Faniciful thinking about new TOAW features

Norm Koger's The Operational Art of War III is the next game in the award-winning Operational Art of War game series. TOAW3 is updated and enhanced version of the TOAW: Century of Warfare game series. TOAW3 is a turn based game covering operational warfare from 1850-2015. Game scale is from 2.5km to 50km and half day to full week turns. TOAW3 scenarios have been designed by over 70 designers and included over 130 scenarios. TOAW3 comes complete with a full game editor.

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*Lava*
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Faniciful thinking about new TOAW features

Post by *Lava* »

Hi!

Here is a list of stuff I would love TOAW to have someday in the future...

Events

1. Insert/Delete Text - This allows one to place text on the map and remove it via the event engine.

2. Insert/Delete Terrain - This allows one to place a terrain tile on the map and remove it via the event engine.

3. Insert Graphic - This allows one to insert a small graphic into the news section of the game following the activation of an event.

4. Unit Occupies - This allows the designer to specify a certain unit which must occupy a specified hex for whatever reason.. victory points, whatever.

Editor General

1. Freeze OOB page similar to the events page when moving about the different things one does in designing a game.

2. The ability to choose a unit on the deployment map and then to open the OOB and see the page that that unit's formation is located.

3. Give the game the ability to place fleets in anchorage hexes instead of having to place them at sea.

4. Lock Inventory such that "disabled" equipment does not return back into the inventory for distrubtion.

5. A zoom out view while in the editor.

6. A "View Objective Points" option to be able to see all the objective points you have assigned without leaving the editor and starting up the game.

7. A feature to allow the designer to see how much equipment is assigned whether or not the unit has it or not. This allows the designer to see how many units he has programmed for upgraded equipment and would probably be shown (in the replacements dialogue) with a duel number such as "Rifle Squads" - 156/156. "Heavy Rifle Squads" - 0/200.

8. A "no weather" option or a "clear weather" event. In some situations I would like to have the ability for the player to be able to see everything on the map.

General Stuff

1. Highlight date on the news so as to separate it from the news text.

2. Add "view losses" (two buttons similiar to the end of battle report) on the end game graphic so one can look at the total amount of carnage received and gave out during the game.

3. Attach units. There has been lots of discussion on this one, and it is a major feature, but it could allow an incredible amount of flexibility in scenario design but more importantly... game replayability.

4. A "captured" unit which is generated when a unit is surrounded and destroyed. The captured unit would contain only equipment and could be disbanded. Any "common" equipment entering into the inventory of the side which captured it. (This one is admittedly pretty far out and probably not doable and is an attempt to be able to simulate forces using captured equipment during a war/battle without have to "produce" them.)

Ray (alias Lava)
Dave Ferguson
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RE: Faniciful thinking about new TOAW features

Post by Dave Ferguson »

ORIGINAL: Lava

2. Insert/Delete Terrain - This allows one to place a terrain tile on the map and remove it via the event engine.
Wow, this could be really useful, imagine:

Wadis that turn into major rivers during rain.

Major rivers that become fordable in high summer.

The flooded marsh changes you mentioned in the other thread.

Destroying the dam floods downstream.

etc
etc

Dave
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Chuck2
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RE: Faniciful thinking about new TOAW features

Post by Chuck2 »

ORIGINAL: Lava

1. Insert/Delete Text - This allows one to place text on the map and remove it via the event engine.

Somewhat useful.
2. Insert/Delete Terrain - This allows one to place a terrain tile on the map and remove it via the event engine.

Yeah. Dynamic terrain would be nice and add another layer to scenarios.
Unit Occupies - This allows the designer to specify a certain unit which must occupy a specified hex for whatever reason.. victory points, whatever.

Good for the Lord of the Rings scenario.
2. The ability to choose a unit on the deployment map and then to open the OOB and see the page that that unit's formation is located.

Would speed things up.
3. Attach units. There has been lots of discussion on this one, and it is a major feature, but it could allow an incredible amount of flexibility in scenario design but more importantly... game replayability.

Not happening until TOAW IV probably.
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golden delicious
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RE: Faniciful thinking about new TOAW features

Post by golden delicious »

Some good suggestions. Variable rivers (by weather rather than managed individually), your suggestions for the force editor interface and highlighting the date in the news report in particular.

I thought I'd point out which of your suggestions are already doable in TOAW as it stands.
ORIGINAL: Lava

3. Give the game the ability to place fleets in anchorage hexes instead of having to place them at sea.

You can fudge this by making the hex deep water, placing the unit, then deleting the deep water. Same effect.
7. A feature to allow the designer to see how much equipment is assigned whether or not the unit has it or not. This allows the designer to see how many units he has programmed for upgraded equipment and would probably be shown (in the replacements dialogue) with a duel number such as "Rifle Squads" - 156/156. "Heavy Rifle Squads" - 0/200.

Save the scenario, go to editor and select "modify current force -> modify units -> set assigned equipment -> 100%". Go back to the replacements editor, note down the assigned values. Load the scenario.
8. A "no weather" option or a "clear weather" event. In some situations I would like to have the ability for the player to be able to see everything on the map.

You mean in terms of recon?
2. Add "view losses" (two buttons similiar to the end of battle report) on the end game graphic so one can look at the total amount of carnage received and gave out during the game.

You can already do this by viewing the replacements report for both sides after the end of the game.
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hank
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RE: Faniciful thinking about new TOAW features

Post by hank »

In the weapons specification box you get to via the unit report (the small box that pops up for the individual weapons), you could have color silhouettes instead of the small gold and gray one.  Similar to what you get in Steel Panthers WaW when you go to the Encyclopedia.
 
Highlight the hexes within artillery range; longer range guns color could be yellow, the shorter range guns would have a darker shade.
 
Highlight units with a different color hex outline that can be grouped and recombined.
 
 
Szilard
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RE: Faniciful thinking about new TOAW features

Post by Szilard »

My fanciful wish: An interface which exposes the entire game state plus callbacks or whatever allowing you to define pre- and post-round/turn functions.
Sonny
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RE: Faniciful thinking about new TOAW features

Post by Sonny »

The ability to have an alternate unit set - so you are not limited to just a century of warfare.
Quote from Snigbert -

"If you mess with the historical accuracy, you're going to have ahistorical outcomes."

"I'll say it again for Sonny's sake: If you mess with historical accuracy, you're going to have
ahistorical outcomes. "
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