A few notes from the Field Marshall...

[pasternakski]

ORIGINAL: hlj
Colossus is a Java clone of Avalon Hill's Titan(tm) boardgame.

Yeah, I found this thing a long time ago. It sucks and it's going nowhere.

What we need is someone who can touch up the graphics and bring the colors to life on the screen (the game board is really nice, the battlelands could use some enhancement, and the counters could be made much more eye-pleasing while remaining true to the originals - I've always thought that this is one of the few games that is a natural for hex-shaped counters, which are not practical in paper-and-cardboard, but present no problem in the computer milieu).

Also, I play (when I find someone who is interested, which is not hard to do once you pull the game out and explain it a little) with the "badlands" battle boards from the old AH General article. These and some of the few additions to the game that have been offered over the years on the Internet could be options.

AI? The game is simple enough that a good AI should not be hard to create (I realize how many of you are laughing at my stupidity here).

Do it nice, put it in a box, give it some advance publicity, market it through mass retail outlets, I guarantee you'll sell at least 50 thousand units ... then you can move on to the real gem, "Magic Realm."

[ioticus]

I agree, Titan and Magic Realm would be awesome PC ports.

[jvgfanatic]

ORIGINAL: pasternakski

ORIGINAL: hlj
Colossus is a Java clone of Avalon Hill's Titan(tm) boardgame.

Yeah, I found this thing a long time ago. It sucks and it's going nowhere.

What we need is someone who can touch up the graphics and bring the colors to life on the screen (the game board is really nice, the battlelands could use some enhancement, and the counters could be made much more eye-pleasing while remaining true to the originals - I've always thought that this is one of the few games that is a natural for hex-shaped counters, which are not practical in paper-and-cardboard, but present no problem in the computer milieu).

Also, I play (when I find someone who is interested, which is not hard to do once you pull the game out and explain it a little) with the "badlands" battle boards from the old AH General article. These and some of the few additions to the game that have been offered over the years on the Internet could be options.

AI? The game is simple enough that a good AI should not be hard to create (I realize how many of you are laughing at my stupidity here).

Do it nice, put it in a box, give it some advance publicity, market it through mass retail outlets, I guarantee you'll sell at least 50 thousand units ... then you can move on to the real gem, "Magic Realm."

I'll third this!!! Hell, I'd pretty much wipe my computer if that is what it took to run a decent port of Titan!

[Marshall Ellis]

Hey guys:
 
I would second Dave's thoughts on porting board games (or even porting the concept of a board game). What I am finding is that there are many changes/compromises that must be done to take in the account the genre differences i.e board vs PC. These compromises can create years of debate and arguments and even threats from the board game fans such as "If it won't do that then I'll not buy it". All of this creates a giant circle of pain that still exists all the way to the end and beyond.
 
I would do EiA again (Magic Realm would be pretty cool too) but I would do it with a little less noise until the end. Matrix listens a lot to the gaming community which is helpful to their success but can create "opportunities" for the developer since this means that you may have to change/add something to the game after design. It's chaotic to program in this way and delays the project to no end BUT you can get a product with more public support (Let's hope)...
 
Realize you didn't ask for my 2 cents but there it was anyway...
 
Thank you
 
Thank you
 
 
Thank you
 
 
 
 
 

[hlj]

ORIGINAL: pasternakski

ORIGINAL: hlj
Colossus is a Java clone of Avalon Hill's Titan(tm) boardgame.

Yeah, I found this thing a long time ago. It sucks and it's going nowhere.

What we need is someone who can touch up the graphics and bring the colors to life on the screen (the game board is really nice, the battlelands could use some enhancement, and the counters could be made much more eye-pleasing while remaining true to the originals - I've always thought that this is one of the few games that is a natural for hex-shaped counters, which are not practical in paper-and-cardboard, but present no problem in the computer milieu).

Also, I play (when I find someone who is interested, which is not hard to do once you pull the game out and explain it a little) with the "badlands" battle boards from the old AH General article. These and some of the few additions to the game that have been offered over the years on the Internet could be options.

AI? The game is simple enough that a good AI should not be hard to create (I realize how many of you are laughing at my stupidity here).

Do it nice, put it in a box, give it some advance publicity, market it through mass retail outlets, I guarantee you'll sell at least 50 thousand units ... then you can move on to the real gem, "Magic Realm."

I agree that it isn't great, but it is free and it is a good alternative to not playing the game at all. I would pay for a better AI, but I couldnt care less if the counters were changed.

[David Heath]

ORIGINAL: pasternakski

David, there is not a lot wrong with the idea of "porting" board games to the computer. Some have been done with at least a limited amount of success (AH's Third Reich comes to mind). I know that WiF has been a bugbear for you, and that you will be just as relieved as happy when it finally sees the light of day.

The problem as I see it is that you cannot see a game monolithically. Just because element "a" exists in a board game does not mean that it has to be precisely the same in the computer version. When designing a computer game, you are working in an environment totally foreign from that in which the board game was created. Yes, similarities can remain, but, unless the subject game is no more complicated than "monopoly" or "chess," an attempt to be totally faithful to the original is doomed to failure because of the technological differences between the two versions.

I think that the best idea would be, as I have suggested above, to start such projects without fanfare. That way, the entire matter can be explored without public "commentary" like you have seen here. Forum posters (including me) are not, in my estimation, the best source of substantive advice on upcoming projects. Trust yourself, make good decisions, then let 'er rip.

Now, can we talk about the great idea of a Matrix development of the old AH title "Titan" (which was published before them, but they picked it up because it was so GOOD)?

Ummmm.... David ... Hello ...

Hi Pasternaksi

It maybe someday we look into Titan but for now this is all I can do <g>

David

[Froonp]

I will also say you are hardly ever likely to see Matrix commit to another board game to computer design again.

Dave, does it sound like a warning for the MWiF design ?

[VictorCharlie]

For the fans of 'porting' old board games there is cyberboard. Good for playing the old classics.