New Steampunk Advance Thread

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Guys would a play by forum style game work?
Who's up to playing

cameron

i've not actually played tripleA against humans in many many years...
although play-by-forum would prob fit my playstyle of doing little bits at a time inbetween the rest of life...

now that i'm more or less finished my steampunk mod i'm kinda focused on playing that a bit. keep on finding things i missed...

cameron

if anyone is interested in my mod here it is:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/14_SlLRB_PrJOzgdd64bsXoz32eMJSYzt/view?usp=sharing

hopefully it's not too much of a mess. i think that it's playable at least. although i need to learn about the new isAI feature to make the bots less daft.

edit: bah. more things not working...

edit 2: updated link

edit 3: updated link again

edit 4: updated link again

edit 5: updated link again

RogerCooper

@cameron I am receiving the message "File is in the owner's Trash"

cameron

@rogercooper

thanks for the heads up. i replaced it with an updated one and blanked on the link still being attached to the old one...

board 3659

@rogercooper Have you succeeded in downloading the map? I can't seem to for some reason

cameron

did you try clicking on the download icon? top right? i failed entirely to notice it for a while when downloading someone elses map...

board 3659

@cameron I can download the files but the engine can't detect them for some reason

cameron

unzip and put the contents in your downloadedMaps folder. i added the date to the zip file because i kept making little fixes...

board 3659

Some initial impressions. So it's cool seeing the Martians, and Nemo Pirates get more units (especially the scout, the Martians lacked a cannon fodder unit that they really need). I also find the idea of the minor powers be united to a single faction.

The unit redesigns are cool and the shift in places like North America which didn't felt right in the OG.

The addition of more weird neutrals was also cool and gave the game more flavor.

The tech system is better with capitals giving tech tokens each turn making it feel not just paths that only the wealthier powers can invest in

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SO played a game of Central and Wierd. Will try Entente later so my thoughts

Nemo Pirate AI even if not building ships is a lot more aggressive and can grow to be a bit of a threat with just their flying units and existing naval ones (this is due to the range the Nautulis have)
Martian AI is usually strong enough to take Cairo and Damascus but they seem to not be too aggressive besides from that. (They do take most of Central and South America as well but never advance further when I built up an Austrian force)
US AI sucks and doesn't defend D.C from a turn 3 attack from Havanna against Germany
Germany can kind of Turn 1 London Lmao. Even Turn 3-4 Russia since they can't build up enough to ignore the buff against the Graf Zepplins
Austria having Conscripts is a good change and makes me not die to Alliance like I used to
Commies are a good threat to for Germany not just to loot Russia and leave west. Same with Turkey in the North
Tokoyo is a bit too weak against Turn 1 Nemo Pirate. Need a few trenches or a maginot
Nautulis kind of needs a cost nerf to 16-18. A bit too good IMO with their 4 movement. Maybe make Battlecruisers move 4 and Battleships and cruisers move 3 as well.
The Special neutrals are a cool mechanic and do help add flavour and encourages neutral farming a lot more.

cameron

yeah, it's very much a work in progress - i'm still constantly tinkering.

the AI struggles in general; especially with the more unusual troops. i don't think that it ever uses paratroopers. it doesn't understand the canNotTarget tag and so thinks dabbaba are the best unit ever - i only put the build cap on them to stop the AI building nothing else... it also ignores the special islands - even when i had it play itself for 30 rounds the entente had taken every TT but the special islands.
i've always found that the AI has trouble dealing with water; both defending from and attacking across.
really gonna have to learn about the knew isAI feature i saw referenced somewhere.

as far as round one capital capture goes: germany could actually take london and st petersburg on turn one. they can't really hold london and so will lose valuable grafs. i tried to harden them a bit by giving them a maginot and AA. (same with tokyo.) the problem is that germany goes first so the targets can't prepare. this is a human only problem as the AI is incapable of making such attacks as far as i can tell. tokyo is easier to deal with as yo ucan screen the tokyo SZ with the starting destroyers. maybe i should start them in that position to help the AI; although it will most likely just move them anyway...

i listened to an audio dramatization of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas while working on this mod and the nautilus's top speed is 50 knots or 50 mph (43 knots) depending on the source and that was the prototype built half a century before this game's setting so these ones are probably even faster. either way it's hella faster than any regular ship. and nerfing jules verne is sacrilege and you should wash your mouth out with soap for suggesting such a thing!
the regular ships get to 4 Move with the MarinePropulsion anyway. i always disliked BBs and battlecruisers starting with 4 Move; speed like that needs crazy mad scientist steampunk tech!

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@cameron said in New Steampunk Advance Thread:

i don't think that it ever uses paratroopers.

I've seen Nemo Pirate use paratroopers a lot. Idk if it uses them for actual air attacks. It probably sees it as more cost-efficient. Tbf it is a decent early-game strategy to use them for just naval invasions when you want cheap land units to spam even with the shittier stats (mostly for the extra hitpoints and costs)

it doesn't understand the canNotTarget tag and so thinks dabbaba are the best unit ever - i only put the build cap on them to stop the AI building nothing else...

I was curious on that restriction. I have seen multiple times it wastes Dabbaba's attacks with conscripts in weird places like France

it also ignores the special islands - even when i had it play itself for 30 rounds the entente had taken every TT but the special islands.

What's weirder is that Nemo Pirates takes them but not Entente. (I've seen Nemo Pirates get special units)

as far as round one capital capture goes: germany could actually take london and st petersburg on turn one. they can't really hold london and so will lose valuable grafs.

I mean you only need really one or two grafs to take. Even with the lose of those two, you still basically steal 60 PU and kill the units already in London (So basically around 70 PU lose for Britain while you lose around 20 PU's of units). From what I gathered, St.Petersburg is easier to hold. Especially with Transports you can buy for Germany in Round 1.

i tried to harden them a bit by giving them a maginot and AA. (same with tokyo.) the problem is that germany goes first so the targets can't prepare. this is a human only problem as the AI is incapable of making such attacks as far as i can tell. tokyo is easier to deal with as yo u can screen the tokyo SZ with the starting destroyers. maybe i should start them in that position to help the AI; although it will most likely just move them anyway...

Yeah, Tokyo can be defended with a screen force of destroyers. I feel like putting the Zeppelins further would help not do a turn-one move. Gives more prep time for Russia and Britain

i listened to an audio dramatization of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas while working on this mod and the nautilus's top speed is 50 knots or 50 mph (43 knots) depending on the source and that was the prototype built half a century before this game's setting so these ones are probably even faster. either way it's hella faster than any regular ship. and nerfing jules verne is sacrilege and you should wash your mouth out with soap for suggesting such a thing!
the regular ships get to 4 Move with the MarinePropulsion anyway. i always disliked BBs and battlecruisers starting with 4 Move; speed like that needs crazy mad scientist steampunk tech!

lmao. True, I just think that given the steampunk tech, maybe Battle Cruisers could be 3 movements at least? Cruisers are faster than BB's. MarinePropulsion does balance it though (Especially since you can select that tech for Britain early on. It should help them a lot)

I am kind of surprised you made the Graf Zepplins be a 4/4 given how much of a buff that is but it does make more sense. I am thinking of maybe adding more Zepplin types. I mean idk if it's possible to have air-units that are immune to AA-Guns but it would be cool of such an Airship exist for either side.

I do think the restriction of placement is a bit harsh. Mainly not being buildable in Mexico City

RogerCooper

@board-3659 You easily make units immume from AA fire, in fact you need to specify the targets for aa units. However, it seems you are going a little overboard on Zeppelins. They should not be super-weapons.

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@rogercooper I just wanted another variant to make them not the same as just high-hitting units with air-transporting capabilities. (I also argued how I thought the GrafZepplin buff was a bit much)

cameron

@rogercooper said in New Steampunk Advance Thread:

@board-3659 You easily make units immume from AA fire, in fact you need to specify the targets for aa units. However, it seems you are going a little overboard on Zeppelins. They should not be super-weapons.

i think maybe you missed the "STEAMPUNK" bit...

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@cameron This ... I have many ideas of implementing more Steampunk units (mostly for Austria since they lacking originality)

cameron

@board-3659

paratroopers: the AI buys them, nut never does air drops or air transport with them; just treats them as a regular land unit. airship+paratrooper island hopping is sweat.

dabbabas: watching the AI kill troops that can hit you in favour of dabbabas is sad. but maybe a bit funny too; in a schadenfreude kinda way. i'm not sure if the AI ever uses it's land transport ability.
hmm... maybe i should just give them 0 DEF? i don't want to get rid of them in part b/c i like the flavour but mainly b/c they provide a counter to massed martian maginots.

nemo should be trying to take ALL the islands. but i suspect that the AI is blind to objectives.

grafZeppelins: i found them to be way too OP so i nerfed them a bit (-1 ATT, giving them the 'spotting' bonus instead of the 'artillery' bonus, max build 8 (which means that one can't build any more until losing some (which was actually accidental)), limited placement location (approximately where the actual Zeppelin plant is). of course now that they don't have any landing restrictions they're OP in new ways...
re moving them further away: maybe i should start them at the Zeppelin plant, that would stop them from 1st turn hitting St.Petersburg at least.

AAgun immunity: not sure about this. my instinct is no. but in the early days airships were mostly immune to AA fire... but not for long. i've never much liked the way AAguns work in A&A. maybe i should use that option where AA only target a limited number of targets? actually, what i would like is for an AA hit to only do 1 damage instead of instakilling something with multiple HP. then you could give some airships multiple HP so that AA could only weaken them...

cameron

@board-3659 said in New Steampunk Advance Thread:

@cameron This ... I have many ideas of implementing more Steampunk units (mostly for Austria since they lacking originality)

yeah, i had real trouble coming up with unique units for A-H; which is why i just gave them a couple of the german ones... i did think of some sort of vampiric dracula corps but wasn't sure how that would work...

already so many units in the game...
and i feel like there should be something uniquely different and special about how the new units work... but maybe just a purely cosmetic change is fun too?

board 3659

@cameron said in New Steampunk Advance Thread:

paratroopers: the AI buys them, nut never does air drops or air transport with them; just treats them as a regular land unit. airship+paratrooper island hopping is sweat.

Yeah, for Nemo Pirates especially. Island Hopping with Airships can help you out a lot if your a bit out of position. This also applies to the Americans would could Edison-Destroyer Spam instead of waste time building a pacific navy (likely to be sunk by Nemo anyway)

dabbabas: watching the AI kill troops that can hit you in favour of dabbabas is sad. but maybe a bit funny too; in a schadenfreude kinda way. i'm not sure if the AI ever uses it's land transport ability.
hmm... maybe i should just give them 0 DEF? i don't want to get rid of them in part b/c i like the flavour but mainly b/c they provide a counter to massed martian maginots.

Yeah honestly. No reason for the 6 Def. I do agree with their inclusion since Maginot Spam even in the OG and Advance version was common in Mecca (now helped by Trenches)

nemo should be trying to take ALL the islands. but i suspect that the AI is blind to objectives.

It does still generally do a decent job taking the pacific due to Entente AI doing a poor job dealing with the Nemo Pirates. Now against a real player, they tend to get sunk fast

grafZeppelins: i found them to be way too OP so i nerfed them a bit (-1 ATT, giving them the 'spotting' bonus instead of the 'artillery' bonus, max build 8 (which means that one can't build any more until losing some (which was actually accidental)), limited placement location (approximately where the actual Zeppelin plant is). of course now that they don't have any landing restrictions they're OP in new ways...

Maybe have them also be built in Mexico City though that's up to you. You also buffed their defense by 2 . There is some nerfs compared to the regular and advanced versions such as Snipers not being a unit (basically cost-efficient Artillery style units with lower attack and versatile transport cost) and what you mentioned above. I still think no landing restrictions is a good idea (I say it's balanced in North America though US still needs more IPC personally but yeah)

re moving them further away: maybe i should start them at the Zeppelin plant, that would stop them from 1st turn hitting St.Petersburg at least.

Yeah, I say move them to Bavaria so they have to waste a turn to do St.Petersburg or London. (You can also buff St.Petersburg defenses)

AAgun immunity: not sure about this. my instinct is no. but in the early days airships were mostly immune to AA fire... but not for long. i've never much liked the way AAguns work in A&A. maybe i should use that option where AA only target a limited number of targets? actually, what i would like is for an AA hit to only do 1 damage instead of instakilling something with multiple HP. then you could give some airships multiple HP so that AA could only weaken them...

Yeah I learned that the hard way with the Dutchman
Anyway, I say a variant could be cool. I say give such AA Immune Zepplin to Austria to make them more unique

yeah, i had real trouble coming up with unique units for A-H; which is why i just gave them a couple of the german ones... i did think of some sort of vampiric dracula corps but wasn't sure how that would work...

The only thing I found as a sort of mech thing called a Clanker but we kind of got that already.
Now there is Leviathans which I do think could be given to Austria starting out (obviously not buildable). Ig a cool thing for Austria is have their conscripts be 1 Atk/ 0 Def. I mean ... it would be more unique than being the fifth nation with the exact same unit

already so many units in the game...
and i feel like there should be something uniquely different and special about how the new units work... but maybe just a purely cosmetic change is fun too?

Yeah that;s why I was I liked units like the Dabbaba since they are specialized unique units that aren't just large mech weapon.