name for it, dunno if the south africans went crazy and took over the S from south during there english period, but if you went for the sole dutch correct name, its with a Z.

Re: RAIL AFRICA [D,Gp,Gr] (V18)

PostPosted: Sat Jan 09, 2010 2:27 pm
by vodean
cairnswk wrote:Current Version 18
PNG Files
Click image to enlarge.
image


vodean wrote:sorry to say this so late... but in rl, Addis only connects to Djibouti. This line was built by the french in the late 19th century/early 20th century. It is currently out of service from Addis to Dire Dawa, and is under renovation by an EU funded company. dont know how that would fit into this map though...


vodean...thanks for your input. Yes i understand that might be the case.
There are many lines in existance throughout Africa that i had to exclude to make the gameplay.
That's why the ticket is dated 2019, you know, futuristic version.... :)

sure. could you connect addis to djibouti, though?

Re: RAIL AFRICA [D,Gp,Gr] (V18)

PostPosted: Sat Jan 09, 2010 3:22 pm
by cairnswk
vodean wrote:....
sure. could you connect addis to djibouti, though?

Had you asked when the map was in production i would have considered it, but not now, since it is not important to the current gameplay which is already worked out.
Thanks for asking anyways.

Re: RAIL AFRICA [BETA]

PostPosted: Sat Jan 09, 2010 3:24 pm
by cairnswk
onbekende wrote:again a train map, I love you :D

won my first already >_>, first try, direct victory, that hardly happens :o

btw, isn't it "Zuid Afrikaanse" as the N railway, thats the correct dutch name for it, dunno if the south africans went crazy and took over the S from south during there english period, but if you went for the sole dutch correct name, its with a Z.


Glad you've had a win,,,i think it has more to do with your luck with dice than anything else having watched your play... :)
Suid - what gogle gave gave in it's translator, and since this map is based in 2019, let's pretend eh?

Re: RAIL AFRICA [BETA]

PostPosted: Sun Jan 10, 2010 6:43 am
by onbekende
yeah probably the dices :D

really, did you translate to dutch or to south african?

Re: RAIL AFRICA [BETA]

PostPosted: Sun Jan 10, 2010 6:44 am
by cairnswk
onbekende wrote:yeah probably the dices :D

really, did you translate to dutch or to south african?


Afrikaans

Re: RAIL AFRICA [BETA]

PostPosted: Sun Jan 10, 2010 9:05 am
by onbekende
figured, darn africans >_>

must blame the english, they made them being unable to speak a "z" >_>

Re: RAIL AFRICA [BETA]

PostPosted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 9:24 am
by knubbel
why is the bonus for G just 3?
N for example has as many borders but less territs and is worth 4.

Re: RAIL AFRICA [BETA]

PostPosted: Sun Jan 17, 2010 3:41 pm
by cairnswk
knubbel wrote:why is the bonus for G just 3?
N for example has as many borders but less territs and is worth 4.

Because G Line has only 3 territories attacking it,
whereas N Line has 7 territories attacking it.
:)

Re: RAIL AFRICA [BETA]

PostPosted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 5:47 pm
by MrBenn
I'm not aware of any discussion about imbalance etc?

Does anybody have any legitimate concerns about imbalance, or has anybody noticed any glaring errors/omissions? If not we'll have to push the boat out....

Re: RAIL AFRICA [BETA]

PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 3:42 am
by cairnswk
MrBenn wrote:I'm not aware of any discussion about imbalance etc?

Does anybody have any legitimate concerns about imbalance, or has anybody noticed any glaring errors/omissions? If not we'll have to push the boat out....


Nothing yet of significance that i know of.....although several months now after Rail Europe has gone live....there is a call from some to adjust the bonuses on two small bonus lines. ;)
Is there any chance the boat can be left at the dock for a while longer while some games finish....this is a large map to conquer.

Re: RAIL AFRICA [BETA]

PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 4:19 pm
by ender516
cairnswk wrote:
MrBenn wrote:I'm not aware of any discussion about imbalance etc?

Does anybody have any legitimate concerns about imbalance, or has anybody noticed any glaring errors/omissions? If not we'll have to push the boat out....


Nothing yet of significance that i know of.....although several months now after Rail Europe has gone live....there is a call from some to adjust the bonuses on two small bonus lines. ;)
Is there any chance the boat can be left at the dock for a while longer while some games finish....this is a large map to conquer.

This is a switch: the Boys In Blue pushing to quench the map, and the mapmaker saying "Let's take it slow".

Does anyone know how many games have been played on Rail Europe and Rail Africa, just to get an idea of how many it might take to get people to call for adjustments?