Map Tags for release 2.6

TheDog

@cernel
Renamed these two eras;
Contemporary ......1961-2040...........(was Modern)
Future...........................2041+....................(was SciFi)

TheDog

Is it possible for someone to find out the top three downloaded maps from say the past year and their number of downloads?

zlefin

We definitely need an ai tag of some sort; based on the discussion in the prior threads it's one of the most important tags for the less experienced users.

The most pertinent part about it isn't how well the ai plays in general, but whether the map has features the ai doesn't know how to handle/doesn't support. eg on TWW the ai doesn't understand the moving around materials to build infrastructure part, I'm not sure it understands how to use trucks/railroads either, though it's been a long while since I checked. Or on Cernel's new 270bc map how the 'neutral' barbarians can spawn attackers.

RogerCooper

@cernel On my wiki I have the categories of "Historical", "Hypothetical", "Fictional" and "Abstract".

Historical: This category is for historically-based scenarios which depict actual conflicts, even if realism has been compromised for simplicity or gameplay.
Hypothetical: Scenarios based on situations which did not occur but were plausible. This includes plausible futures and alternate histories that lack fantastical elements,
Fictional: This category contains scenarios based upon entirely fictional backgrounds or incorporating fantastical elements (alien invasions, zombie hordes and the like).
Abstract: These scenarios do not depict any historical or even fictional situation. They exist only as games. This applies even if a realistic map is used. Most free-for-all scenarios fall in this category.

There are occasional borderline situations (where I use 2 categories) but I can define most scenarios easily. Note that mods may have multiple scenario types (such as Classic Variations)

I don't use eras, instead I categorize by the exact year.

RogerCooper

@zlefin said in Map Tags for release 2.6:

The most pertinent part about it isn't how well the ai plays in general, but whether the map has features the ai doesn't know how to handle/doesn't support

I disagree with you. The AI does not know how to handle National Objectives, Political Options or Victory Cities but it can play reasonably well in scenarios that use them. The important question is whether you can play an interesting game by playing 1 or more powers against the AI.

Most scenarios can be handled by the current AI. A "No AI" tag would be useful warning for those which can't be.

TheDog

I have done a spreadsheet with the 127 maps and have the following proposed changes, ready for entry into the Toolbox Window.

Note

Napoleonic and ACW have 3 maps between them, we could merge them and call them, Colonial or maybe Napoleonic/ACW ?
WW2-Alternate is new and is a catch all for WW2 maps with a difference like the Hex maps and non earth time line maps and sandbox style mini maps.
Contemporary now starts in 1946, as the Contemporary would have had only 3 maps, but now has 5.
Although WW2-Global has 37 maps these can filtered again using the Star Rating or other Tags to reduce the number.

TheDog

Popular Tag
For me it is a requirement, as I still class myself as a new player. When people say look in the lobby to see what is popular, below is what is popular, but these are the scenario/xml names, not the maps to download names. So for this reason new players need a Tag showing them which Maps are popular to download.

Below is a lobby list from a few days ago;
Big World 2: Balance of Power
Domination 1914 No Man's land x5 players
Great War x2
New World Order
Ozteas 1941 Global
The Rising Sun - vXXX
World at War
World War II 1940 2nd Edition x2
World War II Global 1940 Balanced Mod3 with Combat Move First x3
World War II v3 1941 Balanced Mod
World War II Revised

Currently there are 7 Popular Tagged maps.

For reference, Cernel has a post from 2017 with very similar scenario names, so they have not changed much in 4 years.
https://forums.triplea-game.org/topic/36/start-of-a-new-v3-anniversary-tourney/48

TheDog

AI Rating Tag
Is Intended for single player v all AI players.
None - not rated
1 Does not play well using the AI or AI plays too slow
2 AI plays OK, using Fast or Hard AI
3 AI plays fast, using Hard AI

The above is vital for new players to get to grips with TripleA, however this Tag is a bit subjective and worse it really needs to be at the scenario/xml level not the map download level (as we are discussing now). One map has 6 scenario/xml, so should have 6 AI Tag rating.

Having said the above I think the AI Tag still has value and will aid single players, I have already AI rated 41 of the maps, so about 1/3.

Although this Tag is aimed at single player v AI, this is still useful to multi human player games taking the major nations with the AI playing minor/neutrals.
.
.
Scrap both of these ideas
BGB Tag (Board Game Based)
Historical Tag
.
.
Star Rating Tag
Has not changed and could be ported over to the new Tag system, with a few changes.
Listed here from the 1st post
None - Not rated, newly uploaded, waiting to be rated by the map/mod team using the map toolbox. If it does not load or errors, it will be removed after say 1 month if not improved?
1 Experimental needs work to be playable/acceptable
2 Good...................Game play is Good and is reasonably balanced
3 Excellent...........Game play is Excellent and is well balanced and has good graphics/sound

TheDog

Putting it all together in one post.
A newly uploaded map after 1 month will have a Star Rating and Era Tag.

Star Rating Tag
None - Not rated, newly uploaded, waiting to be rated by the map/mod team using the map toolbox. If it does not load or errors, it will be removed after say 1 month if not improved?
1 Experimental needs work to be playable/acceptable
2 Good...................Game play is Good and is reasonably balanced
3 Excellent...........Game play is Excellent and is well balanced and has good
graphics/sound
.

Era Tag (the years are a guide)
None = not rated
Fantasy
Ancient-Medieval......pre 1450
Renaissance.................1451-1790
Napoleonic...................1791-1860
American Civil War...1861-1900
WW1..............................1901-1930
WW2-Alternate.........1931-1945
WW2-Europe.............1931-1945
WW2-Global...............1931-1945
WW2-Pacific...............1931-1945
Contemporary...........1946-2040
Future.............................2041+
.

Popular Tag
None..... = Not rated or not popular
Popular = Is played often in the lobby or forum or downloaded lots over a year
.

AI Rating Tag
Intended for single player v all AI players.
None - not rated
1 Does not play well using the AI or AI plays too slow
2 AI plays OK, using Fast or Hard AI
3 AI plays fast, using Hard AI

LaFayette

I'm still concerned about popular tag. Specifically it being arbitrary, potentially hard to break into for new maps, and the maintenance to keep it up.

Suggestion, what if we folded popular into star rating maybe? IE: '4', would mean ranking '3' plus popular.

TheDog

@lafayette
Another option could be to remove the Popular tag and just have a pinned post perhaps in Player Help.

~~I would prefer the above option rather than modifying the Star Rating Tag.~~

Edit: Actually I dont mind which option we go for.

LaFayette

@thedog A pinned post I like, it'll be more obvious if it gets out of date and does not commit us to maintaining the tag ad-infinitum.

Cernel

I don't think everyone will understand the meaning upon seeing acronyms like "ECW" and "ACW" (respectively for 1451-1790 and 1861-1900).

I understand it is important to keep it short, but I question how much such acronyms are popularly known. I tend to think that acronyms should be used only if they are known to virtually everyone (like "USA" instead of "United States of America").

TheDog

@cernel
Thanks, edited the above post, removed ECW and expanded ACW.

Renaissance.................1451-1790
American Civil War...1861-1900

TheDog

I noticed a couple of days ago that LaFayette has been busy coding the use of map tags.

The first post contains the current thinking.
https://forums.triplea-game.org/topic/2801/map-tags-for-release-2-6?page=1

Are there any more comments/suggestions?

ubernaut

@lafayette @TheDog i dont understand the #3 rating for AI

RogerCooper

@cernel American Civil War is a bit ethno-centric for 1861-1900, which had many other major wars. I would suggest for the nearly 1000 years between the Napoleonic Wars and WW1 using something like Wars of Empire, Imperial or Early Industrial.

I would also suggest 1946-1990 as Cold War.

TheDog

@ubernaut

AI Rating Tag
Edited: Is Intended for single player v all AI players.
None - not rated
1 Does not play well using the AI or AI plays too slow
2 AI plays OK, using Fast or Hard AI
3 AI plays fast, using Hard AI

On older style maps, Fast AI is usually good enough, also Fast AI turns run faster than Hard AI turns.

What #3, rating is intended for is map/scenario that contains;
support attachments, expendable units or terrain effects (I might have missed some)
these require a Hard AI to get the best out of the map/scenario.

Check Rogers Scenario thread, he makes a distinction between Hard and Fast AI.

An alternative to the ones listed above, AI rating could be;
Alternative AI Rating Tag
None = not rated
Dont = only play with Human players
Fast.. = can be played with Fast AI
Hard = should be be played with Hard AI

Would this be better?

ubernaut

@thedog you are saying there are some maps where the AI doesn't play any differently in fast or hard? that doesn't seem right to me.

my ratings for AI would be

1 incompatible (AI is not able to play this map effectively) example - TWW

2 passable (AI has some weaknesses on this map but can still put up a fight) example - G40

3 strong (AI is quite capable on this map) example - revised

not sure i agree that speed should even be a factor since AI will always go faster than a human and muddies the waters a bit in terms of the value of this rating

TheDog

@ubernaut
The AI rating is intended for new single players v AI.

With your ratings how does a new player know which AI to use Fast or Hard?

Speed is very important for a single human player + AI verses the AI.

Seasoned/multi-players are expected to know what is best for their style of play.