December Update?

[mbatch729]

Wow Frank!!! This is sounding great. An AI that plays a challenging game is a great accomplishment. Super job. Now, if the Artwork can get finished soon, release in Feb/Mar?

[FrankHunter]

Well, the AI can beat me but then that's not saying a lot as I'm not a great player, in fact I once told Jim Cobb we should play each other in something since neither of us has ever won a PBEM game

In ACW the biggest headache was that Richmond and Washington are so close that AI problems are magnified because 7 hexes can be marched across pretty fast. I feel the same way here with the distance from Liege to Paris being so little. But the French AI does tend to overreact to threats. On other fronts there's more opportunity for the AI to rebuild its front after a breakthrough without it being the end of the world.

The artwork has been arriving quickly and it is all coming together. I still won't give out an estimated date until a new round of testing has taken place.

As for the gas rules, I think everything was implemented. Refresh my memory. Anything in particular?

[FrankHunter]

I should also add that the AI plays a much better game as the Entente than it does as the CP. Still, I lost the current game and the AI received no bonuses through the handicap.

[Hanal]

"As for the gas rules, I think everything was implemented. Refresh my memory. Anything in particular?"

Damn! I should have copied and pasted your ADANAC TRENCH rules in WORD before you shut down...[;)]

Anyway, what I can recall is that there was a diplomatic penalty regarding your relations with neutrals if you used gas....does using gas cause neutrals to join the opposing force, or does it just push them closer in that direction?

[Veldor]

Overall I like the map and "counters". I like the color coding by country to be on the counters and not on the map. I like the soldier graphics you have on them. Let modders do anything else they want with symbols Im sure someone will work up some quick.

The cities must go. They don't fit with the rest of the art. If any one thing is truly awful it is the city graphic.
The rivers need something more. More embossing/definition/outlining/depth. The mountains "jump out" at you but the rivers need more of the opposite "sunken" effect.
The "green" likewise needs something to spruce up areas that are predominately that color.

But the mountains, the areas like the Serbian Front shown are awesome screen shots. Just screenshots like the first one suffers by comparison.

Overall though my point is.. Great Job! Just tweak some things. Don't delay any further. You'll never make everyone happy!

[fahdiz]

ORIGINAL: Veldor

The cities must go. They don't fit with the rest of the art. If any one thing is truly awful it is the city graphic.

Agreed. I am loving everything else about the look of this game, and can't wait for it.

[FrankHunter]

JP, the first use of gas will cause an "outrage". The extent of this can lead to political changes such as advancing or retarding an entry into the war, same as changing your high seas policy to allowing u-boats free reign.

[sol_invictus]

Frank, would the violation of Belgium neutrality fall under the category of an "outrage". What about the Zimmerman Telegram? Any others?

[FrankHunter]

Invasion of any neutral can also cause an outrage.

You know, I don't have any mention of the Zimmerman telegram in the game.

[mbatch729]

ORIGINAL: Arinvald
What about the Zimmerman Telegram? Any others?

For those of us too lazy to look it up and are lacking in historic knowledge, what was the Zimmerman Telegram?

[Hanal]

In the age of the internet, it isn't that difficult to find these type of questions out....anyway, rather then explain it myself, let a GOOGLE SEARCH do the job for me:


http://europeanhistory.about.com/cs/ame ... antele.htm

[pzgndr]

Speaking of historic knowledge, I've been reading Keegan's book on the First World War. Getting myself in the mood for this game. [8D]

Anyway, I just got through the section about the French mutinies following their disasterous offensive on the Aisne in 1917. Subsequently there would be no more French offensives for about a year. How would something like this be modeled in a wargame, and should it? Any insights regarding how GOA will address this and other "breaking points" for the Armies and national will? It's an interesting aspect.

[FrankHunter]

French mutinies : When French morale reaches a low point, French units will defend normally but casualties from attacks and loss of territories are counted double against morale until overall morale stiffens.

Zimmerman telegram in a nutshell : Germans wanted Mexico to attack the US so that the US would be too busy to send troops to Europe. Telegram listed all the states Mexico "could keep" after this successful invasion

[mbatch729]

Thanks guys.

[FrankHunter]

Just to let you know how the current game played out. Germany collapsed at the beginning of 1918 when the French took Munich.
Austria, Bulgaria and the Turks fought on. Jul-Aug 1918 Austria collapsed. Here's 2 pics showing the situation as the Italians and British took Trieste and the Russians began to break through towards Budapest.

[FrankHunter]

In the 2nd pic that's Bulgarians and Turks and one Austrian cavalry unit holding the line against Greeks and Brits. And that's Romanians about to march into Bulgaria.

The Turks contol most of the Caucasus, Russia left only a minimal amount of forces there the whole game.

The game ended at the end of this impulse as the game ends when 2 major powers on either side have collapsed.

[CSSS]

Hexes....Can we have hexes?

[FrankHunter]

I should have made the captures with the grid turned on but I forgot to

[sol_invictus]

Hey, no problem Frank; just post ten more screens with the grid on.[:)]

Any thoughts on making hexsides black instead of the approximate terrain color? My poor eyes would appreciate it.[8D]

[FrankHunter]

Actually hexsides note supply control, so green is Russia, black is Germany etc. Some colours are hard to see though. I may just use black for all