Tutorial #8 Zones of Control Hex Control & Stacking Limits

[Shannon V. OKeets]

I did the first page for this tutorial months ago and haven't gotten around to the remaining 7 pages. However, this came up in email correspondence with Patrice, so I thought I would post it for everyone to see.

[Shannon V. OKeets]

Here is # 8.

[Froonp]

ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets

Here is # 8.

Steve, I upgraded this one, you can post the upgraded version.

[Shannon V. OKeets]

ORIGINAL: Froonp

ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets

Here is # 8.

Steve, I upgraded this one, you can post the upgraded version.

Ok.

[Froonp]

ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets

ORIGINAL: Froonp

ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets

Here is # 8.

Steve, I upgraded this one, you can post the upgraded version.

Ok.

No no, [:-] there is a later update (uploaded a few hours ago) that got rid of the green lights and green outlines [:D].

[Shannon V. OKeets]

Patrice and I are back at work on finishing up the Introductory tutorials. Patrice wanted to rework the first page's graphics completely. Its content hasn't changed though.

[Shannon V. OKeets]

2nd and last in the series. And here is a new page.

[Largus_Means]

Ok, this may seem redundant, but is it possible to have every hex that has a ZOC exerted into be hi-lited somehow? That way upon looking at the map you can see quickly and efficently the exact layout of what is happening in terms of supply and movement. For each major power you could shade the hex the same color as that country, just very lightly, but visable. Have it as a toggleable option. And hexes that were contested with dual ZOCs have as a unique color?

Just thoughts to make the wealth of information you look at in this game easier to digest. Any others have a follow-up thought about this>?

Cheers

[Froonp]

ORIGINAL: Largus_Means

Ok, this may seem redundant, but is it possible to have every hex that has a ZOC exerted into be hi-lited somehow? That way upon looking at the map you can see quickly and efficently the exact layout of what is happening in terms of supply and movement. For each major power you could shade the hex the same color as that country, just very lightly, but visable. Have it as a toggleable option. And hexes that were contested with dual ZOCs have as a unique color?

Just thoughts to make the wealth of information you look at in this game easier to digest. Any others have a follow-up thought about this>?

Cheers

Just to note that the "Z" that you see in those pictures are added to the screenshots. The game does not show "Z" in the ZoC hexes.

[Anendrue]

perhaps a simple shading effect on hexes within ZOC would work. Maybe a 20% Grey effect.

[Shannon V. OKeets]

ORIGINAL: abj9562

perhaps a simple shading effect on hexes within ZOC would work. Maybe a 20% Grey effect.

This isn't even on my task list. It's a player aid that never seemed to be required in any over-the-board game I played (WIF FE or otherwise).

If you are a beginner, you shouldn't be playing with a lot of optional rules, so every(?) land unit in the game has a ZOC. This only gets tricky if there are divisional and special units - like saved oil points, supply units, partisans, and so forth. But if you are using all those optional rules, you should know what you are doing.

Adding more tasks (machine cycles) to screen refresh is unattractive too.

[Anendrue]

ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets

ORIGINAL: abj9562

perhaps a simple shading effect on hexes within ZOC would work. Maybe a 20% Grey effect.

This isn't even on my task list. It's a player aid that never seemed to be required in any over-the-board game I played (WIF FE or otherwise).

If you are a beginner, you shouldn't be playing with a lot of optional rules, so every(?) land unit in the game has a ZOC. This only gets tricky if there are divisional and special units - like saved oil points, supply units, partisans, and so forth. But if you are using all those optional rules, you should know what you are doing.

Adding more tasks (machine cycles) to screen refresh is unattractive too.

I am not a beginner and and my first wargame was I believe 3rd Riech (original edition) or was it "1776" published by Avalon Hill. Anyways for a turorial some simple shading on a static portion of a map to explain ZOC to beginners could be invaluable to explain the concept. I should have explaied I was not suggesting you add ZOC shading to the game itself. Instead my thought was just add some simple shading to a static bitmap to show hexes within a ZOC for explanation in the tutorial.

[Shannon V. OKeets]

ORIGINAL: abj9562

ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets

ORIGINAL: abj9562

perhaps a simple shading effect on hexes within ZOC would work. Maybe a 20% Grey effect.

This isn't even on my task list. It's a player aid that never seemed to be required in any over-the-board game I played (WIF FE or otherwise).

If you are a beginner, you shouldn't be playing with a lot of optional rules, so every(?) land unit in the game has a ZOC. This only gets tricky if there are divisional and special units - like saved oil points, supply units, partisans, and so forth. But if you are using all those optional rules, you should know what you are doing.

Adding more tasks (machine cycles) to screen refresh is unattractive too.

I am not a beginner and and my first wargame was I believe 3rd Riech (original edition) or was it "1776" published by Avalon Hill. Anyways for a turorial some simple shading on a static portion of a map to explain ZOC to beginners could be invaluable to explain the concept. I should have explaied I was not suggesting you add ZOC shading to the game itself. Instead my thought was just add some simple shading to a static bitmap to show hexes within a ZOC for explanation in the tutorial.

Ah. Sorry, I misunderstood.[:(] Changes to the tutorial is precisely why I posted these: we're looking for ways to make them better.

[composer99]

I find the white "Z"s rather hard to read on the clear terrain tiles. Maybe they should be a different colour, or as abj9562 suggests some sort of highlighting scheme be devised for the tutorials.

[mlees]

IIRC, CWiF came with a switch/toggle that displays hex ownership. (In the mini map, I think it showed hex control by national colors.) This feature could be turned on for the tutorial walkthrough...

[Shannon V. OKeets]

ORIGINAL: abj9562

perhaps a simple shading effect on hexes within ZOC would work. Maybe a 20% Grey effect.

One of the things being taught in the tutorial is that a ZOC extends through a hexside. If we just highlight the hex, that hexside information will be lost.

[Shannon V. OKeets]

ORIGINAL: composer99

I find the white "Z"s rather hard to read on the clear terrain tiles. Maybe they should be a different colour, or as abj9562 suggests some sort of highlighting scheme be devised for the tutorials.

How about a smaller font and ZOC instead of Z? Would that help do you think?

[Shannon V. OKeets]

ORIGINAL: mlees

IIRC, CWiF came with a switch/toggle that displays hex ownership. (In the mini map, I think it showed hex control by national colors.) This feature could be turned on for the tutorial walkthrough...

All of that still exists, but hex ownership is different from hexes within a ZOC.

Thinking in the abstract, a ZOC "radiates out" from a hex. Sort of like a spider with six legs extending into adjacent hexes. I haven't thought of or seen a visual image that does that well yet. But, ...

A hexagon can be decomposed into 6 equilateral triangles. One possibiliity is to exploit that fact in combination with a unit radiating a ZOC into an adjacent hex: the ZOC would be shown affecting the equilateral triangle on the border of the hex creating the ZOC. The image is still not clear to me though - I'm just kicking around ideas.

[Froonp]

ORIGINAL: composer99

I find the white "Z"s rather hard to read on the clear terrain tiles. Maybe they should be a different colour, or as abj9562 suggests some sort of highlighting scheme be devised for the tutorials.

Steve, maybe you could show them what the "hex highlight" version looked like ?

[composer99]

ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets

ORIGINAL: composer99

I find the white "Z"s rather hard to read on the clear terrain tiles. Maybe they should be a different colour, or as abj9562 suggests some sort of highlighting scheme be devised for the tutorials.

How about a smaller font and ZOC instead of Z? Would that help do you think?

Smaller font, "ZOC" instead of "Z" should both help. A colour other than white would also help. That would probably be sufficient. If the unit has ZOCs into adjacent hexes maybe also have arrows pointing into the hexes with the ZOC notifier at the pointy end?