Call for random game ideas

[Vic]

Thanks for all the great ideas so far.
 
For all posters who are worried about some options i want to say again that i will add the extra features as OPTIONALS. So the player creating the random map can decide if they are activated or not. After this patch you will still be able to play a random game as it used to be before. ( and you can still of course pick a completly different masterfile as a template for making a random game as you already can).
 
Also i would like to point out that these special options are all coded through regular events and i am not doing any engine recoding for it.
 
I already saw a few interesting ideas though. I defenitly like the Nuclear Option.
 
Keep in mind that probably this will require some public beta testing and it will probably take v1.17, v1.18 and maybe v1.19 before this will become a GOLD patch v1.20.
 
I'll keep everybody posted. thanks for the feedback again.
 
Kind regards,
Vic

[Arditi]

  Great ideas gentlemen![:)]
 
  Desert terrain would slow infantry and tanks down unless there is a road through it and then it would be normal movement.
 
  Also, just another idea...what about the rebellion factor in a city being 50%, but is reduced incrementally based on what type of garrison unit you have in it?  Tanks with infantry reduce the rebellion rating more than just infantry alone.
 
  I also like the option for random resource areas.  Oil, metal, rubber...another option?...these resources would be needed to make vehicles and planes...just a thought.  I think this would encourage fighting over differing terrain rather than just towards cities.  Also, what if the resources(oil, rubber, etc.) where hidden until that area was explored!?
 
  Your awesome game encourages thought Vic!
      Best Regards, Arditi

[DasTactic]

I like the resource terrain tile idea and being able to build factories on them and then level up the factory output. If resource terrain replaced the 'Optimise for AI' villages it would still give the AI the path-finding/objective boost in attack and also allow players to build up infrastructure. I'm not too keen on having heaps of different terrain or resource types - but if these are optional it would work as a win-win.

[Magpius]

I'd like to see random scenarios starting with more than just a single HQ unit. (to reduce the gradual building phase).
Units could start stacked or clustered around the starting HQ with a determined hex radius, (% of overall map dimension or fixed hex number)
Unit emphahsis could be predetermined for.
option a) Infantry/ Land emphasis
option b) Airforce- airwar
option c) Naval - sea battle
option d) random (or controllable) percentage mix of the above.

Number of starting units could be fixed or a random range. 0-5, 5-10 etc.
Number of starting cities under user control could also be set, to reduce the initial land rush and grab for resources.

All this has probably been covered in the wish-list thread at some point. Apologies if I'm rehashing old ideas.

[alaric318]

greetings, indeed, a feature to allow to import the units order of battles, as well regimes from other scenarios will be usefull, you will make an off-board "staging area" for each regime with the units you have allowed and then place it on map, maybe as said in previous posts, to have, in example, a world war 2 overall regime and units order of battle and have the capability to export it to one after other random map game will keep off much work as to place allways the same forces and define setup the same regimes with same modifiers, do not take more than around 48 hours, aside i can say what work will be needed to allow this feature, too maybe will there be a side way to work it, allow some action cards with some pre-designed units, some political points cost and then auto define the at start capitol (hardcoded) to be the receiving slot for the purchased units, may be difficult to code it, however, and another feature i will like is to allow each regime to start with a fixed number of towns, maybe this last feature is not difficult, in example...

germany... 8 cities
russia... 12 cities
Usa... 7 cities
United Kingdom/france/italy... 6 cities
japan... 5 cities

too at last, a "regime configuration screen setup" will be great, allow for setup combat and production bonus and capability to name the regimes from this screen, pre-game,

thanks for any and all advice and support, any enhancement will indeed make an already excellent game even better,

best regards,

murat30.

[Tac2i]

This is a very good suggestion.

ORIGINAL: Agent S

I'd like to see random scenarios starting with more than just a single HQ unit. (to reduce the gradual building phase).
Units could start stacked or clustered around the starting HQ with a determined hex radius, (% of overall map dimension or fixed hex number)
Unit emphahsis could be predetermined for.
option a) Infantry/ Land emphasis
option b) Airforce- airwar
option c) Naval - sea battle
option d) random (or controllable) percentage mix of the above.

Number of starting units could be fixed or a random range. 0-5, 5-10 etc.
Number of starting cities under user control could also be set, to reduce the initial land rush and grab for resources.

All this has probably been covered in the wish-list thread at some point. Apologies if I'm rehashing old ideas.

[Jeffrey H.]

ORIGINAL: Vic

Thanks for all the great ideas so far.

For all posters who are worried about some options i want to say again that i will add the extra features as OPTIONALS. So the player creating the random map can decide if they are activated or not. After this patch you will still be able to play a random game as it used to be before. ( and you can still of course pick a completly different masterfile as a template for making a random game as you already can).

Also i would like to point out that these special options are all coded through regular events and i am not doing any engine recoding for it.

I already saw a few interesting ideas though. I defenitly like the Nuclear Option.

Keep in mind that probably this will require some public beta testing and it will probably take v1.17, v1.18 and maybe v1.19 before this will become a GOLD patch v1.20.

I'll keep everybody posted. thanks for the feedback again.

Kind regards,
Vic

One other thing that would come in handy for these random games is a saveable configuration file. Once you've gone through all the selections and sliders, etc. then you can save these settings to a configuration file for quick and easy reloading. Other games, *cough*Empire Deluxe*cough* have this and it's very handy once you find what you like to play then you just load the configuration file and zoom, onto the game.

[serg3d1]

About rebellions - I think only level I infantry units should be generated.

Suggestions:
1. Finer difficulty levels, something like from 1 to 8(AI++).
2. Ability to choose graphics - USSR, Germans or Allies.
3. I second Jeffrey suggestion about saving random config.
4. Railroads, trains which can not mobilize units but provide railroad caps, separate from landcaps.
5. To do something about motorization. Right now it make sense to motorize everything eventually. There should be more insensitive for leg and horse-drawn units. Like make trucks more expensive and use them primarily for mobilizing, and trains for supply/strategic transfer.
6. Armored trains - could move only by railroads, can mobilize AA and artillery.

[Iron Knight]

I’d like to see some of these added in if possible:

An option for city production to be able to be transferred to a port so that there can’t be a land locked position.

An option to increase ship speed.

An option to have the top and bottom hex rows to be only sea hexes (to link oceans better).

Options for peace status and cards to send PP aid and declare war or peace.

I’d really like to see more units, especially a cheaper anti-surface ship (something like 50% cost of a BB with 40-45% of the power).

Tech tree could be changed a bit because I rarely see use of certain units because the research is too high cost to justify specialized or very expensive units (scouts and heavy armor are some examples). I’ve been working on a mod that uses this approach (though my schedule has been assailing my progress):

Armor 1: cost X -->.....................................Armor 2: Cost X * 1.5 --> etc.
.|....................................................................|
\/...................................................................\/

Light Armor 1: cost X *.2 -->.....................Light Armor 2: cost X *.2 * 1.5 -->
Medium Armor 1: cost X * .4 -->................Medium Armor 2: cost X * .4 * 1.5 -->
Heavy Armor 1: cost X * .6 -->..................Heavy Armor 2: cost X * .6 * 1.5 -->
Armored Car 1: Cost X * .1 -->..................Armored Car 2: Cost X * .1 * 1.5 -->

More terrain types would be cool, especially desert.

[seille]

Many of the ideas here are more gameplay in general or unit balance.
 
I have another idea beside the ports beeing a connection to sea hexes for towns.
 
How about a option to send the other players messages/comments via the strategic map screen ?
Useful for multiplayer games. Player can ask for peace/alliances or something like this.
Easy to do. When i select a regime i could have a button there (similar to "declare war") "Send Message"
which is forwarded then to the player. The event engine already allows that. Pretty easy to do for you, or ?
 
Renaming the own regime name would be nice, too. Without going into the editor of course.

[Vic]

I decided to first to some PRIVATE beta testing on the next patch. Especially to see how the new optional nuclear rules work out.
 
I hope to move on to PUBLIC beta soon. But it will probably be a week or 2.
 
Official beta testers still standing and alive. Prepare for some test games.
 
kind regards,
Vic
 

[tweber]

How about a new diplomatic state - ally?  If a regime is in this state, they can move through or draw supply through these hexes.  If two regimes change states units are in a former allies teritory, they flee to the nearest friendly hex.
 
You could also add unit purchase action cards, pp grant to other regime action cards.  This will allow for aid to other regimes.

[Vic]

Hi tweeb,
 
Adding Diplomacy style options to the random game masterfile would INDEED be a boon.
I agree. (the true allies thing is just to much work at the moment)
 
I'll think i'll start work on that while we test the current extras. (matrix should upload v1.17 private in a few days)
 
Also PRIVATE v1.17 will bring unit transfer from scenario to scenario for campaigns. This should open up a lot of new avenues for scenario design.
 
kind regards,
Vic

[Arditi]

I'm ready to see how Nukes work!  Interesting.[:)]
 
  Regards, Arditi

[Delyn Locksmiths]

Why does the real mod not work with recent additions to random games like peoples republic?

[meskary]

How about Torpedo Planes, so the AF does not get decimated by ships

[Arditi]

Hi Vic,
  Will that beta testing start today?
     Best Regards, Arditi[:)]

[Arditi]

[:)]  Got it an hour ago.  I also posted some thoughts to the other forum.
    Regards, Arditi

[rhinobones]

[font="Verdana"]How about adding a feature where two or more AI controlled opponents join as allies and conduct joint operations against the remaining opponents. Maybe go as far as have them conduct combat operations in a single turn, share manufacturing resources, combine units and share territory.

Regards, RhinoBones[/font]

[maxfra]

In addition to the possibility to build new factories I would really like to have a new research tree for increasing factory production.
Es. lev 1 --> 100% lev 2 --> 10%....

The addition of new terrain type would be nice also.
For ex. Desert or tundra errain could decrease movement speed and increase supply request (mantainign a unit supplied in desert should be more difficult that in normal terrain...)